Chapter 15 Cameron
fifteen
Cameron
“Our teammates are fucking animals,” Sidney groans, flopping down onto my sofa.
He stayed behind with Zhuri and Elisabet after everyone else left to help clean up everything. Now it doesn’t look like a damn bomb went off in my penthouse.
“How often do you do these?” Bet asks. “I don’t think I can tolerate them weekly.”
“Whenever we can,” I answer before sinking into my plush chair. “We usually aim for a couple a month, but it all depends on our schedule during the season. We’ve gone months without one during our long away stretches.”
“Didn’t realize I’d end up liking away stretches so much,” Zhuri chuckles.
I sigh. “Let’s just be happy our team is acting like a team.”
“Mostly,” Sid adds. “I don’t think Michael even acknowledged the girls tonight.”
“Fucker can get over it,” Bet huffs. “We’re not going anywhere.”
“Nope,” Zhuri concurs. “I’m sure he just needs time. It is a major change, after all.”
Elisabet smiles softly. “Z with her positivity, just like usual.”
“Someone needs to stay optimistic,” she shrugs. “Life is better when you try to look at the bright side of things.”
I can’t imagine what that’s like, pretending everything will always just work out and be okay. That every situation has a positive side for us to find.
Maybe that’s true for Zhuri, but the darkness I live in is impenetrable. The brightness doesn’t find me.
I don’t think it ever will.
“Bet,” Sid says. “I think this is the first time we’ve hung out with Zhuri and Cameron.”
“I think you’re right, Gagnon.”
Zhuri and I both roll our eyes.
“Yeah, we get it,” Zhuri replies. “You couldn’t hang out with us before because we couldn’t be nice to each other. Be happy you can do it now.”
“How did you and Sid even become friends?” I ask.
Bet looks at me like I should just know the answer. “We shared a rink, Cameron. We were always running into each other. We didn’t actually hang out much outside of the rink until a couple of years ago. By that point, you were traded to Denver, so being with our best friends was nixed.”
“I don’t think I realized how close you two were.”
“Me either,” Zhuri adds.
“We’ve gotten closer,” Sid shrugs, and I swear I can almost see the hint of a smirk on his lips.
“Cameron,” Elisabet cuts in. “I hope you realize that my ass is not leaving this chair for at least an hour.”
“I have a feeling Sid and Zhuri won’t be moving either,” I laugh. “Let’s just pass the time then.”
“What do you have in mind?” Zhuri asks.
I think it over before saying, “I have an idea.”
That’s how we find ourselves—four professional hockey players—playing Mario Kart on a Monday evening.
“Which of you fuckers threw the blue shell?” Bet yells as we watch Rosalina’s car spin out, and Sid passes her as Luigi.
“Sorry, Bet,” Zhuri smiles, blowing her a kiss. “All’s fair in love and war, babe.”
“You only got the blue shell because you’re in tenth place,” Bet grumbles, to which I start laughing hysterically.
I never expected Elisabet Almr to be such a sore loser.
“I’m in tenth place because fucking Mario hit me with his Piranha Plant.” Zhuri glares at me, and my smile only grows.
“Not my fault Peach was in my way,” I shrug.
“Just wait. I’ll kick your ass in the next race, Kovacic.”
“Is that so, Zhuri baby? Next track is Bowser’s Castle. No way you can keep up with me.”
“Fucking watch me.”
Bet manages to take the lead again from Sid, who finishes in second, while I manage fifth. Zhuri is able to slide up to eighth.
When the next race starts, we both take off, going neck and neck during the first lap.
Sid and Bet are really only throwing shells at each other, so they’re bringing up the rear while Zhuri and I fight and overtake each other for first.
Until right before we cross the finish line.
Zhuri gets an ill-timed red shell from the last item box on the track, hitting me and watching me spin out as she zooms past me over the finish line.
I end up in fourth after the next two racers cross the line ahead of me.
“Fucking ruthless, Hart.” I shake my head while she shimmies in celebration.
I should not be watching her shimmy, but I’m a tit man, and there’s no denying that Zhuri Hart has great tits.
Where else am I supposed to look when she’s shaking them around in victory?
It’s incredibly inconvenient, though, because my blood is starting to rush to the one appendage I really don’t want it in right now.
“Told you I could kick your ass.” She winks at me while Bet puts down her controller.
“I don’t know how much more ass-kicking I can take,” Bet says.
Sidney looks at her in confusion. “That’s the only damn race you lost.”
“Exactly,” she shrugs. “Can’t take any more.”
“Damn,” I chuckle. “I didn’t realize how competitive you are, Bet.”
“I just don’t like losing.”
“No one likes losing,” Zhuri laughs. “Which makes my victory over Cameron all the sweeter.”
I scoff. “What the hell? I feel like I’m taking my loss in stride.”
“Don’t let her fool you, Cam.” Bet points at her. “She’s more competitive than I am. Watch her during games, and you’ll see.”
“I have watched her during games,” I reply. “I was a Dragons fan.”
Zhuri smirks. “Because he wanted to see what a good team looked like.”
I can’t help laughing. “The Lizards went just as far in the playoffs as you did. I know what a good team looks like.”
“A better team.”
“Then I’d have been an Eclipse fan,” I tease. “They took the title, after all.”
Zhuri narrows her eyes at me. “Fuck the Eclipse. They’re the reason we lost in the playoffs.”
“This is where we differ, Zhuri. I took my loss here in stride; you hate the Eclipse for beating you in the playoffs.”
“Your loss was in fucking Mario Kart,” she laughs. “Hardly comparable.”
I shrug. “Tomato, to-mah-to.”
She shakes her head before standing herself up. “I should probably head home now. Need to get some sleep before practice tomorrow.”
“Me too,” Bet says.
“I’ll walk you guys out to your cars then.” Sidney stretches himself out after standing from the sofa. “We’re all heading that way anyway.”
“Thanks for helping clean up.” I grab everyone’s controllers and put them away, watching as they all walk toward the door.
“Anytime, co-captain.” Zhuri gives me a mock salute before cracking up in laughter. “We’ll see you bright and early, Kovacic.”
Once Sid and Bet also say goodbye, the three of them walk out, leaving me alone in my empty penthouse.
Team dinners are exhausting, and they take a lot out of me, but they also don’t give me time to think about anything else.
When I’m alone, though, I’m left with only my thoughts to keep me company. And it’s not like my thoughts are ever happy ones.
I pour myself a bit of whiskey before falling back onto my sofa, the air around me loud with the sound of silence.
Simon & Garfunkel had it right.
Hello darkness, my old friend…