Page 14 of Enemy Games

“Have you heard anything?” I asked Reid as I sat next to him in the meeting room.

“No, but neither has anyone else. That usually means no one got into any sort of trouble.” He glanced around. “I don’t think there have been any big parties recently.”

As long as that was off the table, I wasn’t too concerned. We faced enough punishments for stupid choices over the years that it was no longer surprising. As long as none of the guys got themselves kicked off the team, we’d be fine.

Coach Weston and Hiller moved to the front of the room, and the chatter around us dropped off until it was silent.

Hiller stared down each of us, making me think maybe we were in trouble, but I didn’t dare ask Reid what he thought.

“It’s been brought to my attention that our team has neglected a responsibility for over a year and a half,” Coach Weston stated in an almost bored tone.

“A requirement,” Hiller added.

Weston’s jaw tightened. “Right, a requirement set by the university for all student athletes.”

I shared a look with Reid. What had we forgotten about for a year and a half? I racked my brain but came up empty.

“‘All teams should be participating in at least one philanthropic activity per semester,’” Weston read from a sheet of paper before looking up at us. “I’ll take the blame for us missing out on this critical piece of your student agreements. My focus has been on training and winning championships. My bad,” he sneered.

A few chuckles broke out around me, and I had to fight to keep from joining in. Coach didn’t seem to appreciate this interruption.

“We must set a good example, especially with the attention on the women’s team, so we decided to join forces and complete our service with them.”

“So we would have continued to get away with skipping if they hadn’t come?” someone asked from behind me.

Weston narrowed his eyes. “Absolutely not. Talk like that will not be tolerated.”

I cringed at the venom in his words. I’d given up complaining about their arrival a while ago. It wasn’t worth it, and Benjamin got on my case anytime I brought it up.

They were here, and it was good for our sport. That was that.

“There are four options you can sign up for.” Hiller moved to the front row and handed out clipboards. “You must sign up for one. No excuses or exceptions.”

Benjamin read over the clipboard before lifting his head. “Can you list all of the options, Coach?”

Hiller sighed as if that was such an unreasonable ask. “Volunteering at the animal shelter or senior center, cleaning the City Center Park, or running skating lessons for children.”

There were two options I wanted nothing to do with, and I leaned forward to read the sign-up sheets the guys in front of me had. Benjamin was adding his name to the one he traded with Jackson.

“Benjamin, hand that back.” I wasn’t sure which one it was, but if I was going to have to go through with this, I at least wanted to be with my friends.

“No.” Weston stepped forward and took the clipboard from Benjamin’s hands. “I want one of the seniors heading up each program.”

I groaned. If we had to do this, couldn’t we at least pick who we wanted to work with?

He grabbed two of the clipboards from the juniors sitting in the front row and handed them back to me and Reid.

I stared down at mine and let out a sigh of relief. Cleaning up a park didn’t sound too awful. It would only take a few hours, then I could forget this whole thing.

I leaned over and read Reid’s. “Skating lessons? Yikes.”

He shrugged. “I’ve done it before. It’s not too bad.”

Ethan glanced over his shoulder at us and frowned.

“What did you get?” I asked.

“The senior center.” He shrugged. “I’ll probably have to run bingo or something.”