Page 48 of The Friend Zone

“Fuck off, Mumford. You’re just bitter because Coach passed on you last year and you don’t get to be both frat president and team captain.” Jagger backs up Cole.

There’s pure evil in Topher’s eyes. “It might be so. But I’m still calling the shots, in and out of the Gamma house. By the looks of it, I’ve got you right where I want you.”

Jesus. This guy is the biggest piece of shit ever. He hasn’t changed at all since we were in high school and he picked fights with every team his academy played against.

I hate to admit it, but he’s also right. If Coach sees them fight, we’re all in for a world of pain. “Guys,” I plead. “Can this wait until later? That dipshit has a point unfortunately.”

They gang up on me.

“I thought I told you to stay out of it, Ryker. You’ve done enough as it is.” Jagger reiterates.

“I hate to agree with him,” Cole glares at me. “But you seriously need to butt out.”

Topher intervenes again. “Yeah, let these dickwads kick each other’s asses, Moore. I’ve got them where I want them, but you and I need to have a word. Or do you think I didn’t see you leaving the party withmy girllast night?”

I’m usually excellent at keeping my cool, but hearing Topher call Bay his girl is more than I can take.

“Bay isn’t your girl, motherfucker,” I get in his face, grabbing his jersey and pushing him. “You don’t fucking deserve to breathe the same air as her. And there’s nothing to say between us. Bay is my girl. Do yourself a favor and leave her alone before I make you.”

Topher is three inches shorter than me and probably about thirty pounds lighter, but he doesn’t back down.

“What did you just say? You can’t date Bay. It’s against the Gamma bro-code.” He seethes.

It’s my turn to laugh. “The joke’s on you, asshole. My membership has been inactive since last year and I don’t need Gamma Delta Tau to play hockey or to get laid. I don’t live in your frat house and since I was a member of the Hemlock chapter, you don’t have access to my initiation video. You have nothing on me, Mumford. You and I aren’t brothers and if you cause Bay any problems, I give you my word, you’ll regret it.”

The Gamma president shoves me off of him and with a speed I didn’t know he was capable of—certainly not on the ice—he drops his gloves and socks me on the jaw.

It’s just one lucky punch, he caught me unprepared but there’s no way I’m gonna let him land a second hit.

My gloves hit the ice just as fast as his did and I retaliate with a hook to his side before I hit his face.

Before I know it, we crash down to the ice and it’s complete chaos.

Jagger and Cole step in to try and separate us, but someone yells at them to let us fight it out.

That provokes a reaction by someone else and in seconds our squabble turns into a full blown fight.

Everyone is throwing punches and shoving each other. No doubt there must be some old grudges, especially between people who have been living in the Gamma house for a coupleof years now. Some of our teammates love to fight and are throwing punches just for the sake of it.

I can only imagine the way the scene must look to a bewildered Coach Harrison.

The shrill sound of his whistle pierces the air.

We all freeze to check the source of the sound and to see in how much trouble we’re in.

In the silence that follows, you could cut the air with the proverbial knife.

I get to my feet as quickly as I can, Topher a split second behind me. It isn’t lost on me that he lands one last shove, pretending to lose his balance.

If a look could kill, we’d all be put out of our misery on the spot.

“I don’t even want to know what I just walked into,” Coach says, looking at each of us with so much disgust that it’s almost palpable.

“He punched me,” Topher points his finger at me, the lying bastard. “I was just defending myself.”

Coach blows his whistle so hard that his face turns purple. “Mumford, you seem to be under the impression that this is going to be a conversation and that this team is a democracy. I have news for you. This is my team and you’ll speak if and when I ask you to. Right now, I want you to listen. You and every single one of your teammates.”

For once in his life, Topher pipes down.

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