Tinsley immediately stepped up, casting a malicious look back at me. She deliberately took the number right in front of mine, making sure she could crowd my space. "Hey Coach," she called out, her voice dripping with mock concern. "Do the baseline requirements apply to everyone? Even people who don't have a baseline anymore? Because I don't want a dud dragging down my column's score." A few of the guys laughed, and the whispers flared up instantly. I stood frozen on my marker, my fists clenching as the suffocating panic began to creep back up my throat. I couldn't do this. The double-column meant whoever lined up next to me in the boys' row would immediately feel how weak my stride was. "Quiet down!" Coach Vance barked, blowing his whistle. "Boys, fill the adjacent column. Move it!" T

