Page 15 of Afterglow
Austin Jace:
I was distracted. Athena was in a rush. Something about getting the best spot in the library. I thought all the seats were the same.
Theodore Knight:
You might have burnt our apartment down, for a GIRL. God you are pussy whipped.
Austin Jace:
Don’t make me have to hurt your pretty face, Captain. Or worse, your ego.
Colton Hurst:
Do I have to play mediator? Again?
Theodore Knight:
I’m driving now. Jace I’m kicking you out if I even smell a hint of smoke.
Thisis precisely why I don’t trust him.
I reread the messages as I climb into my car, chuckling at Austin. He and Athena have been dating since the beginning of last year. She is quiet and unassuming. The amount of times Athena has scared the shit out of me because she is sneaking out of Austin’s room is ridiculous. Their relationship surprised me due to them being polar opposites, but they are still together.
My phone continues to vibrate, but I ignore the messages. I park my car, heading towards our apartment. I’m optimistic. There doesn’t seem to be smoke, and thecomplex is intact. I race to the oven. Everything was off. Thank fuck.
My phone buzzes. The caller ID reads Jayden Allen.
“Hey,” I say.
“Are you still coming for our gym session?” Jay asks.
We usually meet after my last class,Psychology of Physical Activity.“Sorry, had to come home. Austin thought he left the stove on.”
Jayden’s laugh echoes through my phone. “Fucking idiot,”
“I know, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Jayden is the one Allen sibling who welcomes my presence. He is the captain of the Lakewood Hawks—our ice hockey team—and we ran into each other in the gym last summer. Only a tiny part of our preseason and competitions crossed over, but that didn’t prevent us from becoming gym partners.
The afternoon breeze slams into my exposed skin as the daylight dwindles. I drive to the other side of campus where the gym is located. For me, it is the most distinguishable building. The pale grey painted facade has the logo in a neon blue sign and as I enter, a whiff of sweat and sanitiser hits me.
“Fuck off,”
Jayden is boiling with anger—his face red and chest heaving. I edge closer to Jay. He throws his phone away, slamming into the ground. This isn’t good.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
Jayden grits his teeth. “Just Willow Rogers being a fucking pest. The usual,”
He doesn’t expand on the comment, but I do have some context. Over the summer, Jay told me about ice hockey and his goal is to play in the NHL. He sounds determined so I won’t be surprised if he makes it.
Willow Rogers, however, was a name that came up numerous times. Jay didn’t delve into detail but he did say Willow is Jazmine’s best friend and also plays ice hockey. There is tension with a capital T between the two of them. I could smell it from a mile away.
I offer Jay a reprieve. “Want to punch something with me?”
“Please,”
Jayden punches the bag first, while I hold it in place. We alternate for half an hour, our grunts and limited small talk fill the gym. Eventually we switch to weights before performing a cool down to finish the session.
