“Mercedes, in my office,” Coach said as she walked out onto the court for practice.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Cheryl said. Mercedes couldn’t tell from Cheryl’s tone if she was concerned or just busting her. “That’s worse than getting called into the principal’s office.”
Mercedes put her head down and jogged to the office, but Coach stayed on the court, starting practice. When Mercedes opened the office door she saw Tina Franklin seated at the desk.
“Sit down, Mercedes.” Tina pointed to the other open chair in front of Coach’s desk. Mercedes tried not to let on how surprised she was to see the Auburn recruiter. “I heard about your last game and that you set the record for three-pointers in an Alabama high school game.”
Mercedes beamed with pride, but the smile left as Franklin’s frown filled the room.
“We don’t need record setters at Auburn,” Franklin said. She tapped her left foot against the floor as she spoke. “We don’t need shooters, passers, or rebounders. We need players.”
“That’s me.” Mercedes started to explain how Coach wanted her to set the record.
“Your coach explained that to me.” Franklin’s voice dropped to almost a whisper. “She also told me about your sister. I’m sorry. She said she thought setting that record was something you needed after what just happened, but trust me, Mercedes, I’ve seen too many girls like you trying to fill the holes in their hearts. Dead brothers, fathers, sisters, mothers, cousins. Death is selfish; it never gives back.”
Images of Callie’s funeral flashed through Mercedes’s head on fast-forward. “I know.”
“No matter how many threes you shoot, it never really works.”
Mercedes’s head bobbed up and down like her mom’s did in church. “So while I know that nothing can fill that hole in your heart, I hope this will help.” Franklin handed Mercedes a single sheet of paper. On the top of it was the Auburn logo, on the bottom a place for a signature, and in between the words that made Mercedes’s broken but healing heart soar: “Letter of Intent.”