Chapter 27 Parker
“Good morning, Devils!” I grinned as I stood in front of my teammates. When they didn’t reply I blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re supposed to say, good morning, Parker.”
“Dude, what’s going on?” Seth asked through a wide yawn.
He wasn’t the only one who looked half asleep. It probably wasn’t my best idea to call a meeting first thing on a Monday morning. But this conversation with my team couldn’t wait.
“Fine. I’ll get straight to the point.” I paused and held out both hands for a little dramatic effect. “We suck.”
“We got out of bed early for this?” Cullen groaned.
“Yep. We’ve lost our first three games this season, and it’s not good enough.”
“Not all of us suck…” Elliot pushed his way to the front of the group. “I’ll be back in the number one jersey soon. That’ll make all the difference.”
“This isn’t about any one player, Ford,” I replied.
“Yeah, right,” he scoffed before glancing obviously at Mackenzie.
I started to respond, but Mackenzie got there first.
“You’re still hobbling around in a boot, Ford. All you’ve proved this season is that you know how to throw an average party. Besides, this is a team sport. We win and lose as a team.”
Elliot sneered, but he didn’t try to argue. How could he when it was true? A few mutters of agreement sounded amongst the guys.
My eyes flickered in her direction. I’d been doing my best not to look Mackenzie’s way this morning.
When I did, I was only reminded about how amazing last night had been and how badly I wanted to kiss her again.
I’d never felt like this around any girl before.
She made me lose control, and more than that, she made me want to lose control again and again.
She was still scowling at Elliot, but when she caught me looking her expression blanked, and she nodded for me to continue. It was as if our mind-blowing kiss had never even happened. Maybe she really had gotten me out of her system. Meanwhile, mine clearly needed another attempt to fully reboot.
“You were saying?” Seth prompted.
“Right.” I cleared my throat as I focused on the rest of the group.
“I was saying that we all need to improve. Anyone who thinks they don’t, please feel free to go back to bed, but don’t bother showing up for practice tonight.
Like Mackenzie said, this is a team sport.
Right now, we’re not playing like a team. ”
“Bit rich coming from you, Parker,” Elliot piped up again.
“What?”
“You’re like a one-man show out there,” he continued. “Maybe try passing instead of shooting all the time.”
I nodded. “You’re right.” A few mumbles rippled around the group and Ford looked surprised.
“You’re right,” I said again. “I need to work on being a better teammate too. I’ve been trying too hard to do everything on my own.
Score goals, help the defense, be an enforcer; I thought that was how I could best help the team. But it’s actually hurting us.”
I found myself glancing back at Mackenzie. I wasn’t sure how I expected her to react, but when I saw her smiling at me, I felt more confident.
“Every one of you has a job to do out on the ice. And the best teams trust each other to do those jobs. But I haven’t been doing that. None of us have.”
Ford looked like he wanted to object, but my admission seemed to have stunned him into silence. More players were beginning to nod in agreement, although some still seemed unsure.
“We have less than two weeks until the homecoming game,” I continued. “I don’t want to lose to those Sunshine Hills jerks. Do you?”
The mutters of agreement grew louder.
“We’re already training hard,” Owen said.
“That’s true,” I replied. “Everyone is working hard at practice. But I’m talking about things that make us a stronger team off the ice.
Over the next two weeks, I want us doing everything together.
We sit together in the classes we share.
We eat lunch together. Play video games together, hit the gym, go for a run, have a skate.
I don’t care what it is, we all need to spend time with every member of the team. ”
“You want us to hold hands and share feelings?” someone yelled from the back.
“If it helps you learn to communicate better, I don’t care if you braid each other’s hair and give piggyback rides.”
Most of the players chuckled. I was beginning to feel like they were getting the message.
“Look, we have nothing to lose by trying this. I know I’m asking a lot, but you’re all great hockey players, and we’re the state champions. If we’re not winning games, then something must be missing. Maybe it’s this.”
The guys were all eyeing each other with some suspicion, as if this must be some kind of trick.
“So, who’s with me?”
A few of them shrugged, but then I saw heads nodding. Eventually, Owen started clapping, and soon everyone else joined in. Seth even let out a surprisingly enthusiastic, “Let’s do this!”
I blinked back my surprise. Had I actually gotten through to them?
