Ice Cold

32

Landon Reilly

If I knew that Coach Foreman was going to have me rooming with Cooper for our away game, I would have faked an illness or something to get out of it. But since I didn't know that beforehand, I was stuck here and sharing a small space with someone I absolutely loathed. Coach didn't know what he had done when he made this rooming arrangement because there was a chance Cooper wouldn't make it out of here alive if he decided to push me.

I was dreading having to go back to the room. Once the game finished, I took my time getting out of my gear and heading to the showers, but Coach was rushing us, seeming to be in a bad mood even though we won our game. I sat on the bus with Rojas, putting my headphones in and ignoring everyone around me. Rojas had actual friends on the team, but he always insisted on sitting with me. He just waned me to feel included, and he didn't understand that sometimes I just wanted to be left alone. I couldn't let myself get too annoyed at him. He was the only one on the team that I really talked to.

When I got back to the hotel room, it was empty, no sign of Cooper. I flipped the light on and put my stuff down next to my bed. As if sensing that I had just gotten to the room, I got a text from Wren.

From: Wren

Don't forget to check the bed for bed bugs.

To: Wren

already did

From: Wren

Did you pull up the sheets and check the seams of the mattress?

To: Wren

yes dad

From: Wren

You can call me Daddy if you're into that.

My face flushed as I read his text, and I let out a short laugh.

To: Wren

you wish

Wren had been texting me more than usual since I left for the weekend. He missed me, though he would never admit it. And I wouldn't mention it because I was afraid that if I did, the texts would stop. I would need his presence if I were to get through this night in the same room as Cooper.

A few moments later, the door opened and Cooper walked into the room. He didn't even look my way as he set his bags down and went into the bathroom. Good. The least amount of interaction the two of us had the better.

When he was done in the bathroom, I went in to get ready for bed, the two of us sidestepping each other so that we wouldn't make contact. Cooper finally spoke up when I was pulling back the covers to get into bed.

"So..." Cooper trailed.

I looked back at him briefly before getting into bed.

"We don't need to speak," I said, moving to turn off the lamp on my side of the room.

"This feels kinda awkward, man," Cooper said.

I scoffed, not even bothering to respond. It was his fault if he felt awkward. He was the one who forced himself on me, it was him who got all of his friends to gang up on me. It had everything to do with him and nothing to do with me. People like him had a hard time not being liked, so they would do anything to gain the favor of the many even if they had to step on the few to get there. People like me didn't care about being liked. He couldn't stand that.

"I just wanna say... I'm, you know," he started. "I'm sorry about what happened. I've been feeling kinda guilty about it."

Again, I didn't respond. He might have felt guilty, but it didn't matter. He would still step on me for the favor of his friends. It wouldn't change the fact that he kissed me without my consent. But was I really any different than Cooper? I felt guilty over everything I had done to Elijah, but that guilt wouldn't make it all go away. I still did those things, still hurt him. And he had to live with that hurt forever, even if he moved on and forgave me.