Page 50 of Call the Shots
My mom turned to me, incredulous. “June?”
CHAPTER 19
BEAR
GANGBANG JUNE
We weren’t expectingthe news channels to pick us up, but now, instead of people not knowing Marrs had a hockey team, they mixed up things about us and gleefully announced them.
A group of us headed intoGianna’sanda guy raised his beer. “Hey! Spartans!”
“Gladiators,” I corrected him, irritated as we found a booth.
“Canadian Beau!” someone else exclaimed.
“CanadianBear.” I ground my back teeth, slipping in with Denali. “Why does everybody think my name is Beau Moreau? Why the fuck would I have such a sing-songy, cartoon-character, fake fucking name?”
Fridge arched an eyebrow. “You’re saying that like Bear Moreau isn’t a weird name.”
“Sorry, they’re pronouncing your name wrong,” Elijah said with a pleased sigh. “They should know it’s Canadian Moosefucker.”
“Do you ever realize how close you are to an ass-beating?” I demanded, rubbing my temples. I ran practices twice a week as alternate captain and was too tired to argue when Montoyaroped me in for lunch. “I should’ve grabbed take-out,” I muttered, severely regretting my decision to come out.
“Everybody pull out cash,” Denali said.
We dug handfuls of bills out of our wallets and pockets while Montoya took out a coupon he printed from the library, carefully smoothing it out on the table.
“We have enough for…” Fridge frowned. “The two XL pizza combo.”
Montoya shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t have…uh…”
With Vernon gone, our paychecks were at a standstill. It was hitting some of us harder than others. I gathered the cash and slipped out my credit card. As long as I could pay it by August, I’d be fine. “I got you covered, kid. I’ll be back.”
The line didn’t take long, and the cashier gestured towards me. “Oh my gosh,Romans.”
“Gladiators,” I corrected, for the thousandth time.
“Not Romans?”
“No. Gladiators. Hockey team.”
“Oh. Because Romans eat for free…nevermind.”
Me and my big fucking mouth.
I swallowed back a groan while she rang me up, passing a buzzer for the food. I almost made it to the guys when a table outside caught my eye.
Xavier sat with a group, eating pizza. I’d been trying to meet up with him, but he’d been too busy to respond to my messages. And whenever I went to his office, there was always someone telling me he wasn’t available.
I passed the buzzer to Fridge. “I’ll be five minutes. If you guys eat the breadsticks, I’ll hit someone in the mouth, and I don’t care who.”
Outside, Xavier did a double take, a tight smile crossing his face. “Bear, I don’t have time?—”
“I need to talk to you. It’s about June. I’m living with June.”
Xavier chewed his bite slowly and gazed around the table. Everyone else’s faces lit with curiosity.
“Is June okay?” One of the guys winced. “Is she…better?”
