Page 3 of Beach Bats

Aries eyed his friend. “Do you have anything for me?” Like another apple? Shawn had said there was a bag somewhere. If anyone could get away with being sneaky, it was their goalie. Vin couldn’t actually murder Zany since they needed him to stop pucks. They should have given the bag of apples to Zany for sure.

“Sorry,” Zany said. “I’m not getting in the middle of this fight.”

Aries sighed. Zany was such a goody-goody.

Vin was walking around, tossing every locker and coming up with so many apples! Aries licked his lips. He really wanted those apples. Maybe he could distract Vin and grab a couple.

Looking around, Aries tried to spot the person most likely to help him.

Most of their teammates had already moved on from the dramatics as Vin collected the apples. Watching his Daddy clean out the entire locker room was just so disappointing. Surely one true friend would have a good hiding space.

Robbs, Vin’s line partner and Aries’s defenseman, turned his head and caught Aries’s eye. He winked and Aries wanted to cheer.

“Why is Robbs winking at you?” Zany whispered.

Aries leaned closer to his friend. “Because he’s awesome?”

Zany snorted. “He’s not that awesome.”

Aries nudged Zany’s arm. Since Aries was pretty sure Robbs was hiding him at least one apple, that made Robbs very awesome. “What’s going on between the two of you? You’ve been acting weird around Robbs for months now.”

“I’m not acting weird. You’re weird.” Zany sniffed and grabbed some tape from his cubby.

“No, really.” Aries placed his fingers over Zany’s. That was the same response that he always got. Zany would blush and stammer and change the subject. Aries knew something was going on. There had to be something, right? “You know you can talk to me about anything. Is he mean to you? I’ll talk to him!”

Aries started to rise but Zany grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. Aries fell into his friend but that wasn’t his fault! See! He knew Zany was acting weird about Robbs. And Aries didn’t want anyone being mean to anyone. That was not how the locker room should be.

“Aries!” Zany hissed in his ear.

“Zany,” Aries whispered back. Why they were whispering exactly he didn’t know.

Zany frowned at him but Aries could see his lips start to turn up. Aries grinned at his friend. “Robbs didn’t do anything. He isn’t mean to me.”

“Okay, I won’t yell at him then.” Aries was glad he hadn’t messed that up. He would totally yell at Robbs if he had to. Even if it meant not getting an apple. Aries liked Robbs though. Having friends on the team was amazing!

“Go away. I need to get my head in the game.”

“Don’t worry!” Aries said cheerfully. “We’re going to win tonight!”

“I know. I just need to do my goalie thing,” Zany told him.

Aries squeaked as he was lifted off Zany.

“Time to get ready,” Vin said while tossing Aries over his shoulder.

“I’m ready!” Aries lifted his fist in the air. “Vegas Vikings! Vegas Vikings!”

The chant around the locker room grew.

Vin pinched Aries’s butt before setting him down on the bench beside their cubbies. Looking around the locker room, Aries was at home. These were his people. His team. And this was his night.

His Daddy sat beside him and handed Aries another apple.

Aries squealed and snatched the fruit out of Vin’s hand. Yep! Daddy Vin might act all tough but for Aries he was just a big softy. Wasn’t this the best life ever?

Nix

“We’re going to be late!” Nix shouted.