Page 59 of Furious
It’s not like I have a choice, so I nod. I played for less than half a period and I scored a goal and an assist, so I don’t think I’m in trouble. But with him, you never know.
“Sure.” I straighten my posture and take my legs away from the aisle seat.
“Reilly?” Coach waves his hand in Lev’s direction to get his attention, gesturing for him to remove his ear pods. “I have something to say to both of you, so let’s kill two birds with one stone.”
Lev scoots to the aisle seat. “Yes sir. What’s up?”
Coach Harrison looks at me and Lev for a long moment, as if he was trying to evaluate us. “We have a decent roster this year.” He begins. “Harper and Hart, your teammates who start in your position have already secured NHL contracts. They both intend to finish the year, but you never know what might happen if their future NHL teams called saying they needed them sooner. I didn’t expect the two of you to get a lot of ice time, given that the seniors on the second line have paid their dues.”
I nod along as I listen to what he’s saying. This is all stuff we had figured out without needing an explanation, and Coach Harrison is a man of few words, so I’m sure this isn’t why he wanted to talk to us.
“However, I have to say that I’m impressed with your performance so far. You made every second on the ice count.”
Neither of us says anything, but Coach has our full attention at this point.
“Three goals and three assists in two games between the two of you is definitely what you needed to do to get noticed, so I decided I’m going to move you to the second line.”
This is fucking huge. I blink a couple of times, looking at Lev to make sure that I’m not imagining what Coach just said.
“Thank you, sir.” Lev smiles. “We won’t disappoint you, sir.”
As Coach Harrison looks from him to me, his permanent scowl deepens. “That’s exactly why I wanted to talk to you. There are a few reasons why I don’t typically start freshmen. It isn’t just because the upperclassmen on the team are usually quality players. I’ve been a college freshman too and I know what goes on in your heads.”
His eyes go from Lev to me again, as if he expected us to say something; when neither of us speaks, he continues. “You’re getting a great opportunity this year. And not disappointing me doesn’t just mean working hard at practice and performing on the ice. It means being an asset to this team, both on and off the ice. Especially off the ice. So you’re going to have an exemplary attendance and GPA, and you’re gonna keep your noses clean. If I get a call about you, it better be to say that you’re up for an award or something. I’m not foolish enough to expect the two of you to live like monks. What I expect is you to be smart enough and careful not to get caught doing anything that will have my phone ringing after hours. Understood?”
Shit.
If I thought Coach Harrison was terrifying before, the way he’s looking at me now makes me want to confess all my sins.
Like the illegal race I’m about to be a part of the second we set foot on campus.
I feel like the worst piece of shit in the world when I confirm that I got the message.
“Maybe we can find a way to convince Cal that we aren’t worth all the trouble of forcing us to race.” I tell Lev a little while later as we trek through the woods to get to the abandoned hangar.
If I needed anyone to give me a reality check, however, I can always count on Lev.
“Yeah, right. He’s banking on the fact that everyone knows our names in the county. Especially yours, Chance. And hethinks that having you involved in his scheme would mean a lesser punishment if we got caught, since your dad is the mayor. He has no reason to cut us loose. The only way I can see him doing that is if…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence. “If?” I urge him.
“If we won every race and caused him a financial loss.”
I’m not sure I understand what he’s saying. “Why would Cal be stupid enough to bet on the races? I mean, Dave lured us in with that initial bet, but I’m sure it was just a ruse to get us to break the law and to make us come back.”
Lev sighs. “Yeah, I’ve been giving it some thought, and I think there’s only one way to get out of this. Did you see how Dave had odds written down when he took bets last time? If we won every single race for a while, our odds would get less and less attractive to bet on. People wouldn’t get paid a lot if betting on us was super predictable. The races wouldn’t be as exciting and…”
“And Cal’s sponsors would make him cut us loose if we aren’t worth the hassle.” I finish for him.
“Exactly.”
That all makes sense except for one detail. “This would work, but it’s going to take a few weeks to put into action.”
“I don’t see any other way.” He says as we get into view of the clearing at the edge of town.
I’m about to agree with him, but the words die in my mouth when I spot the blinding lights and hear the music.
“What the fuck is going on?”
