Page 49 of Drop the Gloves
“Aww, big guy wants me to go easy on him?”He laughed and pushed Evan square in the chest, right on his Riveters’ logo.“Why don’t you go back to the minors, kiddo?You ain’t ready to tango with?—”
And then the guy was eating glove as Barczyk pushed him backward by his face.
“Personal space, bro,” Barczyk said, chewing his mouthguard.“Take a step back, or I’ll be happy to make you.Like honestly, give me an excuse, please.I’m bored beating you guys on the scoreboard.Lemme beat one of you guys down for real.”
It was weirdly chivalrous the way Barczyk had stepped in, like he saw Evan’s indecision.
“Cute that you’re babysitting, Barczyk,” he said, his tough-guy facade still in place even as he took a step back.“That what the Riveters pay you to do?”
Barczyk shrugged.“They pay me for a lot of things.Getting assists.Looking good.Taking out the trash.Not my fault your team pays you tobetrash?—”
A ref swooped in and blew his whistle until they scattered.Still, Evan skated away with his hands clenched in his gloves, wishing he’d at least elbowed the other center.Something,anythingto show he didn’t need other people to fight his battles for him.
Despite the mounting evidence to the contrary.
“No one’s babysitting you, Abs.”Barczyk grabbed Evan’s jersey and guided him to the bench.“I know you can handle yourself.I just enjoy doing this shit more than you do.I don’t mind.”
“I know you don’t,” Evan grumbled as they took their spots next to Vassiliev.“I’mstarting to mind, though.”
Barczyk’s answering look was unreadable, and soon they were absorbed back in the game.Evan noticed Barczyk stayed close against him, shoulders and knees pressed together more than the cramped bench warranted.The proximity should’ve irritated him, but it was comforting.Barczyk wasn’t just on the team; he was on Evan’s side.And yes, so were the other players.Vassiliev would have his back, Lawson and Doyle and all of them would stand up for him, but Barczyk understood him.
Somehow, by accident, he’d become actual friends with Riley Barczyk.
22
Evan’s phonepinged while he was brushing his teeth.He ignored it until he was done, then nearly dropped it into the sink when he saw who’d texted him.
Barczyk
Curfews suck
Does coach do this often?
They’d had another curfew imposed on them, and Evan suspected they’d continue to for the rest of their California road trip.
Abernathy
Sometimes on the road yeah
Especially after we win
There was an incident a few years ago with some of the guys drinking too much
The first time you text me is to complain about curfew?
Evan, like a teenager, stared at his screen and held his breath waiting for a reply.Luckily, it came a few seconds later.
Barczyk
Nah the first time i’m texting you is to tell you i’m in room 329
Y’know
If you wanted practice
Evan walked numbly out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of his bed.The murky future of whatever Barczyk had been hinting at back in Pittsburgh was finally here.He’d purposely not thought about it too much so he wouldn’t freak himself out, and now the full weight of what Barczyk was saying fell on him.
His phone buzzed in his hand a minute later.
