Page 9 of The Play Maker

“I am fine. Doesn’t mean I want to tutor you.”

“Why not?” I frown, genuinely confused.

She chuckles. It sounds bitter, but still a cute sound as she turns those way-too-blue eyes on me.Jesus. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them. “I know who you are.”

A grin spreads across my face. “Thank you.”

“Wasn’t a compliment,” she replies dryly.

She turns, heading farther down the hall, and my grin falters.

“Wait. You’re really not gonna tutor me?”

“Nope.”

“Just because I hit you in the head by accident?”

“That has nothing to do with it. I just don’t want to. That’s the good thing about free will.” She tosses me one last glance. “Are you going to follow me into the locker room, or can I get changed?”

I slow to a stop, watching as she pushes the door open and disappears inside.

Fuck. She was my one shot at getting back on the ice, and I fucking blew it—again.

With my tail tucked between my legs, I trudge back toward the rink, where Coach is watching me.

“She okay?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah. She just went to get changed.”

He grunts in acknowledgment, then blows his whistle, making the guys switch directions. I sigh, dragging myself to the bleachers, my gaze flicking toward where Maisie had been sitting.

That’s when I spot something on the ground.

I frown, pushing up from my seat and walking over. Bending down, I pick up a small, familiar rectangle. AniPod.

Who the hell still uses an iPod?

Flipping it over, I see the back is covered in tiny stickers, mostly music-related, a few figure skating related ones and one that just saysfuck offin pretty cursive. Huh. Seems fitting.

I clutch it in my hand, my lips tipping up into a smirk.

Guess I have a reason to talk to her again.

And convince her to tutor me.

2

MAISIE

I’m in love with someone who doesn’t exist.

Alright, he does exist. I just don’t know who he is.

And I guess I’m not inlovewith him. But I like him… a lot.

Which is kind of ridiculous, considering I don’t even know what he looks like. I don’t know his name, or if he even goes to the same school as me.

I guess I don’t need to know in this little space we’ve created. There are no expectations, no awkward small talk, no pretending to be someone I’m not. Just endless conversations with someone who somehow always knows exactly what to say.