COLEEN

The hum of the vacuum echoed faintly in the athletic complex as I finished sweeping around the bleachers. My back ached from bending too much, and I blew a strand of hair out of my face as I tied up the trash bag. It was nearly nine, and the place was finally empty, just the faint scent of sweat and ice lingering in the air.

Tired didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. Between classes, shifts here, and trying to keep up with essays, I was stretched thin. But the thought that ...