Page 36 of Taking Sides

“It’s okay. I have a couple of old laptops that we no longer lend out because they’re damaged in some way. This one only works if it’s plugged in. The battery is toast.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome.”

While the JV is on the ice for the first hour, the varsity weight trains and does some dry land conditioning. Then we switch.

In the weight room, I hook up my phone to play music. The boys groan when the first pop song comes on, but it’s only performative because before the first song ends, they’re bopping along, singing the lyrics and laughing.

As much as I love coaching hockey, it’s in this more relaxed environment that I get to know them a little better. Between sets, they talk about random things—mostly girls or hockey. I’ve learned, for instance, that a freshman named Joseph has asked out five girls this week alone. His plan is to ask as many as possible and eventually one will say yes. And Pepper has been trying to work up the nerve to ask the same girl out since fifth grade.

“Are you going to ask Sophia to the homecoming dance?” Pepper asks Landon while the two are resting between lateral band walks.

“No, I’m not going,” Landon says.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Dude, I’ll lend you the money for tickets,” Pepper says quietly.

Landon shakes his head. “No. Thank you, but no.”

It’s while the boys are running laps around the building that I finally get a chance to talk to Landon again. He comes to a stop, the first one to finish.

“Nice job,” I say to him. “Make sure you stretch and then you’re done.”

He nods as he catches his breath.

“But before you go, I talked to Ms. Wingrove, and she’s going to lend you a laptop for the night. It’s sitting on the desk in Coach Grady’s office.”

“Really?” His eyes widen, and his lips spread into a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, but she’s doing me a favor, so promise me you won’t break this one.”

An embarrassed flush creeps into his cheeks. “I promise.”

“Want to tell me what happened with the others?”

“I should have kept a better eye on them.”

“Someone else broke them?” I guess.

“It’s my fault. They were my responsibility.”

I’m grateful he’s taking ownership. It’s more like the Landon I expect. “You also might want to remind your parents about the school fees.”

He says nothing but nods again.

The next runners come to a stop a few feet away, and Landon steps toward the door back into the arena. “Thanks, Coach.”

By the time I get home, the only thing I want to do is take a long bath and go to bed. Unfortunately, I have grades to enter, and I promised Victor I’d watch his game. I also need to look at the newest assistant applicants his agent sent over. So, I order food and put on sweats to settle in on the couch.

When I flip on the TV, the game is just about to start. My stomach does a funny flip when I see Houston is playing Moonshot. Because it’s local programming, the broadcasters are talking about Moonshot instead of Houston, and the camera is focused in on the white-and-purple jerseys. Conrad is easy to spot in his number seven jersey. He has a grace and agility that stands out among the other skaters warming up. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve been dreaming of him nonstop since last weekend.

My face heats as memories flash like a slideshow in my mind. The look on his face right before he kissed me for the first time. The way he turned around to tell me he likes me. Sitting on my couch drinking Dr Pepper. On his knees with his head buried between my legs. Naked. Groaning into my mouth. Admitting he was a virgin. Making me come harder than men with way more experience.

And the disgust when he realized Victor is my brother. Even before he said it, I could read it on his expression the second he saw the framed jersey.