Page 9 of Collide
Sebastian Hayes: On a scale of Kian’s streaking to Cole’s tire-slashing incident where does he land?
Eli Westbrook: Tire slashing.
Cole Carter:Uh. I’m gna miss next practice. My stomach hurts.
Sebastian Hayes: K. I’ll tell Kilner u have a tummy ache.
Dylan Donovan:Thought we all knew about Kilner’s perpetual stick up his ass?
Kian Ishida:Shhh. I swear the man can somehow read these.
Kian Ishida: Coach if you’re reading this, I love you <3
Dylan Donovan: How’d you know he’s pissed?
Eli Westbrook: Heard he broke a junior’s hockey stick.
Kian Ishida:So? He’s broken like 6 of mine.
Eli Westbrook: Over his own head.
Kian Ishida:Oh yeah, he’s totally pissed.
Dylan Donovan: Wtf happened?
Eli Westbrook: @Aiden care to explain?
Kian Ishida: Cap? What did he do?
Did I mention I’m fucked?
Coach’s threat to put me on probation didn’t scare me enough to go ahead with that damn brain experiment, so now he’s ruining everyone’s lives. I sent the screenshot of the email to the group chat.
Aiden Crawford: He’s going to rip me a new one.
Dylan Donovan: Want us there for emotional support?
Kian Ishida:Fuck that. Coach will just see my face and get more pissed. Good luck, buddy.
Two hours later I find myself at the rink as Coach steps off the ice with the kids.
“Help me with the equipment, would ya?” From his face, a person would assume he’s our usual grumpy coach, but to the trained eye he’s fuming. Absolutely livid. I know he’s imagining biting my head off.
“Aiden, you promised you would come to our game. Where were you?” The tiny voice of Matthew LaHue reaches my ears as I’m collecting cones.
“Sorry, Matty, I got busy with school.” That is the most PG-rated version I can give him. I feel like shit when he walks off with a sad nod.
I follow Coach into his office for the second time this week.
“Sit down,” he orders, his tone rougher than usual. “Are you proud of yourself for the disappointment you caused in those kids?”
“No, sir.”
“They look up to you, Aiden. What does it say about the team when the captain doesn’t care enough to show up for the people in his community?”
“Coach, if this is about that girl’s project—”
“It’s not only about that. I’ve been watching you recently, and the patterns you’re creating are not healthy. You’re playing at the top of your game, but don’t you think I see how exhausted you are. You’re stretching yourself thin, kid.”
