00:00I threw the ball hard toward the referee. It flew in a perfect arc and landed right in his stomach.
00:05My aim was spot on, but that didn't stop people from laughing at my dad.
00:09After all, I was still just a benchwarmer. The coach never really paid attention to me.
00:14He was convinced I was only good for sitting on the sidelines, watching other people play.
00:18The game had just started. Billy used his massive frame to force his way through,
00:22but two defenders tackled him hard. He collapsed on the field, completely out cold.
00:26We all rushed over. The referee poked him a couple of times, and held up two fingers.
00:31Billy weakly muttered, three. But the coach insisted he could keep playing.
00:34We ended up winning that game, but I knew exactly what kind of coach he was.
00:38The kind who cared only about winning, not about the player's health.
00:42After the game, he even snatched the scorebook right out of my hands, as if I didn't matter at all.
00:47Not long after, Billy passed out again during class. His old injury had flared up.
00:51But the moment he came to, the coach forced him back onto the court.
00:55The nurse had clearly said Billy wasn't fit to play, but the coach's word carried more weight
00:59than hers. Billy had no choice but to nod and agree. During the first half, we kept losing
01:04points one after another. Finally, the coach decided to make a substitution. Billy was rolled
01:09back onto the court, wearing an oxygen mask. I rushed over to stop him, but the coach yelled
01:14at me to stand down. Billy had barely taken his position when he collapsed again, and right
01:19then, our captain Lance got hit. His old leg injury kicked in, and he couldn't move. He groaned
01:25in pain, sweat pouring down his face. While the entire stadium went silent, the coach froze.
01:30He knew Lance's leg might never recover. When Billy regained consciousness, he couldn't
01:34stop apologizing to Lance, his face full of guilt. After Lance was carried off the field,
01:40the coach had no choice left. He finally turned to me, the long-forgotten substitute, and told
01:45me to get in the game. For the first time, I finally had my chance to play.
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