Page 60 of Sin Bin

“Iagree.”

For the first time, I think he does agree. And, even stranger than that, we might even be on the same pageforonce.

“I know it’s not a particularly innovative idea,” I say quietly, wishing that I didn’t sound so uncertain. “It’s been done before plenty of times, and it really isn’t re-inventing thewheel,but—”

Andre surprises me by reaching out and placing a hand over mine. “It’s a greatidea,Zoe.”

I blink back my shock. “You reallythinkso?”

“Yeah, I do,” he says, nodding solemnly. Removing his hand from mine, he scrubs it over his face and then blows out a big breath. “What grades are youthinking?”

I want to know what he’s thinking, what has him suddenly avoiding eyecontact.

I slam the door on that want, and say, “Kindergarten to eighth grade. Both girls and boys. I want everyone to have the chance to take part, and I don’t want anyone feelingexcluded.”

“Okay.” Andre shifts on the barstool. “Let’s invite the high school kids, too. They can run personal practices with some ofthevets.”

“Likeyou?”

His gaze meets mine. “You want me to stick around with the younger kidsinstead?”

Nodding, I say, “I think it’ll have the most impact on the public’s perceptionofyou.”

“Okay.”

That’s all he says, but after a week of arguing back and forth, and a year of silence before that, it’senough.

ChapterSeventeen

ZOE

Seven Days Left…

“Thanks for agreeingto help me outtoday,Tia.”

My younger sister flashes me a big smile from her seat on the metal bleacher. Her feet are stuffed into hockey skates, and there’s a glint in her eye when she says, “Did I tell you that my crushishere?”

“Yeah?” I lift an eyebrow and peek over my shoulder at the group of kids standing around in skates. “Which oneishe?”

Tia doesn’t have a shy bone in her body, and she thrusts a finger forward, nearly bopping me in the nose with her enthusiastic finger-thrusting. “Kyle. See the boy wearing thebeaniehat?”

Every single one of the young teens is wearing a beanie hat. “Uh, yeah.” I pretend to consider him, even though I still have no idea which one is her actual crush. “Has he asked you to be hisgirlfriendyet?”

Tia jams her chin on her fist as she slouches down. “Nah,notyet.”

“Maybe he willtoday?”

“Probably not. He really likes this girlMelissa.”

Call me crazy, but I hate the idea of this Kyle kid choosing someone else over my baby sister. Though, to be fair, having an unrequited crush is par for the course of being ateenager.

Andre skirts into my line of vision, and my heartsqueezes.

Maybe it’s part ofadulthood,too.

Over the last few days, we’ve surprisingly banded together to get the hockey camp ready in such a short amount of time. The Blades’ administration thought it was a great idea, and between a small group of us, we managed to pull it togetherridiculouslyfast.

Today, the Blades will be joined by one hundred local school kids, including my sister and hercrush,Kyle.

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