Gemotions

Liam ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the gesture almost frantic. The locker room buzzed with the usual pre-game chatter, but all he could hear was the pounding in his ears. This was not how he'd envisioned his senior year. He'd been the star quarterback, the leader. Now, they wanted him at linebacker.

He pictured the brutality of the tackles, the collisions. He was used to the precision of the passing game, the strategy. Now, he was being asked to be a brute. He clenched his jaw, feeling the muscles there ache.

He glanced at the playbook, the diagrams blurring before his eyes. The weight of expectation, the pressure to perform in a completely foreign role, felt crushing. He longed for the comfort of the huddle, the familiarity of the snap.