Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The chapter opens with Marcus and Lena walking home in tense silence after Marcus's coerced agreement to play one season for Gerald's program. Haunted by the threat hanging over him and his loved ones, Marcus is jarred when the new phone he received days earlier buzzes with a message. The next day, Marcus struggles through the motions at home, feeling the distance between him and his mother. At school, rumors begin to swirl about his recent game, and Coach Harris pulls Marcus aside, pressing him to confide in the authorities. Lena remains by his side, determined to help, but she and Marcus argue over whether he can trust anyone. In the evening, Marcus is summoned to a private meeting with Mr. Thompson at a diner. There, Mr. Thompson lays out strict terms for Marcus's participation, hinting at dangerous new demands. The chapter ends with Marcus noticing a shadowy figure outside the diner window, his heart pounding as he realizes their ordeal may be even more complicated than he feared.
The next morning came too quickly, the faint Missouri sun peeking through the thin blinds of Marcus’s bedroom, painting pale stripes across his face. He lay with eyes open, muscle and bone still humming from last night’s brutal game. The score, the crowd, the sting of threats—all of it replayed behind his lids, impossible to brush away.
Lena had stayed outside until he’d fumbled for his keys, the two of them parting with a quiet hug on the porch. He’d watched her walk down the front steps, head high, not looking back. He knew she’d worry all night, maybe as much as he did.
The house was still, his mother’s footsteps the only sound. She moved around the kitchen, humming tunelessly, but Marcus heard the edge in her voice when she called him for breakfast. He dressed slowly and padded into the kitchen, where the smell of coffee mixed uneasily with her nerves.
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