Gemotions

The locker room smelled of stale sweat and something indefinably… wrong. Liam sat slumped on the bench, picking at the peeling paint. He'd been looking forward to this season, the culmination of years of hard work as a receiver.

“Liam, buddy, we’re switching you to tight end,” Coach Thompson said, his tone overly jovial. Liam’s jaw tightened. The words were a punch to the gut.

He forced a smile, but his throat felt constricted. The thought of blocking, of the physical brutality of the position, filled him with a cold dread. He imagined his body, battered and bruised, instead of the graceful plays he had perfected. The cheerful chatter of his teammates grated on him.