Page 14

14

Nick

November

C aleb and I are friends now.

Kind of.

The pranks have stopped, at least, and he no longer scowls each time I’m in the room. He’s back to bringing me sweets from the café, and we’ve played a few rounds of Mario Party since making up.

Weirdly, I feel like there’s a huge puzzle piece I’m missing. That night we made up, I got drunk and probably made a fool of myself. I have the vague memory of practically begging him to be my friend, and that’s it.

The drunk memories have morphed together with a recurring dream of me kissing Caleb, and I don’t even know how to tackle that.

I’m a goddamn mess, and at least tonight’s a change of scenery. That’s how I try to see it, anyway. I’m at the children’s hospital for the ribbon cutting of the clinic Dad’s company built, and my nerves are going haywire. I don’t like hospitals. They remind me too much of Mom’s last days.

So here I am, wearing a suit with a tie, entirely out of my element.

“Nice to see you, Nicholas,” Dad’s business partner says. He shakes my hand, and I return the smile he gives me. “I hear you’ll be joining us soon?”

“Yes, I’m graduating this year,” I tell him. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Dad watching us—as if seeing if I’ll be able to hold my own in this conversation. It’s as if I haven’t joined him in these parties before and did exactly what was expected of me—smile, exchange pleasantries, and basically put on a facade.

Caleb’s not wrong when he says I’m a fake, though I owe it to Dad to get through these things for him. Besides, I should get used to it—this is going to be my world soon.

Dad’s partner asks me about Camrose, mostly interested in the professors and campus life. He’s got a son going into college soon, he says, though he hopes he’s going to get a scholarship abroad. I nod along and force myself to listen to his every word.

A woman with a clipboard steps up to us. “Shall we gather around for the ribbon cutting?”

I step beside Dianne, who squeezes my arm as we watch Dad and his partners gather around the ceremonial red ribbon. They stand right in front of the clinic they’ve built, grinning from ear to ear. Save for a few genuine ones, none of their smiles reach their eyes.

Practiced, stiff, and forced. I let out a soft exhale, trying to relieve the pressure in my chest. This is nothing like being out on the ice, where things are unpredictable, fast-paced, and real.

Caleb would lose his mind if he saw all these forced smiles.

God, I’m thinking of my roommate again. Lately, I can’t seem to think of anything else.

One of Dad’s business partners says some words, then all three of them hold a ridiculously large pair of scissors. They pause for some photos, and beside me, Dianne hiccups. I take a moment to realize she’s sniffling, and I wonder if that’s part of the act, too.

Don’t be ungrateful, I tell myself as I recollect myself. They’ve been nothing but nice to you. Dianne treats you like her own son.

The ribbon’s finally cut and there’s a round of applause, more talking, and then the crowd finally disperses to smaller groups. Dad walks up to me and Dianne, wearing a suit that’s probably as expensive as most people’s entire wardrobes.

“Are you all right?” he asks me. “Nicholas, are you spacing out again?”

I force a laugh and shake my head. “Sorry, Dad. Just a bit tired because of this morning’s game.”

“Oh, yes. I wanted to watch it, but we were so busy today. Did you win?”

I nod, and Dad beams as if he’s truly happy for me. I think he is.

He says, “Good. I know how much you love that sport.”

Too bad I only have until this year to play it. Of course, I could still play occasionally and for fun, but it won’t be the same.

I put up a hand as if to loosen my tie, then stop myself. After a moment of hesitation, I ask, “Do you mind if I walk around?”

“Go ahead. You should look at the garden we built on the fifth floor.”

Right, the garden that Caleb mentioned he liked.

Shit. There I go again, thinking of Caleb.

I make my way to the fifth floor, searching for the garden that Dad mentioned. The hospital hallways, as usual, makes my stomach churn. It helps that the vibes here differ from the hospital where my mom stayed, though. Colorful murals of cartoon characters fill the walls, and even the nurses and doctors wear brighter scrubs than in most other hospitals I’ve seen.

Still, it’s a hospital. Nobody wants to be here, including me.

