As we make our way up the sidewalk and onto the porch, my mom puts her arm around him and whispers something quietly. I’m sure it’s just her way of reassuring him that I’ll be fine. Heacts as if we didn’t do this same thing last year at a college in Boston.
I loved it there, but when budgets got cut … so did the women’s hockey team. It wasn’t the best team to begin with, but it let me stay close to home and still play the game I loved.
I follow my parents into the house, and just like I knew they would, all of my new roommates instantly begin fangirling over my dad.
Maybe I should find it annoying, but the truth is, Cam Hardy is one of the greatest players of all time, and he’s a pretty awesome human too. He deserves all the praise he gets.
I just hope he won’t actually buy a house across the street just to keep an eye on me …
“So,what’re the vibes in this place?” I ask my friend, Haven King, now that my parents are gone. “You’ve been here for a few days now. Everyone seem nice?”
She relaxes on my bed, propping her hands under her chin. “It’s eight bitches living in one house,” she deadpans. “Obviously, not everyone is going to be a ray of sunshine like you, babe.” When she sees my eyes widen, she giggles. “Calm your tits. For the most part, yes, everyone’s okay.”
Haven’s parents both went to New England University, and that’s where they met. Her dad, Mason, played many years in the NFL before he retired. So, she understands what it’s like when everyone just assumes she’s had everything given to her simply because of who her father is.
“Good.” I sigh in relief. “I’m not saying we all need to braid each other’s hair or anything, but at the very least, I’d like to get along with everyone who lives here.”
“Knock, knock,” a voice says from the door before a beautiful girl—who looks like she’s quite literally made of pure muscle with long, gorgeous red hair and bright green eyes—walks in. She smiles, revealing the deepest set of dimples, and I think I may have just gotten my first girl crush.
“I’m Harland, but everyone calls me Harley,” she says, waving to me before darting her eyes at Haven. “Wasn’t sure if Shortstop here was going to introduce us or not.”
I push myself to stand and hold my hand out. Looking at the front of her shirt, I notice the NEU softball logo on it.
“I’m Isla.” I smile. “Softball player, I take it?”
Before she can answer, Haven does it for her. “Little Miss Harley here is our catcher.”
Dropping my hand down once she shakes it, I give her an impressed look. “Catcher, huh? That’s awesome. That’s got to be one of the toughest positions on the field.”
“Nah, it’s not bad,” she answers, looking around at my half-unpacked room. “I was going to ask you two if you wanted to go grab something to eat. But it looks like you’re a little preoccupied.”
Haven’s ass is off the bed and walking toward her before I can even form a thought. “I’m freaking starving.”
I sweep my eyes over my mess of a room, cringing. I know I should put everything away. After all, I have practice in the morning. But when my stomach grumbles, I shrug. “All right. What the hell? I’ll finish this crap later. Food sounds better.”
“Hell yeah!” Harley cheers, throwing her arm around both Haven and me. “We’re gonna be besties. You’ll see.”
Smiling, I sigh in relief. As much as I liked parts of my previous school, I didn’t exactly make a strong group of friendsthere. It’s only my first day at NEU, and things are already looking better than they did in Boston.
Let’s hope things on the ice go well tomorrow too …
FOUR
ISLA
I finish lacingmy skates up when Summer stops in front of me, eyes wide.
“Did you hear the news?” Summer whispers to me and Eden. When we both greet her with a blank expression, she grimaces. “Y’all, we were already down to one good goalie because you know Sage backed out from coming here at the last minute, and now the word is that Jazzy broke her fucking leg yesterday. It’s only week one of us being here; how the hell is everything already looking so bad?”
Summer is a drama queen, but I can’t really blame her for being worked up. This is a big deal for us, and right now … things aren’t looking too great. Most teams have multiple goalies to put into rotation, yet here we are … without anyone who’s actually a true goalie.
“Well, shit,” Eden utters. “That’s not good.” She pauses, standing up and looking down at me. “But if I remember right, you’ve dabbled in the position before, haven’t you?” She shrugs. “I know you’re usually a center, but you’ve played goalie before.”
“Only for part of a season my junior year of high school.” I pull my hair back into a low ponytail. “I’m certainly no Sage Recker or Jazzy Heart—that’s for sure.”
Before either girl has the chance to answer, the sound of everyone gossiping in the locker room dies down as Coach Sanchez walks through the door. She’s a woman who demands respect without even saying a word. She’s been coaching women’s college hockey for over a decade now, and she is, hands down, one of the best coaches in the nation. It’s fitting because she was one of the best women players too.
She tucks her iPad under her arm, and her eyes sweep the room, making sure everyone is focused on her. “I know word travels fast, so I’m sure some of you have already heard about Heart’s injury.” Her chest rises as she drags in a deep breath. “Jazzy was with her family this weekend and decided to ride her horse.” Her lips form a straight line. “Anyone care to guess what can possibly happen when you ride a horse right before preseason begins?” She looks around the room, waiting for someone to raise a hand to answer, but no one does. “Well, since you’re all too scared to say it, I’ll tell you. The answer is … falling off the damn horse and getting injured.”
