Alex walked into the U21 locker room on Monday. It felt... easier.
He was not the new kid anymore. He was just the kid.
His new locker felt like his. He put his bag down.
Ben, the U21 captain, was sitting across from him, taping his ankle.
"Finch," Ben grunted.
"Ben," Alex replied, giving him a nod.
"Good pass on Saturday. Smart move. You made that mountain look stupid."
"Thanks," Alex said, surprised. "I just... I saw the space."
"Yeah, yeah, you saw the space," Ben said, not looking up. "I also saw you get pushed over by their striker. Twice. You are lucky he was bad at shooting."
Alexs good feeling faded. Ben was right.
"Coach Wilkins is right," Ben continued, ripping the tape with his teeth. "Your defending is a joke. You are like a... a very smart, very small traffic cone."
Alex just sighed. He was getting tired of being compared to inanimate objects. First a duck, now a cone.
"Do not worry," Ben said, standing up. He looked... less angry today. "We will fix it."