“Okay, okay,” I said, quietening them down. “I’m glad you guys are on board, because in honor of our commitment to being a better team, I’ve set up a little exercise. We need to mark ourselves with a visible reminder of our newfound unity and dedication to the team and each other.”
There were even more looks of suspicion now.
“We’re getting tattoos?” Owen asked, horror in his eyes.
“Well, that was my first idea,” I replied with a smirk. “But no…” I waved toward the table behind me and everyone looked on in confusion. “We’re making friendship bracelets.”
The way my teammates stared at me, I thought they would have preferred to get tattoos. Their expressions ranged from shock and uncertainty to amusement and even disgust. But I was completely serious.
“Friendship bracelets?” Seth asked.
“That’s right.”
“This is stupid.” Elliot laughed. “We’re not Swifties.”
The guys all turned to look at him, and I wondered if each of them was thinking the same thing.
But Seth stepped toward the table. “Speak for yourself, Ford. Reputation always gets me pumped before a game.”
His words seemed to spark the rest of the team into action, and once he’d pulled out a chair and sat down, the guys all moved to follow him. Elliot stayed rooted to the spot, watching all the other players find a seat and get started on their bracelets.
“Seriously?” he asked, his tone incredulous. “This is ridiculous.” When nobody acknowledged him, Elliot turned and marched from the room as quickly as his boot would allow.
“Friendship bracelets?” Mackenzie came to stand beside me, and I was instantly aware of just how much space separated us.
“Hey, it was your idea.”
“I was joking,” she replied. “Besides, we only talked about this last night. You just happened to have a friendship bracelet kit at home?”
“I have a sister, don’t I?”
“She doesn’t really seem the type.”
“She’s not.” Cammie would never wear something as bright and colorful as the beads on these bracelets. “It was a Christmas present she never opened.”
“I knew it.” Mackenzie flashed me a satisfied smile. “So, you going to make me a friendship bracelet then?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
I leaned in close. “Because I don’t want to be your friend, Mackenzie.”
Her eyes widened, but I walked away before I could say anything else we might both wish I hadn’t.
I went to join the rest of the team making bracelets, taking a seat next to Owen.
Despite their initial uncertainty, everyone seemed to be embracing the idea now, and were already passing completed bracelets to each other.
We had about an hour before we had to get to class, and by the time we were done, I had five bracelets gracing my wrist.
Each of them was different. Seth gave me one that alternated red and white beads to match our team’s colors.
Jansen included my number and a few devil emojis.
Cullen gave me one that was such a random collection of colors I had to assume he’d just picked the beads closest to him on the table.
Another bracelet, which had been thrown across the table at me, attempted to spell out my name but could only manage ‘Parka.’ I hoped its designer had just run out of letters.
Mackenzie’s wrists were both covered. I shouldn’t have been surprised so many guys wanted to make her one.
I watched her laugh as she exchanged bracelets with Seth, and I couldn’t stop myself smiling with her.
There was no guarantee this whole bonding thing would help our team beat the Sunshine Hills Saints, but if it helped Mackenzie feel like she belonged a little more, then it would be worth it.
When the bell rang and we all got up to leave, the guys were still laughing and chatting together, and it continued as we moved out of the cafeteria. It gave me hope this might actually pay off.
“Don’t forget, I want to see you all making an effort to spend time with your teammates, today and all week!” I raised my voice to be heard over their chatter as everyone filed out of the room.
Owen appeared beside me and handed me a bracelet. “Couldn’t leave without giving you one too.”
I frowned down at the bracelet. “GYB?”
“Got your back,” he replied.
“Thanks, Cleaver.”
As he walked on ahead, I smiled and slid the bracelet into place on my wrist with the others.
A few of the other guys nodded as they passed or flashed their colorful wrists at me, but not Mackenzie.
She left quickly, keeping her head down.
And while the air fizzed between us as she moved beyond me and out the door, it wasn’t the electric zing I’d gotten used to.
It felt like the beat of an icy wind, which quickly seeped into my bones and left me on edge.
She’d spoken to me earlier like everything was fine, but now something was clearly wrong. Was this about last night?
I followed after her, pushing through the growing crowd of students making their way through the school corridors. “Hey, Mackenzie!”