Box Out by John Coy

on.” She smiles at Pelke. “My challenge was having to work with Jared Drake to set up the food for this meeting.”
    Liam laughs with the others and Chloe grins. Her brown hair is pulled back in an orange headband. She’s pretty in a perky sort of way.
    â€œMy real challenge is my younger sister,” she says. “I’m worried about the friends she’s hanging out with.” Liam watches others nod sympathetically. Chloe’s challenge is caring about someone else. Maybe that’s what he was supposed to say. He should have said something about Grandma.
    After everybody finishes, Staley introduces Drake. “As you know, some of us have been working on our own Champion’s Prayer.” Drake gives copies to Chloe, who passes them around the room. Drake waits until everybody has one. “Let’s all read the first two verses together.”
    â€œâ€˜God, You are awesome and almighty.’” All the voices blend together. “‘Help us to understand and follow the path You have chosen for us. As athletes, let us compete in the image of Christ.’” Liam looks around. He doesn’t even know what competing in the image of Christ means.
    â€œâ€™Heavenly Father, through You, all gifts come to us.’” Liam’s throat tightens as he follows the words on the page. “’We give all praise and honor in Your name.’” Seth reads along next to him, and Pelke’s loud voice echoes across the room. “’Help us to become champions for Jesus.’”
    Liam stares at his paper. Image of Christ. Champions for Jesus. This doesn’t feel right. He can’t say these things just because everybody else is.

09
Pressure
    â€œThanks for the chocolates, Kenz. They were great.”
    â€œGood. I’m so glad it’s you. I’m dying to talk English.”
    He tosses dirty socks and boxers off his chair and sits down. “What are you doing?”
    â€œHomework. And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of everything being in French.” She sighs. “I have to work so hard to say the right words, and sometimes I know what I want to say, but I don’t have the vocabulary, so I sound like a total idiot.”
    â€œI do that in English.”
    â€œLiving with someone else’s family is frustrating, too. Everybody says treat it like your own home, but it isn’t mine. I have to adjust to their ways of doing things. They only talk to me in French, too, even though they all know English.” She pauses. “I miss my own house. I miss my family. I miss you.”
    â€œI miss you, too, Kenz.” Liam looks at her picture on his desk. “I wish you were here in my room.”
    â€œI wish you were holding me right now.”
    â€œI do, too.” He scratches the back of his neck. “How are we going to handle fourteen and a half more weeks?”
    â€œI don’t know,” she says. “Some days are harder than others.”
    â€œWhat are you wearing right now?”
    â€œWhy? I look terrible.”
    â€œYou’re so far away. Knowing would make you feel a little closer.”
    â€œMy pink sweats and my coral Abercrombie tank top. Does that help?”
    â€œYeah. Is your hair pulled back?”
    â€œNo, it’s down.”
    â€œGood.” A semester feels way too long. Why couldn’t she go for a week at spring break? “So what do you miss the most?”
    â€œTurtle Blizzards from Dairy Queen.”
    â€œNo. Really?”
    â€œYou, silly. I miss you.”
    â€œYou can have both as soon as you get back.” Excitement rushes through him, and he shifts his position.
    â€œYummy.” She giggles. “How did your day go?”
    â€œIt was strange.” Liam picks at a fingernail and tells her about the HAF meeting. “Some people seem sincere, but others, like Pelke, don’t believe any of it and are only saying the words. I can’t do