Chapter 28
THE BUBBLE
BJ
The week before classes begin passes in a blur of sex, campus visits, time with friends, and ice time.
Adele and I take a couple of days to settle in, and then we’re back at it, practicing our new routine for our next competition later this fall.
My mom suggested that I record some of our practices during the week so she can monitor progress.
Adele isn’t the biggest fan of this strategy because she says it makes her nervous, so I often don’t tell her when I’m recording—otherwise she’ll overthink it and ask me to re-record. Or she’ll want to watch them in the middle of practice, and that’s not the best use of our time.
Hockey practices don’t officially start until the first week of school, but Fern, who also plays for Hawking, has offered to show Winter around the facilities and invited her to play pick-up with some of the other women on the team. So far we’re off to a good start.
On the first day of classes, Winter and I drive in together, but her schedule on Mondays is spread out, so she has big breaks between classes and doesn’t finish until after five.
I have practice with Adele in the afternoon at one of the rinks closer to her university, and Winter has hockey practice, so she brings her bike so she can ride home.
Our friend group plans to meet up in the quad at noon for lunch, since it works with most of our schedules.
Winter, Lovey, Rose, River, Josiah, and Quinn have already nabbed a picnic table by the time I arrive with my chicken wrap combo from one of the school cafeterias.
Lovey, Winter, and River have insulated lunch bags full of Tupperware containers.
Quinn has a giant sub that’s leaking sauce all over the wax wrapper, Josiah has pizza, and Rose is eating a muffin.
“Hey, hey! How was everyone’s morning?” I sit next to Winter and kiss her on the cheek.
Everyone mumbles hello around mouthfuls of food.
Winter swallows a bite of her sandwich. “So great! I already know I’m going to love my social deviance class. In person is so much better than online. How was your morning?”
“My advanced behavioral and cognitive neuroscience course is going to be a shit-ton of work, but so far so good.”
“Behari still teaches that, right?” Quinn asks from the other end of the table.
“Yeah, she does.”
“I still have my notes and tests, if you want them.”
“I will a hundred percent take you up on that.” Having a roommate who’s already finished his undergraduate degree means sometimes I can borrow his notes.
“Please tell me one of you has notes for statistics,” Rose says.
Lovey and Quinn both offer theirs at the same time.
Lovey’s cheeks flush. “You should take Quinn’s. I used a lot of his notes, and he basically aced everything.”
They’re sitting across from each other. “Your grades in stats were solid last year,” Quinn says.
“Thanks to you.” She looks over at Rose. “Quinn’s notes are super organized and color-coded.”
“I have such jealousy that you can all share notes. I miss having Lavender in my class.” Josiah’s bottom lip juts out in a pout. “I need her to visit soon.”
“She’s supposed to come when Philly plays Chicago this fall,” I say.
Lovey perks up. “We’re all going to the game, right? How fun will it be to see Kody playing for the NHL?”
“Aren’t tickets expensive?” Winter asks.
“They can be, but most of our dads played for Chicago at some point, and they’re all still highly involved in hockey, so we have perks,” I explain.
“Have you ever been to an NHL game?” Rose asks.
Winter shakes her head.
“Our parents have a box, but we should see about getting on-ice seats,” River says.
He’s already a huge fan of Winter. She’s even convinced him to shoot the puck around in our driveway a couple of times, and usually he grumbles about playing hockey.
Although part of his sudden interest in hockey might have to do with not playing football this year.
He didn’t want to be the front man for all gay university football players.
“A few rows up from the bench would be great,” Quinn agrees.
“Are you guys serious?” A tomato slides out of Winter’s sandwich and lands in her Tupperware container.
“Totally serious.” Rose makes a circle motion around her face. “Why is this happening?”
“Why is what happening?” Winter dabs at her mouth with a napkin.
Rose taps her lips. “You look—”
“—shocked,” Josiah finishes for her. “Which is super reasonable, considering you’re all talking about having a box and the best seats at an NHL game like it’s totally normal. For those of us who don’t have parents who played in the NHL, it’s a bit mind-blowing.”
Winter nods. “What Josiah said.”
“BJ! Hey! Hi!” A brunette comes bouncing over and throws her arms around me from behind. “It’s so good to see you! How was your summer?”
“Good. It was good. And yours?” I search my mind for a name but come up empty.
“It was so great. I went to Spain for two weeks with my parents and then worked the rest of the summer. I missed the party you guys threw last week.” She makes a pouty face. “Will you have another one soon?”
