Play Me

Zaver

"There's no way you guys fucked up THAT bad 5 weeks into the season, right?" I ask angrily, teeth grinding together as I look between my team, assembled around the living room I share with 7 other team mates, and the text we all received from coach 2 hours prior.

Everyone is silent, which isn't a good sign. Usually, they are loud, rowdy, and sometimes troublesome. Silence, I have learned, is never good for a team.

"Someone wanna spit it out?" I snap, losing my patience.

"I think Russ or Will might know something about it," Chris, a freshman rookie, speaks up, flashing two of the sophomores on the team a sharp look.

"Russ, Will, anything to say?" I snap, air whooshing from my lungs.

"We were just gonna turn the rink off. Just turn it into water," Russ says, air whooshing from between his lips as he rushes to explain.

"But I guess we hit the wrong thing, and it must have busted the system or something," Will says, fidgeting.

"You guys thought this was a good idea?" I snap as the room erupts in angry curses and loud voices.

Russ and Will hang their heads like kids caught stealing, and I feel bad for a split second. Then I remember that we don't have a rink, and I'm pissed again.

The room quiets down as I pace back and forth.

I'm the Captain. They expect me to know what to do. The thing is, I really don't know this time. I've gotten the guys out of random apartments, frat parties, even jail.

But this is different. This is college stuff. Probably hundreds worth of damage, and I'm not sure how to get them out of this one.

"What are we gonna do?" Will asks, face pale.

"Y'all are gonna learn that actions have consequences. You are gonna march up to coach and tell him what you did," I say, rubbing my forehead.

"But we are a team," Russ argues.

"This-" I wave my fingers between the two of them "was not a team choice. This was your choice. The team will not suffer because you guys fucked up. Understand?"

"Yes," Russ says and Will nods.

"Everyone, be ON TIME to the meeting. You have 2 hours," I say. "Don't do anything else stupid in that time."

Everyone nods, shooting Russ and Will either sympathetic or angry looks, and begin dispersing.

I grit my teeth, shaking off the impending headache and the reminder of the night before. Turning, I drag myself up the stairs towards my room. I need to wash the smell of alcohol and sweat off my body, and get my head in the game.

No one wants to be torn apart by coach, and this is MY team. I'm supposed to be their Captain.

Stepping into the bathroom attached to my room, I strip my clothes off, catching the faint scent of oranges before it disappears, and I half believe I imagined it.

I turn the water on full blast and step into the water, letting it beat down on my back and relax my muscles.

■○■

I step into the massive auditorium, my team following reluctantly behind me. I stop when I spot coach at the front of the room, talking with our assistant coach, goalie coach, weights coach, personal trainer, and 4 other people I don't recognize.

"Everyone take a damn seat," I say as coach spots me and waves at me, his face scrunched up.

Taking a deep breath, I move forward, eyes set on the group of people in front of me.

My head is a jumble of thoughts. It isn't my fault, not really, but again, it's my team. I'm supposed to lead them. Be their roll model.

The self-destructive thoughts are still cycling through my head as I stop in front of coach.

"Zaver," my coach says gruffly.

"Yes coach," I say, inhaling sharply.

"These are the coaches for the girls hockey team," he says and I nod in what I hope is a respectful way to the four coaches I don't recognize.

"The girls team should be here any moment, then we can start," says the woman with dark brown hair twisted up in a fancy bun thing on the top of her head, says.

"Here they are now," says a petite blonde woman standing next to her.

I whip my head around towards the door just in time to see Mara step through the big double doors, a scowl on her face as she makes her way towards us, her team trickling in behind her.

"What the hell is going on now?" She snaps as soon as she is within earshot of us.

I almost laugh at my coaches shocked look. It takes a lot to shock the man. Her coaches on the other hand look unfazed at her fowl mouth and temper.

"Mara, this is Zaver, the men's team Captain, and their coaching team," the head coach says, waving her arm towards us.

"Trust, I know who he is," she snarls. "What I wanna know is what he did."

"Careful where you place the blame girl. It could have been your team," I snap.

"As of. We all know it was your team. Even your own team," she says, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

Out of habit, I glance back at my team. Russ and Will are pale as they glance down at their feet, probably weighing how far they'd get if they bolted.

Probably not far with how coach is eyeing the entire team.

"Both of you take a seat. Let's get this show on the road," her head coach says, and I find myself wondering how Mara isn't deathly afraid of this women with how she is watching my team, her eyes sharp.

Taking my seat, I cast a quick glance across the aisle to where Mara is sitting, eyes sharply angled towards me.

Coach begins talking, and my focus snaps forward.

This team needs their Captain right now.