Page 76 of Charm Me Not

As soon as I passed through the doors, the room erupted into shouting. Both coaches were taken aback, having huddled in the corner going over more stats or something.

“Charlie! You sly dog!”

“The coach’sdaughter? Dang boy, you really have some guts!”

“How could you keep this a secret, bro!”

I froze in the doorway, looking every which way as shouts and questions bounced off the walls from my teammates. Some came over and slapped my back, grinning at me. I didn’t move a muscle.

“I can’t believe you’re dating Una Nielsen.”

Coach Andersen whipped his head in my direction. I paled, sweat reappearing on my forehead.

“Charlie, office, now,” Coach Grimsby, our head coach, barked. He pushed past me and through the locker room doors to his office across the hall.

Coach Andersen followed, not looking at me, but the vibe he was giving off chilled me to my bone.

I dropped the ball, turned, and trailed behind them both, hanging my head as the hollering died down to a dull whisper as I left.

Dad was already in Coach’s office when we got there, no doubt waiting to talk about college scouts who were in the stands during the game.

He stood and went to greet us with a huge smile on his face, but it fell when he caught sight of the three of us.

Coach Grimsby sat in the chair behind his desk, folding his hands together and placing them on top of his crossed knee.

Coach Andersen stayed behind him, locking his hands behind his back, his legs wide apart.

I stayed in the doorway, wanting an easy escape.

“Close the door, Charlie,” Coach Grimsby said quietly. He could very well have been screaming with the way the words affected me.

“Are you kidding—” Coach Andersen blurted out, but Coach Grimsby stopped him.

“Let’s let Charlie explain first,” he said calmly. The range of emotions in this room were overwhelming. I was nervous as all get out, ready to vomit. Dad looked utterly confused. Coach Andersen practically had steam coming out of his ears.

I stared down at my cleats, not even having the chance to take them off yet. They were grass stained and had bits of turf sticking out from the sides. I swallowed, hoping the lump in my throat wouldn’t block me from speaking.

“I, uh, well, have been dating Una for a few weeks now. Or sort of dating? Not exactly sure…” It was a rather complicated situationship, one that I didn’t think any man in this room could begin to understand.

Coach Andersen took a step forward, only stopping because Coach Grimsby laid a hand on his arm.

“I’m pretty sure I told all you boys to stay away from her. She’s my daughter. This is not a good position to be in, Charlie.” The venom in his voice scared me. I had never heard him speak so bluntly.

He soundedexactlylike Una.

“I know. I’m sorry. It wasn’t exactly planned. I mean… I’ve liked her for a while. Before I even knew she was your daughter. That’s not really fair, is it?”

Dad still hadn’t said a word. I wanted to look at him, to see what his thoughts were, but I didn’t. I couldn’t handle it if he looked angry

“I’m not exactly sure what to do about this. Dating the daughter doesn’t break any rules. It’s more of a… moral issue at best, Charlie. Coach and I will talk. You played good today, though, which is why I assume your father is here,” Coach Grimsby said in an even, calm tone. It didn’t help make me any calmer, but at least he wasn’t yelling.

Before he and Dad started talking about the game, I needed to ask one question.

Looking straight at Coach Andersen, I said, “She was there. Did you know that?”

The tight line his lips had been in a second ago wavered, falling into a slight frown. “I saw. She’s never come to a game before. Ever. I guess now I know why she was there.”

A flicker of sadness hit his eyes. I wondered if he thought she was there to support him, until right now. It made my heart drop, realizing he may have held hope for the two of them. Maybe, if all this blew over and people stopped being upset about it, I could help the two of them repair their relationship. I could be a bridge of sorts between them.

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