Chapter 5
ZANE
Yeah, we lost to the Larkin Lions. God was feeling generous when he allowed that squad of scrubs to chalk up a victory over a team that’s their superior in every way.
Forget how we should’ve felt extra motivated to beat them after that brawl.
It didn’t happen. Call it insult to injury after the Colter Bay Grill Fiasco, but it wasn’t something I could let rest.
I steamed for days after that fight and subsequent on-ice loss.
The bitter taste in my mouth wouldn’t wane until I’d settled the score.
That meant I couldn’t wait until the next Lions-Riptides game to take action.
That wouldn’t come for almost a month, enough time to let Larkin think they were kings of the fucking universe.
What the hell was I going to do? I had no plan, just a burning desire to drive my fist through Jacob Martin’s face.
And then it happened, an answered prayer.
I hit up Parkside Candy after practice on a Thursday afternoon and spotted Jakob standing at the counter with a couple of friends.
Only I wasn’t one hundred and ten percent sure it was him, if you know what I mean.
I’d caught only a side view of him (which was enough), and the people with him definitely belonged to the Larkin Lions (they appeared too attractive for that distinction).
When I looked closer, I saw that it was Jakob. My heart quickened and my fingers curled until my hands balled into little fists. I even shook a little from the excitement. At first, I thought I would never have the opportunity to right a serious wrong, and now it presented itself out of nowhere.
I couldn’t waste my chance.
I marched up behind Jakob and found him eyeing the container of sponge candy in his hand. I considered cold-cocking him and sending him sailing over the counter. I would give him a fat lip, a black eye or, even better, a broken nose the size of the Peace Bridge.
That sounded like par for the course given the shot he’d served me at the Colter Bay Grill. Then I reminded myself that such a shot would make me sink to his level. The Riptides didn’t play dirty like the Lions, and I should never lower myself.
Get this: the little idiot didn’t even know I was there. So, I cleared my throat to grab his attention.
He just stood there, studying his purchase, like no one else was in the store. So, I cleared my throat even louder this time. He didn’t budge. Finally, I said, “Ahem!!” so there would be no way on earth he could miss it… And still, nothing.
Oh, my fucking God…
I wanted to clamp my hand onto his shoulder and spin him around, so he could see who’d plowed him before the lights went out, and somehow resisted the urge.
“Excuse me!!” I practically shouted.
Finally, Jakob turned, but didn’t look up at me, which told me that my constant attempt to grab his attention hadn’t ultimately worked. He cemented that idea by staring in the opposite direction toward the cashier.
I slipped in front of him, blocking his path, the only surefire way of grabbing his attention. He didn’t really look up at me, though. He tried to step past me like I hadn’t purposely blocked his path, so I stuck my hands on my hips and puffed my chest out to tell him he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Excuse me,” he said.
And he took two more steps toward the cashier.
Son of a bitch.
This time, I did grab his arm and pulled him back.
He looked up at me, not quite like he’d seen a ghost, but maybe the next best thing. His eyes widened, and he looked a little startled at least. Maybe Jakob shitting his pants was too much to ask for, so I would take what I could get.
“Going somewhere?” I asked.
“Yeah, to pay for my sponge candy. Do you mind?”
“Yeah, I think I do mind. I’ve got a score to settle with you—now step outside.”
Captain Bravery stood there with his eyes empty as if he’d never been challenged like that before, like I was crazy to make that suggestion.
That wouldn’t have bothered him one bit at the Colter Bay Grill.
Then again, he would now have to face me one-on-one, head-on like a man. None of this sucker punch bullshit.
He shook his head, saying, “No.”
“No?”
“Yeah, you heard me.”
“Oh, ho, ho, ho, you’ve got some restraint now that you’ve got to fight me like a real man?”
“I’m saying no because this is ridiculous.”
“It didn’t seem ridiculous last Friday night when you threw that sucker punch at me.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. You look like you’re healing up nicely.”
I touched my hand to my face, still feeling self-conscious about the damage he’d caused, sucker punch or not.
“You looked like total ass on the day of the game,” he said. “Holy crap, I’m pretty sure Rocky Balboa looked better after his first bout with Apollo Creed.”
“Alright, wise guy, enough with the smart mouth already. Now, step outside, would you?”
“Jakob, who is this guy?” a smaller bespectacled kid with Jakob asked.
“He’s an asshole.”
Jakob said it so sharply—and matter-of-factly—that the other guy probably could help but take it seriously.
His friends stood behind him like they could really save his sorry ass.
