Chapter 33 Zephyr
Chapter Thirty-Three: Zephyr
Tigerlily walks down the hall with tears streaming down her face, and we’re all left sitting here feeling like pieces of shit.
At least that’s how I feel.
Callum breaks the silence first. “I need to catch up on homework, so I’m going to see if she wants to stay at my place tonight.”
Jax looks at him like he just said the dumbest thing imaginable. “Can you back the fuck off of her?”
Callum rolls his eyes. “Don’t be mad because she likes me more.”
I scoff and hit him in the shoulder. “She’s not going anywhere. Go home and do your homework.”
“And you need to go to the rink to work on your gap control,” Callum fires back. “You left the slot wide open against Portland. Again.”
I step into the kitchen for some water before I say something I’ll regret.
That’s when all of our phone notifications go off at the same time. Three distinct chimes in rapid succession.
“It’s Coach,” I mutter, reading the text.
Get to the locker room right now.
“What the fuck,” Callum says, staring at his screen.
“I’ll stay home with Tiger,” Jax says immediately. “Tell him I can’t make it.”
I shake my head. “It sounds serious.”
“Yeah,” Callum adds.
Jax stands up. “She can’t stay here alone.”
“What happens when we’re at our away games?” I ask. “When we’re at practice? When we have classes?”
We all go quiet. Imagining her alone here. Imagining what could happen. What she might do.
Callum raises his eyebrow at Jax. “Better get used to it, buddy.” He looks at me. “You coming, Zeff?”
I nod and chug the rest of my water.
I turn to Jax on my way out. “I’m not making excuses for you to Coach.”
“Fuck you,” he calls back.
Callum and I walk out the front door. When we reach our trucks parked side by side, he asks, “What do you think it is?”
I shrug.
Callum laughs. “I bet it’s crybaby Rowan whining about something.”
I chuckle and get into my truck. He’s probably right.
We’re two of the first ones in the locker room, but everyone shows up shortly after. The whole team files in looking confused and annoyed at being called in on a rest day.
Everyone except Jax and Rowan.
Callum leans over. “Told you.”
I sit on the bench and wait for Coach to make his grand entrance. He doesn’t call emergency team meetings for nothing, so whatever this is, it’s bad.
Rowan walks out of Coach’s office first. Everyone stiffens. Including Callum.
Then Coach follows with a clipboard in his hand and murder in his eyes.
Rowan sits next to Nolan at the far end of the bench. Coach looks around the room slowly, making eye contact with each of us.
“Where the fuck is Jax?” he asks.
His eyes land on me, and I shrug because I’m not Jax’s keeper.
“You live with him, don’t you?” Coach snaps.
I don’t respond.
Coach turns to address the whole team. “I guess we’ll get started. First thing first, boys. Who the fuck threw protein powder all over your piss samples in the fridge?”
My eyes widen. I try to imagine what that would look like.
Coach’s eyes are wide and feral as he looks at each of us.
“I need someone to fess up.”
The room falls silent. We’re all looking around at each other, waiting for someone to crack.
“One more chance. Your punishment won’t be that bad if you just come forward now.”
I glance around the room.
Nobody says anything.
Rowan shakes his head slowly, and then his eyes land on Callum.
Callum just ignores him.
“Callum,” Coach says.
Callum looks at me first. Then at Rowan. Then at Coach. He immediately barks out a sarcastic laugh.
“Coach,” he replies flatly.
Coach runs his hand down his face like he’s already exhausted by this conversation. “Where have you been? And my God, what happened to your face?”
“I got my ass kicked by some random guys.”
Coach doesn’t believe him. I can see it written all over his face.
Callum adds, “It’s Los Angeles, Coach. Shit happens. And I’ve been with Zeff the whole time. He’ll tell you.”
“Still telling that story?” Coach asks, then looks at me.
I nod to confirm.
Then Coach looks back at Callum. “I’m gonna need you to take a piss test right here, right now.”
