Page 44 of Josh’s Play

Finn: Holy fuck, Josh. Did you see that game?

Finn: Duh, of course you did!

Finn: Gotta go shower. I’m going to meet the scout. Wait for me?

He’d sent all three so fast I didn’t have time to reply. Of course I wanted to say yes, but Cam should be celebrating with his team. I hesitated but then decided I could tag along as the project partner once more, taking notes for our podcast. I responded: Sure I’ll meet you around back.

I stayed in the bleachers until the arena was mostly empty, furiously taking notes before heading out to hide in the shadows near the players entrance.

“Well, look who it is.” Diane had a knowing smirk to her voice and her arm around Noah’s waist.

I held out my hand to Noah. “Great game, man. Do you want to give a quote to the fake press?” I stuck out a fisted hand up to his mouth as if holding a microphone, hoping to play it off like I was there for my sports journalism class. Diane wasn’t having it.

“There’s only one person you should be writing about tonight. Your boy, Campbell. He was amazing!” She leaned in and lowered her voice, like everyone involved with the team didn’t already know what she was going to share. “And that scout was in the crowd tonight. Cam must be floating his way to the coach’s office.” She stared at me intently, awaiting a response.

Noah looked between us, and thankfully, broke our staring contest. “Hey, I had a good game too, babe. Scored that assist.”

Diane reached up to kiss Noah on the cheek. “You did great, babe. It really was an amazing game.” Her gaze shot right back to me. “Are you waiting out here in the cold for Campbell, or do you want to head back to Hockey House with us? Cam might be a few.” I remembered Diane teasing about the name Hockey House a few short months ago. But by that point, she was practically living there.

As if the fate of the world hinged on my answer, she stared at me again. “Nah,” I said slowly. “I think I'll wait for him here. Get his immediate reaction. You know, for the project.” She kept staring, and I kept coming up with more answers.

“We’ll be right behind you guys. If he invites me. He might just want to talk to me because of the project. I …”

“Hmm,” Diane said, studying me. I felt very exposed. “You’re invited to the party,” she finally decreed before pointing a finger at me. “And I expect to see you there. Understood?”

Her tone was so much like my mother’s that I almost responded, “Yes, ma.” I simply nodded instead to remain safe.

“Good,” she said before leading Noah off in the direction of the Hockey House.

My phone pinged as they walked away.

Finn: Come inside.

I looked around. I was alone, and the door in question didn’t even have a knob, it only opened from the inside. Did he mean for me to walk back around to the main entrance? I doubted those doors would be unlocked either. I was about to text him back and ask him how when a head popped out of the door.

“Are you Josh?” It was a man in a janitor’s uniform.

“Yes, sir.”

“Too cold to wait out there. Campbell asked me to come let you in. He’s still in the office talking to … talking to the coach. But you can wait right here for him.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I was in a cavernous gray hall, leaning on the wall and writing, ideas buzzing in my head, when I heard my name.

“Josh!”

I’d barely moved off the wall before Campbell came barreling toward me like a big, lumbering, happy puppy in his gray suit. He threw the jacket he held to the ground before he plowed into me, and I let out an oof as my back hit the wall. I was wrapped tight in his arms, and he’d buried his head in my neck, fighting layers of clothes to find my skin. He inhaled deeply, but excitement poured out of him the very next second.

“Oh my God, Josh. That game! Did you see it? I … It was like I played better under the pressure.”

I looked around, worried we’d be seen, and that Campbell was too lost in his exuberance to realize it. We appeared to be alone.

“Of course you did, Campbell. You’re an amazing player, and you played an amazing game.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but he tightened his grip on me and continued talking into my shoulder.

“And I met the scout and the assistant coach.” I felt moisture on my neck. Instinctively, I looked around again. Campbell didn’t need any complications. I was thrilled I was the first person he wanted to share this with, but I wouldn’t let that cloud my resolve to be what Campbell needed.