Hadassah

coach

Just when I thought things couldn't get any more tense, there was a soft knock on the door. We all froze, waiting, until Dad peeked through the little window and then whispered, “It’s okay… it’s Coach.”

Coach slipped in quickly, closing the door behind him. He looked around, giving everyone a nod, and then spotted me clutching Puff Puff. With a gentle smile, he reached into his bag and pulled out a few pieces of candy, passing them over.

"Thought you might need a little treat,” he said, ruffling my hair like he used to after a good game.

“Thanks, Coach,” I mumbled, unwrapping a piece and popping it in my mouth. It felt almost normal for a second, like maybe everything wasn’t falling apart outside.

He settled down on the floor beside us, sighing. "They said I was too old, too much of a drain. Imagine that." He shook his head. "All I’ve ever done is try to help these kids grow up right. And now, here I am."

Pops gave him a nod of understanding. "They always say things like that about people they can't control," he said quietly.

Coach patted Pops on the back, glancing at the rest of us. "Well, you got a good crew here. I’m honored to be with you all."

The tension in the room was so thick it felt like I could almost touch it. I squeezed Puff Puff tighter, his softness helping calm my nerves. Things had gotten so bad, and I didn't know how much longer we could keep hiding. Pops had said it before: we just needed to stick together. But it was hard to stay hopeful when everything around us was falling apart.

Coach was trying to keep it together, but I could see the fear in his eyes. “We can do this, Hadassah,” he said, his voice a little shaky. “You’re not alone, okay? We’ll survive this if we stick together.”

I nodded, though deep down I wasn’t so sure. The sound of protests getting closer made my stomach drop. It felt like time was running out.

Pops, always calm and steady, put a hand on my shoulder. “You’re safe with us, Haddie. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Just as I was about to say something back, the door opened, and in walked Travis, grinning like he always did, but there was something different about him. The usual cocky smile was still there, but his eyes were serious, and his shoulders were tense.

“LMFAO, well, look who’s here!” Travis said, his voice still carrying that playful tone, but I could hear the seriousness underneath. “I thought I was just dropping off some supplies, but damn, seems like you guys need me more than I thought.”

“LOL, looks like you’re right,” Pops replied, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Travis set down the bags of supplies and looked at each of us, his face full of determination. “Listen, I know things are bad. Worse than we thought. But you’re my people, and I’m not about to let them tear us apart.” His voice was firm, and there was a fire in his eyes that made me feel just a little bit better.

I clutched Puff Puff a little tighter. “Is it really that bad out there?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Travis looked at me for a long moment before he nodded. “Yeah, it’s bad. Worse than you can imagine. They’re coming for anyone who’s different. Anyone who doesn’t fall in line. But I’m not letting that happen to my family. Not while I’m still standing.”

I felt a little warmth spread through me at his words. It was comforting to hear him say that. Still, the fear in my stomach didn’t go away. How long could we really stay safe?

Pops, always the voice of reason, spoke up. “We can’t let fear control us. But we need to be smart. We move when it’s safe. Not before. We don’t take unnecessary risks.”

“LMFAO, hell yeah,” Travis said with a chuckle, “I’m not afraid of anything they throw at us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart about it.” He turned to face all of us, his expression serious for once. “We stick together. That’s how we make it through this.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. It felt like maybe, just maybe, we could make it.

Just as the conversation seemed to settle, there was a knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. The world outside had already turned dangerous, and I didn’t know if we were ready for whatever was coming next. The door creaked open, and standing there was Carson, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.

His eyes were wide with terror, and his hands were shaking. “Alligator!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “Fuck…”

I ran over to him, wrapping him in a hug. “Hey, it’s okay,” I whispered, trying to calm him down even though I was just as scared as he was. “You’re safe now. We’re safe.”

Carson buried his face in my shoulder, his body trembling. “Alligator. Fuck...” He repeated, his voice full of panic. Aligator…”

“I know,” I said softly, brushing his hair back. “But you’re here now. We’ll get through this.”

Pops walked over, putting a hand on Carson’s back. “We’re in this together. We’ve survived worse. We’ll survive this too.”

Just then, Travis walked in, his usual grin on his face as he dropped off bags of food and water. “LMFAO, look at you guys,” he said, not missing a beat. “You really do need me, huh? Don’t worry, I got your back.”

The sound of footsteps outside started getting louder, and I froze. I wasn’t sure if it was more of them coming, but the air felt like it was closing in. I wanted to believe that we were safe, but the world was getting worse every day.

Pops gave me one last look, full of calm reassurance. “We’ll be okay. We stay smart, and we stick together. But right now, we need to rest. We figure out our next move later.”

“LMFAO, yeah, we got this,” Travis said, his voice still full of that playful energy, even though the situation was so serious. “I’m not letting anyone mess with my family.”

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself believe him. Maybe we could make it. As long as we stuck together.