There are sounds of children giggling and laughing, and I follow it to two tall glass doors. It leads to a massive outdoor space with stone pathways, overflowing planters, and benches.

There are some kids with their families, most of them in wheelchairs, but one person instantly catches my attention.

Caleb.

I stare, not sure if I’m actually seeing him. I’ve been sort of obsessing over the guy all week, and maybe I’ve finally lost it.

The guy’s wearing a baseball cap and a sweater, talking to a young girl in a wheelchair. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s around ten years old.

Before I know it, I’m making my way to them. They don’t notice me and Caleb’s cackling as he shows her something on his phone.

I clear my throat. “Caleb?”

He looks over his shoulder, and yes, it’s definitely Caleb. Wide-eyed, Caleb stares at me as if I’m an apparition, then stands up straight. A massive grin spreads across his face, and his reaction floods me with relief.

“Nicky!” he says, way too loudly. A lady across from us shushes him.

“Who’s this?” the young girl he’s with asks.

“Penny, this is Nicky, my annoying roommate. This is my sister, Penny. Short for Penelope.”

I remember him mentioning her, and I give Penny a smile. It only now occurs to me that when Caleb said he was visiting someone at the hospital, he was talking about her. That had been weeks ago, though—she’s been here since then?

Penny doesn’t return my smile and only frowns at me.

“What are you doing here?” Caleb asks, giving me a once-over. “And why do you look like you’re running for the presidency?”

I self-consciously glance down at my suit. It’s not the cheaper and simpler one I use for games, but the expensive one that Dad’s personal tailor made for me. “Uh. I’m here for the new clinic’s ribbon cutting.”

“Oooh, fancy. I didn’t know that was today.” Caleb snickers and waves in my direction. “See, Pen? Told you my roommate’s a billionaire.”

“I’m not,” I mutter. My dad is.

Penny still says nothing and only continues to stare at me. Her resemblance to her brother is uncanny, including the way she scrutinizes me with a look. They have the same light hair, though hers is a lot thinner. The shape of their face is the same, and their eyes are identical. I wonder if she also has green flecks in her eyes? She’s too far away for me to see, and even Caleb’s aren’t easy to spot unless I’m looking too intently.

The way she doesn’t take her gaze off me makes me shift between my feet, and Caleb seems to notice and laughs. He affectionately ruffles her hair, and she relaxes somewhat.

Is she pissed I disturbed them? Shit. I’m sure she doesn’t see him a lot, and I just interrupted the little time they have. I’m about to say that I’m leaving when a nurse opens the door and calls out, “Visitation hours are over, folks.”

“Nooo,” Caleb says dramatically. He grumbles under his breath as he gets behind Penny’s wheelchair, his face contorted in a pout. “Sorry, Pen. Mom should head back, though.”

“Can’t you stay with me tonight?”

“No, sweetheart, I have practice early tomorrow.”

There’s a funny, fluttering sensation in my chest when I hear the nickname he has for his little sister.

“But you had a game this morning!” she whines. “You’re so annoying.”

Caleb flashes a grin at me. “Don’t let her fool you. She loves me.”

I huff out a laugh.

He pushes her wheelchair towards the door, and I don’t move, watching them go. When he’s a few steps away, Caleb turns to me and lifts his eyebrows. “You can’t stay here. They’re going to lock it.”

Caleb seems to be familiar with all the ins and outs of the hospital, and it causes an ache in my chest. I nod and follow them out, immediately transported back into the fluorescent-lit hallways that I hate.

“You bring a car?” Caleb asks me.

“No, my dad’s dropping me off after this thing.”

“You can hitch a ride with me if you want.”

“Ah, yeah. That’ll be great, so it’s less trouble for my dad. I don’t want to bother him too much.”

He gives me an odd look but doesn’t say anything. Shrugging, he pushes Penny’s wheelchair down the hallway. Once we’re in front of what I presume is her room, Caleb spins Penny’s wheelchair around a few times, making loud helicopter noises until a nurse asks him to stop it.

Penny’s giggling though, and as soon as the nurse turns away, he does it again, without the sounds this time.

“I’m going to go let my dad know I’m leaving,” I tell him, because I can tell Penny doesn’t want me here.

