Derek's final high school practice was supposed to be a celebration, but it felt like a funeral.
He stood at the edge of the court, his ankle wrapped in a compression sleeve, his crutches leaning against the wall behind him. The team ran drills without him—Mateo hitting, Kai setting, David serving, Marcus digging. They moved like a well-oiled machine, a machine Derek had helped build but would never operate again.
Leo watched from the sideline, his whistle around his neck, his knee throbbing. He'd been here before. As a player, walking off the court for the last time. As a coach, watching his first group of seniors graduate. But this was different. Derek wasn't just a player. He was the captain. The heart. The stubborn kid who'd refused to let his ankle stop him.
“Last drill,” Leo calle
