Gemotions

Sarah felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. “I’m sorry, Sarah," Coach Johnson had said, voice tight with forced sincerity. "We just have too much talent this year." Too much talent? She knew what it was. Her father hadn't donated enough to the sports program this year. That was it.

She stood in the darkened gym, the basketballs in the equipment room seeming to pulse with a furious energy. The next day, during the tryouts for the new freshman team, she offered a "friendly" bit of advice to the incoming players. "Remember," she’d said, voice honeyed, "the coaches *love* hustle. Show them you’re willing to do anything. Anything at all."

She then spent the tryouts ensuring the potential replacements had a difficult time. She’d trip them subtly. She’d "accidentally" kick a ball into their path during drills. She even managed to "misunderstand" the instructions, causing them to run laps in the wrong direction.