The Slap Shots

Chapter 13

Red. Or maybe orange. It's all I see. Matt standing in my room, a smile on his face. He's been waiting for me to come home. I've been waiting to get this moment over with.

I put on a fake smile and walk forward slowly, heading straight for him. We hug for a quick second.

"I missed you buddy." He says with a huge smile on his face. I drop my bag on my bed and take a seat, suddenly feeling rather dizzy from going up the stairs.

I open my curtains hoping to see Em's light on, but it isn't.

"How you feeling man ?" Matt asks. He takes a seat next to me, and smiles, looking around at my room, almost as if reminiscing every moment we had as best friends.

And for some reason I'm not sure why I have this feeling of resentment towards him. Is it because he tried to take over my team after leaving us behind ? Is it because he hit on my girlfriend ? Is it because he thinks my girlfriend can't be captain ?

"I'm good. Thanks." I pull out my phone from my back pocket and reveal a multitude of messages from Em.

I open all of them.

"You got lucky with Emerson dude." He says as I start to type back a message to her. I notice that he's looking over, obviously seeing that I'm talking to Em.

"How's that?" I ask him, without looking up and with no feeling in my voice.

"She's hot. And like, not just physically. I mean like, when she takes charge its fucking sexy." I stop texting and look up to him.

I raise my eyebrow. Fury hits. Anger boils in my blood.

"I mean. She's all yours, but if she wasn't, I would go for that." He infuriates me. And I still can't pin point why.

"What about Lucy, Matt ?" I ask him. I ask him the question and his face falls. I instantly regret it even though, I'm mad at him. I don't want to stoop to his level.

"Look. Lucy told me it was off. Yeah, I still love her, but she obviously doesn't. So I think it's time I back off."And at that sentence I realize that the Matt I know has never really left. Just covered up by an asshole, who thinks that girls are just objects.

"Yeah. I get it." I turn back to my message to Em, and I eventually send it.

"So. Can I ask you how you and Em came to be ?" I sigh, and put my phone away.

"Long story or short ?"

"Long."

"Fine. It started when she moved in. We were at the church, practicing, and then eventually she came down with her roller skates, and skated right to Flynn. She impressed all of us with this killer slap shot, and I was instantly into her. I think half the team was too. But because she lived right across the street I made sure she knew." I take a minute to smile.

"Dude, I used the spare key that you gave me a while back and snuck into her house after her dad left. She was so scared, but we ended up making out in her kitchen. She wanted to go all the way, but I kind of pulled away-"

"You what?" He asks, surprised. "You didn't want to go all the way ?" he asks, almost laughing.

"Yeah, I know. I was wondering about it for like ever. It ate me alive. Why didn't I let her ? Then I figured it must be because I really like this girl. I didn't want her to just be a one night stand." Matt smiles, as if proud.

"We snuck around for a while, until the gala thing and when I drove her home that night, she asked if I could stay. So I did. The next morning I asked her to be my girlfriend. End of story."