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PUCK IT
BY JAIME RUSSELL
CHAPTER ONE
SLOANE POWERS
Friday night
The loud bass of the pop song being played by the local DJ vibrates through my body as my friends and I walk through the crowded bar. The first week of classes has most of the college campus out and about tonight. Stacy, my best friend and roommate, squeezes my hand then tilts her head to the left. I follow her gaze and groan. I recognize some of the football team my sperm donor coaches.
“Fuck,” I mutter as my half-brother, Preston, catches my eye. We are thirty-four days apart in age and he likes to gloat. He's the older brother protecting me. He shakes his head at me then lifts his cell phone.
Big bro:
What are you doing here?
Me:
Celebrating the first week of classes. What are you doing here?
Big bro:
Same. Dad won't like you being here.
I roll my eyes at his comment.
The douche canoe hooked up with my mom when he was at an away game. He thought Laura, his middle school sweetheart, and he had broken up. They had a huge fight and were not on speaking terms while he was on the road. I was conceived that night and he chose my half-brother and his mom over me. He hated my mom when she tracked him down. She thought he'd be the answer to her money problems, and he thought she wanted to destroy his life.
I had met him a total of three times before moving in with him when I was seventeen. My mom and her boyfriend overdosed in a drug den. My godmother called him and he didn't want me, but Laura, who had become his wife by then, made him take me in. So, I left Utah to move to Ohio. I'm the spitting image of my mother with reddish-brown hair, hazel eyes, and freckles, but I got his height and athleticism.
“Fuck it.” Tugging on Stacy’s hand, I change directions and lead us to see my brother. “If I’m going to be in trouble, won’t you too?” I tease him. He smiles. He gets out of the booth and hugs me tight and says hi to Stacy.
“You know I wouldn’t tell him shit about you. You’re allowed to live your life without his judgment.” Preston has seen the way Dad is with me and stands up for me more than my stepmom Laura, which is saying a lot since she’s my biggest supporter. She never misses one of my hockey games even though Preston plays football. Our dad coaches his football team. “Do you want to join us?” I crinkle my nose.
“With a bunch of football players? No thank you.” He chuckles at me. He knows I don’t have an issue with football players, just ones our dad coaches. They tend to tell on me. “I’m here celebrating a birthday with one of my hockey teammates. You know better than anyone besides Stacy I don’t drink or try to underage drink, but it doesn’t stop your teammates from ratting on me. I don’t understand why you’re allowed but I’m not.” I shrug and he looks back to his teammates. He grabs my elbow and takes me to the table.
“You see my sister here? Tell our coach you see her at a bar, and I’ll make your life miserable. Do you get it?” The guys stare at me and nod.
“I’m going to go dance with my friends then head home in a couple of hours. I’ll see you for family dinner.” He hugs me then I turn to walk away. I run into a wall of muscle and something very cold hits my face.
“Watch where the fuck you walk,” the deep voice roars in my face. “Are you too fucking blind and stupid to know how to watch your surroundings?”
“Listen here, dipshit, watch where you go. It’s a fucking bar and it’s packed. People bump into each other all the time. They don’t need to you douse them with cheap ass beer.” Stacy has a towel she went and got from the bartender and hands it to me.
“Are you okay?” The concern in her face has me smiling at her, replacing the death glares I was sending this douche canoe.
“I’m fine. Let’s head to the bathroom to fix this mess then have some fun. I’m not letting some roid rage jackass ruin our night out.” I swivel and head past Preston and his eyebrows fly to his hairline. His face shows concern and amusement in eyes. He’s trying not to laugh. I flip him off as I walk by which does make him laugh. I can’t help but smile. Stacy and I walk into the bathroom.
“Are you okay? You have a bruise starting on your cheekbone. You hit each other pretty hard.” I stare at myself in the mirror and see what she’s talking about. I sigh and feel the tears sting my eyes.
“I’m fine. He was pissed at me for bumping into him. All I did was turn around. And I I’m the one who gets bruised and drenched in beer.” I shake my head. I promise myself I’m going to get hung up on this and go ahead to clean myself up. Dancing, laughter and friends are just what I need tonight.
CHAPTER TWO
BENJAMIN “BEN” MASTERS
Fucking bars. I hate them with a passion, but I was almost bullied into being here. I hate crowds. Then I run into a woman who I have no right to be looking at because my buddy Preston was hugging her earlier. She’s off-limits. He’s been a great friend to me since coming to the college and joining the team this year. I’m a transfer in my junior year, and his dad, the coach, poached me from the college I was at because he saw something in me. Instead of apologizing like I should have, I blamed her. I’m an asshole and nothing will change that, but I do feel bad about dumping an entire picture of beer on her. It was an accident.