“Gotta buckle down now that the semester has started.” I finally place her as a hookup from last year. Maybe second semester…
“You gonna introduce us to your friend, BJ?” Rose asks.
“Oh!” The girl’s cheeks flush. “I’m DeeDee. Hi, BJ’s friends.” She waves at the table.
Everyone waves in return and mutters hi.
And because Rose clearly has it out for me, she asks the question I don’t want DeeDee to answer. “And how do you and BJ know each other?”
DeeDee’s cheeks flush an ever deeper pink. “Oh, uh... We hung out last semester.” Her eyes slide my way, and she bites her lip.
Quinn coughs, and River makes a noise. I don’t dare look at Winter.
Thankfully DeeDee has class, but she hugs me again and reminds me that I have her number before she flounces off.
“Well, that was spectacularly awkward,” Rose says.
“Thanks to you,” I mutter.
“You sure didn’t help yourself out.” Quinn arches a brow.
Lovey’s looking at Winter, but all she does is purse her lips. I’ll definitely hear about this later.
Then things get worse when it happens again, five minutes later.
The third time I try to put my arm around Winter, but she knocks it away. “Uh, no, dude. You don’t get to use me as your post-hookup shield.”
I realize I’ve done that a lot. I’ve used Lovey as a shield post-hookup, and even my cousin Lavender last year.
I perpetuated the idea that Lovey and I were more than friends every time I threw my arm over her shoulder when a previous hookup came over to say hi.
And how shitty was that for her? People probably believed we were on-again-off-again or in an open relationship.
When past hookup number three, whose name is Amy, leaves, Winter gives me a look.
“You know, when you said you were a fan of the hookup, I didn’t realize it meant you’d slept with half the female population on campus.
I mean, I guess you don’t earn your proficiency at oralgasms by practicing on a cut orange, but this is some next-level shit.
Should I hand them all thank-you cards for helping you hone your skills?
” She stands and starts packing up her bag.
Quinn bursts into laughter.
River slow claps. “You are my favorite fucking person in the entire world right now, Winter.”
“Same,” Josiah says.
Winter seems to be fighting a smile, but it’s tense. “I should get to my next class.”
“What building are you in?” Lovey asks.
“Sociology.”
“I can walk you,” I tell her.
She laughs. “Uh, thanks, but I need to get there on time, and you get stopped more often than a bus.”
“Isn’t this the picture of cozy?” Laughlin appears out of nowhere. He’s wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt to match his sunny personality.
Half the table jumps in surprise.
“Jesus Christ.” Rose presses a hand to her chest. “You’re in direct sunlight. Why haven’t you burst into flames?”
“I’m a day walker, didn’t you know?” He tips his head and skims her bare shoulder with a finger. “You’re burning, little Rose. Always so delicate, aren’t you?”
“Always so creepy, aren’t you?” she fires back.
“I’m going the same direction,” Josiah says to Winter as he threads his arms through his backpack straps. “I’ll walk with you.”
“I’m coming with for no other reason than to escape this one.” Rose pokes Laughlin in the hip, then elbows him in the thigh when he doesn’t move.
Josiah kisses River on the cheek.
Winter gives me a chin tip and waves to the rest of the table. Josiah holds out both arms and the girls link elbows with him, laughing as they make their way across the quad.
“Why is River’s boyfriend walking BJ’s girlfriend to class?” Laughlin asks.
River and Quinn laugh, but Lovey just sighs. “I told you to talk to her.”
“I did,” I protest. “She was cool about it.”
“I feel like maybe you played it down a bit.”
Laughlin takes a seat beside his sister. When they’re next to each other, the family resemblance is easier to see. “What are we talking about?”
“Why are you here?” I ask.
“Because I go to this school, and occasionally I decide that being a total recluse is overrated. Don’t worry, it won’t last long.” He folds his hands together and settles his chin on top.
“I didn’t try to play it down.”
“But did you warn her that you might run into more than one of your previous hookups on campus?” Lovey asks.
I bite the inside of my cheek.
She sighs. “That’s a nope.”
“Ah. Your playboy ways are catching up to you.” Laughlin chuckles.
His commentary is the opposite of helpful, so I ignore him. “Do you think she’s pissed?”
“It’s one thing to know something is true because you’ve been told. It’s another to have it thrown in your face. Once would have been tolerable, but three times in an hour is a bit much. Reality can be a hard pill to swallow,” River says.
“How do I fix this?”
“Eradicating your previous hookups would be one solution, but then you’d be the most notorious serial killer in history,” Laughlin offers.
“Dude, tone your sociopath down a notch or five,” Quinn says.