Page 90 of Call the Shots
Denali rubbed his temples. “We need to hold a meeting. We can’t keep going like this.”
We’d finished counting up the supplies in the Colo and it wasn’t looking good. I tried to convince my parents to become a sponsor for the hockey team, but that conversation didn’t go anywhere. Without Coach Vernon, the team was at an impasse.
“There she is,” Montoya whispered, sliding in his seat.
I bit back a smile. She was ourrealreason for studying in the library. The rest of the guys glanced at the figure skaters.
“Hey, those are the girls from the Colo,” Nick said. “Kid’s Toy has a crush.”
Montoya shrank down, which was impossible, he was too tall.
“Which one?” Denali craned his neck. “Did you ask her out?”
“I can’t do that,” Montoya whispered.
“Why not?” Nick demanded.
I smiled. “I’ve been trying to convince him…”
“She doesn’t even know I exist.”
Bear shook his head. “That’s not true, you ate shit in front of those girls when you flew into the bench.”
“Bear,” I chided him.
“Go get her number,” Fridge said.
“I can’t do that?—”
“Yes, you can. It’s easy.”
“You never made a move on that student reporter,” Denali pointed out.
“That was different,” Fridge shrugged. “Tallulah was interviewing us, I didn’t want to overstep.”
“I thought you were just talking to her?” Nick frowned. “You’re not really into Tallulah.”
“So you’re saying if you saw her again…?” Denali trailed off, nodding towards the table at the windows.
We moved as one, creaking our chairs to check out the table with editors and the reporters for the student paper. Tallulah hunched over her notes, sparkly headband glittering in the fluorescent lights.
Fridge rolled his shoulders. “Alright, Montoya. Watch and learn. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
One of Tallulah’s friends nudged her when Fridge walked over. Everyone swiveled to gaze at him, Tallulah gaped like a fish, but he didn’t flinch at the attention.
I couldn’t hear what Fridge said, but the longer he continued, the darker Tallulah blushed.
Elijah shoved Montoya. “Are you writing this down?”
“Huh? What do I write?”
“Just write stuff down!”
Montoya scribbled furiously until Fridge returned, flashing a sticky note with a number on it. Everyone was ecstatic except for Denali, muttering under his breath, and Nick, shell-shocked.
“How did youdothat?” Montoya urged.
“You walk over, you’re nice, not too forward. Make your intentions clear. I told her I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and I wanted to see her again.”
