Page 5 of Pucking High School
“From who? Cade?”
I winced as I nodded. The mere mention of my brother's name had the uncanny ability to sour the mood.
“Not just him. It's the entire hockey team. He doesn't want any of them thinking he's dating me to try to get into the popular hockey crowd.”
Tiff stared at me with wide eyes, silently assessing me.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah?” I looked around; the hallway was quiet as most people had headed to the hall for lunch. “What?” I said so loudly that the noise reverberated against the lockers.
“Do you seriously believe that? Because Madison for a girl that is so smart, I can't help but feel like you're so dumb sometimes.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It's been six months. He doesn't want to be seen with you in public, he doesn't want to tell anyone about you, he only makes out with you under the bleachers. Do you guys even talk?”
I bounced on my toes, a little unsure of how to respond. Tiff really did know how to cut me down when she wanted to.
“It's because-”
“Because. Because. Because. I hear you giving him a lot of excuses for what I'd say is pretty shitty behavior.”
“It’s just, what if it’s me?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if it’s because I’m clingy and insecure and have been pushing him too much?”
“You see him alone under the bleachers once a week. I wouldn’t say you’re pushy,” She snorted out a laugh, but it was no comfort to me. I still felt like I was doing wrong and that I could fix him.
I tried to smile, but it dropped quickly, and when I took a breath that somehow inadvertently turned into one of those sniffle cries.
Crap. I was this close to crying in the hallway about a secret boyfriend, and it was starting to feel pathetic.
“Hey, Mads. If that idiot doesn’t want you because you haven’t offered yourself up to him yet, then he’s an asshole and doesn’t deserve you.”
She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in as we walked down the hallway. I kept my head down, not wanting to draw attention to myself. Not that I ever did.
“You’re fantastic, and one day you’ll find someone that deserves you. Someone that is so obsessed with you that they’ll burn down cities just to see you smile.”
“I’d settle for a guy that would just tell people he likes me.”
“You’ll get that. I promise. Now come on, let’s go to the bathroom and touch up your make up.”
I nodded, still not sure what to do or where I stood with Henry, but not feeling confident enough to go out there and ask him outright.
Mainly because I was worried about the answer.
Chapter 2
“California,” My best friend and forever teammate, Cade drawled out before he snaked his arm across my neck to bring me in. He raised his hand and looked to the sky as we walked out of the lunchroom. “We’re going to be in California in less than three months, playing hockey and attending the college of our dreams. Can you believe it?” I turned and rolled my eyes. He was smiling eagerly, so I shrugged him off, and moved away.
“Considering we applied to the same colleges, then, yes, surprisingly, I can believe it.”
He pushed me on the shoulder, chuckling. “Grumpy as shit still. Come on. You can't deny that you're happy that we're one step closer to being brothers for life?”
“You’re acting like we’ve just discovered we’re going to the same college when we’ve known for months.”