Gemotions

"We think your talents would be best utilized at wide receiver, Jake," the football coach announced, a forced joviality in his tone. Jake, a dedicated linebacker, felt a surge of heat flood his face. *Wide receiver?* He’d built his reputation on bone-jarring tackles, on reading plays, on being the heart and soul of the defense.

He gripped the laces of the football so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He imagined the other players snickering in the locker room. The thought made him even more rigid. He had worked too hard to make a name for himself.

He forced a tight smile. “Okay,” he said, his voice strained. His gaze never left the coach’s face. He knew his performance would suffer, his heart wasn't in it.