28. Kennedy

A WEEK AGO

Membersof the opposing hockey team hustle across the ice, as we all chant the VCU rally cry. My roommate Violet reminds me so much of myself when I was a freshman, I thought I owed it to her to drag her out and have some fun. Maybe she’ll have an easier time getting acclimated to the school than I did.

“Are you actually reading while the Suns are playing?” I ask, my eyes wide with disbelief.

“Absolutely,” she says, not an ounce of regret in her voice. “You know the deal. I’ve got a scholarship and I can’t fuck it up.”

“It’s Christmas break, girl,” I tell her. “We haven’t even started the spring semester yet.”

“But I already know what classes I’m taking this semester. I literally have taken two of them before.”

“So, you’re reading ahead?”

“Yep.”

“In classes you’ve already taken?”

“That’s right.”

“When you’re supposed to be, you know, getting acclimated to your new environment?” I ask in a gentle voice knowing a little bit of what she’s been through back home.

“Yes, Kennedy,” she hisses.

“Why?” I ask.

“So I can focus on the classes that are actually going to be challenging for me. The ones that matter.”

“Uh-huh,” I say. “You do realize they have textbooks online, don’t you? You didn’t have to bring a whole ass hardback book to the game. You could have just used your phone or something if you were even going to do it all.”

“Am I embarrassing you or something?” she asks in an uncomfortable voice, but her question is cut short when two bitches sitting behind us suddenly bump into her head as they rise to their feet to cheer.

“Woohoo!”

When they do, her head jerks forward, momentarily hyper-extending her neck.

Oh, no, the hell they didn’t.

I’m so sick of everyone at this damn school.

“Go, number seventeen!”

“Why don’t you cheer for somebody else? He’s mine.”

“You can’t call dibs on him like that!”

“Can I have your babies, Neo?”

“Damn, he’s fine.”

“And doing all the work for the team, as usual.”

“I’ve got some work he can do right between these thighs.”

“Um, excuse me,” I interrupt the two twits. “But you two just hit my friend on the head.” But before either of them can respond, a deafening roar erupts from the crowd, and two of the players crash into the tempered glass right in front of us, partially shattering it.

“Holy hell!” I exclaim.

Violet leans over to cover me but my eyes widen when I notice there’s a small shard of glass in her chin and now blood.

“Give us a minute to check on everyone, Sun Nation,” the announcer says. “In the meantime, the refreshment stands are open, and DJ Kris is going to spin some tunes for your holiday enjoyment.”

Shane climbs over into the stands towards us immediately.

Fuck.

“Are you okay?” he asks us both, as if he actually gives a shit about me.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Violet mutters.

Shane and I share a loaded silence. It’s been forever since we’ve had any sort of meaningful interaction, yet I still can’t stop thinking about spreading my legs for him. I try shaking the thought out of my head.

“Kennedy,” he greets me, giving me some perfunctory head nod of acknowledgment.

I don’t say a word, which only makes his dumb ass grin even harder behind his clear face shield.

“It’s nice to see you too,” he says in response to my silence.

I defiantly place a hand on my hips, staring daggers at him.

He emits a brief chuckle before turning his attention to Violet. “So, um, were you reading a book just now?”

Every student in our section of the stands is now focused on the verbal exchange between us. I can’t believe he’s going to flirt with my new roommate publicly, right in front of my face.

I can’t stand him.

Then Neo skates over. “Can we move this along, Shane?” he demands in his typical dominant fashion. “We’ve got a game to win once they clean this up.”

“Just checking on the bookworm here,” Shane replies with a shit-eating grin, glancing towards Violet.

“It’s tempered glass,” Neo says flatly. “She’s fine.”

“Uh, no, she’s not fine,” I say, handing her a clean tissue from my purse. “Here, your chin is bleeding.”

“Yeah, man, she definitely took some glass to the face,” Shane defends her.

I’m annoyed.

“Good to see you, Prez,” Neo finally greets me while staring at Violet as well.

“Same,” I respond. “But dude, this is an exhibition game, not a real one. Your midfielder almost took my girl’s eye out!”

An audible gasp comes from someone sitting around us. These busybodies at VCU never mind their business, stunned at the manner in which I spoke to Neo.

They’re just freaking hockey players,I think to myself.

“Who’s this?” Neo asks me, referring to Violet. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off her but I’m not about to allow him to make her hockey bunny number one-hundred and fucking one.

“This is Violet, my roommate, and she’s not looking for any new friends, Neo.”

“You have a shitty holiday disposition,” Neo claps back, still closely watching Violet.

“What else is new?” Shane scoffs.

“Are we done here?” I say, frustrated with them both. “Violet and I want to enjoy the rest of the festival.”

“Come to the kickback tonight and bring the bibliophile,” Shane tells me.

Oh, he’s really trying it.

“Bibliophile?” I parrot back in a mocking tone. “Are we using our big words today, Shane?”

“Everything I use is big, Kee-Kee.” He grins, and I’m two seconds from smacking that lewd look off his face.

“Don’t call me that,” I warn him as he dismisses me with his annoying laugh.

“If you can tear yourself away from whatever that is,” Neo says to Violet, pointing to the book in my hands with the end of his hockey stick. “You should come too.”

Way to go, Neo. You probably scared poor Violet to death.

I hear someone mutter “who the fuck is she” under their breath and Neo and Shane flick their eyes behind us with a hardness that’s dangerous and intimidating. Suddenly, everyone around us is quiet. I have to admit, those two are impressive.

“Win the game, and we’ll be there,” I challenge them both.

“You want us to win, huh? I thought you just said it’s just an exhibition game and to take it easy on them?” Shane counters.

“I told you to win the game, not lacerate half the spectators.”

“So dramatic.” Shane rolls his eyes.

“Are they actually going to continue playing?” Violet blurts out loud, confused about why they would continue the game when part of the protective glass around the rink is compromised. “What if they run into the glass again?”

“They’ve never suspended a Santa Fest exhibition game in the history of it being played. It’ll be fine. The stadium staff will just move everyone in this section to different seats. I’ll make sure they give you good ones.” Shane smiles.

“Just win the damn thing,” I tell them again, rolling my eyes.

He’s always showing off.

“Already done,” Neo says. “And then we’ll see you both tonight.”

“Good luck,” I say with a faux smile.

Then I finally exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding as Shane skates away.

Damn, I miss that boy.