Relief floods his face and I feel a little guilty.
When the players skate back out for the first face off of the second period, I find myself glued to the game. I want our team to win. I want Jesse to win.
Jesse
After a shaky start, we kick Denver’s ass 3-1 and give Petroski his helmet taps and file into the locker room to celebrate.
It’s only a scrimmage to warm us up for the season, but it still feels good to win, especially at home in your own stadium.
I know if I don’t call my dad, there’ll be hell to pay, so I step out into the hallway while the guys fuck around in the locker room.
He actually sounds happy and tells me I did a good job. “Now make sure you bring that to the rest of the season and maybe we’ll make the Frozen Four this year and catch the eye of some scouts.”
And just like that, my good mood is gone.
“Sure dad, I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Don’t go out and get wasted, you’ve got another game next weekend against Toronto, it’s only an exhibition, but you never know whose gonna see it.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow for your sister’s birthday?”
“Course, I wouldn’t miss it.”
We hang up and I’m about to go back into the locker room, but I send a quick message to Nate first.
‘Going back to Philly this weekend for my sister’s BD, wanna hang out tonight?’
I put my phone away so I’m not staring at it while I wait for a reply.
Back in the locker room, Jones puts an arm around me and tells me I did a good job and a wave of guilt hits me over what I did with his brother. Bro code. I broke the shit out of it and I’m planning on doing it again.
But don’t I have a good reason? Aren’t I stopping Nate from having his first time with some dick he meets on a seedy hook-up app? At least I’ll do my best to take care of him and make it good for him. Not that I’d word it like that to Jones.
“Coming to O’Neil’s?”
I hesitate. Nate hasn’t messaged me back yet, but if he does, I’d rather do whatever he wants to do than get drunk again. Yeah, I like getting drunk, but I like getting cute-as-fuck guys off more. Maybe he’ll be into me blowing him? I like the thought of taking my time while Nate loses it. If he says my name when he comes like he did last time, I might lose it as well.
“Nah, got studying to do.”
Jones looks at me like I just grew a second head.
“Youstudying?”
Clarke laughs beside us.
“Gotta get that C remember.”
“I thought Nate tutored you in that?”
Please don’t let him see how red my face has gone.
“Yeah well,” I shrug.What the fuck does he want me to say?
He grins, “oh I see.”
“What?”