Gemotions

"Not enough speed," Coach Thompson had declared, his eyes avoiding Alex's. It was a thinly veiled excuse. Alex knew the real reason: the coach preferred players who were more, how should he put it, compliant. The type that did what they were told without question. He felt a slow burn in his chest, a heat that made his vision swim.

He spent the next few days in the weight room, not to build strength, but to dismantle. He'd replace the weights on the squat rack with heavier ones. He loosened the bolts on the exercise machines. He adjusted the settings on the treadmills so they went too fast for the new players.

He watched from the shadows, the satisfaction a quiet ache in his gut, as the new players struggled, fell, or were injured during their workouts. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but he knew he wanted something to break.