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Kevin’s favorite thing in the world is percentages. I’m pretty sure he stays up at night just thinking of ways he can add percentages into everyday conversation.
“I’m 100% done with this conversation,”
Of course, Kevin can’t just let me go. “Where’s the kid who got up with me at five a.m. every morning to go running? Where’s the guy who stayed at the rink until the Zamboni driver kicked us out? Where’s the boy who did laps around the track wearing weights just to build muscle? Where’s my little brother?” I don’t even look at Kevin. I get out and slam the door. “Well, maybe he died, too.”
Our little town only had one hockey league, and they didn’t care that I was a girl, even though I was the only one. Xander and I have played on the same team since we started skating.
I was the best at that tryout. Xander was mediocre at best. I know the coach meant me. He just didn’t want a girl on the team.
Coach Zabinski is just a sexist loser who was threatened a girl could outplay all those boys.
If I play a good season…” Xander hasn’t played a good season in his life. “Don’t roll your eyes. Just listen.”
Within a split second, his smile turns to terror, as he falls through the air, and lands on the stage with a triumphant crack.
Xander struggles to sit up. “Did they leave any of those scalpels around?” I look around the room. Everything is white and smells of bleach. Hospitals make my eyes and nose hurt. “I don’t see one. Why?” “All right, I guess we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way.” He pulls the pillow out from behind his back and hands it to me. “Please smother me so I can be freed of this cruel world.”
And do you really think Coach Zabinski is going to let me on the ice for playoffs if I haven’t played in seven months? I barely made the team, as is.” “Ugh.” I collapse back into the chair. “I know. I kicked your ass out there.” “Hey.” Xander’s eyebrows lower. “This is my pity party.”
“I feel like we’re in a Korean drama! Isn’t it to die for?”
“Hockey players are just, like, the most non-sexual men out there. They’re not like hot, or sexy, or whatever. They’ve always just been my teammates.
“Name’s Alexander! But my friends call me Al.” I’ve only seen this guy for about two seconds, but already I’m finding it hard to believe he has any friends.
“Y’know,” he says, “if you didn’t take your eyes off the puck, I wouldn’t have been able to steal it from you so easily.” I grind my teeth together. “What?” “You took your eyes off the puck,” he says slower, as if I didn’t hear him the first time. This rookie…this rookie is trying to give me advice? A hiss escapes my lips. “Don’t you know who I am?” “Yeah,” he says. “You’re someone who lost the puck.”
“Chill out. I’ve got it under control.”
“Yeah, my appa is like that.
“I want to star in Korean dramas!”
“What are those?” She gives me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and yanks her laptop out of her bag. “I’ll show you!”
“HOLY F—” My expletive gets carried away on the wind as we step outside. “What frozen planet have you taken me to?” I try to scream at Hayden, but he just rolls his eyes at me. “Are you joking?” he says. “This is T-shirt weather!”
“Don’t worry, Al!” she says, her voice musical. “Your whole body will be numb soon enough and then you won’t notice a thing!”
