Page 10 of Lucky Sucker

“Sophia Martinez you are reporting for the swim team,” she said. “You requested it alongside the ice hockey team, and I have in my notes that you used to be on your high school swim team, so it fits in with your past.”

Sophia glared at me. “No, I tried out for the swim team here, I can’t go back there.”

“Well, all the assignments have been handed out. You can write for the other sections, but you’ll have to pitch to the leads and to the editors. As all of you will,” she said. “It’s important to remember that you get out of the paper what you put in. It only works if you work for it.”

“What about the women’s ice hockey team?” she asked.

A scoff broke out from beside her. “I’m a senior, I’ve had the women’s ice hockey team for two years. You’re not taking my assignment.”

Sophia continued to glare at me. The last thing I needed was to be making enemies. I’d seen her in some of my journalism classes last year, so I was familiar with her approach at sucking up to teachers and then also with the way she would answer every single question before anyone could get the chance.

“Listen,” Harper said. “Assignments are just that, everyone is free to pitch and write for other section of the paper. However, it’s unlikely to be added. Since Caldwell is a D1 college and fund most of the paper, it’s important we give the coaches the students they prefer to have write for them. If you really have an issue, take it up with them, but in my sophomore year, I got into a heat conversation with Coach Rotherham for the men’s basketball team and to this day, he will not let me attend a game.”

My anxiety didn’t need to be this sky high, and Bloo was in my messenger bag, out of reach, and out of comfort for me to grab hold of and squeeze my feelings into.

Once the editor-in-chief, Harper had finished with her speeches that we supposed to be filling us with hope and opportunity, she introduced us to the other staff who worked for the paper, which most of us already knew, but there were a couple of sophomores I hadn’t seen before, probably weren’t even majoring in journalism or communications.

The humanities building was a short trek away from the larger and main campus areas. It was another sign I needed to invest in a bike, or one of those electric scooters I could whoosh around on.

Sophia cornered me outside the building. “Listen,” she said, swiping a blond lock of hair behind an ear. “I’m going to read every single write-up you put out for the team, and I will report back on them until you decide to give up and hand over the assignment.” She clocked her head to the side and smiled. “You got that?”

“I—I—”It was high school behavior. We were supposed to have left that behind already. “It’s not my fault I was given it. I guess I spent more time at the rink.”

She rolled her eyes. “Highly impossible, considering I’m always there. My boyfriend is one of their best players, so, don’t make me use my connections. I will.”

Behind her, a familiar face appeared. It was Luke, his brow furtive and pinched together. “Are you stalking me?” he asked, but the seriousness on his face broke into a big smile.

“Lucky,” Sophia said, spinning on her heel. “Oh my god. I’m dating Finn.”

“Does he know that?” he asked.

She laughed. “So funny. Anyway, I was just saying to my friend here, that we should switch assignments. He’s supposed to be doing the reporting for the Orcas this season, and obviously, since I’m more connected, I should do it.”

My jaw clenched so hard I figured I’d end up losing a tooth from the hard grind happening, and Bloo was still in my bag, unable to get to him was really a struggle right now. Both taller than me it seemed, looming over me, their smiles a mixture of menace and fright.

“Congrats,” he said. “Coach will be pleased to know you got it. And we should talk sometime, I want to boost the team’s image through the paper, if you wanna help with that.”

“Thanks,” I let out in a quiet blurt.

“But don’t you think I’d be better?” Sophia asked.

“I don’t even know you,” Luke said.

She laughed again. “You’re hilarious. Well, I’m gonna go, I’m going to see my boyfriend and tell him I didn’t get what I wanted, so hopefully if you change your mind, R—Rich—Ree—”

“Wren,” Luke said. “His name is Wren.”

The smile might’ve had a different meaning to it now. I was on the spot, trying to figure out what he wanted from me, and it didn’t take a detective to know Sophia wanted to report for the Orcas.

Sophia walked off, strutting up the path from the humanities building toward the center of campus. I stood in front of Luke with my hand in my messenger bag, playing with the fabric of Bloo’s tail, feeling the fray of cotton bundle between my fingers.

“I’m studying business management,” Luke said, unprompted. “It’s my back up plan, in case going pro doesn’t work out for me.”

“You don’t have to talk to me,” I mumbled. He was literally the hottest man on campus, and everyone looked in his direction when they got close enough. “I’m not going to write anything bad about you. You’re a good player.”

He sighed, sucking his lower lip in his mouth and pressing his top teeth down slightly. “We stared at each other for a moment, and I was willing to break the conversation short there and have him just see me as the fly on the wall reporter that I wanted to be.

“I kinda feel like I was an ass to you when you came by the rink,” he said. “You didn’t deserve that, and I’ve got a lot going on. Which again, I shouldn’t take out on anyone. Only the puck, am I right?”

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