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Chapter Two

Xander

Coach had been killing our asses on the rink, making us work twice as hard and I didn't mind it one bit. I knew we could use it, especially with the home games coming up. Hockey was my life, and I had every intention of going pro. Thankfully, I was already halfway there with the scouts of NHL keeping a close eyes on me. Ego aside, I was really good. 

So fucking good. 

And these fuckers knew it.

"That's my man," Wade said, holding up his hand for a high five. "You killed it out there."

"Don't I always?" I winked, slapping his hand.

He shook his head, smirking. "Come on, coach wants a word."

Didn't he always after a game?

I followed Wade, heading off the ice and into the locker room, where the rest of the team was already gathering. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and that sharp, familiar scent of the rink. Guys were pulling off helmets, tossing them aside, and chugging water like they'd been stranded in the desert. The room buzzed with post-practice energy, half the team still running on adrenaline, the other half completely wiped out.

The guys turned their heads, grinning when they saw me. A few of them stood up, coming over to fist bump me as I passed by.

"Nice work out there, Cap," Blake said, bumping his knuckles against mine.

"Gotta set the bar high," I smirked, returning each fist bump as I made my way toward my spot. They knew the drill—if I was on fire, we all had to be. And today, I wasn't letting anyone slack off.

Coach cleared his throat, drawing our attention as the last of us settled in. His eyes scanned the room, making sure he had everyone's focus before he started.

"Alright, listen up," he began, his tone serious but not harsh. "Some of you might have already heard, but starting today, a few students from Green Hill will be transferring here to Riverside."

I felt a flicker of annoyance at the mention of Green Hill. The memory of their cocky grins and cheap shots during games made my jaw clench. Still, Coach's next words eased the tension a bit.

"No hockey players, though," he added, almost like he knew exactly where our minds were going. "Just regular students."

That didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I didn't hate Green-Hill. How could I? I was born there and raised until I turned sixteen until my dad got a job offer which meant moving to Riverside. The one thing I hated in Green Hill was their hockey team—those guys were complete assholes on and off the ice. They played dirty and walked around like they owned the rink. I had friends in Green-Hill and I left without saying shit to them. I didn't know why, to be honest. I guessed part of me thought saying goodbye would be hard, and saying goodbye to her would had felt worse. I couldn't do that to her and she probably hated me now. I wouldn't blame her if she did.

I leaned back against my locker, arms crossed, smirking to myself at the fact that Green-Hill's hockey players won't be walking in these halls, "Good thing, Coach. We don't need their bad habits rubbing off on us."

A few of the guys chuckled, nodding in agreement.

Coach's expression shifted slightly, a little more serious as he continued. "So, starting from today, you'll be seeing new faces around these halls."

The guys around me exchanged looks, some murmuring in surprise. I stayed quiet, but it didn't really matter to me. As long as none of those Green Hill hockey players were around to stink up the locker room, I was good. Still, I couldn't help but think about that one girl, my once best-friend. If she was amongst the students transferred here, would I be able to stay away from her? Then, my thoughts went back on the Hockey players- the way they talked trash, played dirty, and thought they were unbeatable when they fucking weren't. They were trash, and I never forgot to remind them just how much.

I smiled at the memories.

Once I punched one of these motherfuckers and broke his nose. He cried like a little bitch.

Unbeatable, my ass.

Coach paused, eyes narrowing on a few of the guys who were still talking. "And I don't want to hear any of you giving them a hard time. They're here now, and we don't need to start any shit. Got it?"

I nodded slightly, catching the gaze of a few teammates who were looking for my reaction. "Yeah, Coach, no problem. As long as none of those hockey jerks show up, we'll play nice."

A few of the guys chuckled, but I could tell we were all on the same page. Green Hill's hockey team wasn't welcome here, and thankfully, that wasn't going to be a problem.

"Come on, brother," Grayson nudged me as I ran a finger through my hair. "We gotta go."

I raised a brow, fixing my shirt. "Where?"

He looked at me as if I was stupid. "We have class, Xander."

Oh, right. We did.

"Go, I'll come in a few. I gotta call my mom."

That wasn't a lie. I really had to call my mom.

Grayon shot me a skeptical look, his brow raised like he wasn't buying a word of it. He stood there for a second, arms crossed, waiting for something more. I knew that look all too well- he wasn't leaving without proof.

With an exaggerated sigh, I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I landed on my mother's. Without a word, I shoved it in his face. "There. Satisfied?"

He glanced at the screen, his expression softening just a bit, though I could still see a trace of doubt. After a beat, he shook his head and finally turned to leave.

"Better be telling the truth," he muttered as he walked off.

"You know me. I wouldn't ditch that class. I love biology," I joked, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Grayson stopped for a second, glancing back with a smirk. "Yeah, right," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're more likely to miss class just to hang out at the rink."

I shrugged, not even bothering to argue. He wasn't wrong.

Hockey always came first- but I could pull off a convincing lie when I needed to.

Once he was nowhere in sight, I leaned back against my locker again and finally called my mom.

"Hey sweetie," my mother's voice came through the phone, soft but laced with exhaustion.

"Hey, mom," I replied, trying to keep my tone light. "What are you doin'?"

What are you doing?" She scolded gently and I had to bite down on my lower lip to keep from smiling. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Had to check in on you first."

I could hear her sigh from the other end. "You don't have to check on me 24/7, Xander. Your father's here for me, you know?"

"I know, I know," I sighed, throwing my head against the locker and stared at the ceiling. "I can't help it."

I really couldn't fucking help it.

A week ago, I had gotten a phone call from my dad minutes before a match and we lost because my head wasn't in the game. Coach pulled me back that day, asked me what was wrong with me and when I told him my mom had a fucking heart attack, he understood. He gave me permission to drive back home that night and I stayed with my mom. Ever since, I'd been on edge.

Her voice brightened just a bit and I could practically hear her smile. "The doctor said I can go home today. Will you come visit me this weekend?"

This time, I didn't even try to hide the smile that spread across my face. "Of course, I'll be there Saturday."

"Good," she said, her tone warm. "See you then, sweetheart. Now get to class."

"Alright. See ya, mom." I waited, as always, for her to hang up first. Once she did, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and headed to biology.