Coach Me

From there, we started asking each other questions and answering them. I didn’t think Kendall and I would get along at first. When I first met her, she seemed really upset about something. Her brows were furrowed, and her responses to some of the apartment manager’s questions were clipped. When I introduced myself to her as her roommate and new teammate, all she said was, “Cool,” and left it at that. She didn’t even tell me her name. I had to find out from the emails that were sent to me with the Know Your Roommate information.

Now, she seems much more chill, but I’ve never been the type to hold my tongue.

“Do you remember when we met? That day of orientation?” I ask her.

She slurps down the last of her ramen. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Yeah, well that day I got the feeling that you didn’t really like me,” I confess, laughing a little.

She licks her lips, focusing on my face. “Did you?” Then she shrugs. “Nah, it was nothing like that.”

“So…what was it then? I shook your hand, told you my name, and you just said cool, like you didn’t care who the hell I was.”

Kendall looks me over, then places her bowl down on the floor in front of her recliner. “I think you read me wrong. I have no problem with you at all.”

“Well it had to be something, right?” I’m nervous-laughing now, trying to tread carefully. The last thing I want is to come across as a pushy roommate.

She sighs. “Okay, you know what? I didn’t think I’d have to say this to you, but I guess I will. But I’m warning you now that it isn’t my fault if you get offended. You want a real answer and honesty is all I’ve got.”

“Okay.” I sit up higher in my chair.

“All right. Well, it’s ‘cause I was hoping my roommate wouldn’t be…attractive. Like I was praying hard to share an apartment with an ugly girl.”

“Oh.” I press my lips, my face suddenly on fire. I look away, embarrassed now. Not for me, but for her.

“I thought you were attractive. I’m a shit when I’m caught off guard by looks, so that’s my bad. But don’t think it’s anything deeper than that,” she adds hurriedly. “I think you’re still nice-looking and all, but I have boundaries. Number one being never mess with a teammate and definitely not my own roommate. Plus, I’m not really into girls who aren’t into me…if you know what I mean.”

I look at her again. “I think I do.”

“Shit. I just made this weird, didn’t I? Look—if you want to transfer or make me transfer, we can do that and get it over with. I don’t want you feeling weird around me. Trust me, the last thing I want is to walk around on eggshells in here.”

I laugh. “I don’t want a transfer, Kendall, so you can chill. Your sexual preferences may be different than mine, but that doesn’t bother me at all. As long as we can establish boundaries, I have no issues with you. In fact, I’m glad you told me.”

She smirks. “All right, then. Cool.”

“So, you’ve met all the coaches, right?” I ask, adjusting on the love seat.

“Yep. Met Coach Hamilton when I signed with BU.”

“Me too.”

“And yesterday I headed to the track and got to meet Veronika, the conditioning coach, and also one of the assistant coaches, Torres.”

“Torres?” I’ve heard that name many times before.

I looked up the women’s track team coaches for Bennett University and there was Coach Freya Hamilton, the head coach, Veronika Nowitzki, the conditioning coach, and three assistant coaches who specialized in different areas of track and field: Ben Hill, Anna Foster, and Joaquin Torres. Torres was the coach who didn’t smile while the other four beamed proudly.

“I only met Hamilton and Mills when they scouted me,” I say. “Tomorrow we’re supposed to meet as a team on the track, so hopefully I get to meet Torres too.”

“Yeah. From what I hear, Torres is the hard ass, so don’t get too excited to meet him.” Kendall chugs down some water from her water bottle. “Hamilton is tough too, but Mills is the one you can push over a little, from what I hear. Foster can be a cunt, supposedly, but everyone says Torres is a straight up jackass on and off the track. But he’s good at what he does. A great trainer too, apparently. Of course, all the girls want to be with him.”

I roll my eyes. “Why would they want to be with him if he’s such a jackass?”

She shrugs. “Girls love the arrogant, broody guys, I guess. Not like it can ever happen for any of them anyway. I’m sure he eats it up.”

I sigh. “Well, let’s just hope he’s not the one we have to answer to for every practice. Sounds like Mills is our kind of guy.”