39 You need a plan b
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
You need a plan b
WILL
I’d just stepped out of my last lecture for the day when my phone began to ring. Stepping aside and out of the way of foot traffic, I checked the incoming call.
“Hey, dad.”
“William.”
My dad was the only person on the planet who used my full name. More than half the team assumed Will wasn’t an abbreviation for anything else. I never went by William. I was even enrolled at Phil-U as Will.
“I had time between meetings and thought I would check in. How’s school?”
“Fine. I just left a lecture.”
“For the accounting elective?”
Dad had never sugar-coated things for me, so I prided myself on treating him with that same level of honesty. I braced for impact. Here went nothing.
“I dropped that elective, dad.”
I was met with stilted silence. Something I hated being on the receiving end of. Most people went out of their way to fill silences. My dad was the opposite. He could happily stretch gaps in conversation for as long as it took him to compile his thoughts.
“I thought we agreed–”
“No,” I interjected. “You agreed. The course load was too much to swing into my hockey schedule. I spoke to Coach and I transferred into a marketing elective instead. ”
“Are you wanting a career in marketing?”
I exhaled. “No.”
Just like I wasn’t wanting a career in accounting. Marketing was merely an easy elective to complete my course requirements for my general business degree. A degree I’d thought would satisfy dad given his entire world gravitated around his business.
“We’ve been through this, dad. I’m playing hockey after college.”
“You need a plan b, William.”
The plan b was my business degree. Not that I planned on using it anytime soon. Or ever.
I scoffed. “Did you forget I got drafted or something?”
The irony that dad, a man who despised sports, had a son who was obsessed with one wasn’t lost on me. If he’d had his way, I would’ve studied something like law, a career that would set me up to take over the Caufield part of the security company he shared with Rick Holloway, Levi’s father.
“You can’t play hockey forever, William.”
But I could play for long enough to help set me up for life. I appreciated that dad had worked hard for what he had and what he’d given our family, but I’d worked hard too. I’d dedicated my life to being the best at the thing I loved. Yeah it was hockey and not business, but surely it still counted for something?
Dad exhaled. “I’m sure Rick has had the same conversations with Levi, son.”
I knew for a fact that wasn’t true. Mine and Levi’s fathers were polar opposites when it came to our hockey careers. Unlike my dad who wished I didn’t have one, after noticing his son’s talent, Rick Holloway instilled in Levi that hockey was the only way. If it wasn’t for him driving Levi to every practice and competition and try out in Colorado, and allowing me to tag along, I doubt I’d have made it as far as I had. If dad really wanted someone to blame, he could point the finger at his business partner.
“Rick will be in Philadelphia soon,” dad added. “Be sure to catch up with him while he’s around and get his advice on electives. Your coach is employed to train you, not counsel you on courses.”
I ignored the jab.
“Why is Rick flying in?”
“Mentioned something about watching one of Levi’s games,” dad mumbled dismissively.
That earnt an ironic smile from me. Luckily dad couldn’t see my face.
“Why don’t you and mum come too? It’s been a long time since you came to one of my games. ”
And by a long time, I meant years. They’d come to my high school games because, living that close, they hadn’t had an excuse. But they hadn’t been to one of my college games. Not one. Between my parents and Riley, it was fair to say I was starting to take it personally.
On cue, dad started rattling off excuses. “Your mum has an appointment. And I have a big meeting to prepare for. And it’s not a good time to take time off.”
And blah blah blah. You run the company, dad. You dictate when a good time is to take time off.
“Message received, dad. I’ve got to go.”
“Call your mother. She misses you.”
Not enough apparently. If it was easy enough for Rick and Deb Holloway to come and watch Levi’s games, it should be just as easy for my parents. It’s not like my parents couldn’t afford it, and mum hadn’t ever worked. But her committees, charities and social life had always taken precedent over my hockey games.
I knew my parents loved me. I wasn’t jaded in that sense. I’d grown up extremely wealthy, been given practically anything I needed. But all the money couldn’t buy the only thing I’d ever really wanted. A bit of fucking support.
*
I was sitting at my desk when somebody knocked on my door.
“It’s open,” I called out.
Swinging the door open wide, Levi leant in the doorframe. “What are you doing.”
I gestured to my desk and stack of textbooks on it. “What do you think?”
Levi crossed his arms over his bare chest. “That doesn’t look like loosening the reins to me.”
I snickered. “I didn’t think that applied to schoolwork. Happy to blow this off if you want to call my dad and explain why I’m failing.”
“Good point.”
Levi knew my dad as well as I knew his. That’s what I liked about our friendship. We could always read between the lines with each other.
With that settled I turned my attention back to my textbook. I barely got through one sentence though before Levi interrupted me again.
“I’m bored. Let’s hang out.”
Closing the book, I dramatically spun in my desk chair to face him. “And do what?”
“I don’t know. Get food? Play video games? We haven’t hung out just the two of us for ages. ”
“Grace literally left yesterday. Is this what you’re going to be like the whole time she’s gone?”
With an amused smirk, he shrugged. He was right though. While we saw each other a lot, it was usually through hockey or as part of a broader group of people. Not to mention the fact Levi spent every available spare minute with Hughesy.
“I’ll pretend not to be offended by the fact you only want to hang out with me because your girlfriend is out of town.” I reached for my sneakers, pulling them on. “I could eat,” I relented. “What are you in the mood for?”
We ended up at a steakhouse, where Levi ordered enough food to feed an army. I didn’t go light on the starters either. It’d been a long day.
“My dad mentioned your parents are coming down soon,” I said.
Setting down his beer, Levi nodded. “Lana will be here for the weekend too. I said she can stay in the guest room. Hope that’s okay.”
I had no qualms with it. When we’d moved into the five-bedroom house, Levi and I had considered getting a fifth roommate. Though we’d already known Ryan after meeting him at a summer hockey program in high school, and he knew Tripp from juniors. We hadn’t been able to vouch for any other guys on the team and we hadn’t wanted to risk living with a messy prick, or just a prick in general.
“I was going to mention, while we’re interstate for our Colorado clash, Grace and I are going to stay a few extra nights and check out some houses for next year. Wanna stick around with us? We could make a trip of it.”
The Colorado Eagles, who Levi would be playing for next year, were based a couple of hours’ drive away from where we’d grown up. Levi liked the idea of being close to his family, and I knew Rick had already secured his season tickets. I, on the other hand, was happy to be making the trek to Texas. At least then I could easily justify it was the distance keeping my parents away.