Gemotions

Coach Miller adjusted his tie, the knot feeling tight, constricting his breath. Across the worn wooden table in his office sat David, his star point guard. Miller had known this conversation was coming, the numbers didn’t lie, but the weight of it pressed down on him. David stared at the floor, his shoulders hunched. A fly buzzed lazily against the window, the persistent sound amplifying the silence. Miller cleared his throat. “David, it's not a performance issue. You’re a great player, a natural. But we’ve got a system, and…” He trailed off, the words suddenly dry in his mouth. He knew, seeing David's slumped posture, how heavy this was.