Grayson: Never doubted you for a second, bro.
Grayson: About this, I mean. Everything else? I still have doubts.
There was a knock on the window, and I jolted. I didn’t need any more surprises tonight, and I wasn’t ready for round two with Mackenzie. Thankfully it was just Seth peering through the glass.
“Forgetting someone?” he asked.
I reached over to unlock the passenger side door. He’d asked for a ride home earlier, but in my rush to escape Coach Foster, I’d left him behind.
“Nope,” I replied. “Just waiting for the varsity team’s new star defenseman to finish primping in the locker room.”
He snorted and got in the truck. “So, you forgot.”
“Maybe. But if it makes you feel any better, a girl punched me in the parking lot, and she might have broken my nose.”
“Huh, that does make me feel better,” he said. “Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Who was the girl?”
“Foster’s daughter,” I grumbled.
“She’s here too? I guess that makes sense.” He paused for amoment. “Wait, she’s not joining our class, is she?” The look on my face was all the answer he needed, and his grin only grew. “Damn, that’s seriously bad news.”
“If it’s such bad news, why are you smiling?”
“Because it’s bad news for you, not me.” He was really enjoying this. “Oh no, you didn’t try to kiss her again, did you?”
“I told you,shekissedme.I was just an innocent victim. And no, there wasn’t any kissing this time. She punched me because she thought I was mugging her.”
“Wereyou mugging her?”
I started the engine. “I’m seriously considering leaving you here.”
“Okay, okay.” Seth held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I just wish I’d been there to see it.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“It’s all good. I’m sure you’ll give her another reason to punch you soon. Especially if she’s going to be at school with us.”
That was almost the worst part of all this. Coach Foster had made it clear that if I made one wrong move I’d be off the team. It was going to be hard to obey his order to stay away from his daughter when I’d be seeing her every day at school.
“Nope, I’m avoiding her at all costs,” I said. “If I do anything to piss off Coach Foster, I’m screwed.”
“Guess that means he remembers you.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Guess that also means you’re the last person he wants to name captain.”
I swallowed and nodded.
“Sorry, man. I know how much you wanted it.”
I shrugged. “I’ll just have to show him he’s wrong about me.”
People often misjudged me. They thought I breezed through life, like everything was easy. That I was nothing more than a playboy who only cared about girls and hockey—okay, maybe they were right about some things. But Ididdeserve to be captain.
“I can worry about that tomorrow,” I continued. “We should be celebrating the fact you made the team.”
“Sure, we can,” Seth said. “But is your nose okay?”
