Pucker-Up

Chapter Eight - Mathew

BING!
My phone chimes loudly with a message, the screen lighting up in the darkness of my bedroom. Though it's only 9:30pm, I tend to be an early sleeper considering my days are so jam packed and full of energy. I roll over in my bed and pick my phone up off my bedside table.
Gaby F: Thanks for today, I'm glad we got a lot of our work done. Want to finish it off tomorrow at the library?
I shuffle to sit up and flick on the lamp on the bedside table. I lean my back against the headboard of my bed and begin typing out a message in response.
Sure. You good to meet at the library at 10?
I watched as the three dots appeared, then stopping. I waited a moment before giving up impatiently, turning my phone off and placing it back onto the table. I laid back down and turned off the lamp before my phone brightened again.
Gaby F: :thumbs-up:

My phone went off around 6am, causing me to roll around a bit before turning it off. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, pulling the blankets off myself. The cool air instantly hit my warm body, sending a shiver through my spine. I move to the bathroom and stand with the soles of my feet against the cold tiled floors, waiting for the shower to get all warm and steamy, giving myself time to wake up before stepping under the hot water.
—
I pack my backpack with a water bottle, textbook and... what am I missing? I feel my eyes visibly widen, rushing into my bedroom and taking my laptop off the charge. I think Gaby would just kill me with her looks if I forgot that again. Putting my bag over my shoulders, I take a banana and an apple from my fruit bowl, leaving my place by 6:15am to begin my day. It's quiet at this time of the morning - no foot traffic, no beeping cars nearby, just the first few people beginning to get out and about, ready to start their days.
It doesn't take me long to get to the ice rink considering I live right across on campus. In the back of the rink, through the change rooms is a door that opens to a gym room. Inside is weights, treadmills, cycle machines and punching bags, and it's the main place where we work out before practice and games. I lower my backpack to the ground against the wall so it's out of the way and put my earphones in to start my workout playlist while I sit on the floor and stretch.

It doesn't feel like long later, I've moved to sit on the flat bench and I hear a loud cough from behind me. I half turn and remove an earphone from my ear, greeted with the sight of Rugter. He has a large smile on his face, slapping his hands down onto the top of my shoulders while he stands behind me. "Maty. How's my favourite captain doing?" He really pushes his thumbs deep into my muscles, causing me to tense from his painful 'massage'. It takes a moment for me to realise what he just said. I wasn't aware that information was already out and about about me being captain. "What?" He removes his hands and grins smugly as he walks around to stand in front of me. "I'm not stupid— and I can lipread. I saw you and coach yesterday- let's just say Ethan is excited for this new change." There's obvious sarcasm in his voice, causing me to grab onto his shirt and pull him down to be eye level with me so we can whisper without the very few people around us listening. "You told him already?" Ethan's one goal has been set to becoming team captain, and it's starting to feel like I've just snatched that position out of reach for him. Rugter holds his hands up defensively as if he's about to be arrested. "No- he doesn't know, I was teasing." I let go of his shirt with a sigh, watching as he stands back upright, moving his hands over his t-shirt to get the small creases from my clenched fist, out of the material. "I was going to tell you both yesterday—" He cuts me short with a reassuring smile and says "Mathew, I'm really happy for you. You deserve this!" At least someone is backing my corner, now to tell Ethan..