Page 13 of The Puckable Playbook

I cut him off because when Adam starts down the “sky is falling” path, sometimes you have to do that, or he’ll go on and on. First, it was because Len was Trish’s best friend. Then it was because Len’s going to fall for me. Next, it’ll be that she’ll introduce me to weird reporter sex parties or something he saw on Dateline reruns five years ago. “Well, nothing. I’m good. She’s good. You’re not in this equation, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

He lifts his hands in surrender and grins. “Alright, alright. I’ll let you make your own bad decisions.”

I groan before heading into the showers to wash up. He means well, but his ability to conjure up worst-case scenarios in every possible situation is exhausting. When I get back out there, most of the guys are gone, so I quickly gather my things and walk toward the cafeteria. The crisp morning air bites at my skin while I trek across campus.

The state-of-the-art football stadium looms above everything in the distance, but when I pass by the new football facility, jealousy washes over me. They don’t even try to hide the discrepancy between how they treat football players versus other Warner athletes. Our practice rink needs major updates, and instead of getting our own beautiful arena on campus like the football team, we have to go to the closest city and use the triple-A team’s facility. The public doesn’t care, and the students who might watch us don’t have transportation. It’s a sorry situation all the way around.

A few members of the football team spill out of the side door, and I watch them before making myself turn away. I thought I was coming to Warner to play hockey for people who cared. Theypromised so many things. I should’ve entered the transfer portal with my roommate, then maybe I’d be living it up somewhere else, playing for actual fans and crowds in nice arenas with teams who have a support system.

And the only fucking reason I didn’t enter the transfer portal cheated on me. Fuck my life. Since I’m a senior, there’s nothing I can do about it now. I’m stuck.

A few underclassmen scurry out of my way as I walk into the building that holds the cafeteria. I can imagine the scowl I’m carrying right now; however, I can’t help but be mad about the injustice of it all. Coach says he lobbies for us with Warner Athletics, but whatever he’s doing isn’t enough.

If things were different…

I spot Len out of the corner of my eye and stop in my tracks. People steer around me in the hall, but I’m transfixed. Through the large newsroom window, I spy her smiling. Her face is flush. She swipes her hair around her ear. She’s…pretty. Her blue eyes sparkling. I walk toward the glass, watching her the whole time until I realize she’s staring up at some guy.

So, she’s definitely not asexual. Maybe she’s just shy…and awkward.

I know she’s smart. Trish used to say all the time how Len was studying or writing an article or had her nose in a book. We went out to dinner to celebrate her article exposing the football team’s antics. The local news even picked it up and ran it. I don’t know how much media attention she received, but I could tell how proud she was of it. Plus, I was selfishly loving it since it made the football team look like assholes. Not that it did any lasting damage to their reputations.

One of the players is even dating the girl who got caught up in their rivalry. Like, how the hell does that happen?

If only the hockey team had more press…

I blink as the guy leans over her, peering at something on her computer. She tenses, like she doesn’t know what to do, and a smile peels my lips apart. She’s cute like this. Her shyness is endearing, but I also feel for her. It doesn’t take long to figure out that she’s crushing on this guy and he has no idea. Or if he does, he doesn’t care.

Someone walks by them, and he asks, “Hey, are you finished with that piece on the football team?”

It’s probably some glowing play-by-play of their latest win. If only someone would write a piece—

Holy shit. My new roommate is literally a reporter. She could— Well, I could ask her to write an article about the hockey team. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier.

My feet start moving before I even consciously know what I’m doing, and within a few seconds, I’m pushing open the glass doors. Several people peer up at me and stop what they’re doing, eyes rounding.

“Zaiah?”

I follow the sound of Len’s voice. She’s standing, her eyebrows arched as she takes me in.

“Hey,” I say, walking toward her.

She gives me an even more incredulous look. “Is there something wrong? Did you forget your key?”

The guy she has a crush on peers back and forth between the two of us, but it’s merely confusion, nothing more. “No, I was hoping I could talk to you.”

“Right…now?”

I nod.

Her face flushes pink. “I’m in the middle of something with my editor.” She hikes her thumb over her shoulder at the male version of herself. Glasses. Studious. Maybe doesn’t have the best taste in clothes.

“Oh, hey, man.” I hold out my hand.

He shakes it, and it’s weak as hell.

Thisis the guy she likes?

I toss that thought aside because it’s none of my business. I’m pretty sure staying out of each other’s personal lives was implied in the contract. Hell, she may have even put that stipulation in there, but I barely skimmed through it before signing. I would’ve agreed to anything.

---