ss

bs yanks it the rest of the way in one hard pull. Metal teet

fur. Mildew threading every seam. Stale breath tra

. "Don't rip the seams. This thing c

scratches my wrists raw. "It reeks. Loc

watch, tobacco leaf and worn leather drifting off his flan

en the crooked wolf head drops over my vision and the world

e oversized paw catches the doorframe.

see the r

back to his skate bin. "Go sta

the rubber mat too loud. I try to w

•

he student section. A drum beats off-rhythm somewhere above. Zamboni diesel and

points a foam finger

y clocks a cheerleade

to his friend.

n. A cluster of middle schoolers boo me. E

front row, custom Heller jersey draped over her shoulders. Lacey Drumo

mber reach me first

n't raise it. Doesn't need to. "She l

s. "Should

N

x inside the paws. I keep walking, teeth p

•

des carve. Sticks crack. Someone slams the boards h

rrier. My breath fogs

en this polyester coffi

ench. "Move your feet, Kline!

r, one player moves and the others already know.

The suit turn

o gray and soft. I do a little shuffle-dance near the glass for

my fingers in

skipped lunch. That's it. The suit is trapp

catches the rail to steady myself and the heat spikes hard.

the wolf head. My nose prickles. A single drop of blood catches

hides t

•

ck lifts for a pass. His head turns toward

wide, slapping the boards wrong. Pine res

ieks. "Heller! You h

r leans forward. "He's sta

's staring at the P

. My gut pulls sideways

•

he stoppage. Black tea and dam

. Crushed leaves. Warm, and alive,

l tears in his grip. A ragge

r spike off his skin. His nostrils flare. The bottle s

." Jonah stare

't m

catch

d don'

ked. He can't see a face. But the scent is coming from insi

show Martin

•

ss

e of them from t

bench, water dripping off his chin, watching my direction. Silas

the crowd chants a

he suit. Somehow, th

er. The suit feels smaller. The mesh feeds me air I'

wall. My knees d

vision whites out at the edges. My sternum pulls tight, like so

oncrete of the tunnel wall. The con

rlo

mouth, clipboard under his

look bleached u

comes out muffl

t longer than comfo

is equipment log. Doesn'

ogge

•

-period ho

from three players still watching. My paws catch on the rubbe

The noise fades. Concrete replaces rubb

inst the cold block. The concrete bites, and that helps. One s

n, and my body is doing something I ca

•

ck. Too fast. My skin bur

't tell me what. Four thousand people are chanting out there,

ten it. Wipe blood from my uppe

k toward

s. The mascot

camera reaches, my temperatu

dy s