Alec's POV
I stood there until she walked into one of the classes.
"Oooo, so you like nerds now?"
I spun around and lo and behold, venessa carter, my ex.
Wearing the most mini skirt known to mankind and her lips painted full blown red that could stop traffic.
I am really not in the mood for a banter today so I keep walking not minding her.
"Don't you have anything better to do Vanessa ?"
She trailed behind me like a shadow that refused to go away "Oh come on, see the way you looked at her. You don't even look at me that way"
I didn't look back, but I could imagine her pouting in that maniacally pathetic and manipulative way she always did. God, I used to fall for that.
I stopped at my locker. "What part of ex, don't you understand, Vanessa?" I twirl the lock and it clicks open. "Who I am interested in or talking to is none of your business"
She leaned against the locker beside mine, tilting her head with a mischievous grin on her face "I heard she's a virgin"
My fingers froze on the lock.
Of course, she'd go there. Vanessa always knew how to poison a thought and make it linger.
I shut the locker with a slam, leaning close enough for her to flinch. "You should really stop listening to hallway gossip."
Her smile didn't falter. "You won't last a week without finding out if it's true."
"First," I said, leaning on the locker, my hockey stick in one hand "you really don't know a damn thing about me. And secondly," I started waking away "I am late for hockey practice"
"Whatever, banister," she called from behind me.
I stopped on my tracks and turned to face her "One more thing, leave her alone venessa"
I smirked, winked, and walked out leaving her standing, arms folded and obviously annoyed.
The rink always smelled like sweat, rubber, and cold metal. A mix that usually cleared my head but not today.
I'd been skating laps for the last fifteen minutes, but my mind wasn't here.
It kept circling back to Vanessa's voice "I heard she's a virgin.
I clenched my jaw, slamming the puck harder than I meant to. It bounced off the boards with a loud sound that echoed off the empty arena walls.
Great. Now the guys were staring.
"Yo, Banister, you good?" one of the forwards called out.
"Yeah," I muttered, skating past him. "Just practicing my aim."
Liar.
I wasn't thinking about aim. I was thinking about her.
Samantha. Tutor girl. Her nervous laugh and her habit of always biting her lower lip. I kept replaying Vanessa's words. It doesn't matter. It wasn't my business.
Just like Vanessa to push the wrong buttons every damn time.
I dragged the stick across the ice, breathing out slowly, trying to shake it off.
"Banister, take five," Coach yelled from the bench.
Good idea.
I tossed my stick aside and skated toward the locker room, pulling off my gloves. My chest heaved from the run and my brain was foggy from the many thoughts running through it.
I was reaching for my water bottle when my phone buzzed in my buffle.
Dad.
The name alone made my stomach flip.
I hesitated before answering. My thumb hovered over the screen for a little too long "Yeah?"
"You at practice?"
I hesitated before answering "yeah"
Then there was a pause.
"Hello," I said, getting uncomfortable.
"If you put half as much energy into your grades as you do into that game, maybe we wouldn't be getting calls from your advisor again."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Dad, I'm working on it. I just…"
"No, Alec. I don't want to hear you're working on it. I want to see results. You're wasting your potential hanging around that rink all the time."
I clenched my jaw. "My grades aren't even that bad."
He laughed. "Not that bad is not good enough. I have a company to run. Is this how you are going to take over from me?"
"I'm not even sure I want…" I caught myself. No point saying it. I remained silent.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I muttered.
"You know the deal, no scholarship without the grades. You think I'm paying for college just so you can coast?"
I sighed. "I said I'll fix it. Just give me…"
"You've had enough chances," he snapped. "Either pull your grades up this term or you can forget hockey altogether. End of story."
"Dad…"
Click.
He hung up.
Whatever I did was never enough for him.
Never.
A wave of anger surged through me, and I threw my phone back into my bag and grabbed my stick.
The next puck I fired hit the boards so hard it cracked.
Oops. I think I broke a window, and if things don't fall in place I might break something else too.
