Page 187 of Call the Shots
“And we’re ready to kick some ass. Fuck SHU! Fuck AJU! ETCU can gargle my balls?—”
“I can’t beep all of this out, Elijah." June rolled her eyes. "You’re making my job harder.”
I grabbed him by his shirt. “Make it easier.”
“Ugh.” Elijah rolled his eyes. “Good blocks and defensemen who aren’t afraid to get loose on the ice—great deking, I want to get shocked this season—overtime with quality goalies on both sides…and for WTU to suck dick with a little less teeth.”
Montoya beamed for the camera. “Having fun with my team!”
Nick chortled. “I’m excited to see who gets the first concussion—it’s Pickles. I don’t know how it’ll happen. Tripping on a bucket or something stupid.”
“Winning the Gulf Coast Cup,” Denali said. “Being the top dog in the TIHCC.”
“What I’mnotlooking forward to is our semester without our PR intern,” Cleo said, coming up with a purple bag. “It was supposed to be a surprise for your going-away party, but I want to make sure it fits…”
I took June’s phone to record and sheawwedfor the camera.
“This is where you say it’s a prank,” Elijah told June. “You’re not deserting us, and you’ll follow us on our path to victory.”
“Don’t pressure her,” I warned.
“My team-following days are behind me.” June took the bag from Cleo. “But you guys know I love you—oh—aww…”
June pulled out the purple jersey,Basilwritten on the back. She squeezed it to her chest. Montoya hugged her and he wasn’t the only one as the rest of the team left the locker room.
“What are you doing instead?” Nick asked.
“Law school.” June held up the jersey for Cleo to take pictures. “My pre-law counselor has a list for me to do. Personal essays, extra classes, internships—I’ll come to hockey games, but this is important to me.”
I ignored the twinge in my chest. “It’s important to you so it’s important to us. Nobody’s going to make you feel bad about it.”
“That’s right, Bear.” Elijah clapped me on the back. “Be strong. You can cry into your pillow later—” I smacked him upside the head, and he stumbled away. “Ow—fuck!”
“Try it on, June,” Cleo urged.
June slipped off my hoodie—a plain Gladiators hoodie but everybody knew who it belonged to. It rode up her shirt, revealing a couple of inches of skin.
Montoya’s mouth fell open. “What’s that?!”
Oh, shit.
“Montoya!” I barked. “Don’t worry about it?—”
He ducked low and must've seen a new angle of the collection of hickeys on her hip because his hands flew to his mouth in shock.
“I know what that is!” Nick pointed as more hockey players swarmed. “That’s what you see on aGrey’s Anatomyguest star and they’re dead before the end of the episode!”
Montoya dry-heaved into the trash while June threw on the jersey, exasperated. “They’re hickeys! And bite marks! Relax! I’m fine!”
Silence fell over the team and suddenly, I had disgusted looks trained on me.
“Bear.” Fridge shook his head. “Truly, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“No wonder June’s leaving,” Elijah said indignantly. “Bear’s biting the fuck out of her!”
“Why would anyone even put their mouth in that area? It doesn’t make sense!” Montoya said a little too loudly.
I groaned and put down the phone. It was bad enough hearing it, we didn’t need the evidence.
