Page 13 of Cold as Ice

Only Elliott made him into a whining petulant child.

A fact he was almost proud of.

“It’s not my fault, Zach. He’s . . .” Mal huffed out a frustrated breath. “He makes light ofeverything, even failing a class, which could lose him a spot on this team and his scholarship.”And, Elliott noticed Mal did not add,hisshot at being drafted into the NHL in the spring.

He didn’t have to say it, because Elliott already knew it.

“Elliott, we need you to take this seriously.”

“Ihavebeen trying,” Elliott argued. It was true. Maybe he hadn’t gotten anywhere, but hehadtried. He’d gone to class. Done the reading. The homework. And it had still been fucking incomprehensible. At least that was the conclusion he came to when his tests and quizzes kept coming back to him with D’s and F’s.

“I’ve talked to Dr. Prosser. There’s an end of unit test coming up, in two weeks. If Elliott can get a B plus or better on the test, it’ll improve his grade enough that he should be safe, at least conditionally. He’ll need to continue to do well for the rest of the semester to truly solidify his grade and his position on this team.” Coach B turned to Malcolm. “And you’ll be helping him do that. You got an A in this class. I checked.”

Malcolm let out a gust of breath. “And if I say no?”

Elliott couldn’t say he was all that surprised. Why would Mal ever want to helphim? But Coach looked incensed.

“Mal, see fucking sense.” Zach was the one who answered. “You don’t want to doom this kid’s future—hisbrightfuture, which I know you can see, even if you’re trying to pretend it doesn’t exist—just because you’re pissed off.”

Elliott wanted to argueagainthat he wasn’t a kid. He wasnineteen, but he kept his mouth shut, because he could tell, probably better than anyone, when Mal was about to blow.

“I’m not—” Mal huffed out a hard breath. “I’m worried we’re going to kill each other. He doesn’t takeanythingseriously.”

“He does, actually.” Coach B, shocking Elliott, chimed in to defend him. “Just because he takes things seriously differently than you—”

“Yeah, just because I don’t act like a freaking monk,” Elliott inserted, and Coach’s stare swung his way. Pinning him to the chair. Coach pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Zach, please remind me again why I thought this was a good idea,” he said mildly, but his frustration was clear.

“Because itisa good idea?” Zach was smirking now.

“Not if they kill each other. Not ifIkill them first.” Coach shot Elliott another stern look. “Elliott, Iamtrying to help you out here. Let me do it.”

“Yes, sir,” Elliott said.

Maybe he was failing statistics, but he wasn’t stupid.

“And McCoy, stop fucking pulling his pigtails just because you can.”

Mal looked confused. “What? What does that mean?”

Because he didn’t even understand basic pop culture references. Elliott only didn’t say so out loud, because as galling as it was, he did need help.Mal’shelp, specifically.

Coach rolled his eyes. “Nevermind. Just . . .try to get along. I know that’s asking for a lot.”

“A lot,” Zach added emphatically.

“Hey, we get it,” Elliott said.

“And that’s the best I can do. Ask for you to put aside your many,manydifferences, because you both want this team to win, and this team is better equipped to do that if Elliott’s on it.”

Malcolm sighed, like this was the biggest imposition of his whole life. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll tutor him. Butonlybecause you’re right, and this team is better with him on it than off it.”

Coach nodded. “Now get out of here before you give me a worse headache than I already have.”

Zach gave them both a look as they stood that said,if you do give him that headache, I’ll knock your heads together myself.

Mal stopped just outside Coach’s office, in the hallway. Just out of earshot of Coach and Zach. Elliott didn’t miss that. Truthfully, he didn’t miss much, despite Malcolm’s constant accusations that he just floated through life, unconcerned and unobservant.

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