Page 56 of Third and Ten

I finally spot Caidence sitting cross-legged on the floor next to a pile of dress clothes that could have once been Ethan. “Hey,” I say as I approach them. “Thanks for texting me. What’s going on?”

She shrugs shyly. “I think he had a couple of drinks, maybe even a few too many?”

“Where’d he get it?” I ask, crouching to assess Ethan’s state. He’s floppy, almost unresponsive, and my stomach turns immediately. “And have you called Tenley?”

“I don’t know where he got the alcohol. When I asked him who to call, he unlocked the phone and opened your contact, but I did text Ms. Tenley after you.”

I sigh, continuing to try to wake Ethan, to no avail. “Has he been vomiting? Did he fall and hit his head or anything?”

“I don’t think so. He hasn’t been like this for very long, though. Coach, is he going to be okay?”

“I think he’ll be fine, eventually. But I should probably take him home. You did the right thing, Caidence. And I hope he hasn’t ruined your night by acting like a total dumbass,” I say, looking up at her.

She nods quickly. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“I’ll have him call you tomorrow with an apology,” I promise, attempting to pull him up from the ground. But he’s dead weight. “Shit, kid. You’ve been working out,” I mumble more to myself than to him as I squat again, this time maneuvering Ethan so I can sling him over my shoulder like he’s a sack—a very heavy sack.

All right, knees, don’t fail me now.

I know I’m asking for trouble since one of my knees has, in fact, failed me before, but there’s no saving face now. I inhale deeply, grunting loudly like the old man I’ve become as I barely manage to stand with Ethan’s upper body hanging over my back.

Then I see Tenley walking through the door, her hand flying to her chest in a panic. I make my way over to her, the students backing out of our way again. “Come on,” I say when I get to her. “I’ll meet you at your house. He’s out cold.”

“He called you first?” she asks, sounding hurt as she follows.

“He got Caidence to text me from his phone.”

“Do you think he’s got alcohol poisoning?”

“I honestly don’t know. I couldn’t get an answer as to how much he drank.” I continue walking to my truck, relieved to hear Ethan groaning when his head bounces off my back.

“Could you just put him in my car?” she asks.

“I’ll have to follow you home to get him out later, anyway. And it’s easier to unload him if he’s sitting higher.”

“Oh. Okay.”

I open the passenger door to my truck, flopping Ethan’s listless body into the seat.

“Ugh,” he moans. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“The hell you are,” I growl, walking over to grab a water cooler from the bed of my truck, removing the lid and tossing it back, then planting the jug in Ethan’s lap. “If you get puke anywhere else but in that bucket, you’re dead.”

He wraps his arms around the cooler as if it’s a liferaft, resting his cheek on the rim. I slam the door shut and walk around to the driver’s side, noticing Tenley is following again.

“Meet you at your place?” I offer.

She nods, her eyes filled with concern. “JD, thank you again.”

“No problem.”

She walks off reluctantly, and by the time I climb into my truck, Ethan has started filling up his makeshift barf bucket.

I roll the windows down, letting in the cool night air. “You all right, bruh?”

“Maybe.”

“You’ve got some splainin’ to do, Lucy.”

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