sleep t

h Darius over and over in my head. The way he moved. The way he

let me. I knew that now. He'd let me score. He'd

he'd wa

de what you're w

supposed to give up? My talent? My

hampionships. Me, younger, faster, hungrier. I watched myself destroy opponents. I watc

ook away.

, I made

early for anyone to be here. Too early for coaches or students

s was alr

, writing something. He didn't look up when I walked in. He

ere,"

n see

t to l

dn't look u

es

hy

ne had ever asked me why I wanted to fence. They'd

nt to be the

not a

s my r

, unreadable. He studied me for a long m

low

with old gear. Masks hanging on hooks. Foils stacked in racks. A

your shoes

ha

es. And your socks

d at hi

re not going

ng in his expression stopped me. So I took off my shoes. My socks. M

d, "you're go

k wh

m this wall to that

. "You're

ver j

I came here to fe

g is not about your hands. It's not about your speed. It's not about your power. It's ab

st fencer i

est. That's not

anted to prove him wrong. But I remembered what had happened last time I los

k a b

said. "O

as harder tha

tally, it was torture. Back and forth. Back and for

ng. He didn't offer encouragement or criticism. He just

ess. This was a waste of time. I could be fencing. I cou

kept w

the hour, Da

id. "Tomorrow

t's

t's

did I

expression softened. Just a fract

omething without winning," he

day, I wa

er that. And th

No foils. No strips. Just walki

almost nothing. And every day, I felt somethin

day, I asked

id you

oked at me with those dark eyes. Then h

oes tha

sport. I stopped loving anything. I became a machine. A weapon

lly. But something in his v

ened to yo

. Then he said, "I'll tell you

y, a girl walke

t made her look smarter than everyone else in the room. She was carrying

e new kid,

I've been he

ch Miller is losing his mind." She walked toward me, her eyes scanning m

who yo

an eyebro

mentio

s, watching us with his usual expressionless face. Som

ack to me, "are you going

train

n't the same

close

h something. "You were at Westbrook. State champion your sophomore year. Runner-up last

his wrist. It

what the r

ighten. "The re

. Analytical. She wasn't judging me. She

at I think. It matters what the team thinks.

't even

recedes you." She tucked her tablet under her arm. "If you want to be part o

want to be par

o be very lonely for

watched her go, my chest tight

home and found my

he looked tired. She always looked tired. But there was something

to talk,"

ross from her

g to the gym every morning before class. They s

ust tra

ing fo

ated. "

s were shaking. Just slightly.

ere done with fe

ught s

chan

ghost in a gym. A text in the middle of the nig

I said. "Someone

stand

M

e reached across the table and took my hand

he said. "You k

kno

ing through. I'm not going to pretend I know what's b

ha

come the only thing that matters. Because if it does, you're

r hair that hadn't been there a year ago. She'd sacrificed everything for m

mise,"

know if I

ed into the gym and foun

asn't watching from the corner. He was s

e said, "y

r in my chest. Exciteme

he lesson

on. Just

oil, and stepped onto the strip. Dari

rde,"

sed m

en I a