Page 61 of Break Away
“My bag has been hostile since sophomore year.”
Cade didn’t look up from his stick. “It learned from you.”
Briggs slapped a hand over the center of his chest protector. “First game back with alternate captain Cade, and he’s already abusing morale.”
Cade’s tape kept moving around the blade in clean, even passes. “You’re questioning morale while arguing with luggage.”
“I’m the backbone of this team.”
“You’re the loud organ no one can identify,” Rider said.
“Appendix,” Cade added. “Mostly useless until inflamed.”
The room cracked open with laughter, and Briggs turned toward him like he had been betrayed by blood. “Appendix jokes before puck drop feel medically insensitive.”
Cade finally lifted his head. “You want emotional sensitivity from a locker room?”
“I want basic respect.”
Rider leaned back against his stall. “You want mozzarella sticks and attention.”
“Both are foundational needs.”
I kept wrapping tape around my stick and let them go. Usually, the noise helped by pulling me out of my own head because there was always someone chirping, someone laughing, or some freshman needing me to tell him where to stand, where to skate, and how not to look like the entire building had marked him for public execution.
Tonight, every sound landed wrong.
The C on my jersey felt heavier than it had all week, my pads felt tighter, and the crowd sounded too loud. My phone sat in my bag with three unanswered texts from my mom because I had already read the first one and knew the other two were worse.
Ma:Made it to the hotel. Vivi’s okay, but the lobby lights bothered her. Skylar says she’s fine, which means she isn’t. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be there early.
Don’t worry about us.
My mother only said that when worry was already bleeding through the floorboards.
Briggs’s voice cut across the room again. “Captain looks like he’s deciding which one of us to kill first.”
I pulled the tape tight and tore it with my teeth. “You’re making a strong case for yourself.”
Briggs nodded. “Good. Sarcasm means you’re still functional.”
Cade shot him a look.
Briggs paused. “Emotionally speaking, I have located our captain.”
Rider’s attention shifted toward me. “You good?”
“Game night.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“It was the answer you’re getting.”
Cade set his stick down and leaned back, his eyes on me instead of the tape. “You slept?”
“I’m dressed and vertical.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
