Shutout

Chapter 19 - Kane

I was actually awake when the fight occurred. I'll admit, I was dozing off, so I wasn't entirely paying attention until there was screaming and whistling, and the announcers were freaking the fuck out. Even with the announcers talking and the crowd rowdy, you can hear what Bac and the other guy were saying. And if you didn't catch it, it's all over Twitter. Now, the world is aware that the fight is caused by homophobia and taunting, as if that's normal and okay. 

When i asked Logan to call me last night, to try and understand whats happen but also ask if he's okay but this so clearly targets him, he sent back a simple text that he wanted some time to think through his thoughts and that he would call back later. I stayed up later than I ever would, waiting on my phone for some response, but it never came—just more and more shit on Twitter and Instagram and Tiktok and every sports reporting outlet. 

Eventually, I fell asleep with no further response from Logan. Nor was there anything when I woke up this morning. Thus, I spend the morning cautiously glancing at my phone just in case Logan calls or texts something. But it never comes. 

At roughly 11 am, my phone vibrates with a text. I jump on it, but the caller ID is unfamiliar and not the hockey stick emoji and heart that designates Logan's contact. Trying not to be disappointed and instead get excited by the text that is illuminated in front of me. 

Unknown: Hi, this is Liam Lindahl. Do you have time to do the interview today?

Nearly choking on my second cup of decaf coffee, I quickly ask for this email and rush to my office to send him the Zoom link. I don't think about how I look, having not gotten ready for the day despite having been awake for hours at this point, until the zoom pulls up my image. But I don't have time to react before it's connecting to another computer, and a man, my age with a decent mustache and worried brows, is presented. 

"Hey, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kane Jenkins."

His screen is darker, like he's in a space with little sun, "Oh, um, nice to meet you too. Liam Lindahl."

"May I ask why you suddenly want to do the interview, Mr. Lindahl?" I scramble to pull up a Word document and get onto my recording app, "By the way, this is all going to be recorded just so I can remember it later. Once I write a transcript of the interview, I'll delete the audio."

"Oh, um, okay. That's fine," He's clearly uncomfortable as he awkwardly looks around the screen. 

"Anyway, why did you want to do this interview all of a sudden?"

Liam shrugs, "The PR team thinks it would be good if I do an interview that reflects a more positive image of myself and the team because of... what happened last night, so I thought this would be the best way to do it."

"Okay, but do you want to do it?" Liam squirms on the screen, making me want to shut off the recording and send him back to his daily routine, "Listen, Mr. Lindahl. I appreciate your offering to do the interview, but I don't want to do it under the pretense that you feel pressured or forced to do it. That is the opposite of the intent of the article."

"No, no, no!" Liam urgently shakes his head, "I mean, I want to do it, okay? I would have done it whether or not last night happened. I just wasn't sure how to reach back out to you and ask to do it without it being awkward..."

I stare at him silently for a moment, but he looks like a scolded kid. Not like a professional hockey player or a victim of hate crimes or like he's comfortable, "Okay, if you swear that this is of your own volition."

He nods, clearing his throat, "It is. I want to do this."

I hmm and readjust my phone to get the audio better, "Okay. Well then, this is how it will go. Depending on how much time you have today, we'll do about an average of two-hour interviews. Mostly, it will be you talking while I'll occasionally ask questions, ask you to elaborate, or offer my own insight. After that, I will turn your audio into a transcript and will do so with my remaining interviews. I really only have one left after you, so after that, I will begin to write the article. Once I have a publishable draft, I will send a copy of it to each of you who are featured in the article to add your own comments, edits, removals, etc. After that, it will be published in the New York Times. Right now, it looks like two parts will be published. Does that all make sense? How long can I keep you today?"