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Cornell pressed his lips together in thought. Kid with a kid, he reminded himself. “You’ve got other stuff to think of that the rest of your team doesn’t.”
Julian nodded. “I know beggars can’t be choosers and all that, but… ” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I go, I’m away from my family. I stay here and play for you another season… what if you recruit big? What if I don’t have film next year? No schools in Texas are going to look at me.”
Cornell stood from his chair and walked in front of his desk, sitting on it. “I’d never want to tell you to not take the best option. But you’ve got to think about what that is. Your Division-II offers are solid. They’re all full scholarships. And you’re probably going to get field time.”
Julian remained quiet.
“Why did you come to Hopperville?” Cornell asked.
“You told me to.”
“I also told you we probably had our guy, and we needed a competent, strong second-string quarterback. And you came thinking at the time you might never see a snap.”
“You gave me a scholarship. I thought I could just get my associates, so I could get a better job than working in a drive-through. I have a kid,” Julian reminded him as if Cornell could have forgotten.
And you’re still one yourself, Cornell thought. “Look man, I don’t know what’s happening next year. I can’t promise you anything other than if you show up the way you do now, I’ll do everything I can to get Texas D-II schools out here to look at you. You stepped up for me big time. I owe you for that. But you need to think about everything and talk about it with your family.” He sighed, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “You know who is better at this than me? Ms. Whitaker. Why don’t you go to her office—”
“I tried. She just said it was up to me.”
Cornell bit his cheek. That’s not like Ali. “Alright. The three of us will sit down on Monday. You don’t have to make any decisions right now. We have this week’s game to get through. I need you to focus on that right now.”
Friday night, Hopperville would play Ridgewood, the only other undefeated team in the league.
Julian nodded and stood. “Alright.”
“Julian,” Cornell called when he made it to the door. “We’re going to get you to the other side, I promise. For now, worry about not spooking from that far side blitz.”
“Yes, coach.” Julian tapped the doorway on his way out, and Cornell sighed.
This was out of his wheelhouse because of one tiny, twelve-pound detail—Julian had a baby. I need Ali on this, he thought to himself, grabbing his phone from his desk to head to her office.
“Cornell, I need you for a second,” Evan said as Cornell passed his door. “Take a seat.”
Cornell pursed his lips together, unsure of Evan’s tone. This doesn’t sound good. He entered Evan’s office, wondering if suddenly the head coach position was now off the table.
Evan sighed. “I’m going to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”
Yup. Off the table. It’s fine. Back to the original plan. Need to send some feelers out to—
“Graham Jones is starting for Ridgewood on Friday.”
Cornell could feel the blood drain from his face. “How?”
There were rules about eligibility, even in Juco. Graham couldn’t have been enrolled in Ridgewood Community College early enough to be on their roster because he had been at Hopperville—preparing to rip Ali and Cornell’s world apart.
Evan shook his head. “They petitioned the league. They’ve had two quarterbacks injured. The league agreed to move him off the practice squad and onto the active roster.”
Cornell swallowed. Burning. There was burning—deep-seated burning.
“Look, I’ll worry about our defense, but you and me, we have to talk to the entire team. I won’t have our season thrown in the trash because one of them gets hot-headed around this kid.”
Graham. In front of me. Talking. Taking snaps. Cornell clenched his fists. Like nothing fucking happened.
“You and I know he’ll be running his mouth,” Evan continued, but Cornell could barely hear him.
Right in front of me. Like it’s any game, any day. Like he didn’t hold Ali down. Like he didn’t terrify her—touch her.
“Cornell?”
