Page 27 of Walk the Line

“What the fuck is life?” I scream into the pillow.

This is just the first of these conversations, and judging by how that one went, I can tell it’s going to throw me off the rest of the day because I won’t be able to stop thinking about how much I hated it.

But at least I don’t have to worry about one of these phone calls for two weeks.

I hope the days goes very slowly in that case.

I try to tune out the sound of the duo in the house. I can’t believe I’m now going to be on the same team as them. I hear enough from Nathan as it is, with his room being just down the hall from mine.

I mean, there’s literally no escape from the three people I live with, but it’s especially worse with Julius because now we might actually have to talk to each other as co-captains.

But I’m not trying to think about that right now.

It was easy for me to put my actual studies out of my mind last year, because thinking about Hockey is that much more enjoyable for me. If anything, it’s what kept me going, the only thing that made me feel something when I immediately crumbled under the pressures of my course.

It’s still one of the only things that reminds me I am capable of feeling joy, so I need to hold on to it.

I pull up my timetable, questions already forming in mind as to how I’m going to fit all my lectures and assignments about Sociology into my life. Everyone doing a sport has to pass their course, and while it’s not a difficult subject, I can’t predict whether the demands of university will get to me again.

My phone vibrates beside me and I welcome the opportunity to stop thinking about…everything.

Your co-captain will try to get you off the team. I can help you with getting off instead, though.

I’m quick to do a double take, reading over the words on my screen more times than I count. I’m trying to make sense of it but, but that’s not happening when one question comes to mind first.

How the hell did someone get my number?

CHAPTER TEN

JULIUS

It’s hard to miss Kaylah tapping her stick loudly against the ice from the corner of my eye, and even harder to miss her shouting, “This way!” at me a few seconds later.

I could pass it to her but I knew when I got the puck that Sierra had a better shot at getting us the goal, which is exactly why I don’t understand how the puck doesn’t go cleanly in the net.

“What the fuck, I was right there!” Kaylah says, thunder on her face as she stands before me.

“You were too close, it made more sense to pass it to Sierra.” I still don’t understand how she missed that.

“That’s some bullshit, you’re just immature as fuck bringing problems onto the ice.”

I face her squarely to say, “What problems am I bringing on to the ice?”

“So you’re not denying the fact you’re immature?”

“I don’t care for your opinion about me, but I wanna know what problems I’m bringing onto the ice.”

She huffs. “You’re literally just full of shit.”

“You can’t even answer a simple question.”

The game’s done now, so it wouldn’t be an issue for her to walk across the ice to the exit, but I’m not done with this conversation, so I pick up my pace to catch up to her.

We both know what your problems are with me, “ she says. “Should I tell you how to cross the road while we’re at it? Seeing as we’re explaining things that should be pure common sense.”

“Yeah, why don’t I —“

“You two, get to my office. Now,” Coach says, his stern voice coupled with his disapproving expression telling me how this is going to go. “Oh, but great game guys,” he shouts to the rest of the players in the room. There are a few smiles at him before he turns back to us with a final, “Now. Get changed first, obviously. But in the next ten minutes I want you both sitting opposite me.”