Page 43 of The Substitute

“Yuppers. I crochet and shit.” He crosses his arms and looks around at the team with a smile. I follow his gaze and see everyone holding a jumbled-up pile of yarn? This is not answering any questions.

“You don’t crochet while you shit, though, right?” someone asks from the back of the room.

“Not anymore! I can’t risk rope burn on my dangly bits again!”

Again?!

Lancelot puts his hand on my shoulder. “Good luck, Captain.”

I can’t do this.

I pull my phone out of my locker to text Tobi about being made captain and somehow his brother’s guardian but stop myself. The last thing he wants to hear about is his brother or hockey.

Fuck.

By the time practice is almost over, I’m convinced Teddy and Tobi are not related. Talk about opposites. One of them has to be adopted. The entire practice, Teddy has been talking or making noises. Nothing that’s abnormal for goalies, since they’re a weirdbunch, but there’s no overlap in personality at all. Even Savage and I have some overlap from growing up in the same house.

“I didn’t have enough Oreos today,” Teddy announces as he takes his helmet off and grabs his water bottle from the top of the net.

I know I shouldn’t ask. I know I should ignore it, but I can’t.

“What?”

“I’m hungry.” Teddy squirts more water in his mouth. “Not enough pre-practice Oreos. I ran out of them after breakfast.”

“You eat cookies for breakfast?” What the hell kind of collegiate athlete eats cookies for breakfast regularly?

“What else am I supposed to eat with my Red Bull?” He has the nerve to look at me like I’m the crazy one. “Sometimes, I eat eggs or toast or whatever, but cookies are the best to get my body ready.”

Shredder picks up his gloves. “Why are you asking him questions about food? He’s a human trash panda.”

“But how is he fueling his body?!” I can’t hide my horror.

Shredder shrugs. “Goalie magic, bro. Don’t question it. You should know this.”

I’ve spent most of my life questioning a damn goalie just to annoy him.

“Ambrosey!” Teddy yelling my name is slightly terrifying. “I have something for you after practice.”

Everyone chuckles nervously and side-eyes each other.

“Uh, what is it?”

“A good luck charm,” he says with all the seriousness of a national secret.

That means I’m fucked. Whatever it is, I have to keep it and probably bring it to games. I groan internally but force a smile to my face. “Sounds great, Tendy.”

Blondie skates up to me and whispers, “Don’t try to eat it.”

I’m not touching that one.

Coach blows the whistle and tells us to get showered.

I still want more insight into Tobi, and since he barely leaves the dorm, Teddy is my only option.

Once the big guy is out of the shower, I’m dressed but antsy. He gives me a knowing look and strides to his cubby with his towel over his shoulder.

“I knew you’d be too excited to leave before you got it.” Teddy digs through his bag and then hands me a little green box with a removable lid. Whatever it is, it’s small since the box fits in the palm of his hand.