Callum’s head jerks back. “Coach, I didn’t throw protein powder on the samples. Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
I look over at Rowan. His face is carefully blank, but his jaw is tight.
Callum laughs bitterly. “Why do you think I did it? You think I’m doing drugs?” He turns to Rowan. “You have something to do with this?”
Rowan just stares at him.
“Fine,” Callum says, standing up abruptly. “Get me a cup. I’ll piss right fucking here.”
He reaches for his waistband. He pulls down his pants and boxers in one motion.
His bare ass is right by my face.
“Jesus, dude,” I mutter, looking the other way.
“Pull your pants up, Brixton!” Coach barks.
Callum doesn’t listen. He swings his dick around and laughs. “You want me to take a piss in front of you? What you see is what you get, Coach.”
“Fuck, Brixton!”
Everyone grumbles and laughs, telling Callum to pull his pants up. Some guys are covering their eyes. Others are recording on their phones.
“Pull your fucking pants up!” Coach snaps. “Put the fucking phones away!”
Callum finally listens, yanking his pants back up with a grin. The guys put down their phones.
Cal turns around to face the rest of the team. “Whoever did this to the piss samples is a fucking dead man.”
“Is that a threat?” Rowan asks from across the room.
Callum snaps, “Hey, fuck you, Row. What the fuck did you put into Coach’s head?”
Coach steps between them. “Brixton, come with me.”
They disappear into the bathroom. The door closes behind them with a sharp click.
I watch Rowan’s chest rise and fall faster than normal. He’s agitated.
“You got a problem, Zeff?” he asks.
I scoff, staring at him. “Actually, I do. What the fuck is your deal with Cal?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Rowan’s voice is flat. “All the evidence points to Cal.”
I mock his tone. “All the evidence points to Cal? Listen to yourself, Row. Back the fuck off of him.”
Rowan laughs, but it’s not a real one. It’s bitter.
I snap. “It’s like you’re fucking obsessed with him.”
Rowan stands immediately and takes three large steps toward me.
Nolan intercepts him and pushes him back. “Coach is gonna be furious if he walks out of that room into a fight.”
Rowan stares at me. His jaw clenches so hard I can hear his teeth grinding.
I stare right back. “Are you the gay guy on the team that’s been kept a secret this whole year?”
The room goes silent.
Rowan looks like he might actually swing at me. His fists are clenched. His whole body is coiled tight.
But he doesn’t move.
The answer is revealed all over his face.
Stuck-up prick.
Shortly after, Callum walks back around the corner. Coach follows behind him looking even more exhausted than before.
Coach starts calling off names. Five at a time. He takes them into the bathroom for their own tests.
By the time everyone’s done, Coach turns to me. “Jax is gonna be in trouble.”
I don’t respond because I’m not Jax’s fucking keeper. Damn.
When we’re finally excused, Callum is forced to stay back with a few of the other guys for extra questioning.
I turn to Rowan before I leave. “Feel up for a challenge?”
“Fuck you, Zephyr.”
“Fine. I guess I’ll continue to struggle with my gap control and zone coverage.”
Rowan rolls his eyes. “Fuck. Fine. One hour. That’s it.”
I laugh. “That was easy.”
“Yeah, well, I need to let off some steam.”
We lace up and head out to the ice.
Once we’re skating, I say to Rowan quietly, “Nobody’s going to give a fuck if you’re gay, man.”
“Shut up,” Rowan says.
“I’m just saying.”
We don’t talk about it again.
He helps me work on reading the play better, staying tight to my man, and not giving up the middle of the ice. We drill one-on-ones and gap control until my legs are burning.
By the end of it, all my energy is spent. My muscles ache. My mind is exhausted.
But I can’t stop thinking about Tigerlily.
Her arm wrapped in bandages.
Her sister taken away by CPS.
The tears streaming down her face when she walked down that hallway.
I need to get home.