“Okay. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

Dad and Dianne are still where I left them. When I tell them I ran into Caleb and that I’m hitching a ride home with him, Dad asks, “Who is your roommate visiting?”

“His sister.”

His eyes widen. “Why?”

I shrug, only then realizing that I don’t know much about Caleb and his family. He knows about my family—because he stalked them—and knows about how I lost my mom. In return, I barely know anything about him.

Is his little sister the reason he transferred to Camrose? Was it to be closer to her?

When I head to the lobby, Caleb’s not there yet. While waiting, I loosen my tie. The damn thing makes me feel as if I’m choked. I take my suit jacket off too, folding it in my arms.

“Nicky!” Caleb calls from behind me, and I turn to him and can’t even stop the goofy grin that spreads across my face. His gaze flickers over my button-down shirt, and for a moment, I think he’s going to tease me about my outfit again. Instead, he looks away and points towards the parking lot. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Nodding, I follow him. We’re silent while we walk, and I rally myself to start a conversation.

“Are you looking forward to our next game?” I ask. “We’re going against your old team.”

“I guess it’ll be nice to see them,” he mumbles. “Feels weird, though.”

“It’s kind of like seeing an old ex,” I joke. When he pulls a face at my teasing, my mouth parts in surprise. “Wait… do you have an ex on your old team?”

“Something like that. At least one guy won’t be happy to see me.”

“Shocker,” I say, keeping my voice light. Still, my insides twist, similar to when I saw him with that guy in our dorm room.

“Was that sarcasm? That sounded like sarcasm.”

I smile in response. “Nah.”

He leads the way to his car, and I’m climbing into the passenger seat when my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen and it’s from a group chat I share with Rhys and Schultz.

Schultz: We’re avenging you, Sandoval. Morgan still has your spare key.

Me: Avenging?

Schultz: Yes, we’re getting back at Jennings for all the pranks he pulled on you!!!

Me: Huh???? Don’t.

Rhys: We’ve got you, buddy.

Schultz: Stop being so nice. We’re already here. LET’S DO THIS!!!

“Sooo, that was my sister,” Caleb says, interrupting how I’m frantically typing a message in the group chat. He awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.

“Is she why you transferred?”

“Yup. She has a rare autoimmune disease, and she’s in and out of the hospital a lot. She’s battling an infection right now, but she should be heading home this week.”

I wince. “I’m sorry.”

Caleb’s frown makes me realize that was the last thing he wants to hear from me.

“Anyway,” he says before I can apologize for apologizing. “Last semester, she collapsed in her bedroom, and they had to rush her to the emergency room. It killed me that I was too far away, and that it took me hours to get to her—and that’s why I transferred. Stupid, really. I should have just gone here from the start. Realistically, I know I can’t always be in the same city, you know? But at least if I go to a school nearby, even if I have to stay at the dorm, at least I’m so much closer most of the time.”

I chew on my lower lip and study him. “Guess it’s a good thing you’re playing for Buffalo, then. Your home rink will still be close to her.”

“Yeah. They’re supposed to sign me after the school year’s over.”

The way he says it doesn’t have his usual conviction. “You’re not confident they will?”

“Nah, they said they’ll surely sign me… but they might send me to the minors first, which pays well, but not as well. Also, it’s my dream to play in the major league, so I need it to happen sooner than later.”

Before I can stop myself, I say, “They’ll definitely send you to the NHL right away. They’d be stupid not to.”

Caleb reaches for me and flicks me in the ear, making me yelp in surprise. I’d probably retaliate if he weren’t driving, though the grin he gives me makes my irritation die a quick death, anyway. For a moment, Caleb meets my stare, and my heart skips a beat. What’s that about?

I chew on my lip. After a moment of hesitation, I ask, “Can I ask you what it’s like?”

“What’s what like?”

“Getting drafted, the development camps, the training… it sounds exciting, and it’d be interesting to know.”

Caleb huffs out a soft, amused laugh. The sound of it makes me relax, and I loosen the grip I have on my thighs. I didn’t even realize I was doing that.

He says, “Yeah, what do you want to know?”