Page 192 of Like a Power Play
“How long did that take?”
“Twenty minutes,” I deadpan. “Three flavors, by the way?Totalcheating.”
“YOU FOUND LACHLAN’S MOUTHGUARD!!!” Bailey yells, so loud a couple people in front of us turn around and shush us. I flash them an apologetic smile.
“Iknewyou’d get it!” Darcy squeals, diving into her messenger bag. She pulls out a scuffed blue case with a big whiteSstamped on the front and holds it up like a trophy.
“Wait—whosemouthguard?” Clay asks, a little “v” etched between their brows.
“Lachlan Hunt,” I answer.
Clay blinks. “Okay, but like… helostit here? Or—wait—how the hell did you getthatfrom the letter ‘S’?”
Bailey grins triumphantly. “Easy. I just kept repeating ‘S’ and then it sounded like ‘ssss’ like a snake. Which made me think of boas.Boa constrictors.Andthatmade me think of the Boston Boas, which made me think of Lachlan!”
I swear, if this were a cartoon, the following sound would be thetink tinkof our eyelashes as we blink. We all turn to Darcy, trying to figure out if this Nancy Drew-level Easter egg was actually her plan. She frowns.
“I just said ‘S’ because it’s aShock Doctormouthguard,” she replies casually, holding up the case and tracing her finger over the big white “S” printed on the front. “See?”
Bailey stares at the mouthguard case for a minute, then, without a word, turns back to the rink. I reach around Darcy, patting her on the shoulder.
“Good thinkin’ though Hams,” I reassure her. Then, suddenly remember, “Hey, is Rose still coming?”
She nods. “She’s finishing up a final but she should be here any minute.”
Indie’s been tagging along to a lot of campus events with me lately, ever since we lost in the first round of the NCAA championships. So far, we’ve hit up a drag show (which she loved), a swim meet (which she definitely didn’t), and even volunteered at a voter registration drive—where, to my surprise, she ended up running the whole thing after the original organizer went home sick. Since scoring that first shot in the finals, she’s been an unstoppable force, just like I knew she would be.
If the Sabertooths knew what was good for them, they’d stop spamming Coach with messages begging me to reconsider their offer, and start asking about Indie instead.
A soft vibration buzzes in my back pocket, and I pry my eyes from the impressive axel on the ice to look at my phone.
An unknown number is calling you.
“You okay?” Darcy asks, cocking a brow.
I nod, pinching mine together. “Yeah. Just… an unknown caller? I’m gonna—” I motion to the patch of grass over by the gate.
She nods, and I weave my way out of the stands, pressing the phone to my ear just before the call goes to voicemail.
“Hello?”
Immediately, a smooth, mellow voice fills the other end. “Hi. I just would like to confirm that I’m speaking with Peyton Clarke?”
My eyebrows furrow, and I clear my throat. “The one and only!” I joke. Then I pause, considering. “Actually, probably not. Sorry, how can I help you?”
“This is Alvie Lippencott,” she responds. There’s something about her voice that scrubs goosebumps down my body. Something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Wait—Lippencott?“The head coach for the Portland Porcupines. How are you doing today?”
My brain sputters for a second, like an old engine running low on oil as I try to process what exactly is happening. “Yeah, I know who you are!” I blurt out, probably way too eagerly. “I’m—I’mgood,how are you?”
“I’m doing well, thank you for asking.” Her voice softens, just slightly. “I’m going to cut to the chase. To make a long story short, we’re in a bit of a pickle here, and I wanted to contact you personally about an opportunity with our team.”
I blink, my pulse suddenly hammering. I grip the phone tighter. So tight it almost pops out of my grip. “Sorry,what?”
She continues. “One of our star players has unfortunately suffered a pretty serious injury. She won’t be returning this upcoming season.”
A gasp slips from my lips. “Oh my god, that’s awful!”
“Yes, it’s quite unfortunate,” Alvie acknowledges, her tone sympathetic but professional. “But it’s fortunate foryou.” She pauses, just for a moment. “I’ve been following you at Greenrock University since your freshman year. I have to say I’m a big fan.”
