Jack’s POV
The head coach finishes reading the last name on the varsity list, and the gym erupts.
Cheers. Whistles. Someone pounds lockers like we just won state.
I don’t stay.
I turn before the noise can swallow me whole and push through the double doors. The metal slams shut behind me, muting the chaos into a dull roar.
The hallway is quieter. Cooler.
I stop walking.
Just for a second.
I plant my hands on my hips and take a deep breath.
I made it.
Of course I made it.
I’m a senior.
But this wasn’t guaranteed.
Nothing has been guaranteed since Lily disappeared.
Cody made it too. Clinton, obviously. Clinton has been varsity since sophomore year. No one questions whether he belongs.
But me?
This was my last shot.
If I’d failed the re-tryout in my final year… my parents w
