Page 39 of Puck with Karma
“Okay, I apologize for insulting his home,” Hannah concedes. “But you have to admit that it’s weird he never wanted to move out. From what I see here…” She scrolls up and down on her computer. “Players live there only when they first start out with the team, while they look for a house.”
“There’s another player who lives here. I met him!”
I am close to screaming into the screen. I’m pretty sure Riley just winces a little before lowering the volume on her end.
“Anyway,” Hannah continues as if I never said a word. “I feel generous today. Let us see what social media says about Bran.”
Riley gasps in delight, and I smile in surprise. I haven’t made it a habit out of doing a search of my brother’s whereabouts via social media. For reasons unknown, I am always very nervous about it. I don’t want him to somehow find out that I am lurking in the background, or that his actions have been haunting me for years.
“Oh geez,” Hannah exclaims. “That’s just gross!”
Riley’s eyes get big and her face is now closer to the camera. “What is?”
“Hold on, I’ll share my screen.”
We both wait with bated breath while Hannah switches us where we can see what she has on her computer.
“Ewww!” I cover my eyes when the first thing I see is a bunch of blood on what seems to be the glass around a hockey rink. “What is happening?”
“That’s your brother,” Hannah laughs. “With his face smashed into the glass after someone punched him in the face. He’s got blood squirting out of his nose.”
“T-that i-is…” Riley looks a little pale. “G-gross,” she stutters.
I have to agree with her. The angle of the camera shows a bit more than I was prepared to see.
“It says here that Bran lost two teeth,” Hannah chuckles. “Imagine kissing that, Rye,” she teases our friend. “You stick your tongue in his mouth, and no teeth.” She is laughing so hard, she can barely form the words.
“Stop,” Riley begs. “Just… stop.” She has both hands over her eyes, but a big smile on her face.
Hannah continues teasing her with no mercy, but I don’t participate. Instead, I rest my chin in my hands and just smile. My brain refuses to let go of the image Xander made in the wet jeans and t-shirt that molded to his body. In many ways, it is better than seeing him naked. Then again, I need to see him naked so that I can compare.
“Uh-oh.”
My eyes snap back to the screen when Hannah stops scrolling.
“Your man is not a fan of your brother’s,” she informs me, squinting at the screen to see better. “It says here that Xander Hamilton and Bran Karlsberg are rivals on the ice, and it spills into their personal lives as well.”
“How so?” I whisper.
“I don’t know,” Hannah shrugs. “But look at this picture.”
She clicks on something and a spread off a sports magazine pops on the screen. Xander is on one side and Bran on the other. They seem to be staring at each other in contempt.
“No,” Riley chimes in. “That’s photoshopped.”
I can breathe freely at hearing her words. “You think?”
“Yes,” she bobs her head up and down with conviction. “The press is always looking for ways to portray the Cats and the Sliders as these big rivals, like they hate each other. I don’t buy it.”
I minimize the screen where I can see my friends and begin a search on my brother. I find a lot of pictures of him on the ice, sidetracking me for a moment. He looks so incredibly happy, like he has no worries in the world.
“When do you plan on calling Bran?” Riley asks. She is always very in tune with my worries, even when we are miles apart.
“I’m nervous,” I admit. “I’m not sure what to say to him when I finally do.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Tell him he should’ve grown a pair and called his little sister once in a while. Who just leaves home and never looks back?”
“Our parents…” I start, but she cuts me off.
