Page 2 of Head Over Skates

Taking out his phone, he clicks through to a social media post, showing a photo of me, Sawyer, and my other winger, Hendrix walking into the arena together in our game day suits. The caption reads:

Toronto Titans’ Preening Pucks

I snort. “Click-bait.”

But Griffin chuckles deep in his throat, clicking through to the article. It’s a blog with lots of hockey-related ads littered among the main text.

And there we are. Sawyer, Hendrix, and me. Not just the one picture. But several.

Griffin reads an excerpt from the article using an over-the-top newscaster’s voice.

“The ice in Toronto isn't the only thing heating up this season as the city's beloved hockey heroes, the Toronto Titans, find themselves making headlines for more than just their on-ice prowess. While the team boasts an impressive roster, it's the trio of star players—Owen ‘Juggernaut’ Jablonski, Sawyer ‘Bonecrusher’ O'Malley, and Hendrix ‘Enforcer’ Ellis—that have tongues wagging for all the wrong reasons.”

Griffin pauses to glance at me, wiggling his brows, then continues to read.

“While their skills on the ice have never been in question, recent rumors suggest that their off-ice antics might be affecting their game. The trio, often seen frequenting the city's hottest spots, have been drawing attention for their extravagant peacocking in front of the fairer sex.”

“Peacocking?” Sawyer snorts.

Griffin clears his throat. “One die-hard Titans fan, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern, stating, ‘I love watching them play, but sometimes it feels like they're more focused on scoring dates than scoring goals.’ As the hockey season progresses, all eyes will be on Jablonski, O'Malley, and Ellis to see if their off-ice distractions impact their on-ice performance. Will these preening pucks redirect their focus to the game, or will their extracurricular activities continue to steal the spotlight?”

“What, nothing about you?” I say to Griffin. “The Titans’ golden boy?”

He just shrugs. “I’m not interesting enough, I guess.”

“That’s because sex sells,” growls Sawyer, provoking Griffin to steal his hat. “Hey!”

As if summoned by the fertility fairies, Hendrix pops in out of nowhere, taking the seat next to Sawyer.

“Are we talking about my favorite subject?” he chirps, smacking Sawyer in the back of the head.

“It’s just a stupid blog,” I say, poking Griffin’s armpit, giving Sawyer the chance to steal back his hat. This turns into a ridiculous game of tug of war over my head, the two of them pulling on the hat, Sawyer kicking his leg over my lap to gain an advantage. I curl my knees up and try to shield myself from the two of them, squeezing my eyes shut. It’s all in good fun, but these guys can act like pre-teen boys sometimes.

“Do I need to separate you three or do you need the room?”

I open my eyes to find Coach Knight looming before us, crossing his arms with that look on his face. The look of a fed-up dad who can’t wait to send his kids back to school after being stuck inside with them all winter break.

He’s shaking his head at us now. “Save the energy for the ice, boys.”

Hendrix is laughing his face off. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing, according to this,” I say, plucking Griffin’s phone from his fingers and passing it to Hendrix. Of course, the phone screen had blacked out by now, leaving Hendrix even more confused.

“Some blogger trying to get clicks,” Sawyer says, finally getting his hat back. He slides the bill over his eyes and slumps back into his previous lazy position.

“Nobody reads those things,” I say dismissively. “It’s not like it’s CSBN.”

Griffin takes back his phone to unlock it, finding his way back to the original social media post.

“This post alone got over six-hundred thousand likes,” he says, showing us the screen. “And it’s only a few hours old.”

I scoff, reading the account name. “Blades After Dark? Is this a joke?”

Coach chuckles, nodding knowingly. “Hah. That one.”

“You’ve seen this?” Griffin asks incredulously.

Coach shrugs. “Yeah. The writer always posts after midnight. It’s kind of his trademark.”

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