Page 13 of So This Is War
“Of working.”
“Working?” I ask.
“Yes, working. Working a job that you might possibly have to work in order to pay the bills while you attempt to pursue this graphic art thing. I’ll call admissions, tell them you’re taking a semester off and to expect you back at the beginning of the year. Unless you can prove to me that you can hold a steady job and make headway on your graphic art desires.”
“Where’s the catch?” I ask.
“There is no catch,” he says.
“Dad, come on, there has to be a catch.”
“Well, you will have to be financially independent from me.”
Boom.Yep. The catch.
It’s not that Ineedmy dad’s money. I could survive on my own. I have a few thousand saved from the few jobs I’ve taken. I could find a job and make a living, prove to him that I don’t need his money or a stupid master’s in business to make my life work.
I shrug. “That’s fine.”
“Cut off from me completely,” he says. “No housing. No car. No insurance. Nothing.”
No housing?
Well, when he puts it like that, I might have to get a pedicure so I can start selling feet pics. Housing in Vancouver is expensive, and I don’t have THAT much money saved.
“Dad, it’s really expensive to live here in Vancouver.”
“Not if you have a well-paying job that you earned through a solid college education.” He smiles at me with anI got youlook. “Don’t worry, though,” he continues. “I’ll give you a week to get on your feet. I won’t kick you out immediately, and I’ll hook you up with a job that will resemble what you might have to do to make your dreams come true.”
“And what sort of job is that?” I ask, knowing full well he’s probably setting this up for me to fail.
“What all other struggling creatives do . . . a personal assistant.” He smiles, and I swear a gleam beams off his tooth.
I see what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to scare me. Make me think that I can’t do this. That my life will be filled with retrieving coffees and returning clothes while trying to sneak in some personal time to be creative when I get a moment, but little does he know, I’m just as stubborn as he is because if he cuts me off, makes me move out, creating a scenario where I’m bound to fail, it only makes me want to prove him wrong that much more.
So with my chin held high and my confidence brimming withI can do this, I lend out my hand and say, “Deal.” Surprised, he takes my hand in his and gives it a shake. “Now, who will I be assisting?”
Chapter Two
LEVI
“Who the fuck keeps eating my bologna?” I yell as I toss the empty bologna bag in the trash. “And who leaves the empty deli bag in the fridge? That’s fucking rude.” I turn toward OC who is sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria, eating a protein bar. “Is it you?”
His nose crinkles. “Dude, I know better by now not to touch your bologna.”
“Please tell me when you say bologna, you’re talking about Posey’s disgusting sandwiches and not something else?” Silas asks as he walks into the cafeteria and grabs an electrolyte drink.
Silas Taters is one of my very best friends and our right wing. A quick motherfucker, he practically tiptoes across the ice, nearly outskating all our opponents. He was a grumpy asshole for a bit before he met Ollie, who is now the most important person in his life. He lives and breathes to see her, and they’re together, thanks to me.
And before you get confused and ask who the other best friends are, let me just give you a quick rundown.
Pacey Lawes is our goalie. Ten out of ten in the stretching department, he can do the splits without cracking his nuts in half. He’s probably the most levelheaded out of all of us and is currently engaged to Winnie. They’re in love and happy...because of me.
Then there’s Eli Hornsby. Our other defenseman besides myself. He has the prettiest goddamn face you will ever lay your eyes on, likes green apples and French silk pie, and got Pacey’s sister, Penny, pregnant. They had a baby, named him Holden, and now they’re living happily ever after and in love. . .because of me.
Rounding it all out is Halsey Holmes. A book nerd, the quiet one, the mysterious center with the speed of a goddamn gazelle, he holds the record for most goals in Agitators history and has the girthiest dick on the team. We’re talking a thick motherfucker that scared me once in the shower. He’s currently married—got married over the summer—to Blakely, who works for the Agitators and Cane Enterprises. Yeah, both. Blakely is so good that after the wedding, the Agitators front office asked her to do some contract work and gave her office space so she could work both jobs while being close to her husband. Talk about fucking power. She’s also Penny’s best friend. But Blakely and Halsey are happily married and in love . . . because of me!
Are you seeing a trend here?
