Page 6 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)
BEAR
BETTER OFF
I took my time exploring Marrs University. It was way bigger than North Dakota and everything was dedicated to football. Romans banners were draped over the limestone buildings and Romans t-shirts made the sidewalks a sea of dark blue. It was different from what I was used to.
North Dakota had a great football program, but hockey shined.
We were USAC champions, my teammates competed in the Olympics.
My teammates and I were gods on campus. Here, the student body didn’t know the Gladiators existed.
If I asked someone what the TIHCC was, they’d probably think it was a disease. Nobody knew us.
Nobody knew me.
I shuffled among the people walking by, feeling like a ghost.
A ghost who needed to get laid.
Thankfully Clarissa was down to meet at Gianna’s, a girl I matched with on a hookup app. The senior volleyball player didn’t even know Marrs had a hockey team. Waiting for her on the bench outside, I swiped through profiles for whoever I’d take out this weekend.
flower child
looking for a good time not a long time
The profile purposely cut out her face, but it was June.
I had no idea how I knew, but there was no doubt in my mind. The shape of her thighs in the mini skirt, the curve of her neck, even her hands in some of the photos…definitely June. I leaned forward, checking out her profile.
Favorite TV Show?
you dont need to know this dm me with your test results
Something that defines you?
dm me with your test results
Your love language?
dm me with your test results or dont message me
I chuckled. “Homecoming queen’s looking for her next victim.”
Part of me wanted to swipe on her just to piss her off, but that was stupid. I didn’t want anything to do with her. And antagonizing June seemed like the best way to get my dick cut off.
“Bear?”
I glanced up to see Clarissa. A grin crossed my face. “Hey.”
“I’m Clarissa. Not the girl whose profile you’re staring at.”
“Oh, shit.” I shoved my phone in my back pocket. “Sorry, that’s not nice.”
She snickered. “I’m messing with you.”
“Can I buy you a pizza to apologize?”
“Yes, you can.”
I pulled open the door to Gianna’s . It was a mix between a dive bar and a diner, crammed with booths and tables being shuffled around for the lunch rush.
Once again, dark blue met me. A line of Romans bobbleheads sat on the bar and there were Romans jerseys pinned up across the wall.
It was so stupid that we had a different mascot and a different jersey color.
It made our absence so damn noticeable. Nothing purple, nothing Gladiators.
We took our place in a busy line and Clarissa waved at someone in the corner.
Goddammit.
June hung by the takeout counter, a Romans t-shirt clinging to her like it wanted to show her off. My eyes trailed down until I realized she caught me. Her face twisted in disgust. I started to say something, but she mouthed no! and hurried to grab a bag off the counter.
Clarissa’s voice cut in. “Am I missing something between you and June?”
“You know June?” I asked, finally tearing my eyes away from her.
“You’re definitely not from around here,” she giggled. “Everyone knows June Basil.”
“Hey, Clarissa,” June said simply before pointing at me on her way out. “Don’t talk to me, Bear.”
“Go crash a golf cart,” I retorted.
She threw up her middle finger and I easily matched it, to the shock of Clarissa.
“I’m clearly missing something.”
“How do you know her?” I asked, craning my neck to watch June.
“It’d be hard to find someone who doesn’t know June. Her dad’s Freddie Basil, June was homecoming queen, her ex is King, one of the stars on the Romans?—”
“That’s the guy with the tattoos and the scars and shit?”
“Yeah. I think he has some kind of vow of silence thing? I don’t know. He doesn’t speak, like, ever,” Clarissa said. “The two of them were always together, I can’t believe they broke up.”
By the door, people caught June’s attention—she quickly squeezed shoulders, wrapped others in hugs, and listened to whatever they had to say. She was like a celebrity. They parted for her but reached out to touch, to bring her into their circle, trying to convince her to stay a little while longer.
A flash went off next to me. Not at June, at me .
Clarissa blushed bright red. “Wow, it’s my turn to apologize, I’m so sorry?—”
I tried to shake it off. “You could’ve warned me. I would’ve smiled.”
“My friends won’t believe I’m on a date with you,” she blurted out.
“Big hockey fans?”
The blush darkened and I waited a couple of seconds, holding on to the hope that was what she was talking about. Come on. Please. Just one date without the reminder. But the longer the awkward silence stretched, the more I knew it wasn’t my power play goals that had her friends excited.
“The videos were great,” she whispered. “You did a public service with them. Usually guys are so quiet but you’re so vocal, you literally made dirty talk ASMR.” She licked her lips, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.
“I have them all downloaded on my laptop, my friends and I swapped them for weeks.”
My throat tightened, throttling any response. I wanted to ask her to delete the picture she took but yeah—like that’d happen. Sure. Right. I shrugged on my jacket. I didn’t want pizza or any more time with Clarissa.
“Bear?”
I shook my head. “Whatever.”
“Did I say something wrong? It’s a compliment?—”
“Thanks. Glad you enjoyed yourself,” I said sarcastically. “Click the like button and subscribe for more.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you?—”
“And I didn’t mean to waste my time.”
I had to double-back around the line to leave, shouldering my way through a crowd that didn’t part for me like June. Because I wasn’t a celebrity like her. I didn’t belong at Marrs, I didn’t have a place here.
“Bear,” Denali called, trying to motion me over to join him and Elijah for lunch. I ignored them and kept pushing.
Denali and Elijah were my teammates, they weren’t my friends. I learned how much your team could kick you when you were down. I wasn’t interested in spending time with the Michigan forward who’d do anything to get a stupid captain badge or the dirtiest player in college hockey.
Fuck ‘em. I was better off on my own.