Page 24

Byron

I don’t know why I always have to be the responsible housemate but here I am making Aaron and Marcus’ coffees.

We still must have been drunk from Fall Fest when we decided we wanted to watch film before practice. I know I definitely could have used the extra sleep.

“I don’t know what these two are going to do without me next year,” I murmur to myself. I slide coffee on to the counter, pulling out almond milk for Marcus and half and half for Aaron.

I have been these kids’ sudo mom for the last three years. Being raised by a single mom who works nights, you are forced to become self-sufficient at a young age.

So thanks for that, Dad.

I hear them before I see them. Heavy steps shake the house. I set their coffees on the kitchen table and grab my backpack.

Somehow, even with me making their morning as easy as possible, I’m still the first one outside waiting for Aaron to unlock his car.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and start looking over my disregarded texts.

There’s a text from mom and a few from the group chat with Jalen and his parents, but nothing from Lola.

My thumbs are kind of large. Maybe I opened the message by accident. Our thread is the same as it was on Sunday at five o’clock.

Me:

Hey Lowy, thanks for letting me cross something off my friendship list ?? Want to get together this week to work on the final menu? We have our first game on Tuesday, so I think Wednesday or Thursday would be best.

I sent the message Sunday night after we got home from Fall Fest. It’s not like Lola to not answer. I know she doesn’t like the nickname, but that can’t be the reason that she isn’t answering me. Right?

“Have you heard from Indy since we’ve been back?” I ask Marcus once he pulls out of the driveway.

“Yeah, I went over there last night.”

“You did?” I ask too quickly. Luckily my half groggy friends don’t notice the anxiety in my voice.

“It was late, after the Monday Night Football game ended. I wasn’t planning on going over, but Indy texted me that she found a spider in her room and needed me to kill it,” His voice grows annoyed.

“Those three girls are some of the most fearless badasses I know, and not one of them can kill a spider.”

I used to get those texts when Ivy and Indy had away games. I miss those texts.

“Why?” Marcus asks me as we wait at a four way stop sign.

“Why what?”

“Why are you wondering if I’ve spoken to Indy?”

“Um,” I clear my throat. “I texted Lola on Sunday after we got back and asked if she wanted to do some work on our project this week, and I haven’t heard back,” I say while shrugging my shoulders. The uneasiness in my stomach finally settles, knowing that she is okay.

I watch Marcus’ mouth open before snapping back shut. I can practically see the gears turning in his head.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I snap. It’s too early to grovel with niceties.

“Umm, Lola’s been in Hamilton the last couple of days. Dalton made it official this weekend.” It comes out like one long word.

“Oh,” I stop myself, take a deep breath to regroup. “As long as he treats her well, I am happy for her.”

My friends look at me, eyes pinched.

“Really?” Aaron asks.

No, I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“I’ve known Dalton for a long time,” I say with a shrug. “And if one thing is true, he’ll let his true colors show eventually. Lola needs to know I support her decisions. When he inevitably hurts her, like I watched him do every girl he dated throughout high school, I’ll be there for her.”

Aaron’s mouth hangs open, and I reach over the center console and push it back up.

“It’s too early for this shit. Just get me to The Riley Center,” I say wryly. It’s a half-truth, they don’t need to know how bad I’m hurting. Nobody likes a sad class clown.

“One and ohhhhh babyyyyy!”

The southern drawl of our goalie, Eric Webber, carries through the bar. He just gave an epic toast to our first win of the season. Since it is a Tuesday night and most of the students are home for fall break, we were able to get the whole team into Jasper’s without having to pass back IDs.

They really don’t care if you’re underage, especially if you’re on a sports team. Their only rule is they need to see a license that says you’re twenty-one.

You would think a Tuesday night would mean the bar is dead, but if I learned one thing over the last four years, small towns love two things. Their local sports team and their local watering hole and they’ll support them no matter what day of the week it is.

I’m deep in debate about whether the Bills are going to sweep the Patriots again this season with Sean, our freshman center, when a cool breeze rushes in from the open door.

A pack of girls walk in, and they draw the attention of every guy on the team.

“Do they go to school here?” Sean asks.

“I don’t think so, mostly everyone is home,” Oliver answers, reluctantly taking his eyes off Jasper’s newest patrons.

His gaze turns back to the girls, and when they settle into the open gap between us, he turns on the charm. Unlike his sister, Oliver is a people person, and people gravitate to him. He’s charming, and the leggy brunette to my left isn’t immune.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” the blonde to my left mumbles under her breath.

“I can’t blame her. Oliver is pretty charming.” I inform her before taking a sip of my rum and coke.

“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s that or if she is a sucker for any guy with dark hair and blue eyes.” She puts her phone in her purse and pulls out a mint tin.

“I’m Avery, by the way. Want one?” She flips the open tin toward me.

Sorry I’m more of a gum person.

“I’m good, thanks.” I scoot further into the booth and pat the seat next to me. “Why don’t you take a seat? It looks like you might be here awhile.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude. This just happens every time we go somewhere.”

I offer her a beer from the bucket Oliver ordered. It’s the least he can do.

She takes one before looking over the rest of the group she walked in with. They’re all perched at a booth next to some of my teammates.

