Chapter 17 - The Scholarship Rumor
A rumor spread that Elias had received a full scholarship because of the scandal.
False.
He had no scholarship.
No official offer.
One school remained interested.
Another asked for updated medical evaluation.
That was all.
Still, students whispered.
“Sympathy offer.”
Elias heard.
Old fear returned.
That his future would be attributed to injury.
To victimhood.
Not skill.
He almost skipped his rehab session.
Maria noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Your nothing face is obvious.”
He smiled despite himself.
Then told her.
Maria listened.
“Do you think sympathy can reconstruct an ACL?”
“No.”
“Do you think it can make a coach offer a roster spot?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“I don’t want people thinking I got something because Trent bullied me.”
Maria nodded.
“That may happen.”
Elias frowned.
“That’s not helpful.”
“Truth isn’t always comforting.”
She sat beside him.
“You cannot control why strangers explain your life.”
He understood.
He returned to rehab.
The next college evaluation came months later.
Controlled drills.
No full-contact game.
The scout watched movement.
Decision-making.
Communication.
Afterward, he said,
“We’ll keep tracking.”
Not an offer.
Not rejection.
Reality.
Elias liked that.
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His future did not need a cinematic reward to validate what happened.
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