Part Nine

Coach Maxwell stood just inside the locker room and looked around. It was two hours before their first match against Smith’s Private School. “Kelley, in my office.”

The guys jeered and laughed as Kelley grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head before exiting the locker room and heading to the Coach’s office. He knocked on the door and opened it, closing it behind him and sitting down in the single visitor chair in front of the desk.

“Yes, Coach?”

“Why are you at Public, Kelley?”

“Coach … it’s a long story and personal. I’d rather not discuss it.”

“I’m not just your Coach, Kelley, I’m also a person that has your best interests at heart. I care about every single player on my team.”

Kelley had been running drills and practices with the team for two months now and it seemed for the time being that Arlo O’Neill had pulled his head out of his ass. Kelley still didn’t really have friends but on some occasions he sat with Lee during lunch, when Mason wasn’t there.

“Coach, if I tell you