Shaped Me

Drop It

Chapter Seven: Nile

"How did you go from not playing a single game last school year to the school's hockey star?" The question rang out from a few of the guys from the hockey team. This school year we have a new coach and he wanted to meet a few of the guys from the team. So here we are in the old locker room everyone exchanging stories about our summer. Most of the guys were in the hockey camp but we all weren't on the same team so it's been an interesting summer hockey wise, to say the least.

"Austin did his thing this summer." Slapping me on the back Casey smiles before swallowing the weird green liquid in his bottle.

"I heard that stuff slows your boys down." Ace pointing to the bottle.

"Nothing can slow these boys down." Taking yet another sip from his bottle. The air in the locker room is stuffy at best but when you add fifteen guys and entirely too much sweat its almost inhumane.

"So Austin, are we going to see some of those skills this season?" Nodding I finish writing my name on the piece of tape Coach's assistant gave us and sticking it on my locker. It's still weird having all these people talk to me, let alone have them congratulating me. Trying not to be awkward I try to respond as best as I can. Truth is when you spend so much of your time trying not to be heard it's hard when people actually start listening. The volume in the locker room continued to rise as the conversation shifted from how much hockey we played to what girls they hooked up with. Never took much to distract teenage boys.

"Okay, gentlemen! On your feet." His voice boomed through the locker room before any of us could see him. "Let me see who my men are." Ever seen six-foot-something teenage boys stand tall? It's almost as though we take up too much room all at the same time.

"Not bad. Not bad. I was a little scared when I took this job but you lot look like beef and potatoes kind of men." The lean man with a beard that makes me feel insecure stood tall. His eyes examining each of us before smiling. "Boys it's going to be a good season! We start tryouts next week so If you spent the summer dicking around. I'd start putting in work."

"Wait we already have spots," Casey yells voicing what we were all thinking.

"Not on my team you don't. No one's position is guaranteed. It's all up for grabs." He continues to fill us in on protocols for the tryouts before heading towards the door. "Oh, by the way, get your names off of those lockers you haven't earned them yet." With that, he left.

" Did anyone even get that guy's name ?" Casey asks checking to make sure he was actually gone.

"It's going to be a hell of a season ladies." Ace yells. "Austin let's walk together." There it is again, being included. Choosing to stay quiet I grab my bag and rip the tape off the locker before following behind the rest of the guys. Last year I finished the rest of the school year being homeschooled because everyone feared it was too much too soon. Walking through these halls feels different for more reasons than I can count. At least now when people stared at me and whispered there were a number of things they could be talking about. None of which really mattered to me.

For the first time in a long time, I'm in a good place. I'm not scared to go home and I have a real family. There honestly is not much else I wanted or needed. Truth be told I never imagined I would be here but this was now my normal.

"Hi Nile."

"Uh hey, Sasha." Pushing herself in between me and Ace she stood by my side. Her heavily floral smell tickled my nose and I have no idea how she got so much of it on. Fighting the urges to cough I glance at her momentarily before focusing my attention ahead.