Page 14 of Scoring Position

Ryan could help Kirschbaum—he knew it.

If he could just get the man to let him in.

NICO WASin the middle of his post-run cooldown stretches when his dad called.

He wished seeing the name on the call display didn’t make him want to chuck his phone out the window. His father loved him and wanted what was best for him. He didn’t deserve a son who wanted to duck his calls.

So Nico accepted… and almost immediately wished he hadn’t.

It turned out his dad was shopping around for brand sponsors, but thanks to Nico’s uneventful first two seasons, he’d had little success. The best he’d managed, he griped, were a few offers to revisit the issue once Nico had a few more games under his belt this season.

And that brought them to the point of the call. “So play well and give them something to be excited about,” his dad said.

Like Nico needed more pressure.

Once his dad hung up, Nico dropped his phone and lay back, staring upward in a daze. He hated how unsettled phone calls with his dad left him.

His phone buzzed once and went silent—a text, not a call.

School is boring!Ella had sent with some creative gif choices. Nico liked the sleepy baby faceplanting into its dinner.

Take up knitting, he wrote back.

He watched the “typing” notification appear on the top of the screen and waited.

Knitting is a terrible idea! I’ll give myself carpal tunnel and how will I write my papers then?

Nico snorted.Then go trainspotting or stamp collecting. Your lack of hobby is not my problem.

We can talk about why you’re avoiding me instead, Ella offered.

Nico dropped his phone with a curse. He hadn’t been avoiding her on purpose. Just, whenever they texted for more than a few minutes at a time, Ella prodded at how the season was going. What was Nico going to tell her?I’ve scored three points in eight games, only one of which was a goal, so Coach scratched me? Boo-hoo.

The goal might have been worthy of the highlight reel if Nico had any other goals this season to compare it to.

And it had feltgood. Nico had roared with it, slamming himself into the boards… but his teammates’ enthusiasm left him lukewarm. He got a helmet bump from Yorkie and a shoulder pat from Misha and that was it.

He hadn’t bothered skating past the bench for fist bumps.

I’m not, he texted.Sorry it seems like that.

He was hoping that would be the end of it, but his phone rang. Ella wasn’t going to be put off any longer.

With a sigh, he picked up. “I’m not avoiding you.”

“Obviously, since you answered my call.” Ella sounded far too smug for someone whining about homework. “I’ve been watching the games, you know.”

Ugh.“So you know we’re 2–5–1.” Translation—abysmal. “Why are you punishing yourself?”

“Maybe I just miss your sweet face. You haven’t been updating your Instagram.”

“I’venever updated my Instagram.”

“Never mind, I didn’t call to talk about Instagram. Tell me what’s happening with the team.”

Nico pulled his knee up to his chest. One of his quads still wanted some stretching. “Vorhees is being Vorhees. You know how he is. He scratched me last game. And he’s got it in for Chenner.”

“No change there, then. How’s theothernew guy?”

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