Alec's POV
I stood there until she walked into one of the classes.
"Oooo, so you like nerds now?"
I spun around and lo and behold, venessa carter, my ex.
Wearing the most mini skirt known to mankind and her lips painted full blown red that could stop traffic.
I am really not in the mood for a banter today so I keep walking not minding her.
"Don't you have anything better to do Vanessa ?"
She trailed behind me like a shadow that refused to go away "Oh come on, see the way you looked at her. You don't even look at me that way"
I didn't look back, but I could imagine her pouting in that maniacally pathetic and manipulative way she always did. God, I used to fall for that.
I stopped at my locker. "What part of ex, don't you understand, Vanessa?" I twirl the lock and it clicks open. "Who I am interested in or talking to is none of your business"
She leaned against the locker beside mine, tilting her head with a mischievous grin on her face "I heard she's a virgin"
My fingers froze on the lock.
Of course, she'd go there. Vanessa always knew how to poison a thought and make it linger.
I shut the locker with a slam, leaning close enough for her to flinch. "You should really stop listening to hallway gossip."
Her smile didn't falter. "You won't last a week without finding out if it's true."
"First," I said, leaning on the locker, my hockey stick in one hand "you really don't know a damn thing about me. And secondly," I started waking away "I am late for hockey practice"
"Whatever, banister," she called from behind me.
I stopped on my tracks and turned to face her "One more thing, leave her alone venessa"
I smirked, winked, and walked out leaving her standing, arms folded and obviously annoyed.
The rink always smelled like sweat, rubber, and cold metal. A mix that usually cleared my head but not today.
I'd been skating laps for the last fifteen minutes, but my mind wasn't here.
It kept circling back to Vanessa's voice "I heard she's a virgin.
I clenched my jaw, slamming the puck harder than I meant to. It bounced off the boards with a loud sound that echoed off the empty arena walls.
Great. Now the guys were staring.
"Yo, Banister, you good?" one of the forwards called out.
"Yeah," I muttered, skating past him. "Just practicing my aim."
Liar.
I wasn't thinking about aim. I was thinking about her.
Samantha. Tutor girl. Her nervous laugh and her habit of always biting her lower lip. I kept replaying Vanessa's words. It doesn't matter. It wasn't my business.
Just like Vanessa to push the wrong buttons every damn time.
I dragged the stick across the ice, breathing out slowly, trying to shake it off.
"Banister, take five," Coach yelled from the bench.
Good idea.
I tossed my stick aside and skated toward the locker room, pulling off my gloves. My chest heaved from the run and my brain was foggy from the many thoughts running through it.
I was reaching for my water bottle when my phone buzzed in my buffle.
Dad.
The name alone made my stomach flip.
I hesitated before answering. My thumb hovered over the screen for a little too long "Yeah?"
"You at practice?"
I hesitated before answering "yeah"
Then there was a pause.
"Hello," I said, getting uncomfortable.
"If you put half as much energy into your grades as you do into that game, maybe we wouldn't be getting calls from your advisor again."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Dad, I'm working on it. I just…"
"No, Alec. I don't want to hear you're working on it. I want to see results. You're wasting your potential hanging around that rink all the time."
I clenched my jaw. "My grades aren't even that bad."
He laughed. "Not that bad is not good enough. I have a company to run. Is this how you are going to take over from me?"
"I'm not even sure I want…" I caught myself. No point saying it. I remained silent.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I muttered.
"You know the deal, no scholarship without the grades. You think I'm paying for college just so you can coast?"
I sighed. "I said I'll fix it. Just give me…"
"You've had enough chances," he snapped. "Either pull your grades up this term or you can forget hockey altogether. End of story."
"Dad…"
Click.
He hung up.
Whatever I did was never enough for him.
Never.
A wave of anger surged through me, and I threw my phone back into my bag and grabbed my stick.
The next puck I fired hit the boards so hard it cracked.
Oops. I think I broke a window, and if things don't fall in place I might break something else too.