“Hi, Avery, I’m Byron. Do you want something stronger than that beer?” I tilt my head to her friend who is already making herself at home in Oliver’s lap. “It looks like we’re gonna be in need of some new friends tonight.”

It’s been a while since I flirted with anyone who wasn’t Lola. It feels kinda nice.

She does a quick scan of the now near-empty bar. It seems like everyone else coupled up.

She flags down the bartender with a small wave and orders two lemon drop shots and a pineapple tequila.

“I’ll take one of those two.”

“You will?”

“Don’t let the tattoos and biceps fool you. It would be easy to confuse my drink order with a sorority girl’s.”

Her airy laugh is refreshing. A reminder that there was a time not too long ago when I set out to charm a different girl every weekend. Lola’s made her decision, maybe it’s time I make mine.

“Are you a student at Westvale?”

Avery’s face is still puckered from the tangy shot when she answers, “I graduated last May and am a special education teacher at the elementary school.”

“That’s amazing.” I rest my arm on the booth behind her.

“The hockey program I work with back home started a Special Olympics team. I try to go home to coach as many of their games as possible.”

After a few minutes of getting to know you questions Avery’s friend pulls her away to the bathroom.

“Hey By,” Indy says in an annoyed tone I’m not quite understanding. She is standing in front of the booth, arms crossed over her chest.

“Hey Indy, Marcus is at the normal booth with the guys.”

Her eyes twinkle the way they always do when you mention her boyfriend. She abruptly grabs her drink and leaves.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Indy?”

It’s like time stops. The universe loves having a good laugh at my expense.

Perched up on a barstool, her legs hanging freely. Hands are thrown up over her head. Lola’s normal all black outfit is replaced by dark wash jeans and Oliver’s hockey sweater.

“What did you think was going to happen Lo?” Indy turns back towards Lola, shrugging her shoulders before prancing off to sit with Marcus.

“Well,” she huffs. Taking extra aggressive chomps of her gum. “I thought she would at least wait until I got my rum and coke.” She taps her credit card down on the bar a couple of times, trying to get the bartender’s attention.

“Put that away. I’ll just put it on my tab.”

I wave at redheaded beauty behind the bar at the same time Lola says, “You don’t have to do that.”

“Two rum and cokes, and whatever she wants goes on my tab,” I tell the bartender. Making it clear Lola doesn’t pay for a drink the rest of the night.

“Ehmm.”

“Oh, sorry, Avery.”

My cheeks go red. I take a step back. I’d rather be sitting in the penalty box than standing in the middle of these two.

“This is Lola, one of my closest friends.”

Imagine my shock when Lola jumps off the barstool and tells Avery she’s a hugger. I’d love to know when that happened. Lola is the most apprehensive person when it comes to letting new people into the group.

Avery doesn’t know that so when they realize they keep their horses at the same barn, I’m sure she thinks she just found herself a new bff.

I tap my drink to the bar in time with the pop song playing. Waiting to be asked to join the conversation.

I can’t even harmlessly flirt without Lola injecting herself into my life. She’s everywhere, always.

“No Dalton tonight?” I blurt out before handing my empty glass to the bartender for a refill.

Lola’s head snaps back as I try to insert myself into the conversation.

“Um, they have a late practice and are leaving for an away game early tomorrow.”

“What a shame. I would have loved to see him tonight.” I offer her a tight smile.

Lola rolls her eyes. After they take a full rotation, they light up.

Lola puts her hand on top of Avery’s.

“Why don’t you guys join us for a double date when he gets back on Friday? We were already planning on getting dinner.”

Avery looks at me, I shrug my shoulders and mouth, why not .

“Okay, I’m down if you are Byron.” She says keeping her eyes locked on me.

Lola’s body sags. Whatever she had planned has clearly been foiled. Lola gets Avery’s number before I can, already planning a trip to the barn.

When Lola leaves the bar to find the rest of our friends, I order Avery and me another round of drinks.

“I would love it if you came Friday, but don’t feel pressured to.”

“No, I want to come. I think it would be a lot of fun.” Avery looks down at her watch. “It’s getting late. I should get going. My Uber is almost here.”

I take my flannel off and rest over her shoulders. “I’ll wait with you.”

The nights are starting to get cold, but nights like tonight when there isn’t a cloud in the sky I’m happy I chose this small town to spend my college years.

“You never see stars like this in the city.” I’m always amazed how they just pepper the sky.

“It’s like we are in a snow globe.” She looks up in total awe. “It’s crazy how small it makes you feel.”

“Yeah, it makes you feel like your problems aren’t so big.”

She nods, I stand behind her and pull her back to my chest. We’re both lost in the sky when a red minivan pulls into the parking lot.

Avery jolts forward before looking down at her phone. “That’s me.” She bites her bottom lip.

I reach out and pull her into a hug. When she pulls away her eyes lock on my lips. I spin her around and open the car door for her.

“Text me when you get back.” I close the door and watch the car until the car fades into the darkness.

“Dude, Oliver just left with that hot teacher.” Aaron is playing a game of pool. He is standing maybe ten feet behind the booth but screams when he sees me sitting with our friends.

Lola, rolls her eyes. I’m honestly shocked she’s able to sit here and just listen to us casually bringing up her brother’s sex life.

“I like Avery. She seems really sweet.” Lola tells me, turning the torture on me.

“Yeah she’s looking forward to Friday.”

I don’t think I am.