The Puck Bunny

Thirty-Five

"I told you I'm not going Coop" Fraser's voice came once I knocked. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not taking no for an answer Peacock"

I could feel his hesitation through the door. He would not have been expecting me to be the one knocking and trying to convince him to come to a party.

"I'm not going Pruitt" He replied after a while.

"Give me a good reason and I'll fuck off"

"Because I don't want to?" He said, but it came out like a question.

"Too bad Peacock, not good enough. Throw some clean jeans on and get your ass out here"

"God, what part of no don't you understand-" He began as he opened the door. He cut himself short when he saw me, however, and I had to smirk.

"Lexi helped herself to my hair and face. I am not going to all this effort for a party if all of my friends aren't going to be there. Come on"

"Not tonight, please not tonight" He muttered, holding his head.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm just not a party guy and I wish people would stop fucking trying to make me into one"

"No one's making you anything except you making yourself into a jerk" He folded his arms, like he was ready to give me a piece of his mind. I rolled my eyes and spoke before he had the chance.

"Look, I know crowds aren't your thing. I get it. Do you think looking like this is mine? But this is a chance to let go and stop feeling like a college student for a night. No assignments or responsibilities, no hockey. Just a night with your friends playing beer pong and living it up. Please, just go?" He sighed and looked down before looking back to me.

"What if I have a terrible time?"

"Oh please, I'll get you so drunk you won't even know what a terrible time is. Until you wake up tomorrow with an awful hangover. Come on Peacock, let loose" I could tell he still wanted to say no, so I tried one last thing. If he said no now, I wouldn't waste my breath and would go join my friends at the party without him

"I thought you said you'd beat us all at beer pong?" I felt a small smile curl on my lips as he looked me dead in the eye and huffed, shutting his door.

I couldn't help it. I let my face fall, shaking my head and walking away from his room, towards the elevator.

I was almost about to press the button when I heard a door open and close, Fraser jogging to catch up with me.

"I'm going to kick your ass one day, you know that Skater?" I was beaming.

"Bring it on" I responded as we made our way to the party.

We got there fairly quickly and made our way inside. I spotted some of the hockey guys in the kitchen so I grabbed Fraser's hand and lead him through the people to get a drink. I felt him stop walking for a second, as though he was processing me grabbing his hand. I shrugged at him and he nodded as we kept walking to the kitchen.

"You actually made him come? I underestimated you Pruitt" Scott said as I shrugged. Luke and Shayna were standing with him, Shayna was desperately trying to get his attention, while Luke yearned for mine. I watched him look at me, then Fraser and then back to me. I knew he had seen me take Fraser's hand but tonight was not the night and I'd have no trouble telling him that if he tried to escalate things. I looked back to Scott.

"Wasn't hard, you guys act like he's impossible to convince"

"Can you two stop talking like he can't hear you?" Fraser interjected and I rolled my eyes and made him a drink, handing it to him.