“Yes. They are so different. I imagine your dad wanted you to follow in his footsteps…play for Vegas?”
The silence between the two of us is awkward. We both know what my dad did when he played for Vegas. No doubt her dad told her all the terrible things he did.
My dad’s side is different. I know the person he is. The kind, loving, caring, and gentle man he is now. There’s not a bad bone in his body. I hate that this is the impression she has of him. He’s one of the most important people in my life, and I’ll do anything to defend him.
But Angie would do the same for her dad.
“Our school was lucky enough to have a hockey team,” I tell her. “My dad was good friends with the coach because they taught together. We’d go to the games together when I was little and I loved it. I loved how fast they could skate backward. Thought it was the coolest thing at that age.”
“It is impressive what you can do on two tiny blades.”
“The coach helped me out and gave me lessons and there was no turning back after that. Nothing could get me off the ice.”
Angie rests her chin in her hand, a soft look now on her face. “I can only imagine how cute you were as a kid. Oversized pads and wobbling around the ice.”
I laugh, deep and hearty. “I will never introduce you to my mom then. She would be breaking out all the home videos of me and my sister.”
“Your sister plays too?”
I nod. “She’s on the national team.”
“Wow. I’m impressed. I was never good at sports.”
“You can’t have it all, Angie. If you were good at sports too, you’d be a triple threat.”
“A triple threat?” Her eyes are glittering.
“Smart, hot,andgood at sports? It’d be unfair to the world.”
“Then maybe I’ll need to have you teach me something.”
“I’d love to get you in a pair of skates and see how you fare on the ice.”
She points her finger at me. “Only if you get an A on your next calc test.”
“There’s some motivation to study.”
“Good. Then get to it.” Angie passes the book over to me with the problems she’s written out and goes back to her lunch.
It’s hard to focus with her sitting right there.
I wasn’t lying when I said it’d be good motivation. I want to be someone that Angie can be proud to be seen with. Not another dumb jock.
I shouldn’t want that, but I do.
It’s why I’m spending so much time studying with her. I want to be around her every minute I can. I had no plans to start dating my senior year. Hockey should be my one and only focus. Well, that and school.
But for a girl like Angie? I’d be willing to break every rule I have to be with her.
If only she would too.
I clear those thoughts from my head, going back to the problems at hand. Ones that she’s taught me how to solve.
A cool breeze blows through the park as I finish the problems and pass the notebook back over to her to check them.
I figure now might be as good a time as any to ask her about going out.
“Listen. Marcus and Harper are going to the football party tonight, and I wanted to see if you wanted to go.”
