Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“Count off: one, two, three, four.” Unfortunately, I had to watch each of the kids yell out their numbers, because you’d be shocked at who couldn’t follow directions or forgot which number came after three. “All right, if you are a one or three, stay here; twos and fours, go to the other end.”
“Coach, really?” Cutter groaned. “Now I can’t protect Eleni.”
“Very noble of you,” I told him, but I didn’t remind him that she’d lasted longer than he had in the last round. “Line up.”
For the most part, my classes went smoothly. The kids followed instructions and enjoyed coming to class. They used this time to burn off pent-up energy or let out some frustration. School wasn’t easy—not even when I was a student. Teachers could be tough, and classes were often challenging. Since graduating with my degree in physical education, I’d made it my goal to create a safe space where students could express themselves.
Like last time, I lined the rubber balls up along the mid-court line, walked off to the side, and blew my whistle. I watched, my head moving back and forth, as kids aimed for their classmates.
They jumped, ducked, and dodged flying balls, hollering excitedly when they got one of their classmates out, and groaning when they didn’t see the round orb coming toward them from the side. It was usually the smaller, sneakier kids who prevailed. They tended to be quicker and often used the taller students to hide behind until they were the last ones standing.
Jayden Torres threw his arms up in victory when he was the last one remaining. With him standing five foot nine, he’d completely shot down my theory of the smaller, faster student. His speed and agility played a factor, though. Jayden was one of the fastest kids in the state, having won the state title in the one hundred, two hundred, and four hundred. He’d told me once that he ran track for fun, but basketball was where his heart was.
He came to the sideline and was congratulated by his classmates. I knew that outside of here, the students didn’t always get along, but during gym class, I stressed the importance of teamwork. I never wanted anyone to feel as if they didn’t belong or didn’t have a partner in class. There was nothing worse than seeing a kid struggle in PE.
With five minutes to go before the bell rang, I excused the kids to go and get changed. My other counterparts often kept their classes until a minute before, but I never saw the reasoning. I never wanted the kids to feel rushed to change and make it to their next class.
After I’d excused them, I went out into the hall and stood between the two locker room doors. I’d asked the kids many times to wait in the locker room until the bell had sounded, and while most did as I asked, a few of them didn’t.
The door to the boys’ locker room opened, and Cutter appeared. I gave him a quizzical look. He smiled sheepishly.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Vaughn?”
“What time do we have to be at the game?”
Cutter tried to be subtle as he looked over his shoulder at the other door. My guess was that Eleni would be coming out shortly so they could do what teenagers did at this age—make out.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling or laughing, needing to maintain a straight face. This boy knew exactly what time he needed to be at the gym tonight for the game. And when the door to the girls’ locker room opened and Eleni stuck her head out, I knew I was right in my assumption.
“Ms. Chen,” I said, giving her a nod. She blushed, ducked back inside, and closed the door.
I glanced at Cutter, who suddenly had a fascination with the floor. I didn’t know much about the Vaughn household, but I suspected Cutter’s father wasn’t in the picture. Being a meddler had never been my forte because I respected people’s privacy. I feared, though, that Cutter needed a male role model, someone to guide him through these building hormones.
“If you ever need to talk, my office door is always open,” I told him. “You can also text me.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Coach.”
The bell rang, saving us both from any awkwardness. I watched as the kids filed out of the locker rooms, but I mostly kept my attention on Cutter and Eleni. High school was already hard enough, but adding in teenage hormones made life seem like hell. I remembered, all too well, my first girlfriend, who eventually became my wife. I shuddered to think what our children would’ve been like if we’d had any. We would’ve ended up being the kind of parents who said, “Do as we say, not as we do.”