Page 141 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Seven

“I’m notnota fan. It’s just not something I’m willing to commit three hours of my life to several times a week. Anyway,that’s irrelevant. I’m talking about our parents. I feel like they’re way more serious than I realized, which means we might end up as stepsiblings and I think we need to come to terms with that possibility.”

“Oh, right. Yeah. Well, next year is my draft year with the NHL, so depending on how fast they move, there’s a chance I’ll already be playing for the farm team by the time our parents take it to the next level. At most, we’ll only have a few months of the whole stepsibling situation, which should be manageable. You’d have your own bathroom. Or maybe they’d convert the pool house for one of us.”

“Oh, that’d be cool. I’m planning to go to a local college so I don’t have to pay out the butt for housing and stuff. I don’t want to rack up all kinds of education debt.”

“What about the whole living away from home, party like it’s your job part of college, though?”

“I’m a Mathlete. My idea of a good party includes pizza with lactose-free cheese and winning at competitive Sudoku.”

“You’re like the exact opposite of all the girls I hang out with.” I take the bowl from her and do a half-assed job drying it.

She uses the back of her hand to push her glasses up her nose. “I feel like your hanging out and my hanging out are a lot different. I also feel like most of the girls you spend time with probably want to do a lot of not talking.”

“That’s super true,” I agree.

“Ah, so you’re a typical jock fuckboy.”

I shrug. “I wasn’t always. This year things changed.”

“Your promising rise to hockey stardom made all the girls fall in lust with you?”

“Something like that.” Mostly it was the whole teeth getting fixed thing and Randy forcing me to talk to girls, but the hockey situation is like teen girl catnip.

“It’s weird that people feel the need to rub up on future stars like it’s somehow going to make them a star by proxy.” She hands me another dish. “Hockey players make good money, don’t they?”

“Not as good as football, or baseball, or basketball, but still pretty good. I’m hoping I get a contract for a few million to start.”

“A few million to start? Man, it’s too bad I suck at all things sporty. Except hula hooping. I can hula hoop like nobody’s business.”

“It’s a real skill.”

“Too bad hip gyrating isn’t a six-figure job. Although hip thrusting naked can apparently make lots of money. Not really a career path I want to entertain, but still viable for some.”

“Wait. Are you talking about porn stars?” My eyes dart to her chest, which is covered by a t-shirt.

“That’s a land mine topic we should step around.”

“You brought it up.”

“And I’m putting it away. If we end up as stepsiblings we should probably avoid talking about things like porn, unless I’m making fun of the fact that the girls you bring home sound like they’re auditioning for a role in an adult film.”

“That’s fair. And probably accurate.”

We finish up the dishes and Violet and Skye thank my dad for having them over. Skye hugs me and Violet gives me a fist bump. We stand on the front porch and wave as they drive away.

“You and Violet seemed to get along pretty well,” Dad says.

“Yeah. She’s cool. Like super nerdy, and has zero verbal filter, but she’s got good stepsister potential.”

His eyebrows dance on his forehead. “Stepsister potential?”

“You and Skye have been dating for months. You got us together for a family barbeque and bought filet mignon andyou’ve been looking at vacations. I can count on one finger how many times that’s happened in my life.” I pat him on the shoulder. “I think they’ll be good for us.”

Dad smiles. “Good. I think so, too.”

Chapter Fourteen

Just the Two of Us

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