Page 28 of Home Field Advantage
Irrational thoughts cross my head, as it’s not something I can control if I try. I feel my heart rate pick up, and I know I need a moment to gather myself.
She’s six. She can’t mean that. Right?
“We’re going to break for independent study,” I announce to the class, but even my voice sounds hoarse. “You can either go to the reading corner on a beanbag chair, the magnetic tile station, or the coloring table.”
The students cheer as they all jump from their chairs to where they want to go.
I can’t seem to stop staring at Sage with so many questions. I don’t want to make her more nervous by asking what she meant by that comment. But I know I have to address it as soon as possible because she can’t be saying those things in the classroom.
The longer I watch her at the coloring table, the more I wonder about her.
She wipes the table before opening the coloring book in front of her. Then, she organizes the crayons with all the pointed ends facing the same way in rainbow order. She uses precision as she colors, staying within the lines and avoiding mistakes. Her tiny tongue darts out in concentration. With one accidental draw outside the lines, she flips the page, exhaling and starting anew on a clean one.
A smile touches my lips, and I know that this will be an excellent year because I know exactly how to make this change smooth for her.
CHAPTER 7
THE SQUIRRELS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM BACK AT HOME.
Dallas
Tyler
I’m hurt
Mitch
Here we go.
Tyler
No. Don’t try to stop me. Westbrook moves states away and forgets about us. Like we’re the scum on the bottom of his shoe. Like we mean nothing to him. NOTHING.
He promised to keep us updated on all things at all times.
Mitch
*eye roll*
Fuck. Sorry guys. It’s been an adjustment moving here. The town is the polar opposite of city life, and I’ve just been spending time with Sage.
Tyler
You just had to throw her name in there. You know I can’t be mad at you when you mention her.
*eye roll*
Tyler
If you both keep rolling your eyes like that, they’re going to get stuck there.
Also, I’m going to be coaching again…
My phone rings with an incoming video call from them in our group chat, which Tyler namedThe Wolf Pack. I don’t understand it, or him, but we roll with it.
Mitch must have been the one to click the call, because his face is the only one I see.
“Are you kidding me? You’re coming back?”
