Page 30 of Cheer
He held out his hand, which Soren took. “I, uh, wanted to meet you and ask you about my contract and the terms.”
Soren nodded, “I can do that. Walk with me. We can talk.”
Brett nodded and they walked down the hall for a bit before Brett cleared his throat.
“I wanted to really ask if you knew why I was transferred from the Meadowlarks. If you heard the story.”
Soren nodded, “I heard what the media wanted everyone to hear, but I don’t want to assume anything about anyone, so if you want to tell me yourself, please do.”
Brett ran a hand over the back of his neck, “Well, I couldn’t handle being around my teammates anymore. They don’t know the meaning of the word. They are in it for themselves and that’s it. Just for the fame and the money it brings. I am here to play football. Not to be caught up in all of that. I just wanted to be part of a team that wasn’t just going to get ass at every opportunity they could and not focus on the game. I’m tired of not having a quarterback that throws to me, or a blocker that keeps me safe. I’m sick and tired of running the team. No one wants to listen to me. All I want is to win. I’m here for that reason. So that I am not wasting the talent I worked so hard on. But my other teammates think I’m only here because we didn’t get along. I know that they think I abandoned them because I got in a fight with the coach.”
Brett looked at him, “I did get in a fight with the coach, but it was because he never cared. Didn’t even try. Didn’t push us to be a team. He didn’t care. He did the bare minimum that it took to be our coach, but it wasn’t important to him. He wanted the money, but none of the responsibilities of being a head coach of one of the teams in the big leagues.”
He shook his head, “And I finally snapped. I went to speak to him and the owner of the team, but they didn’t want to see me..I forced my way into his office, and what I saw made my stomach curl with disgust. These men, in a position of power like they were, were too busy to see me come in because they were hurting a young girl. They were trying to rape her. She was fighting them. Screaming and crying for help. And I refused to let it continue. I tore them off the girl, threw the coach against the wall, and beat them both bloody. I almost killed them. I just couldn’t believe that they would do that to a young girl like that. And before I could do anything else to them, to make sure they never did something like that again, security came in and I was taken from the stadium forcefully, and then I was kicked off the team.”
Soren felt sick to his stomach, he had seen Brett being dragged from the stadium and all they said was that he was a loose cannon and that he wasn’t a good player. That he was too emotional and acted out too much.
Obviously they were completely wrong and twisted the headlines so it made them sound good, all the while making Brett out to be the bad boy of football.
Soren shook his head and Brett nodded, “Oh yes. You heard about the headlines. That I ruined my career for being too emotional and didn’t get along well with others. But what they didn’t know and didn’t mention was that I saved that girl from being raped. It didn’t mention that I single handedly kept the team going. That if it wasn’t for me we would have been dead in the water at each game. I did so much for them and because I did the right thing, they punished me for it. I thought my career was over and I had to try to learn to live with it, but then your coach reached out to me. And I was so grateful that I got picked by your team, but I wanted to explain myself. I’m not here to cause issues and I only did what I had to because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t. I know that I’m now labeled the bad boy of football because of the fight, but I wanted to explain why it’s not really me.”
Soren felt his eyebrows raise, “I assume Coach Caz knows?”
Brett nodded, “He does. But I wasn’t sure what to tell the team. I don’t want the label. I’m not a bad boy. I’m just here to play the game I love. That’s it. I was only protecting a girl and my team. But they didn’t want my protection. The team. They couldn’t have cared less.”
Soren nodded, “It’s probably why they haven’t ever made it to the big game. I haven’t heard good things about the Meadowlarks and I know that they only have gotten as far as they have with you. Without you they will fail. Their loss is the Alphas gain though. And it is for their benefit. I know for a fact that the players of this team are different and that they would never act the way your other team did. And you are going to be in good hands here. But I do think that if you wanted to tell the team, you should. They will support you and you would be surprised what good men they are.”
Brett nodded, “Good. I just want to play and that’s what is the most important thing to me.”
“I like that about you. If you need anything else, day or night, let me know.”
Brett nodded again and then looked up at him, “Will you see if you can find anything out about the girl I saved? I never knew what happened to her. Once I was pulled from the room, she tried to get up and leave, but she was out of it. Like she was in shock. She couldn’t have been much older than eighteen. If that.”
Soren nodded, “I will do my best.”
Brett held out his hand and Soren shook it again, “Thank you.”
Soren nodded, “Do you have questions about your contract?”
Brett shook his head, “I read it all the way through. Even the fine print. I learned that when I was younger.”
Brett smiled and Soren laughed, “Good.”
Brett walked back to the locker room, and then turned back. “The girl’s name was Charlie. I don’t know her last name.”
Soren inclined his head, “I will get on it.”
Brett walked back to the locker room and Soren ordered a car and then went back to his office.
He needed to help Brett in any way he could and he needed to discuss it with Warren as well.
The man could dig up dirt anywhere and he needed Warren’s expertise.
He would bring the Meadowlarks down if he had to. They would need to change their ways.
The coach would need to be fired and the owner would be in trouble if this hit the light of day.
And Soren was determined that it would.
