Page 85 of Spiral
I run a rough palm over my chin, unsure of where to start.
“Y’all know that event we just put all that work into?Glow in the Garden?”
A chorus of “yes” and nods follows from the team.
“Well, Coach called me into his office this morning and said that he was pissed we gave out fliers for it at ‘his’ game. He said it doesn't matter how much money we raise – he's blocking the Texas University Tribune from ever being reinstated.”
“Why the fuck should we care?”
Watson’s voice reverberates through the room, cutting like knives through the quiet air. My expression turns sour as my muscles instinctively tense at the sound of him.
“Because–”
“Because,” he interjects, his tone mocking and cruel, “some jersey chaser wants her little club back? You’re telling me, captain, that I’m supposed to lose out on the fucking Championships for some slut?”
“Don’t fucking call her that–”
“Watson kind of has a point, Cap…” Jonah interrupts tentatively, “I mean, we’ve worked so hard to get here. Are we really just going to throw it away?”
“We aren’t throwing away anything, Jonah. Every one of us has played in an NCAA Championship before. But not one of us has ever stood up to Coach’s bullshit.”
My jaw is clenched as I match my players’ gazes, every last one of them nervous and uncertain.
“This is about so much more than Georgia,” I continue, growing more confident with each word. “This is about the team. And not just our team. We are the faces of Texas University. Coach asked me this morning if I understood how much goddamn power he has. And if he truly does have so much that power, enough to shut down an entire organization just because he doesn’t like it, then we have that power, too. He’s nothing without us.”
I pause for the eye rolls, the interjections, the anger – but there’s nothing. Every team member is tuned into me, listening carefully, giving me a shot at explaining.
“We are a part of the Texas University team – not just the football team. And Georgia, Eleanor, and every single other person on this campus are on that team, too. How can we call ourselves the fightin’ TU Titans if we don’t fight for shit? If we abandon our team when they need us most? Just to let a greedy fuck like Bryer get another fat paycheck.”
I survey the room, taking in their grave, yet hopeful, expressions and, somehow, I know they’re with me.
50 | Georgia
“OH MY GOD, there’s Henry!” I squeal, to my own embarrassment, as I spot his number on the field below us.
“Yep, excellent representation of the team that destroyed years of hard work.”
Eleanor’s voice is aggravated, her words spit out like sparks from an open flame.
“It’s not their fault, El – they did everything they could to help us. It’s Coach Bryer–”
“Wait, what are they doing?”
Eleanor’s eyes are squinted towards the field, her expression perplexed. I look down at the players, all in their respective positions across the field… but something’s different. They’re all just standing there – not crouching, or huddling, or yelling – just standing.
I glance at Eleanor as the realization hits me all at once.
“I... I think they’re boycotting.”
51 | Henry
“WHAT THE FUCK do you think you’re doin’, boy?! Get in your goddamn position!”
Coach’s irate shouting from the sideline rings in my ears as I stand perfectly still on the turf. The screams of thousands of TU Titans fans echo through Mason Field as the announcer welcomes everyone to the NCAA Championships, a hint of confusion in his voice.
“Alright everyone, welcome to the NCAA Championships here at the home of the fightin’ TU Titans. Looks like we’ve got our boys in maroon already on the field, about to ready themselves in their positions…”
“We’re not playing!”