Page 30 of Puck Shots
“Is someone getting jealous?”
“No,” he replies with an obvious pout in his tone.
“I promised Calvin I’d keep an eye on him, you know, so he has a fair shot at getting into the house.”
“Sure that’s all it is?”
“What else would it be?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. All I can say is since school started, there have been zero nights I’ve had to hide my head under the pillow while you get it on with some random.”
“I’ve been too busy with classes and training.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
“It has nothing to do with Eli. You know I totally messed up my chance to get drafted last year with all the partying and fuckups. This is my last shot. Besides, we’re just friends helping each other out. I’m helping him get into the house, and he’s going to help us with our moves on the ice.”
“When he can’t even skate.”
“I thought you were all for his idea?” I ask, slowing.
He shrugs. “I will try anything that could help get us drafted this year, but I’m not entirely convinced your boy is the answer.”
“Again, not my boy, and why didn’t you say anything before?”
“You just seemed really excited about it, and I suppose I was…excited you were excited.”
“You’ll be excited, too, when he helps you land that spin pass you’ve been struggling with all summer.”
“I almost had it the other day.”
“Almost isn’t good enough, though, is it?”
“Fine, if he helps me figure it out, I’ll get excited.”
“And you’ll give him your vote.”
“You really think KOK is the right fit for him?”
“You don’t?”
He shrugs, and I want to punch him.
“We’ve got a few guys in the house not into sports. Why should Eli be excluded when we accepted them?”
“It’s more than being into sports, though. It’s about connecting with the rest of the brothers. Can you honestly say he’s doing that?”
“He’s trying to.”
“Yeah, but so far the only brother he’s really connected with is you, and as much as you like to think the whole universe revolves around you, in this case, Flash, he’ll need more than you on his side to stay.”
I hate to admit it, but he isn’t wrong. I’ve been trying to make things easier for Eli, but that’s meant keeping him almost all to myself. I should back off, let him get to know the other guys better. He should be bonding with the other pledges, like I did with Luka in our first year.
“Firstly, fuck you. The entire world does revolve around me. Look at us right now, talking all about me. Oh, and second. I getyour point. I might have taken this whole looking out for him a little too far. But promise me you’ll consider the vote.”
“You got it, brother.”
***
