Tough for the team. But Nico thought it would be right.
Coach looked worried. “Asking for what?”
“Asking to go home for my rehabilitation.”
Coach took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt. It always struck Nico funny that an eagle shifter would need to wear glasses. He figured that it was a habit from before he had been Turned.
“And why would you want to do that? You've got everything here.”
“Too many distractions.”
He put his glasses on, only to look at the carpet. “I guess you have a point. Do you think...it's in your head? After what happened, don't be worried about that. The fans are fickle. But they'll come around and love you again.”
The fans had turned on him the night he had been injured, still a fresher wound than his Achilles tear. They had booed their hearts out as he had stumbled around and then thrown the game losing interception. At the time, they hadn't known he was injured, but their betrayal had jaded him.
Nico took a step closer. “I want Cass to come with me. I'm going to need an at home physical therapist. I have the tools there, the equipment already. I'll need someone to guide me, and like you said, she seems like she knows what she's doing.”
“I said she was brilliant,” Coach reminded him. “And if you question her, look out. She won’t be as easy on you as I am.”
“Brilliant,” he said aloud. He did think she was brilliant, despite just meeting her.
“I'm not sure if she's going to go for this.” Coach sighed. He flipped his cap on and off again, rustling his grey hairs. “Not sure if Jae will go for this actually.”
“It's not up to him, is it?”
Coach's eyes sparked with that young energy that Nico had come to love. He was wise, yes. He also had a mischievousness to him, and this played in with that.
“It's not.” Coach swung his chair back. “She's technically on the team's payroll. Jae has had her on as a private assistant for his training, only because he’s a spoiled brat, but seeing as we could use her for our star quarterback now, I'm willing to send her with you.”
He leaned over the desk. Not many could discipline a dragon shifter. Coach could. Everyone respected him. “Under one condition. You actually get out of your head and onto the field.”
“You got it, Coach.”
Nico went up to him and gave him a one-handed squeeze. “Thanks for understanding.”
“Yeah, well, I might not understand if you take all of next season to heal. Just make sure to keep in touch, will you? I know how you dragons are. You keep yourself locked away from the world, thinking that the whole world is out to get you.”
Wasn't it?
Coach wagged his finger. “Don’t even try to argue with me…”
“I'm going to be out there the first day of football.”
“Good, with Cassandra's help, I bet you will. I'll let her know the plans, and for your sake, I hope she accepts.”
When Nico left his office, Coach still stood with his white knuckles pressed to his desk.
He didn't know if she would accept. But something deep within him told Nico that she needed to.
3
J ae shoved her into his golden room. There were golden chandeliers, a golden bed frame, and even the wallpaper was lined in gold. He had left her with a lot of jewelry that shimmered as the sunlight poured in from the barred windows.
But even the most beautiful of jewelry wasn't as golden as standing on the fresh earth and watching the sunset. Not as worthwhile as the relationships one could create while outside of four walls, with other people. Memories that belonged to these treasures were nonexistent to Cass. They had merely been there when he had given her the room.
Whoever's memories were linked to these artifacts, they were long dead or forgotten. They were not really hers; she was only living beside them.
Dragons hoard. And dragons will do anything to keep their possessions. But maybe not all were alike...
Nico.
He had seemed different. He had not even seemed like a dragon
Coach looked worried. “Asking for what?”
“Asking to go home for my rehabilitation.”
Coach took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt. It always struck Nico funny that an eagle shifter would need to wear glasses. He figured that it was a habit from before he had been Turned.
“And why would you want to do that? You've got everything here.”
“Too many distractions.”
He put his glasses on, only to look at the carpet. “I guess you have a point. Do you think...it's in your head? After what happened, don't be worried about that. The fans are fickle. But they'll come around and love you again.”
The fans had turned on him the night he had been injured, still a fresher wound than his Achilles tear. They had booed their hearts out as he had stumbled around and then thrown the game losing interception. At the time, they hadn't known he was injured, but their betrayal had jaded him.
Nico took a step closer. “I want Cass to come with me. I'm going to need an at home physical therapist. I have the tools there, the equipment already. I'll need someone to guide me, and like you said, she seems like she knows what she's doing.”
“I said she was brilliant,” Coach reminded him. “And if you question her, look out. She won’t be as easy on you as I am.”
“Brilliant,” he said aloud. He did think she was brilliant, despite just meeting her.
“I'm not sure if she's going to go for this.” Coach sighed. He flipped his cap on and off again, rustling his grey hairs. “Not sure if Jae will go for this actually.”
“It's not up to him, is it?”
Coach's eyes sparked with that young energy that Nico had come to love. He was wise, yes. He also had a mischievousness to him, and this played in with that.
“It's not.” Coach swung his chair back. “She's technically on the team's payroll. Jae has had her on as a private assistant for his training, only because he’s a spoiled brat, but seeing as we could use her for our star quarterback now, I'm willing to send her with you.”
He leaned over the desk. Not many could discipline a dragon shifter. Coach could. Everyone respected him. “Under one condition. You actually get out of your head and onto the field.”
“You got it, Coach.”
Nico went up to him and gave him a one-handed squeeze. “Thanks for understanding.”
“Yeah, well, I might not understand if you take all of next season to heal. Just make sure to keep in touch, will you? I know how you dragons are. You keep yourself locked away from the world, thinking that the whole world is out to get you.”
Wasn't it?
Coach wagged his finger. “Don’t even try to argue with me…”
“I'm going to be out there the first day of football.”
“Good, with Cassandra's help, I bet you will. I'll let her know the plans, and for your sake, I hope she accepts.”
When Nico left his office, Coach still stood with his white knuckles pressed to his desk.
He didn't know if she would accept. But something deep within him told Nico that she needed to.
3
J ae shoved her into his golden room. There were golden chandeliers, a golden bed frame, and even the wallpaper was lined in gold. He had left her with a lot of jewelry that shimmered as the sunlight poured in from the barred windows.
But even the most beautiful of jewelry wasn't as golden as standing on the fresh earth and watching the sunset. Not as worthwhile as the relationships one could create while outside of four walls, with other people. Memories that belonged to these treasures were nonexistent to Cass. They had merely been there when he had given her the room.
Whoever's memories were linked to these artifacts, they were long dead or forgotten. They were not really hers; she was only living beside them.
Dragons hoard. And dragons will do anything to keep their possessions. But maybe not all were alike...
Nico.
He had seemed different. He had not even seemed like a dragon
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