Didn’t matter. I would take all three of them on if necessary.
Jakob’s only hope would be for the entire Larkin Lions hockey team to appear en masse.
Without that, his goose would be cooked.
This guy was being an unbelievable pain in the ass.
Maybe I should’ve expected that from a cheap shot artist like Jakob Martin.
I wouldn’t let him weasel out of this, though, and not just because he needed to be taught a lesson.
I wouldn’t have another golden opportunity to get even so I wouldn’t waste this.
“Step. Out. Side.” My teeth clenched, and I squeezed my balled-up hands into fists. For all I knew, my eyes had bulged out of the sockets, too.
“No way, brother,” he said.
“Don’t call me brother, you little asshole.”
“It’s a free country, bub. If I want to call you the Queen of Sheba, you should get ready to be crowned Your Majesty.”
“You’re the one that’s gonna get crowned, you fucking piece of shit.”
Now I really worried I would lose it. Like, did this guy enjoy pushing my buttons or something?
I slowed down, and drew a deep breath, so he wouldn’t known he’d gotten under my skin. If he ever found out, I could kiss my chance at revenge goodbye.
“Anyway,” he said, “I can’t get into something stupid like that. Our coach told us we can’t have any more trouble with the Riptides.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Yeah, that’s a fact.”
Our coach had given us a similar spiel about fighting with Larkin, and the distractions it would cause, but I didn’t give a shit. Jakob Martin was in front of me right now, and I couldn’t pass up receiving my pound of flesh.
“Let me make this real plain for you,” I said. “You step outside with me right now or I’m going to drag you there.”
A blonde cashier hurried out from behind the counter, and said, “I think it’s time for you to leave, sir.”
“But I don’t think it is. I’m just taking care of a personal matter between myself and this little asshole right here.”
“Then you’ll have to take care of it as far from my store as possible.”
I turned back to Jakob and said, “It’s gonna be you and me out there, pal.”
“I’m not your pal.”
“I don’t give a shit what you are. You’re gonna step outside with me.”
“Um, do I have to call the police?” the cashier asked.
“Do whatever you’ve got to do. Now, Jakob, are you going to get out there like a man, or aren’t you?”
“Well, see, I’ve still got to pay for my sponge candy, and—”
I slapped the container from his hand, and it crashed onto the floor. The slight grin he’d worn flatlined. If he didn’t know I meant business by now, then he never would.
“Do we really have to do this the hard way?” I asked. “Do I have to give you to the count of three to get your ass out there before I drag you?”
“Come on, Zane, be reasonable.
“One…”
“You know, this whole thing has really gotten out of hand. No need to—”
“Two…”
“Zane, I really hope you know how ridiculous this whole thing is. Yeah, I broke your nose but look at my hand.”
He held up a slightly nicked and scratched right hand with some remaining swelling.
“That’s nothing,” I said.
“Nothing? I’m lucky I didn’t sprain my wrist when I plowed your face in.”
“Three…”
The whole place fell silent. I could only hear the buzz from the fluorescent lights above us. That’s what you call put up or shut up time.
“You want me outside that badly then I’ll go ahead,” he said. “I’ll get in an insane amount of shit with the coach and probably be cut from the team like he promised, but if you want to settle the score that badly then fine. I’ll oblige you.”
It’s the least I can do for rearranging your face, he might’ve said if he’d had an ounce of courage left. Thankfully, I’d deprived him of that.
When he turned and marched out the door, a sense of victory already filled me.
Bashing his face in would only compound that feeling.
Still, I wanted to take a moment to savor the first victory before stepping out to enjoy the second.
Oh, who am I kidding? I wanted to do a little dance and gloat like crazy but contained myself.
I glanced at his friends, who looked scared because they could do nothing to stop what was about to happen.
Then I turned to the cashier who wore the solemn look of a woman who’d watched someone march off to their death.
None of that would matter in a few short minutes, once I had Jakob laid out on the sidewalk.
Finally, I stepped outside into the late afternoon sunshine, ready to finish some ugly business. Only I didn’t see Zane out there. Had this little prick really run from me? I couldn’t believe that. Maybe I should have. He played for the Larkin Lions, after all.
“Come on, Jakob!” I called out. “Get over here so we can settle this. Let’s see what you’ve got!”
No one appeared. I glanced to my left and then my right, failing to find Jakob, but a Buffalo P.D. cruiser pulled up at the curb right in front of me.
The window rolled down, revealing a cop leaning over the front seat to speak to me.
“Don’t go anywhere, son,” the cop said, “I’d like to have a word with you.”