Page 6 of Laugh

Pointing at her, I nod my head. “True… and that’s what I’m gonna make you for lunch tomorrow. If you’re really lucky, you’ll get hot dogs too.”

Turning and taking my leave from the group, I throw a hand up to wave goodbye. “Long live and prosper, Chris!” I can’t help but smile when I think I hear a low growl at my exit.

Chapter 3

Ugh… Happy

Beau

I scrub my face when I see the head coach approach me. He’s frustrated about something, and with the beeline he’s making toward my position on the side of the practice field, I know it must be about some of my players.

Yelling out to my first- and second-string defensive line, I direct their next drill. “Guys! I’m going to step over to the side for a few minutes. Line up and run through shedding blocks. I want you all to cycle through at least five times. Run another five if I’m not back when you’re done.”

“They look good,” Jim says. He’s been the head coach for the teams for the last fifteen years. When he took over, he really elevated the program to an entirely new level. He showed up my freshman year when I was picked up.

“They do. What can I do for you?” I ask while watching the start of the drill.

He sighs, crossing his arms to watch with me. “We have a problem.”

“What’s the problem?” I make a note to talk to Tyler, one of my defensive ends, to correct his starting body position.

“Grades came in for spring semester. Four of your guys are on probation. They’re in trouble of not meeting scholarship requirements to play in the fall.”

Closing my eyes, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Fuck. Which ones?”

Tugging the paper from his clipboard, he hands it to me. I read through the names and my stomach sinks. Three of them are first string. Tyler, Antoine, and Jeffrey. Colton is on the list as well, a sophomore, and would most likely be moving up depending on how this next season goes for him.

“Want me to talk to them?” he asks.

Shaking my head no, I crumple the paper in my fist. “I will. We’re almost done here, anyway.”

He eyes me, then glances over at the guys. “What’s the plan?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll figure out what their deal is and fill you in at the next coaches’ meeting.”

“Alright. They’ve got to turn this shit around. School is giving them the summer to bring their grades up. Otherwise, they’re benched until midterms and gone by the end of the semester if nothing has changed.”

“Got it,” I growl. He claps me on the shoulder, then makes his way inside to his office near the locker rooms.

Blowing my whistle, I call the guys over to me and give them some feedback about today’s practice and what to expect tomorrow. “You four, stay behind.” I point at the four fuck-ups and glare at them until everyone heads in.

“What’s going on, coach?” Antoine asks me, drinking water and cooling down.

“You four need to shower, grab your computers and exams from last semester, then meet me at the library in two hours.”

Some of them drop their shoulders, getting ready to pout. Colton is the first to speak up. “What? Why? We’re all done man!”

I pierce him with a glare, then stare at the others. “Wrong. You four just bought yourselves extra classes and tutoring. You all were informed that when you accepted your scholarships to play in our program, you are required to maintain a 2.3 GPA. Guess what the issue is?” I watch as their jaws slacken and Antoine mutters ‘shit’ under his breath.

“I sorta thought that was just paperwork bullshit,” Tyler grumbles.

“Yousortathought wrong. So, get showered and I’ll meet you over there. I want you guys to bring stuff for the classes you struggled in. C and below grades. If it’s all of them,” I look at Colton, “then bring everything.”

Turning around, I leave them to go grab my own shower. Then get online to pull their past class schedules along with their grades and any comments entered by their professors. All of them failed, or almost failed, two of their four classes last semester, but Colton in all four classes.

By the time I make it to the library, I’ve gotten more and more pissed over these guys fucking up their grades and my plans for our season this fall. Tyler sent me a text to tell me where they were sitting and I make my way to them, then halt in my tracks when I seeher.

Happy.

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