Page 181 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

Within these four walls, we’re protected, and this may help me be more confident publicly in expressing what I want.

To not cower to the fear of being judged.

“Good for you, Captain,” Marcus praises, which is a bit surprising because he looks serious as he stares back at me. “You shouldn’t feel like shit because Jayce couldn’t accept his own feelings.”

“He’s right,” Felix adds. “Though I bet he envies you now.”

“Envies me?” I question.

What is there to envy?

“Think about it,” Felix begins as he closes his locker and stretches. “You came back to your hometown and are ‘secretly’ dating Mikayla, our team nurse. You got the supportive backing of the administration, so you can be public about it when the time for role-playing for social media is over. You got a sick hockey contract that benefits your whole team and secures the future of Strattonville Viper, and your teammates genuinely like you as captain. Everyone can see you’re on cloud nine. If he’s really into you and never grew the balls to admit it, he’s going to envy the shit out of you because you’re living his dream.”

“Felix has a point,” Liam agrees. “After today, I bet you the Pincers are pretty mad at their captain.”

“Yeah, that was shitty of Jayce,” Clayton comments. “Literally fucked his team over by securing his contract.”

“Before the game, I heard he’s trying to get it changed,” Knox admits.

“Fuck off. He’s not,” Sebastian groans. “What a self-centered bastard.”

“He is,” Knox emphasizes. “Overheard the staff talking about it. Mr. Winchester was here to talk to Mr. Champion, but he dismissed him because he had to focus on the game tonight.”

“Wow,” Ace states while shaking his head.

“Not surprised,” Damien comments.

“Well, I’m glad he isn’t our captain,” Felix concludes. “Though I do hope he figures himself out.” He pauses as he lowers his arms from behind his head. “That shit will destroy you from the inside out if you let the world’s expectations weigh you down until you can’t handle it anymore.”

Isn’t that the truth?

The knock on the door grabs our attention before Coach Cyrus pokes his head into the locker room.

“Victors,” he begins. We hoot and chant ‘Vipers’ in response. “I need a bunch of you to come do some more interviews. These news reporters don’t want to leave, but I’m hoping to entertain them for fifteen minutes so Mr. Champion can sign the ten new sponsorships we just scored.”

“TEN?” Clayton gasps.

“No fucking way,” Ethan cheers. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

They’re already at the door and passing by Coach.

I’m still on the bench when everyone but Damien, Ace, and Marcus are left.

“I think I’m gonna skip out, Coach,” I say. “My social battery is dead.”

“And the fact he got all three scores tonight, he deserves a break,” Ace encourages.

“They’re going to be asking for you, O’Riley,” Coach Cyrus points out.

“Nah, let them starve a bit,” Marcus encourages. “If you give the news what they want, they just get greedy. Let them get all excited thinking O’Riley is coming. They’ll feign being entertained by us until our sponsors are secured.”

“Then to the bar we go,” Damien declares as he reaches out to ruffle my hair. “Get Jagiya to come.”

“You ask her,” I counter.

“Nah, if you ask her, she’ll cave immediately,” Damien emphasizes with a smirk. “She burns for you.”

“Fuck off,” I laugh. “As if she isn’t burning for you, too.”

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