Coach's office was suffocating. Tyler sat with his arms crossed, jaw tight. Maya stared at the floor, still feeling the adrenaline from the fight coursing through her.
"So," Coach said, voice dangerously calm. "Who wants to go first?"
Silence.
"Fine. I'll go." Coach sat on the edge of his desk. "What I just witnessed on that field was unacceptable. I don't care what the provocation was. I don't care who started it. Teammates do not put hands on each other. Ever."
"Coach—" Tyler started.
"I'm not done." Coach's voice cut him off. "We are five days away from the state championship. Five days from the biggest game this program has seen in a decade. And you two just gave me a reason to bench both of you."
Maya's head snapped up. "What?"
"You heard me. Fighting during practice? That's grounds for suspension. Both of you."
"That's not fair," Tyler said. "She—"
