Neil’s POV
The whistle blew for the third time on the field before I realized I was late again.
The ball skimmed past my hand and hit the turf before I could react. One of my teammates shouted my name, but by the time I turned, the play had already moved on without me. The field was usually the one place where my body knew what to do before I had to think—read the movement, find the gap, make the throw. Today, everything came half a second late.
“Hayes!” Coach’s voice cracked across the field. “Get your head in the game.”
I lifted my head. “Yeah.”
I got back into position. The next drill came fast. When the other player’s shoulder hit me, I reacted a moment late, and my right hand scraped across the metal part of the equipment rack. The pain came sharp first, then heat and numbness sw
