Page 99 of Grumpy Darling

“Obviously!” Her eyes were bright with anticipation, and she practically yanked the papers from my hands. “I’m so excited to see what you came up with.”

“Well, please remember, I’ve never done this before. So, if it’s bad, be gentle with me. Like you said, you can help me edit it as much as is needed.”

“Okay, okay...” She fell quiet as her eyes darted across the page. The silence was only broken by occasional soft murmurs that fell from her lips as she read. I had no idea what they meant, but there was a concerning crease to her brow.

I was far more nervous as I waited for Bonnie’s reaction than I cared to admit. It was silly how much effort I’d put into the article when it wasn’t being graded. I’d even neglected my other homework the last two nights to make sure it was perfect.

“So, what do you think?” I said when enough time had passed that I knew she must have finished, and I wasn’t sure I could wait another moment to hear her opinion.

“It’s good.” She slowly started to smile. “Like,reallygood.”

“You’re not just saying that, are you?”

“You think I’d lie about something like this?”

“Well, no, probably not.”

“Definitely not,” she replied. “I’m cutthroat when it comes to my paper. And if it was crap, I’d tell you to start over. But you’re a natural at this, Paige. I can’t believe you managed to get those boys to answer all these questions. How did you convince them to open up so much?”

“I—I don’t know . . .”

“And Coach Ray too?” Bonnie continued. “That man is a steel trap, and he’s always far too busy for the school paper. He usually just gives one- or two-word answers. But he must have been really engaged with you. You’re going to have to do more of these for me.”

I was stunned. I’d been anxious about interviewing the team, and had a bit of a shaky start with it, but by the end of the process it had felt so natural. And I was surprised by how much I’d enjoyed the writing part too. It felt like I’d tried a million different things recently, but this was the first time something I did had just clicked. Like it was meant to be.

“You really think that?” I asked. I hadn’t realized how important Bonnie’s approval was to me until she’d given it.

“I do. It’s funny and it’s fresh. It could use a little finessing, but it’s going to be amazing once we’re done with it.”

My cheeks warmed under her praise. It was quite the compliment coming from her. Bonnie wasn’t known for keeping her thoughts to herself, which I knew better than anyone. She must have honestly been impressed.

“Seriously, people at school are going to eat this up,” she continued. “Have you ever thought about doing something like this in college? You could study sports journalism. And maybe one day you could work in social media for a hockey team or something. You know, interviewing the players, writing game reports. You’d be great.”

I opened and closed my mouth several times because it had honestly never crossed my mind. I’d always struggled with writing, finding it frustrating when my words didn’t flow effortlessly onto the page. But interviewing the guys had been a lot of fun, and they’d all given such great answers that the writing part hadn’t been nearly as arduous as normal. Grayson’s dad had said I was good at talking to people. Maybe that was worth something after all. Could I really do something like this as a job?

“You know I’m not great at writing,” I said.

“Well, it seems you are when it’s about something you love.” She lifted the sheet of paper as if it were proof. “I know what you’ve always said, but struggling to write isn’t the same as being bad at it. This is brilliant, Paige. I don’t think anyone else could have gotten such great interviews from the team. And it’s clear how well you know your hockey. Maybe that’s where your future lies.”

“I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Well, I think you should. You’re willing to give most things a try. Just because you’ve never thought about something doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be perfect for you.”

“Maybe,” I murmured. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten such good feedback on something. It felt nice to have finally done something right and worthy of genuine praise. Maybe Bonnie was onto something. This could be perfect for me.

I was jolted from my thoughts as my phone buzzed in my pocket. Reluctantly, I opened the message.

Mom: I just received another concerning email from your career counselor. You didn’t attend your meeting again. I knew you couldn’t be trusted, but don’t worry, I’m coming home a day early. See you Saturday.

“Seriously?” I muttered.

I’d been so wrapped up in preparing for the player interviews, I’d totally forgotten about the careers session. Mom sounded pissed. I closed my eyes and rubbed a finger along the ridge of my nose. The thought of her returning on Saturday didn’t exactly fill me with glee. Already, I had first kisses, unwanted feelings, and two dates to contend with. I didn’t need an angry mother added to the mix.

“What’s wrong?” Bonnie asked.

I opened my eyes and was met by her concerned expression. “My mom texted. She’s coming home early.”

“Oh.” She tilted her head. “Maybe that’s a good thing? You must be sick of sleeping on an air mattress in Cammie Darling’s bedroom.”

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