2. Sour Shower
2
SOUR SHOWER
MALLORY
Junior Year
I think I just had a stroke. Or a seizure. Or a brain aneurysm. Or a life-threatening brain bleed. There must be something wrong with my brain because I’m pretty sure I just heard my dad say he’s moving. Correction: we’re moving. Out of Covington.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite heard you, could you repeat that please?” I lean forward, pushing my glasses further up my nose.
My father sighs, taking his thick black rimmed glasses off, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “I said, the coach for the Fairmount Cranes is retiring soon and he personally recommended me to replace him next fall.”
I lean back, nodding slowly, uncrossing and recrossing my legs. “Right, right… but what does that have to do with me? No offence or anything.” He looked at me with tired eyes, his lips pressed into a straight line.
“The Cranes play in Fairmount, California,” he looks at me like that should clear it up, and it does, but I don’t show it. I’m not budging on this, no way in hell. I give him an expressionless look, just blinking at him every so often. “As in the state that is six hours away from here.”
I blink. Again. “Still don’t understand what that has to do with me…”
“Mallory Elizabeth Grace, am I going to move six hours away and leave my daughter behind?”
“Hen moved away alone, he’s fine,”
“Henry is twenty–nine and an adult. He’s an hour away. That’s completely different.”
“I get it, so Henry can live alone in a big town because he’s a boy, and the oldest? Understood.”
“Mal–”
“No,” I hold my hand up. “No need to explain, he’s clearly the favourite and I am apparently unable to be taken off this invisible leash. Got it loud and clear, pops.”
He narrows his eyes at me, challenging me. But I see the ghost of a smile haunting his lips. I’m the favourite. I know I am. Parents aren’t supposed to pick sides, obviously, and he’s never said it out loud. But I’m his only daughter, and the youngest. Ergo, Mallory = his favourite.
“I can see the sourness wafting from you, it’s that strong.” He says, putting his glasses back on. I deflate in my chair, still crossing my arms. He moves away from his desk to kneel in front of me. He raises a hand and places it on my knee.
“Mallie,”
“The Cranes are the best Ice–Hockey team in North America,” I whisper. “You have to take it.”
“I’m not leaving you behind, Mallory.”
I sigh, sinking deeper into my chair. The university in Fairmount is Fairview, a prestigious arts university, famous for all creative majors, including classical studies, my major .
“I called the dean; he can transfer you and you can finish your senior year there.”
And leave him?
“And if I don’t want to leave?” My voice cracks.
“I’m afraid my decision is final.” He rises, kissing my cheek. “You will finish your Junior year at Covington, but come next July, we’re officially leaving for California.”
We’re officially moving to California
We’re officially moving.
To California.
“No.” I stand, shaking my head.
“Mallory, please don’t be like this, sweetie.”
I grab my bag and head for the door without saying another word. It slams open as I head for the exit. He calls my name again, getting the attention of some of his players wandering around in the hallway, but I ignore them.
I need to avoid the rink, the players – him. I can’t face him, not yet.
Right now, I just need a distraction. Just as I’m about to leave campus, my phone pings.
Abbylicious
Wanna go to the mall? I need some serious retail therapy.
Me
God bless you, Abigail Gomez.
“What’s up with you today?” Abi scowls at me as we walk through Covington Cineplex, the biggest mall in Covington .
“Nothing,” I shake my head as I brush my hand through the section of logo baby tees.
“Don’t even try that crap with me. Spill.” She circles until she’s right in front of me. She folds her arms and pops her hip, the official Abi stance when she wants information from someone. I sigh, picking up a baby blue crop top that says ‘sweet as cherry pie’ written across the chest, with an embroidered cherry on the side.
“Dad got offered a coaching job with one of the top teams in the NHL.”
Her whole face lights up as she screams like a wailing banshee in the middle of the store.“O.M.G! YOUR DAD IS THE NEW COACH OF THE RANGERS?”
I grab two tops from the rack and drag her into the changing room, giving the saleswoman a slightly creepy smile as I close the curtain.
“Not The Rangers. The other top team in the league.”
Her entire posture deflates when she realises who the other team is. Or better yet, where the other team is.“No…”
“Yep,” I pop my lips on the last syllable. I slide down the wall all the way down until I reach the carpeted floor. Abi mimics my move. “The apartment is paid for until the end of senior year so don’t worry about rent or finding a new —” she raises a hand, silencing me. I turn my head and see a slight wobble take over her lips.
