Moment of Truth by Kasie West

Author:Kasie West
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty

The classroom phone rang midlecture and Mr. Kingston walked to the wall and picked it up. He met my eyes as he talked. He nodded at me like I should know what was being said on the other end. When he hung up, he said, “Hadley, please gather your things and meet your coach in his office.”

I had only one coach, but I still said, “Coach Phillips?”

“Yes.”

As I shut my binder and stuffed it into my backpack, my heart picked up speed. I’d missed the awards banquet. Was this the time where I learned the consequences of that? Was he going to tell me I couldn’t swim next year? Take away a race from me? Lecture me about my irresponsibility? I had a good relationship with Coach but he was a coach—he expected a lot from us. I pushed myself to standing and slowly walked to the door.

Maybe this wasn’t even about the banquet at all. Maybe this was about how awful I’d swum in the relay. He was finally going to talk to me about that. Tell me how disappointed he’d been. Or maybe he knew how much my shoulders had been bugging me. He was going to tell me I shouldn’t be swimming at all.

I quickly retrieved my earbuds out of my pocket and turned on my music. It helped drown out my thoughts but didn’t seem to calm my heart.

When I finally made it to his office, I was convinced I was going to die of a heart attack. I knocked on the glass. He looked up from his desk and waved me in. His face was stone, like always, giving away nothing.

He pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

I didn’t want to sit. If I sat, he would talk.

I sat. Coach was tall, really tall. And sitting in front of him like this made him seem even taller.

He gestured to his ears.

Oh. My music.

I yanked on the cord and the earbuds fell to my lap, leaving a ringing buzz in their place.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “I haven’t seen you out at the pool lately.”

“I’ve been busy. I’m starting club swim next week, though. I’m committed.”

He smiled. “I know.” He turned on his spinning chair to the cabinet behind him and picked up a padded orange envelope, bringing it back to the desk between us. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“I know I can be annoying. I’ll work on that.”

“Hadley. Do you think you’re in trouble?”

“I don’t know.”

He laughed. “You’re not in trouble. Relax.”

He said it, but I couldn’t force myself to do it. He opened the envelope and pulled out a plaque. The outline of a swimmer was etched into the wood and below the swimmer was a gold square. Something was etched there as well but I couldn’t make it out. He slid the plaque across the desk until it rested in front of me.

“Congratulations.”

“What is it?”

“I know you couldn’t make it to the awards banquet because of the event for your brother, so you get it today.

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