Everybody else is going home or on vacations, and we’re going to be stuck inside the arena or weight room six days a week for the next seven weeks.
I never thought that would be so appealing.
I swipe my key card at the school arena and go straight to the locker room. I’m a few minutes late, and of course, Jacobs doesn’t let that fly.
“Captains should be the first to arrive and last to leave.” He’s clearly reshaved the sides of his head right before camp, leaving his trademark length on top. Between that and his attitude, I swear nothing ever changes with this guy.
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll remember that for when I’m captain next season.”
The rest of the guys let out hollers and “Ooohs.”
We have a twenty-five-man roster, but only twelve of us stay to help out over the summer. We take the high school kids through training drills and help build their skills while the coaches scout for who looks like a promising future mountain lion.
I go to my usual cubby and start to undress so I can suit up.
I’m surprised Jacobs doesn’t have a retort. He might not, but Cohen does.
He’s next to me, and he steps close while he takes his shirt off.
“Personal space, much?”
“Just so you know, I’m team Jacobs.”
“I’m team Edward.”
Cohen rolls his eyes. “Twilight references? Really?”
“I have a sister.”
“Mmhmm, sure.”
“You got a point, Cohen?”
“Yeah. Even though my vote is gonna be for him, I thought I’d give you a heads-up. He’s already campaigning for it. If he gets every vote from the summer camp guys, he’ll win majority easy once the semester starts. You might want to pull your weight.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“Do you even want it?”
I lose my amusement in this conversation. “I would’ve turned it down if I didn’t want it.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to work for it. That’s all I’m saying.”
I’m not afraid of hard work, but considering this whole thing involves winning over my teammates—my friends—I’d say I won’t have to work as hard as Cohen thinks.
Jacobs is driven and great at hockey, but he’s not exactly friendly. He hung off Grant for three years, popular by proximity, and now Grant’s graduated and moving on, Jacobs is on his own.
If anyone can put on a smile and sway someone’s vote, it’s me.
I reach for my practice jersey, but Cohen stops me.
“We have to wear game uniform the first day. Coach likes us to be intimidating.”
Of course he does.
It’s all about the mind games when it comes to hockey.
Once we’re all ready to go, we wait for the assistant coach to come get us to make an entrance.
And yep, as soon as we hit the ice, all the kids’ eyes widen. All forty pairs. Out of all of them sitting there, a quarter will be given scholarships to wear a mountain lion’s jersey in a year’s time. The odds aren’t good, but even being accepted into this camp is an accomplishment. I never came to one here at CU. My parents sent me to the most expensive private hockey camps money could buy. These guys got here on talent.
The kids are sitting in the team boxes, and I know they’re all around sixteen and seventeen years old, but they look like babies. It’s hard to believe I was their age only four years ago.
Time is moving way too fast.
“Meet your mentors for the summer,” Coach says. “These are the guys you have to impress. They report to us. But rest assured, we’re also watching.” Coach blows his whistle and turns to us. “Show ’em what you’ve got, boys. Scrimmage.”
The team splits into two lines. Schofield, our backup goalie from last season who’ll be number one this year, joins my line. The others kind of hesitate before deciding between my side and Jacobs’s, who only has Cohen.
Jacobs’s scowl is hard and directed at me. How original for him. “Martin, Hansen, and Rossi, you go to Beck’s side. He’ll need some actual scorers over there.”
The guys snicker and come over to me.
I try not to laugh because for a D-man, I have a high scoring record. Nowhere near as high as Jacobs’s, but it’s not supposed to be. I’m not just a bruiser on the ice. I help set up plays and get the puck in our zone.
Rossi takes center and skates up to face off with Greer.
I happen to be opposite Jacobs. Total accident, I swear.
We show the kids we’re “mentoring” this summer what it’s like to play college hockey, and coming off our Frozen Four win, we go all out to show off what we can do.
I’m bigger and wider than most other hockey players, and I know how to hit hard. When Jacobs is open and right in my way, I don’t hesitate to flatten him against the boards and steal the puck.
I get my boys over the blue line, and they take care of putting it past Simms, who’s attempting to protect the goal when he’s a sophomore forward.
When I glance over at Jacobs, his face is red, and he looks ready to pummel me to the ice.
What does it say about me that I think that sounds fun too?
I’m so used to being liked by everyone and being easy to get along with that I find his contempt fascinating. I have no idea what I ever did to him, but whatever it was, I’m not even sorry.
Because … I weirdly like it.
I should probably see a shrink about that, but instead, I’m going to spend the next seven weeks pushing his buttons.
I skate past him and give him a mock salute.
His murder face is back.
So. Much. Fun.
The first day is more grueling than I thought it would be. By the time we’re told to hit the showers, I’m ready for a drink. Or a fuck.
The camp teenagers are experiencing dorm life for the first time in their short existence. No adults. No supervision. And apparently, it’s our responsibility to make sure they don’t do anything stupid.
Correction, it’s our underage teammates’ responsibility while the rest of us hit up a bar.
McIntyre’s is a favorite of the team’s because it’s within walking distance of campus.
When we get inside, my gaze immediately finds Jacobs, who’s sitting at a booth with Grant’s boyfriend, Zach.
Grant’s never kept his sexuality a huge secret—it was one of the first things I learned when I met him—but it wasn’t until this past year that he actually got himself a boyfriend and went public with it.
His boyfriend is kind of … not the type of guy I’d thought Grant would go for. Zach’s not into sports, he’s academically inclined, and … okay, I’m trying to think of a less-insulting thing to call him than a nerd. But it’s what he is.
I figured if Grant was ever going to settle down with anyone, it’d be a big masculine dude with muscles and as much ego as him. For a long while, I actually thought he and Jacobs had a thing going on. Not that I’ve given Grant’s love life much thought.
Grant’s at the bar, and I slap his back as I approach.
“What’s up, man? When do you leave?”
He turns to me with a wide smile. “Next week. Zach and I are driving up and spending the summer getting acquainted with the city.”