Page 3 of Lucky Sucker

“You don’t have to answer,” she said. “I’m just curious, and kinda nervous about starting, especially living so close to home. He thinks it’s a great idea though. If only I got into an Ivy, he wouldn’t have thought so then.”

“Yeah,” it was all I could offer afterward. I didn’t know what to say, my brain was mush.

After finishing my dinner, I paid sans the free milkshake, left a tip, and headed back on the nice walk to the place I would call home for the next three semesters. It was nice to be within view of nature and with signs posting to popular hikes, although I was not equipped for a hike, physically and I didn’t have the clothes.

All four of my new roomies were in the dining area when I got back, playing cards. They all looked friendly enough, but I declined their invite and headed to my room. I was far too exhausted from the drive and all that small talk in the diner. But ten out of ten, I’d go back again when it was quiet.

My room was mine; I wasn’t sharing a dorm room and didn’t have someone who liked to party in the bed across the room from me like last year. My eyes rolled every time I thought about Darin Spencer, although I wouldn’t see him again on campus, he dropped out.

In the closet of the room, there was new bedding wrapped in plastic, including a mattress topper which was an absolute luxury, although from a small bounce, I knew these were already comfier than the on-campus housing.

“We’re going to be ok,” I whispered, setting Bloo on the bed. “I’ll unbox everyone tomorrow. I promise.” Bloo was one of a long list of amigurumi crocheted items I’d made as a form of self-soothing, but blue was my favorite, and the one that looked the best. The others were slightly janky with the stuffing coming out and some of the crochet loops bulging.

Sophomore year at Caldwell college was going to be my year. I was going to make it my year.

2. LUKE

It was so much fun having my teammates around me again. We were living in the Athlete’s Village, it was named that because where most, if not all the athletes at the college decided to live once they were out of on-campus housing. Formally, known as Summit Hall, the village was made up of a large circle of big, detached houses. The ice hockey team had a large house that easily catered for fifteen of us, and thankfully, we never had to turn down any upperclassmen on the team away.

Since being promoted to captain of the Caldwell Orcas at the end of last semester, I’d been having a blast create plays with coach and discuss my future, which I was hoping looked bright, but being one of thousands of people playing sports at collegiate level was a gamble, not everyone could make it into the big leagues, aka, the NHL.

Being captain also meant I had the biggest room, and everyone respected the heck out of me.

There were currently only seven of us at the house until everyone arrived during the week before the semester started on Tuesday, given that the Monday was Labor Day, but that wasn’t going to stop us from getting back on the ice. And for some of the players, that was the first time since we broke up for summer.

We had a chef in house, she catered all our meals and kept us from eating junk food. Fortunately for us, she wasn’t here yet either, or we all just got done pigging at the diner in town.

“Julia cannot know about those two double cheeseburgers Liam had,” I said to the teammates gathered in the kitchen, Liam “The Wall” Anderson, that was. “And you even had all that relish too.”

Liam patted his stomach and sighed. “I’m still hungry.”

“I’m still full, I couldn’t even think about eating anything else,” Zachary said, leaning over the counter and sighing. “I think I’m gonna burst. Damn.”

“Well, just down blow the toilet up,” I told them. “And let’s think about burning off some of those extra calories tomorrow. I’ve got some new skates I want to try out. Jordan.” Looking around, I spotted Jordan, one of the team goaltenders. His head was over the kitchen sink as he groaned, the sounds echoing in the metal basin. “Jordan, come on. I told y’all not to eat so much.” I knew we’d ordered a lot of food when that guy came in and glared at all of us like we were taking on a man v food challenge or something.

Being captain meant keeping all the squad in check, and that was difficult pre-season because we’d all been on vacation mode, except for me. I’d spent most of the summer working at a beach bar in Connecticut just so I could afford new skate boots, but there weren’t many places to go skating there in the summer. I couldn’t wait to get back onto the ice.

* * *

We had a nice rink on campus that we played in. It was all the team colors, blue, black, and white, given that we were the orcas, our logos were the famed killer whales, and we’d been killing it the last couple of seasons in the NCHA league. We’d won a couple of leagues as a team, getting from the playoffs into the division one national championships, but only once since I’d been on the team.

I’d forced the entire team at the house to get on the ice with me. Our coach, Michael, aka Iron Mike was already at the rink in his office. He knew we were coming over before the semester started to warm up.

“Good to have you back, Lucky,” Coach said, greeting us from the door of his office which was opposite the locker room. “I think we might make it to playoffs again this season with you captaining the team.”

Lucky was my nickname, I was known for defying the odds when the puck went flying from my stick, it was like a goal-seeking missile. I wouldn’t call it luck though, I trained hard to make sure my shots made it into the back of the goal.

“We’re gonna change and head out onto the ice,” I said. “I’m assuming the ice is good.”

Coach nodded and cooed. “Oh, she’s a beaut, not a single skate mark on it. Zamboni was just over it about a day ago, so get padded up, I’m not having any of you injured before the season even starts, and before any of the freshmen recruits join.”

“How many freshmen do we have coming in?” I asked. I knew the number somewhere from the end of semester, but it could’ve always changed.

“Five or six,” he said. “We’ve got maybe twenty-one on the team with them. We’re still recruiting though; late minute exchanges happen. And, Lucky, don’t forget that the team is counting on you.”

I wasn’t too bothered by the number, it was a nice, solid team, considering only six of us were on the ice representing the Orcas at any one time. “And I’m counting on the team,” I said.

In the locker room, the team were getting their skates on and wrapping their sticks with tape. As much as they probably hated me for forcing them to get on the ice today instead of lazing around before school started, I knew they were going to appreciate the time on the ice when it was just the seven of us. A third of the time.

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