The three basketball coaches had risen from their seats near the Council members. Two men and one woman—Coach Harrison, Coach Webb, and Coach Reyes.
Harrison spoke first, his voice booming even without a microphone—
"Now hold on just a minute. The basketball roster isn't something that gets decided by—by announcements at assemblies. There are tryouts. Protocols. A selection process—"
"With all due respect, Coach." Phei's voice cut through Harrison's bluster like a knife through warm butter, the Charm Speech making every word land with devastating precision—and making Harrison's face turn the color of overcooked lobster. "When was the last time your 'selection process' chose anyone who wasn't from a Legacy family?"
Silence.
Damning, deafening silence.
