Page 31 of Break Points and Face Offs

Charming,

What time are we leaving?

Seven. And don’t book a hotel, it’ll upset my ma.

I don’t understand why that will upset your mother?

Of course you don’t. Just take it or leave it. We’ve got a spare room. I don’t wanna hear you snore.

I do not snore.

Whatever. See you tomorrow.

Now I’m standing by the door with my bag packed and my coat on like Paddington Bear waiting to be picked up. Fucking ridiculous.

Will’s family is going to hate me, but I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I’m used to not being liked.

Someone honks outside. I move the blinds to see Will sitting behind the driver’s seat of a blue Ford Escort. Are we going to drive all the way to Boston in that thing? Great.

“We could have taken my car,” I say when I climb in the passenger seat.

“I know you like to be in control, Rosie, but I’m driving.”

“Who’s car is this anyway? Yours?”

“I borrowed it from one of the assistant coaches at the rink.”

I’m suspicious about why people keep doing nice things for him, but then I realize that hockey is probably like a fraternity, a brotherhood where you do things for each other without thinking twice. Will isn’t even on the team. He’s not even a pledge in the grand scheme of things. So this unwavering kindness and loyalty is actually kind of impressive.

“What’s going on in there?” he asks as he backs out from the parking lot.

“Where?”

“In your scheming little head.”

“Paranoid much?”

He huffs and shakes his head. “This is gonna be a long weekend.”

“Tell me about it,” I mumble under my breath. I hope he hears.

His phone is hooked up to the stereo, playing … I don’t know, what is that? Alanis Morisette?

Is this a hockey thing? Like you play enough hockey and you turn Canadian and start putting maple syrup on everything and listening to Alanis and Celine Dion?

“I can change the music if you don’t like it.”

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“I can see you glaring at it from the corner of my eye. I’m scared you’re gonna break my phone with sheer will.”

“Stop looking at me then.”

He sighs, turning the stereo down. “Listen, Rosie, I wanna have a nice time this weekend, so can we just … pump the breaks on the animosity, at least while we’re around my family? And also probably while we’re stuck in this car together.”

“I’m not being difficult here. You’re the one who called my head ‘little’ and ‘scheming.’”

“You’re right. I apologize.”