Chapter 79 The ballot
The locker room was so quiet that I could hear the hum of the overhead lights. Everyone was staring at the floor. The air felt heavy, like it does right before a summer thunderstorm.
Julian stood by the center bench, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. He was still trying to look relaxed, but his eyes were constantly darting toward Jaxson.
Jaxson sat on the bench, his head down, his bandaged hand resting on his knee. He didn't look like he was campaigning. He just looked tired.
Coach Reed walked into the room, holding a small wooden box and a stack of folded slips of paper. He didn't look happy about having to do this. He had coached for twenty years, and he knew that nothing tore a team apart faster than an internal vote.
"Alright," the Coach said, his voice echoing in the small space. "We are doing this properly. Everyone gets one vote. You write the name of the person you want to lead this team as Captain for the remainder of the championship run. Fold the paper, put it in the box, and that’s it."
The team started to move. It wasn't the usual loud, joking atmosphere. Nobody was laughing. Nobody was pushing each other. The players walked up one by one, dropped their slips into the box, and walked back to their lockers.
I watched the faces of the players. Some of them looked at Julian with respect or maybe it was just fear. Others looked at Jaxson with something that looked like hope. It was a divided room.
When the last person finished, Coach Reed set the box on the bench. He opened it and pulled out the first slip.
"Julian Sinclair," he said, his voice flat.
Julian gave a quick, sharp nod. He looked around the room, as if to say, I told you so.
Coach pulled out the second one. "Jaxson Miller."
Jaxson didn't react. He just kept his eyes on the floor.
Coach kept going. "Julian Sinclair."
"Jaxson Miller."
"Julian Sinclair."
"Jaxson Miller."
The room felt like it was spinning. It was a total deadlock. Every time someone voted for Julian, someone else voted for Jaxson. I held my breath, counting every name in my head. There were twenty-four players on the active roster. To win, you needed thirteen votes.
Julian’s face was changing. The fake smile was gone. He looked like he was about to explode. He had spent days telling everyone he was the natural successor to Leo. He had bragged about his family’s money and his father’s influence. He couldn't imagine a world where the team didn't choose him.
Coach Reed reached into the box. He pulled out the final slip. He paused for a second, reading the name quietly to himself before looking up.
"The final vote," he said, and he looked around the room. "Is for Jaxson Miller."
The room exploded into a sudden, shocked silence.
Jaxson had won.
Julian’s face went white, then a deep, angry red. He stood up so fast his bench tipped over and crashed against the wall with a loud bang.
"This is a joke!" Julian shouted. He stormed into the middle of the room, his finger pointing directly at Jaxson. "You think these guys actually want you? You’re a charity case! You’re just a kid from a trailer park who got lucky because Leo felt sorry for you!"
Jaxson stood up slowly. He was calm, but there was a storm in his eyes. "They didn't vote for me because they feel sorry for me, Julian. They voted for me because they know I’ll never leave them behind. That’s the difference between us."
Julian stepped right into Jaxson’s personal space. He was breathing hard. "You think you’re a hero? You think the Captain’s patch makes you special? You’re nothing. And I’m going to make sure that everyone, including the scouts, sees exactly how much of a nothing you are."
"Get out," Jaxson said. His voice was very quiet, but it commanded the room.
"What?" Julian sneered.
"You heard me," Jaxson said, looking Julian straight in the eye. "You aren't the Captain. You don't get to tell us what to do. If you can’t handle the fact that this team chose someone else, then you don't belong here. Leave."
Julian looked around the room for support. He looked at the other players, waiting for them to stand up and protest, but nobody moved. They were all watching him. They were waiting to see if he would push it further.
Julian realized he had no allies left. He looked like he wanted to punch Jaxson, but he knew he couldn't. Not now. Not with the Coach standing right there.
"Fine," Julian spat, grabbing his gear bag. "Win the championship, then. See how far you get when you’re on your own. You’re going to fail, Miller. And when you do, I’ll be the one laughing."
He kicked his locker, grabbed his helmet, and marched out the door. The sound of his footsteps echoed down the hallway until they finally faded away.
The locker room was quiet again, but it was a different kind of quiet. It felt lighter. The tension that had been hanging over the team for weeks seemed to evaporate.
Coach Reed looked at Jaxson. He reached into his desk and pulled out a clean, crisp jersey with a gold "C" stitched onto the chest. He held it out to Jaxson.
"It’s yours, Captain," Coach said.
Jaxson took the jersey. He looked at the "C" for a long time. He wasn't smiling. He looked humbled. He walked over to the hook where Leo’s jersey used to hang, and he hung his own right next to it, making sure they were perfectly aligned.
"We have a championship to win," Jaxson said to the room. "But we’re doing it the way Leo would have wanted. We aren't doing it for scouts, and we aren't doing it for money. We’re doing it because we’re a team. Does everyone understand?"
A few of the guys stood up. Then a few more. Soon, the whole team was standing. They weren't clapping or cheering, it was too serious for that. They were just nodding. They were ready.
I didn't stay to watch the rest. I slipped out of the room, my heart beating fast. I needed to get back to the hospital. Leo needed to hear this.
I ran to my car and drove as fast as I safely could.
When I got to the hospital, I burst into Leo’s room without even knocking. He was awake, watching the clock on the wall.
"What happened?" he asked, trying to sit up. "Did he win?"
I smiled, and for the first time in days, it was a real, joyful smile. "No. The team voted. They chose Jaxson."
Leo’s eyes widened, and then he let out a huge, relieved breath. He sank back into his pillows, looking like a man who had just been pardoned from prison. "They chose Jax? Really?"
"They chose him," I said. "And Julian lost it. He walked out. He’s gone, Leo."