Page 96 of Bad Teammate
My stomach gurgled hungrily. Minus the butterflies, it was completely empty—Derek and I had burned alotof energy last night. Luckily, there was a restaurant on the lobby level, so I wouldn’t even have to leave the hotel to get food.
Slipping into my flats, I grabbed my purse and left my room. In the glass elevator, I saw a group of people milling about the hotel bar.
Wow, the bar is packed so early,I thought.
I hopped off the elevator on the lobby level and walked by the crowd. I began to slow when I realized the people at the bar weren’t wanting to order drinks. They were watching the television behind the bar.
Curious, I crept behind the crowd. They were watching a local news report. A reporter sat at his studio desk and talked into the camera.
I listened in.
“… I interviewed some people who were in attendance earlier this morning. Theythoughtit was a joke at first, but quickly realized the fight seemed quite serious, as you’ll see for yourself.”
The shot cut away to the ice.
Sasha was on screen. By himself. Coasting around the ice. Where were his teammates? I didn’t know, but he didn’t look right. He fired pucks at the press, who werethankfullybehind the protective layer of glass. Even still, I flinched just watching the pucks menacingly slam into the glass in front of the camera.
Oh no,I thought.What’s gotten into you this time, Sasha?
Then, the camera zoomed out and showed the rest of Sasha’s teammates as they entered the ice.
Sasha started shooting at them—no, atDerek!Derek got hit right in the abdomen and fell to his knees. Sasha threw his stick down and charged at him, punching him brutally again and again, until his teammates rushed in and ended the fight a few seconds later.
I gasped and averted my eyes when I saw Derek’s crimson blood spurting onto the ice.
Oh my God,I thought, cringing.Poor Derek.
“Now,” the reporter concluded, “I’ve talked to team officials and asked what the fight was about, but Devils officials have declined to comment, stating that they are still looking into the incident.”
The news moved on to another topic. The crowd around me shook their heads.
“You’re on the same damn team,morons!” someone else shouted at the television.
The crowd shared a despondent chuckle.
“Go figure this would happen as soon as they start getting good,” a middle-aged man said. “This is just proof that we can’t have nice things.”
“Unbelievable,” someone else said.
“What do you think they’re fighting about?” someone asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” someone else answered. “Reaves is a goner, because that Nikolaev kid is the future of this team. If he’s got a problem with you? Pack your shit,bucko.You’re gone.”
“Are we cursed?” another person wondered aloud. “We must be. Why else would these guys be fighting each other?”
I swallowed.Iknew what the fight was about, of course. It was about me.
Sasha!I thought, clenching my fist angrily.
I was so mad at him. Why couldn’t he just behave like a normal person for once? Why couldn’t he behappyfor us and not throw a shit-fit? Why did he always have to ruin the good things I had going for me?
I called Sasha’s cell phone again and again, but each time it went straight to voicemail.
Damn, his phone’s off.
There was only one place I knew I might find him. I ran outside and called a cab and headed over to Derek’s condo.
35
