Page 42 of Snowballed

“He was pretty pissed off to find out he’s on some hot guy list. I don’t get it, I would be hyped,” says Derek.

“Yes, he’s a grouch. Tell me something I don’t know,” I say.

Noah walks out at this moment, and we all stare at him.

He stares back. “Is something going on?”

Dev pokes me in the side.

My words come out in a whoosh: “The women’s hockey team is doing a fundraiser would you be interested in being in the bachelor auction which is really more of a draw than an auction but if you don’t want to do it that’s fine.”

Everyone is staring like I’m so weird, which I am.

Noah doesn’t even blink. He’s used to my run-on sentences. “You’re only auctioning bachelors?”

“Oh no. There will be other things too. Like gift certificates and prize baskets,” I say.

“Are you in it?” he asks me.

“What? No way. Who would want to bid on a date with me?” I’m not exactly fighting off dates when they’re free.

“Oh. So, it’s okay to auction off dates with men, but not with women? That seems pretty sexist,” Noah replies.

Seb nods. “Yeah, he’s right. Why aren’t there female hockey players in this?” Then he puts an arm around Dev. “Not you, of course. Single ones.”

“That’s crazy. Why—” I begin, and then realize that guys would love to bid on dates with someone like Rocky. Maybe this could work for other members of our team.

“I’m not doing it if you’re not doing it.” Noah shoulders his backpack and turns to leave.

There’s no way he’s goading me into doing this. How humiliating would it be if nobody bid on a date with me?

“You scared? Bok, bok.” Derek accompanies this taunt with flapping elbows.

I can feel myself getting upset at my brother’s taunts, and I breathe in.Do not fall for this, Zoe. Do not let Derek press your buttons. Keep your mouth shut, and don’t—

“I’m no chicken,” I declare. “Get ready to be auctioned, Goodwin. I’m in.”

When Noah turns around, he’s got a big grin on his face. I just got played by two cocky defensemen.

14

Zoe

“God, Zoe, I ask you to do one thing, and you have to complicate it,” Helen says. We’re in the dressing room after practice. Instead of gold stars for producing Noah, I’m getting grief.

“How am I complicating things? I’m giving you more things to auction off. Besides, Noah is right, it’s sexist to auction off men and not women.”

“But how are we going to recruit players from our team?” Helen wonders.

“It’s easy. You, me, Rocky, and all we need is one more player.” Rocky agreed as soon as I suggested the idea to her.

“I’ll do it,” Shannon Jeffrey calls across the dressing room.

Helen clears her throat. “Uh, Jeffers, how is that going to work? You date women.”

Jeffers rolls her eyes. “Yes, Helen, I am aware.Womenwill bid on a date with me. I’ll promote it on the college LGBTQ forums. People have been complaining that mainstream campus events are too heteronormative in nature.”

As Helen digests this concept, I jump in. “That’s a great idea. We’ll get even more people to the event, and then they’ll bid on the other prizes too.”

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