Page 93 of Call the Shots
“I’m just saying—what thefuck,Kid’s Toy?” Pickles’s words settled over the room, and everyone turned to gangly Montoya, sitting on an overturned recycling bin. He quickly stammered out apologies.
“Pickles, why don’t you learn to backcheck and shut your mouth?” Elijah retorted.
Pickles was right, this was clearly in retaliation to Montoya’s birthday, but he wouldn’t get that from me. Everyone erupted into arguments. Denali and Fridge were trying to calm people down but if Pickles wanted a fight, I’d give him one.
The door shoved open. “Gladiators!”
We turned to an unfamiliar voice—Coach Vernon. I shot a confused look at June. Nobody messaged him about the meeting. I didn’t even know he was in the Colo.
Coach held up a crushed black device. “Who put this in my office?”
I scanned the room, but I couldn’t pick out a guilty party. Pickles glanced at me, his face blank, and Elijah shrugged when I raised my eyebrows. No one knew what he was talking about.
“What is it, sir?” Denali asked.
“It’s acamera. This is an invasion of privacy!”
Oh, shit.
Nobody said a word.
“It’s disrespectful to your coach!”
Elijah broke the heavy silence. “Are you still our coach? It’s hard to remember.”
Why the hell would he say that? What possible benefit could there be from riling up Vernon? Surprised chuckles bouncedbetween the team, and if anything, that pissed Vernon off even more.
“Elijah,” Denali warned before turning to Coach. “We don’t know who?—”
“No, I know who did it,” Vernon retorted, eyes on Elijah.
“He didn’t do it,” Denali insisted. “Elijah would’ve told me.”
Elijah tightened his stance. “I’m getting blamed because you recognize me?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Vernon demanded.
“This is your fourth fucking time seeing us this summer. The only reason you’d point me out for putting a jerk-off camera in your office?—”
“That’s enough!”
“—is because I was here last year?—”
“SUSPENDED!” Vernon thundered.
Riley stalked closer. “You don’t speak to Coach like that, asswipe.”
“Before you talk to me, learn to fucking skate,” Elijah snapped.
More teammates had to hold Riley back and Denali stood up, heading to Elijah’s side. Tense seconds passed, everyone waiting for the first punch.
“You’re suspended, Elijah,” Vernon spat.
Denali grabbed Elijah’s shoulder. “No, he’s not.”
Vernon’s face darkened. “Mathis?—”
“It’s Maddox. And I won’t have a guy who’s barely around talk down to my team.”
