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“So, you’re not friends with him?” He glanced up, a cute little frown etched into his expression.
“I… we don’t hang around together if that’s what you mean.”
“Good.” He nodded and went on with his cleaning.
I didn’t ask him to expand. I wasn’t quite sure how to handle the revelation that he was Mason Steele’s little brother.
Clearly, Mason wasn’t happy about me being here, working with his brother. But I didn’t want to switch groups. This one worked around my class and work schedule, and I liked the kids and the other volunteers.
Besides, Mason wasn’t the boss of me.
Just because he wanted me to switch groups didn’t mean I had to.
Although, it will mean fewer awkward interactions with him.
“Are you and your brother close?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Dammit, this wasn’t appropriate, was it?
Although we’d talked about other stuff: Scottie’s likes and dislikes, his friends at school, and the kids who teased him because he was different, I wasn’t sure I should be asking him questions about Mason. But before I could pivot, Scottie replied.
“Mason is the best,” he said definitively. “He’s going to be a professional hockey player one day like Alex Ovechkin and Brendan Shanahan.”
“I heard he’s good.” I smiled.
“He’s better than good. In high school, he had the record for most goals and assists in a season.”
“He did, huh?”
Scottie looked up again, a small hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah. He was the best player the Riverview Rockets had. He always wanted to be a Laker.”
“And what about you? Do you like hockey?”
“I do.” His gaze dropped, a wall going up between us. “But I get scared, so I can’t skate.”
“Oh. What scares you? Is it the ice or—”
“Falling. Getting hurt. Cutting my fingers off with the blades. Someone else skating over me and cutting me in half.”
“Did you have an accident?”
He peeked up at me, shaking his head a little. “But I can’t stop the bad thoughts. I watch Mase a lot though. I like watching him. Sometimes, I wish I was more like him.”
“What do you—”
“Okay, everyone,” Linda, the group leader, called. “That’s it for today. Parents and caretakers are out in the hall. We’ll sign you out one at a time, so everyone, go grab your belongings and line up at the door.”
“Bye, Harper,” Scottie said.
“Wait, don’t forget your cookies.” I handed him the container. “You worked hard on those. Enjoy. I’ll see you next week, okay?”
He nodded before moving toward the line forming at the door.
“You did great with him today.” Linda came up beside me.
“Thanks. Did you know his name isn’t Sam?”
“Ah, yes. His mom did mention that he was going through a phase. She didn’t go into much detail, but there’s some tension between her and Scottie’s father, I believe.”
