Page 58 of Puck Shots
“Soon you’ll have the whole house playing chess.”
“Right, chess,” I say with far more surprise than intended as I go back for another chair. Really, I am not much help. He’d probably move faster if he didn’t have to keep side-stepping me as I hobble past awkwardly jostling the heavy wooden chair intoplace. Why don’t they just use plastic chairs for this type of thing?
“What did you think I was talking about?”
“Nothing,” I lie and put down the last of the chairs. “Gotta go get ready for another chess lesson,” I say, and I jog from the room and up the stairs, bursting into laughter the second I’m through Cosmo’s door.
Cosmo has his clothes laid out on his bed like my mom used to do for me when I was a kid going somewhere special, like Cousin Terri’s wedding. This dinner tonight is a pretty big deal, and I only wish I could be there to support him, but, one, he didn’t invite me, and two, his parents are coming, so not sure my being there would be all that comforting. I have no idea if he’s even told them about me, or if he intends to. We haven’t really defined what we are yet, and again, tonight is not the night to do that, what with the final vote deciding my future in the house and his dinner both happening. Cosmo told me it was bad luck to search for another place to stay before hearing the vote. I don’t believe in all that superstition stuff, I believe in science, and while based on my interactions with the guys voting tonight, my odds of getting to stay are surprisingly good. They are not so high that I’m willing to leave it to the last minute to know where to go next. There were a few shared dorm spaces open, one super close to the physics building. Apparently, the kid staying there decided to bail on college and take his parents’ tuition money and travel the world. I think I want to get my degree first.
I hear Luka and Cosmo laughing as they stomp up the stairs.
“Hey, Eli,” Luka says when he spots me.
“Hi.”
“Are you nervous about tonight’s vote?” he asks, but Cosmo answers for me.
“He’s got nothing to be nervous about. The guys all see how awesome he is,” he says, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and spinning me in place as he plants a soft kiss on my lips.
“Are you nervous?” I ask, and he lets me go and rubs the back of his neck with one hand the way that he does.
“Totally packing it in. I have no clue what I’m walking into.”
“No one else has had their dinners yet?” I ask, looking at Luka, who’s shaking his head.
“Mine is tomorrow night, Rover the night after that. Flash is the guinea pig, I’m afraid.”
“I could choose to tell you nothing and let you freak out just as much as I am.” Cosmo laughs, and Luka throws a pillow at him. Cosmo catches it and tosses it back.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I might, if it goes terribly.”
“It won’t. They wouldn’t have asked to meet with you if they weren’t already interested. You’re on their list, you’ve got this.”
“I’m sorry I’ll miss the votes.”
Luka interjects.
“We’ll look after him. Besides, I have your proxy vote ready to go. It’s a yes, right?” He chuckles, and Cosmo rolls his eyes.
“Why am I friends with him again?” he asks me, and I cuddle close to his chest, loving the way his warmth spreads through me.
“You know you love him,” I say, and it should be weird, hearing those words come out of my mouth about the guy I’m totally falling for and his best friend, but it isn’t. He does love him, like a brother. An annoying older brother who drives you crazy sometimes. I can relate to that feeling. John is my biggest supporter and my biggest menace. He once had one of his Banana Ball friends say hi to me in a video interview on the sports channel. Everyone saw it, and despite scoring two dates out of it, they led to nothing, considering they just wanted toknow if I could get them free tickets to a game. The Banana Ball seasons sell out in like a day, so cozying up to friends and family to get tickets isn’t a new tactic.
“Okay, I’ll shower, and then you can tell me if this is okay to wear.”
“How aboutweshower and then I can tell you?” I whisper.
“Can still hear you,” Luka calls, and Cosmo laughs.
“If you heard that, better put on your noise-cancelling headphones for what happens next.”
19
Cosmo
Ipace outside the restaurant waiting for my parents, the calm I felt after Eli blew me in the shower completely gone. I wish I could get drafted without all this stuff. I’m great on the ice, the crowd loves me, and I love them. But here, now, knowing inside those doors are the people who might decide my fate in hockey has me wanting to throw up.