Oh god.
“Does he know?”
We’re officially moving to California.
“Not yet.” I turn my head forward, blinking away the stinging sensation.
“Mallory—”
“Doesn’t make sense to tell him yet — it’ll only make him sad.” She moves away from the wall to sit across from me, crossing her legs.
“Mal, you have to tell him. You’re not moving to New York, you’re moving states.”
“I know.” I look at the notification that just pinged onto my watch and see it’s from the girls group chat.
Gossip Girls
ABBYLICIOUS
Everyone meet at evergreen coffee asap!
Code green, I repeat CODE GREEN!
JULES
What’s code green?
COURT
Do we even have a code green?
ABBYLICIOUS
Code green is code for a certain hockey player, keep up girls.
EVERGREEN. FIFTEEN MINUTES.
COURT
We’re on our way.
The girls continue to stare at me down as I sip my vanilla latte. Calling an emergency meeting was so unnecessary. Like I said before, and how I approach all my problems, I’m simply going to ignore it until it either goes away or blows up in my face, a perfectly normal response if you ask me.
“Are you going to explain why I left my boyfriend’s house for this?” Courtney asks, stirring sugar into her oat latte.
“I was hanging out with Cory in said house, so I thank you for the interruption.” Juliana says, shivering as she holds her hot chocolate close to her lips.
“We were just hanging out,” Court admits, smiling into her mug.
“Well tell Shawn to keep it down when you two ‘hang out’.” Jules says, also smiling into her mug. I quietly laugh to myself, staring at the sun shaped latte art in my mug, losing myself in it. Courtney is Shawn Madison’s girlfriend. Shawn’s on the hockey team so I know him pretty well, and Juliana is the twin sister to Tommy Rose, the team’s goalie. Shawn and Tommy share a house with Cory Montgomery, another junior, and Oliver Ashby, the captain.
I know the team pretty well, let’s just say that.
“Tell them,” Abi says, interrupting Court and Jules’ fight, staring me down as she blows on the steam wafting from her herbal tea.
And now all eyes are on me. Again.
“What’s going on, Mal?”
I sigh, stirring my latte, ruining the pretty latte art my barista drew for me. “My dad is going to be the new coach of a huge hockey team,”
“That’s great! Cong–”
“In Fairmont.” I finish.
Just like Abi did, the girls deflate in their seats. The table is silent for a long time.
“Who’s going to be captain next year if you leave?” Court quietly asks.
Courtney is on the volleyball team with me — The Hard Hitters — of which I’m the captain, and have been since the start of sophomore year. I just shrug. I know the answer. If we don’t do a re–election, then the captain will automatically go to my right–hand, which is Savannah, a junior like me. But I don’t want to talk. Talking about it goes against my whole sweeping it under the rug and ignoring it plan.
“What about your apartment?” Jules asks.
“Paid for,” Abi replies. I’m staring heavy into my mug, but I can see from the corner of my eye that she’s looking at me, they all are. “She’s not going to tell him.”
And suddenly, the quiet silence surrounding our table gets replaced by a loud clatter of mugs onto plates.
“Mallory don’t be stupid, you have to tell him, he’s your–”
“It’ll do more harm than good,” I weakly respond. The more time that passes since my traitor of a father told me, the more I realise that, whether I ignore it or not, it’s happening. I’m moving away from Covington, from him.
“How?”
“Because after graduation he’s hoping to sign with The Orcas.” I speak. The Orca’s are his dream team. And they want him.
“Oh,” Jules says, deflating further into her seat. And when the girls eye her with concern, she elaborates. “As in The Kingsville Orcas, In Vermont.” She looks at me with sad eyes. “Eight hours away from California.”
And their eyes are back on me again. Wonderful. Courtney leans over the table to cover my hand with hers.
“He’ll find out, Mal. Your dad will have to tell him and the team. You need to tell him before your dad does. He’s your best friend.”
I look up at her, my eyes heavy. “I–” My phone pings. Thank god.
GUS GUS THE LOVEABLE MOUSE
Are you free to meet before your shift?
“That’s Gus, I have to go.” I lightly wipe my cheeks as I sit up, clinging to the strap of my shoulder bag. “I’ll see you tonight before the party.” I hear the girls call after me, but I ignore them. I have to ignore them. Maybe if I just ignore this, it’ll go away. Maybe he’ll change his mind and decline the offer. Maybe The Cranes will find another coach. Either way, I’m not telling him.
I’d rather die.