“And now everyone will know you’re mine.”
I pinched my lips in a tight line, both thrilled and mortified that he was saying this in front of all these people. “Yourfriend,” I said.
Colt shrugged. “Yeah. That’s what I said, wasn’t it? Stay warm.”
He winked, blew a kiss, and skated off. But when I watched him line up for a practice shot, I noticed something unusual: a bright blue strand among his left skate laces. What was that about?
TWENTY-EIGHT
COLTON
OCTOBER | COLUMBUS, OHIO
COLTON
I’ve got an idea for another scene
I checked the spreadsheet and we have the same favorite in the college one
VIOLET
how would we act that out?
COLTON
one of the biggest universities in the country is in our city
VIOLET
one problem
we’re old
COLTON
not tonight, we’re not
you in?
VIOLET
only if jordan houser is going to put meon my knees
COLTON
it’s so weird, i just checked my driver’s license and that’s my name
I playedone of my best games to date.
The rest of the Ohio Rusties did not.
It was a comedy of errors, except not funny at all.
Dottie tripped over his own feet, blamed it on Pittsburgh, and started a brawl, getting thrown out in the second. I started wondering if perhaps our goalie Royce had taken a gummy before the game with how slow his reflexes were. Leroy broke a skate blade right when he was in a perfect position to shoot.
It sucked.
I, however, did not suck. I got a goal and two assists. To note, those were our only three goals, while Pittsburgh managed to score six. Whenever a game started to devolve into shambles, it was hard for me to not start blaming myself. I stewed on what to say between periods in the locker room. Should I be mean, like Sorrento always pushes me to be? Should I be encouraging? Disappointed?
