Frozen in Ice

Chapter 19

Luke's POV

Mr King was going on about some project that he wanted us to do. I knew that he was going to have to work with Brynn because Mr King likes to get us to work in groups and that would mean working with Brynn.

I turned to Brynn and I could see that she wasn't pleased that. It wasn't going to be something that we could finish in class so we would have to work on it outside class. I really didn't want to do this but it wasn't worth arguing with Mr King about it.

"I can do some afterschool. Does that work for you?" she asked.

I mentally reviewed my schedule and knew that that wouldn't work. I had school hockey training and a shift at the restaurant. I doubted that I could fit in five minutes of math work. I shook my head and she thought about it more

"What about tomorrow?" she asked and again I shook my head.

"When can you do then?" she almost snapped.

I silently opened my phone calendar and handed it to her. She started to flick through it and I could see her jaw drop a bit.

"The reason I'm usually asleep in class is because I have training and or a shift at the restaurant every day so I don't get home until after one," I explained.

I didn't mean to be rude about it but I had listened to her tell me about my tiredness the whole time I've been here and I really was sick of it. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times and didn't say anything for a minute.

"I guess that we can work over the weekend. I seem to have a couple of hours free after the Peewee game. I could just go home with you," I suggested.

She nodded and we didn't talk much more for the rest of the period. I started to read the material that we have been given so that I completely understood what was going on and what was expected of us.

The bell rang and Brynn reminded me of when we would be working before leaving. I really hadn't wanted to share my schedule with Brynn but hopefully now that I have she won't mock my about having a girlfriend and maybe we could go back to being friends again.

I don't know why I still bothered going into the cafeteria and sitting with the hockey team because it really isn't worth the stress. I guess that I do it because I don't have anywhere else to be and I don't know where else I would sit.

I was lucky this lunch hour that I mostly got ignored by the team so I didn't have to deal with their shit. I was mostly talking to Justin because he was the only one worth talking to. I listened to the conversation that everyone else was having about teams.

It was interesting to listen to them talk about the teams that I haven't played yet and so I get to know what they were like. I was glad to leave once the bell rang but it didn't seem like long before I was seeing them again at the rink.

I changed quickly and started skating around the rink before anyone else got out. Coach was standing just off the ice and he was writing something down. We were running a lot of drills and my thighs were starting to burn.

We were doing a lot of sprints and there were a few people left lying on the ice after training. I skated around the rink a couple of time to calm my heartbeat before heading into the locker room. We had rec training in an hour and my muscles were going to be killing me tomorrow.

It meant that I didn't have much time to hang around in the locker room so I didn't have to deal with as much of their shit. I was just about to leave when someone said something that related to me.

"I heard that the Next One has a new friend."

"Who wants to spend time with him?" someone else asked.

That hurt but I made sure not to show it.

"Yeah, he's started spending time with Brynn."

I didn't get a chance to see who said that because I don't know where he got that from. Brynn and I barely talk so that I a complete lie.

"Are you having fun with Mark's ex?" James asked.

Mark just walked in from talking to Coach and caught the last comment that had been made.

"What is happening?" he asked.

"Brynn and the Next One spending time together," someone explained.

"You can have that slut," Mark teased.

"She sits next to me in Maths so I don't know where any of you found out that we are friends because we aren't. I don't know why it matters anyway," I snapped and headed out.

I heard chattering behind me in the locker room but I slammed the door behind me so I that I could hear it. Instead of heading home like I was planning but I was angry now and so I headed to the rink for rec training and hit some pucks for a while.

I was lucky that no one was using it because I wasn't sure what I would do then. I pulled my uniform back on and headed out onto the ice. My thighs still burned but I felt better getting rid of my anger. The pucks made a satisfying thud which helped as well.

I heard voices heading onto the ice but I continued to hit pucks into the net. A couple of seconds later Jamie, Alex, Matt and Conner skated into my line of sight. I hit one last puck before turning to talk to them.

None of them asked why I was here so early and I was pleased. Instead I got told a story about something extremely stupid. Jamie headed back into the locker to talk to some of the other players and it meant that Matt and Alex had started chasing each other around the rink.

It took five minutes before Jamie could stop them chasing each other and find out what caused this problem. I was only half listening but it something ridiculous but once that was sorted we started training.

I looked a couple of times to see Jamie staring at me but I never said anything about it. Honestly, I didn't really want to talk about it at all. I was used to shit like this. Guys can be complete jerks and I'm the new guy in the situation. It doesn't help that Mark doesn't like me and the rest of the team want to please him.

Once I got off the ice I wanted to lie down and not get up for a week. My whole body was killing me and there was no way that I was going to be able to walk home. My shoulders relaxed as I sat down and I could get my weight off my legs.

Jamie talked to a couple of other guys before sitting down beside me.

"Is your team bothering you again or is it something else?" he asked.

I told him what happened and that I was just angry and wanted to hit some pucks before training. I think that he was about to say something but I heard my phone bing. I pulled it out of my bag to find a message from Mom.

We were planning on having dinner together and she assured me that she could get away from work but she had just texted to tell me that she wouldn't be able to make it. I slumped forward before dumping my phone back in my bag without responding. Unfortunately I was too used to being let down because Mom has work.

"Are you alright?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah, Mom just cancelled on me," I said softly.

"How about you have dinner with me? You look exhausted so I can drop you off later," he promised.

I nodded because I didn't have anything else to do and some company might be nice. We headed out together and Alex joined us but it made the mood lighter and I think that helped me even mpre.

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The Wise One