AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, what does this mean for the three of you?”
Eve comes out with a couple blueberry muffins for us. “On the house,” she huffs before going back to work. That woman really works too hard.
I take a bite of the muffin and wait as Stephanie contemplates her answer.
“Well–I’m not sure. I just know that whatever happened last night was a long time coming.”
“A long time coming, that’s for sure.” She hides her grin with her hand at the joke. “And in my dad’s office of all places,” I add.
She shrugs her shoulders and takes another bite. “Don’t worry Levi cleaned the futon after.”
I cringe, picturing his naked body hunched over, swiping up his semen beneath the two girls. I shake the picture from my head. “How very nice of him.”
Stephanie looks around the shop as more customers start to filter in. “It’s busy here. Is it just you working?”
“Me and Eve,” I say, grabbing her empty cup and tossing it in the trash.
“She just fired someone last night if you want to apply,” I say jokingly.
“Hell yes!” Her chair squeaks throughout the store as she stands up abruptly.
I join Eve behind the counter again. “What do you think, Eve?” I ask in between a customer’s order.
She looks up at me, sweat still prickling her face. “At this point, I don't care.” She looks over to Stephanie, who stands out of the way from the customers by the side of the counter. “Meet me tonight at five, and I’ll give you the rundown. See if you're still interested.”
“Yes!” Stephanie squeals. “Tonight, at five, I’ll be here.”
Stephanie leaves, and I finish the next couple hours of my shift before heading out. Eve takes the slower orders throughout the afternoon, and I’m just hoping she doesn’t pass out from exhaustion.
22
ELIJAH HAYES
“Yo, yo,” Levi says, passing me the puck. “Have you decided what your costume will be yet?” He glides around the ice, swarming like a shark. I bounce the puck off the wall and he catches it last minute, swinging it across the ice into the opposite goal.
“Only chicks plan out their costumes before Halloween,” I say, gliding to the puck. Braylon gives a face as I skate into his side of the rink during cool downs. I flip him the bird and swing the puck back to Levi in the middle of the 200-foot-long rink.
“Well,” he says, stopping the puck in front of him, “I'm going as Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
“Who?” I steal the puck back, slamming him into the wall just to create a reaction.
His jaw drops dramatically just before he shoves me back harder. He then holds me back with his hand outstretched against my jersey. “Only like one of the founders of modern law feminism.”
I roll my eyes. “Why not just go as a reaper or I don't know, a lumberjack, or something?”
“Yeah, you’d love to see me in a manly lumberjack costume huh?” He laughs, dropping his hand from my chest.
“Shut up,” I say, swinging the puck against the wall, sending it back to me.
“Actually, we get extra credit for dressing up as ourwomen heroinesin class. And I'm not saying I'm doing bad, but I’m doing bad.”
Coach motions for us to round up, and we huddle in the middle of the rink.
“Alright boys, we have a big game Friday.” Everyone cheers loudly. “I know. I know,” he says, rubbing the bald spot at the top of his head. “But we’re playing Connecticut, so I need you on your A-game if you want to see any hint of going to the NCAA tournament this year. This game is a big deal. Y'all understand me? We lose this, we lose our biggest chance for the tournament. We’re neck and neck this season.”
I look around the group of guys with their heads bowed down, their sticks twiddling in their hands against the ice. I’m not worried about Connecticut. Last year, we won five to three, not even going into overtime like the previous years. But their stats have been up this year according to Coach. Maybe they employed a new first line. I haven't been able to keep up with competition stats this year, not with how hard classes have been.
We disperse into the locker rooms when Coach lets us go after our St. Paul Royals chant. I shove my uniform into my gym bag to wash for when I get home and put the rest of my gear into my locker. Levi eyes me as he undresses, which is unnerving in itself, but I already can guess what he's thinking. Halloween.
