The Best Defense: A Sports Romance

Tillie

I'm pacing by the front door waiting for all my roommates to finish their glam session.

I don't understand why they need to put this much effort into their image when we are just going to be sat in uncomfortable blue vinyl seats for two hours, not like the team will even notice them. They haven't up until now. Well, minus one of them, so I doubt the gold glitter eyeliner is going to make a difference tonight.

I refuse to admit to any of the girls that our free seats are because I am the daughter of the coach. My dad doesn't advertise it, and I certainly won't. Not because we don't have a good relationship or anything, but because my sister banked on the title and slept her way through the roster when she was in college. So, by the time I was applying for college and got accepted by UBC I decided it would keep me off the hockey teams radar. It's worked out so far. I'm in my third year and as you could guess no hockey players in my life. I don't need to complicate my dad's life, my sister did that enough.

I almost fucked up last night and told Devon my last name, but I shut my mouth before I could slip up. It wouldn't matter too much, my last name is hyphenated and I use my moms last name online. Even if he did want to look me up there's not much to find.

I never told the girls that either, they'd claw my eyes out if they found out I spent time alone with Devon Taylor and didn't make a move. Not like I even wanted to anyways.
Liar.

Okay, maybe. He seems to have finally left me alone. I find myself hoping he just found a new girl to torture. Which sends a resounding wave of guilt through me for even having that thought. It's been a few weeks since he got drunk and decided me looking in the direction of another male was reason enough to give me a few kicks to the side, which resulted in a massive bruise. A bruise I have successfully hidden for so long. That is until Devon fricken Taylor happened to see it. He didn't seem to buy my story either but he also didn't push the matter, thank God. Not a conversation I want to have with a stranger.

After what felt like hours but in reality was about twenty minutes later the girls spill down the stairs. The five of us live in this house, I don't even know how the hell we ended up with such a cluster fuck of a group but here we are.

There's Rachelle, she's tall, like model tall with the looks to match. She's sweet as honey though. Crystal, she's always rocking pink and purple hair with dark makeup. She's not sweet, but she is the type of friend everyone needs, ready to fight no matter what. Jess, who has white blonde hair that is grown down to her ass, it's also what happens to make up most of her personality. Well, okay that's rude. However, all she ever talks about is her hair care and skin care, which she's very good at but it's annoying to listen to after awhile.

Lastly, there's Jennifer. Jennifer and I don't get along but we are civil. She's beautiful but the type of beautiful that comes off cold and sharp. She wasn't pleased when he dated me, and hind sight being twenty twenty, part of me wishes he saw her first that night. Lord knows she's prettier than me. Okay no, that's also a lie. I would never want anyone to be on his radar.

Which leaves me. I always feel a little self conscious when it comes to all of us together. Ever since him I have lost the spark for life that they all still have. Crystal has noticed it the most and has spent way to many hours trying to get me to tell her what the hell is wrong with me. But like how do you tell someone you have spent the last year hiding abuse from them. I'm embarrassed enough as it is, I don't need her to give me shit over things I struggle enough with. As far as any of them know he dumped, at least that's the story I'm telling.

We all file into my SUV and make our way to the arena that is already swarming with hockey fans. This is Canada after all, how embarrassing would it be if our hockey team didn't have fans? Thankfully, we get to skip the line.