𝑯𝒆𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒉 | ᴹᴰᴳᶜ

23: Sweater Weather

"Welcome to the championship banquet! Two teams! One feast! Yeah!" Marni said excitedly.

I didn't wanna come, but Jace pulled the "if you don't go, then I don't go" thing. It reminded me of when Logan and I broke up.

I avoided looking at team Dominate. I avoided looking at everybody. "So it is my pleasure to introduce the icy center of the elite performance ice center. I did not mean for it to come out that way. Coach Colin Cole!"

There was scattered applause. Jace sat with his arms crossed next to me. I started to bounce my leg in anxiety.

"I know there's been some trade talk. None of which panned out." Cole said, looking at each table. "Tomorrow is a big day! It is the final game! One of these two teams will be playing in the summer showcase!"

I don't even wanna play in it anymore. "For some of you, it'll be the first day of the rest of your lives! A chance to play against the Canadian youth All-stars in front of all the real scouts!" Yay. "So tomorrow we're gonna hit it hard, but tonight we're gonna celebrate."

I looked away from Cole and looked at Jace, who was on my left and rolled my eyes. He smiled a bit and leaned over to me.

"Seriously. It's just dinner." Jace said, and I nodded. "We're gonna celebrate you, and all the hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears that you've put in this summer." I sighed. "Okay, let's give it up for all of you." I'm just gonna give up by this point.

Marni stands up. "Alright, let's hear it for blood and tears." That's the main thing I put into this summer. "Okay, the delicious buffet is open, so everyone, please get in line!"

I got up but stopped. I didn't wanna be near dominate. Jace up his arm around me and walked me to where I wanted to go. I guess he could tell I didn't wanna be around them after what they did. Jace went to put pasta on my plate when

Evan hit his arm. "Woah, calm down. We're not gonna run out of penne." Jace said, turning to Evan.

"Relax, man, I'm just trying to get in line with my team. That's all!" Evan and Jace haven't been the same since finding out they were gonna be traded. Which didn't happen, gladly.

"Ev, what's your problem?" I asked. Even though he's on dominate and didn't take part in the posters, I still didn't wanna talk to him, but it sounded like he was trying to start something with Jace.

"Look, I don't have a problem, okay? It seems like Jace over here is the only one who has a problem!" I sat my plate on the table. "No man. I-I don't have a problem with you," Jace picked up the spoon."Look here, let me serve you, alright?"

He accidentally got some on Evan's shirt, but Evan didn't take it as an accident. "Really, guy!?" Evan got in Jace's face. I moved a little next to him. Evan is my friend, but I wasn't gonna let him talk to Jace like that. "I'm sorry, man. It was an accident." "Yeah I'm sure." Nick butted in.

"It's okay, look, I'm getting really good at laundry, and pesto is a new challenge, but hey, lucky for you! I have a stain stick in the dorm!" "Look I don't know what your problem is with me, man, because you're the one who decided to leave the ducks." "Look I didn't choose to leave the ducks, okay? Your daddy over there is the one that drafted me!" I tried to calm myself down, but I couldn't. "Yeah, and how did that work out? Huh?" AJ moved Evan out of the way.

"You got pesto on my wingman! Not cool!" I put Jace behind me and got in AJ's fave.

"Hey, back off! Get out of my boyfriend's face!" "You back off!" "No, you back off!" "Wow! You've really changed after those posters, disgrace!" That triggered me. I grabbed AJ and punched him. Both our teams stepped in. I grabbed AJ's collar.