Page 17 of Puck You Not

Side by side, we headed toward the student center at the middle of campus near the library and administrative offices.I’d been on my way to meet Porter there when I’d seen Grady, one of our other players, and running backward, yelled over to him about tomorrow’s weight training.

And slammed into my future.

“Eh.You know…” I shrugged.“Usual stuff.All the things we say without actually saying anything.The team’s great.Frozen Four will be great.It’s been a privilege to play for Rustin, and I look forward to seeing how they do with next year’s up-and-coming players.” I grimaced.“Everyone’s asking me about going pro, though.They don’t care about the other shit.They just want to know why I didn’t sign with a team yet, drop out here then finished playing out the season as a pro.I mean, yeah, signing early would have eliminated one of the required contract years before going free agent, but it’s not the route I wanted to take.”

“Same.”

No, we weren’t really the same.I came from a strict, highly conservative family that expected me to fall on my face and never make anything of myself, including getting my degree.Which made me more determined than ever to graduate.Porter on the other hand came from a super wealthy background.If he decided to never set foot on the ice again, his future was still set.My future was not, and it was about more than just me.I had to succeed.I had to, so I could support my three younger siblings after I rescued them from the cult-like life I’d managed to escape.

“Frankly, I still don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do,” he continued.“AndI know, I know.I have to decide soon.Like yesterday.”

“Are you considering not going pro?”I asked in disbelief.

He stuck his tongue into the side of his cheek and glanced around.

“There are circumstances,” he finally said.

He didn’t have to explain.I knew he was gay, and he wasn’t sure how that would fly with the teams looking at him.

“Yeah…” I had circumstances, too, though mine were very different.“I understand circumstances.That’s a good way to put it.”

Four

Avalon

Sitting on Nash’s couch while he dug in the fridge for a couple bottles of water, I opened the mail program on my laptop and devoured Parrish’s email.Again.

Beautiful.He’d called me beautiful.Me?I found it hard to believe.But…how many other girls could he have tackled today?

And Iwasmissing my phone.Until he’d written, I hadn’t realized I’d lost it.I’d dug around in my backpack, sure he couldn’t have it.No dice.It was gone.Crap.

That meant Parrish had it.I’d have to find a way to meet up with him, because I sure couldn’t afford to replace my cell.

But it also meant he’d calledmebeautiful.

Me.

Mind.Blown.

— .— .—

From:[email protected]

To:[email protected]

Date:March 18, 2025

Subject: RE:Do You Know

P,

I’ve met a girl named Avalon once or twice, though I’m not sure we’re talking about the same woman.You might want to try being at the same place at the same time tomorrow.A lot of us are creatures of habit.Maybe, you ran into her near the lot where she parks, so that was her normal path through campus.

A

— .— .—

Which was a whole lot of crap.Yes, we all had habits, but schedules changed day to day.Mine did.Still, I could definitely make sure to be in that same place tomorrow afternoon.Just so I could get back my cell phone, of course.

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