is it casual now? - e. edwards

chapter eight

september 2022

    the next morning, i wake up to my alarm blaring, and kayleigh throwing a pillow at me from her bed on the other side of the room. her way of telling me to shut my alarm off.

"geez, kay," i say, rolling my eyes, barely able to rub the sleep from them.

i had gotten the email from coach pearson late last night, and i figured it'd be good to meet up with maddie before officially taking over since she's the one who's been running the media team for the hockey program for a while. my thoughts were all over the place. my brain kept circling back to the media internship. working with the hockey team was a dream, but working with ethan was its own nightmare.

when i finally get out of bed, i head towards mine and kayleigh's shared closet.

i checked the weather, and it looks like it's going to be windy.

typical fall morning in ann arbor, i thought.

i pull on my favorite sweater and some jeans, trying to keep it casual for my first day of media training.

as i leave my room, i see arabella making some coffee, offering me a cup.

"thanks, bells," i say as i grab the coffee from her hands.

"where are you headed?" she says curiously.

"maddie's; i'm going to get more information and maybe some inside information about the team that i haven't already gotten from luke." i shrugged and swirled my coffee cup around.

"ooh, juicy. you better spill when you get back; it'll make great conversation at dinner," she says.

i giggle, "will do, see you at dinner tonight."

i head over to maddie's apartment. the air is crisp, the sun barely breaking through the clouds reminding me of how early it is as i knock on her door.

maddie opens the door with a tired smile, her hair in a messy bun. "hey, lacy. come in."

i step inside, the familiar scent of coffee filling the air. "sorry, i just thought i'd drop by before class. you know, to get some tips on the job. big shoes to fill."

maddie arches an eyebrow. "you worried about filling them?"

"a little," i admit.

"you'll be fine," she says with a chuckle. "it's mostly dealing with the guys and their egos. well, except for a few like luke; he's chill."

"luke's great," i agree, taking a sip of my coffee. "ethan though..."

maddie raises an eyebrow. "ethan? don't tell me he's giving you a hard time already."

"no, not yet," i say. "but i feel like it's coming," i mutter under my breath.

she laughs, "edwards' not as bad as you think. just... intense. but you'll figure him out."

yeah right. she clearly doesn't know about our history.

maddie can sense my uncertainty since she sighs. "look, lacy, here's the thing... ethan's not your problem unless you make him one. trust me, if you let him get under your skin, he'll take up space in your head rent-free. focus on the job, not on him."

i nod at her, taking in her words.

"why are you even stepping down from the position?" i ask curiously.

maddie smiles warmly, "i've been meaning to step down for a while now. life's just gotten too hectic. between classes, exams, my social life and the internship, but besides, you'll be amazing. luke's been singing your praises since day one."