Page 16 of Lucky Sucker

It would help me out with my extra curriculars. “Ok, and I still have the sandwich I packed, so I can eat that.”

“It’s almost like you were trying to lie to me,” he said, giving my arm a pat. “What size boot do you think you are?”

“Like eleven and a half.” I didn’t know how that translated into boots, but I assumed he knew the math. I glanced at his feet; they were much bigger than mine. And once more, just being in his presence had all thoughts drain out of my mind. I didn’t know what I wanted to ask him anymore.

The rink was at the other side of campus, there should’ve been caddies for the trek. I knew there were some for the groups that had to travel into the mountains and forest trails. On the walk over, Luke talked non-stop about his plans for the team, which was good, but I didn’t know if I was even taking any of it in. Everyone was looking at him, and I was more concerned with what they were thinking just looking at me standing so close to him. I hoped they didn’t think I was as cool as him.

At the building, the team coach was talking to someone else. He broke that conversation off to talk to me. “I heard you’re reporting for the Orcas this season,” he said. “I hope Lucky here is making sure to take care of you.”

I looked up at Luke just as a light hit him from above, almost heavenly in that moment. I nodded. “He’s being very accommodating.”

“That’s a great captain there,” the coach said.

“Doing what I can,” Luke said. “I’m just here now to get him on the ice.”

Coach shook his head. “You’ve got forty minutes until the women’s team begin training.”

“We don’t have to,” I said. “We can—”

“Of course, we have to,” Luke said. “He told me he rarely goes on the ice, and I said, we couldn’t have that.”

I had hoped the coach would’ve had something else to say about it, but he just wished us luck and we walked through to the locker rooms. This was first time I’d been inside. It was all made up of the team colors, everything was either blue, white, or black. Luke walked me to his spot with his jersey on a hook above the seat and the locker above it.

“Has this always been your spot?” I asked, looking at the ten on his blue jersey. I reached out, my fingers savoring the feeling of the cold and lightweight fabric.

“No, I’ve moved all around,” he said. “Sit here and I’ll go get you some skates. We’ve got a bunch of old spares.”

I sat in the quiet locker room, imagining what it must’ve sounded like full of players, each of them doing their pre-game rituals, or how rowdy I knew they could get on the ice, they must’ve been even more wild in here. But this was where Luke sat, with view of almost every other player. Losing my breath, I reached into my messenger bag and found Bloo.

“Ok, these should be your size,” Luke said, carrying a set of boots. He looked at the tongue inside, pulling it out. “It’s a little faded, but these should fit.” He locked eyes with me, and Bloo. “You take him everywhere?”

“Yeah.”

“I bet he’s good company.”

He didn’t know just how much good company he was. “Is it ok if I bring him on the ice?” I asked, squeezing Bloo.

Luke kneeled in front of me. “You can, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to keep hold of him,” he said. “It’s best if you have both hands free.”

“I figured. I don’t want to drop him.” I kept hold of him at my chest.

“Oh, I see you’ve got that rainbow badge on again,” he said as he worked on the laces of the boosts. “You didn’t have it yesterday. What’s it for?”

This was supposed to be my interview of him, eventually, at least, not him interviewing me. “Oh, it’s just a rainbow.”

“Not a pride thing?”

He knew it. “Yeah, for pride,” I mumbled, almost not even convincingly enough for me to come out to him.

“Can I put these on you?” he asked. “I don’t know who had them on last but they knotted the laces up right.”

It was too late for me to tell him no, he was right in front of me, already prepared to take my shoes off. I didn’t know if my feet were going to smell, but there was already a bit of odor in the locker room anyway. “Ok, but—”

“I’m sure your feet are fine,” he said with a smile I could only describe through a series of stomach tingles and full body shivers.

The caretaking role he’d unknowingly taken on over me was something I’d only read in those fanfics where you insert your name as the lead character. Like, what was Luke Hotchkiss doing lacing me up in skates? And why was he smiling at me like he could read my thoughts? Oh god, nobody was going to believe me when I told them, especially not my entourage of stuffies, and Bloo was my witness.

8. LUKE

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