Page 22 of Defensive Zone

“What?” he asked innocently. He might’ve batted his lashes at his defense partner.

Johnson picked himself up and glared at Max. “Seriously?”

“What?”

“Come off it, Baz. It’s fucking March and you hit me with this?” the man said.

“If I had done it at the start of the season, you would have expected it. I’m not an amateur prankster. They call me Prank Sinatra,” he boasted, and half the room groaned. At least a dozen of them had been the recipients of his pranks. It was all in good fun.

“No one calls you that,” Nessie said.

“Well, they should. It’s a fantastic name,” Max said.

“You know I hate snakes,” Johnson gritted out.

“Which is what makes it even funnier. And relax, it’s fake,” Max said, walking over and bopping the rubber snake on the head before shutting it back inside the cooler that Johnson had just opened.

“Asshole. I knew I shouldn’t have opened that when you asked for a drink,” he muttered.

“Damn right. You should’ve been ready for that,” Max taunted.

The rest of the guys laughed and then Soupy opened his water bottle and it exploded.

“What the fuck, man,” Soupy said, glaring at Max.

“What?” There was water and slime all over the rookie. Max kept a straight face. He’d swapped out one of Soupy’s water bottles before they’d gone out on the ice for the last part of practice.

“I’ve only been here for a week. I thought you waited to get people,” the kid said, wiping his face of blue slime and water. It was in his hair and sliding down the front of his jersey.

“Fucking hell, Baz,” Harty said, shaking his head.

“Never get complacent. That’s when you truly lose the element of surprise.” Max chuckled. “And it’s washable, so don’t freak, Soupy.”

“At least it’s not glitter,” Crow said.

“I’ve never tried glitter,” Max said, and he probably wouldn’t because glitter was the bane of existence. It got everywhere and he had no desire to be covered in it if a prank went wrong. Glitter wasn’t called the herpes of the craft world for no reason.

“Don’t give him any ideas.” Sully groaned.

But he wouldn’t tell them about his glitter standard. No need for them to think they were safe from anything.

“Watch it, or I might put itching powder in your cup,” Soupy grumbled.

“Ooh, fighting words. Never prank the prankster. I promise it won’t end well,” Max tutted.

“Ignore him,” Nessie said.

“It’s how he shows his love,” Sully said.

“Well, then I feel sorry for all the women he’s dated,” Soupy said.

“All in good fun, kids,” Max said, grinning. “And I save my crazier pranks for my teammates, so the ladies are safe.”

“Safe if they stay away from your insanity,” Soupy shot back.

“All right, enough,” Cheesy said. “Go get cleaned up. Baz is treating all of us to Lanzi’s tonight.”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa, Captain,” Max said, waving his hands around. “I’m not made of money.”

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