𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀.ᐟ 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

the interrogation

"Um, my middle name is Everett. I have two siblings, and older brother and sister." He paused with his lips parted for a moment, and the girl opened her mouth to speak, but the blonde beat her to it.

"Oh! I have a dog named Tinker Bell, but we all just call her Bell, or sometimes Tink. Uh, I've been playing hockey for over thirteen years now. You could probably guess what position I play-ooh! I am, like, freakishly obsessed with hot chocolate-"

Her lips creased deeper into a grin, enough that a small chuckle fell from them, as she cut him off from his little spiral. "You're weird."

Adam's face faltered slightly and he glanced down at his plate.

The brunette leant forward, placing her arms on the table. "I like that."

And suddenly, Adam was beaming.

"OKAY SO, WAFFLES OR PANCAKES?" Vera questioned. She was finishing up her dish of coffee cake, which she would've argued that it had been a little dry.

"Oh, waffles, definitely." He answered easily as if she'd asked a dumb question.

Ever since they'd gotten more comfortable with each other, it was like they couldn't stop talking. The two had been in the cafe for over an hour, but to Vera, it only felt like 15 minutes.

The brunette's brows rose. "Really? I thought you'd be more of a pancake guy."

Adam chuckled out though his nose, shrugging. "I used to, but then I met my friend's mom." From the perplexed look the girl gave to him, he elucidated. "She's the manager at Mickey's Diner down in the cities. I swear, the waffles she makes there are to die for."

Vera skewered her last piece of the cake on her fork. "I'll have to go down there sometim-"

"BANKS!"

Both of the teenagers grew startled, hastily snapping their bodies towards the entrance doors.

There stood Guy Germaine, half-dressed in his hockey attire. He had on all of his pads and hockey pants, but was without his skates and a warm-up jersey.

A look of relief fled over his face as he spotted his friend. The blonde quickly rushed over to where Adam was sitting, not even noticing the girl from across the table.

"I've been looking all over for you! I thought you said you were going to be in the library." Guy huffed out a fatigued breath. "We have to be on the ice in ten!"

The boy froze with wide eyes, then quickly caught a glance at his watch. "Oh shit,"

As Guy watched his friend rise from the booth, he then noticed the girl. He smiled at her awkwardly. "Hi," he scratched the back of his neck. "I'm Guy."

Vera acknowledged him with a nod. "Hey,"

He shot her a tight-lipped smile, turning his attention towards Adam; who was fumbling around for some cash in his wallet.

The boy placed enough money alongside the bill to pay for the two of them. Vera began to protest, but he waved her off. "You can pay next time."

She gave him an amused look. "There is going to be a next time?" And Adam suddenly felt shy.

Vera laughed and began to get up from her seat. "I'll see you around, Adam."

    "WHO WAS THAT?" After catching one of his best friends with a girl, Guy was dying to know all the details.

He'd never seen Adam out with a girl since sophomore year of high school, only making an exception to Julie and his girlfriend Connie Moreau.

"I don't know, just someone I met in the library."

The two boys were in their divison's locker room. Luckily for Banks, his equipment was all ready for him when he arrived, thanks to Guy.

Guy slipped an old Northstars jersey over his head, his expression full of skepticism. "Okay," his tone was full of doubt, and he didn't try to hide it.

Adam looked up from his skates, suddenly annoyed. "I'm being serious Guy."

The blonde rose his eyebrows, still in doubt. "Well, did you at least catch her name?"

"Yeah, it's-" Adam paused. His face wrinkled as he tried to remember, now staring off at a wall. He sank deeper into his thoughts, trying to come up with a name she might've told him. "Actually, I don't think she did."

A brow rose. "So, she knows your name? And I'm guessing a bunch of other stuff about you?"

The boy nodded. "Yep."

"Jesus Christ, Preppy." Guy leant the side of his body against a locker. He brought his hand up to his forehead, rubbing it over his eyes. He eventually sighed, "You need help with girls."

Adam stood up from a bench with a bitter expression. "I do not." and reached for an old warm-up jersey.

His friend crossed his arms. "Do you even know anything about her, dude?"

"I know that she likes the color green and she had a pet chick when she was four."

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