As I pull up in front of her house, she faces me and half-smiles. That was kind of fun, right?
Yeah. I take her in: her scrubbed face, her neat braids, her clear blue eyes, her puffer coat hood pulled up to ward off the morning chill. And now I know exactly how she looks under all those layers.
So, don’t forget, this Friday is my game. You know, the one that you and Marjorie are coming to?
It’s already in my planner.
She rolls her eyes. Of course you have a planner.
Don’t you? It’s hard to imagine balancing school, hockey, and extracurriculars without one. And Cleo’s captain of her team.
I put stuff on my phone. That’s it, though.
Oh no, better watch out or they’ll take your free-spirit card away, I tease.
She makes a face. Maybe we should go back to the time when I was the funny one, and you were my captive audience?
You mean yesterday? A lot has happened since then.
She giggles. You’re a lot more fun than I expected.
I watch her go into the house, then head to my place, park, and go inside to get ready for the day.
Swanny and Bergy are having breakfast.
You’re home. We were worried about you, Bergy says.
I shrug. I messaged Sinc that I was staying over.
And that was only because he was already worried about the bad weather. We don’t usually report to each other if we’re not coming home.
Yeah, he told us. We were more worried about you and Cleo Nelson having a fight to the death because you were cooped up together for so long, Swanny jokes.
Hey, it wasn’t one of those ‘only one bed’ things like in the movies, was it? Bergy asks.
It’s a big mansion, I reply, avoiding his question altogether. But who knows what Cleo is telling her roommates about our night together?
AFTER CLASSES, SINC AND I WALK TO PRACTICE TOGETHER.
How did last night really go? he asks.
Fine. Good, actually. Cleo and I have made a peace treaty.
Oh, that’s great news. She’s always been really nice to me, he says.
I’ve heard she’s nice—from everyone else. I chuckle. It’s funny, but I’ve actually enjoyed sparring with her. I hope that’s not over.
Sinc’s eyebrows rise. Really? Why?
Maybe it’s because I don’t have to censor myself. I knew I couldn’t impress her. I shrug. It’s difficult to put into words, but our dinners helped me to get out of my post-breakup funk. I got to be myself, instead of having to meet someone’s expectations. Marjorie set the tone with her straight-shooting ways.
Is she someone you could go out with? asks Jack.
I’m glad you’re happy with Andy, but all of us don’t need to be paired up, I scoff. Then a memory flashes of a half-dressed Cleo in bed this morning. I blink it away and yank open the door of the dressing room.
As we’re changing for practice, there’s a commotion across the room. I glance over and see that someone new is here, a guy I don’t recognize, with a fresh fade, brown leather jacket, and narrow jeans.
Who’s that? I ask Swanny, who sits next to me on the bench.
