The Score (Sequel to The Exchange)

Chapter 43- The Social Game

Viktor led the way, and I followed him, careful not to lose my grip on his hand. I wasn't about to lose him in a sea of his people: hockey fanatics.

I could hold my own among them and I knew it, but Viktor was my favorite hockey person and I was his. (Or, at least besides Matt. I was smart enough to respect "bros before hoes.")

I still wasn't feeling much better, but I was confident that I'd be able to pull through thanks to Jackie's magic elixir of laven-mint. And if I couldn't, then I'd puke outside or something. I wasn't going to ruin Viktor's best chance at achieving our goal.

The social game was much more important now that he couldn't play, and his personality would have to win over a few hearts. If he could get me to like him, then I had no doubt that others would find him just as charming as I did.

We walked around a small group of important-looking people, and a wave of nausea came over me.

I sniffed the lavender-mint thing.

It helped a little.

Viktor led me to a table where he had been told to sit, and he pulled out my chair from the table. I laughed at the chivalry, then gave his hand one last squeeze before I sat down.

A guy who looked about my age smiled at us across the table.

I wanted to smile back at him with my middle finger, but he seemed genuine, and Miss Amanda had to play nice with the other kids.

So she did. She smiled back politely.

"Noah," he said, still looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"That's my name. Yours?" he replied.

"Uh, Amanda. Nice to meet you."

"You don't follow the draft too closely, do you?"

"Well, considering I've got a few other things on my mind, it's not my primary concern besides this guy." I nodded my head in Viktor's direction.

"Viktor," Noah said, then smiled.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Viktor smiled back. "Amanda, this is Noah Trainer. He's probably going to be the first pick overall this year."

Was I surprised Viktor knew this dude? Yes. Should I have been surprised? Definitely not. He knew everyone for some reason.

"Oh, I should've guessed by the inflated sense of self-importance. I didn't realize we were cool enough to sit at the big kid table," I said.

"Viktor? Oh, he would have been a top twenty pick easily if it weren't for the injury. Such a shame," Noah said.

"Yes," I said.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this "being nice" thing up.

"So you two know each other?" I asked to get their attention on something else.

Viktor nodded. "Back when I was eight, Noah was good enough to play a couple years ahead of his age group, so he was on the same team as Matt and me."

Of course. Anyone who was anyone in the entire state of Minnesota was on that damn team.

But the real question was how the fuck did Viktor still remember Noah's name when it took him nine years to learn mine?

"How is Matt? I haven't heard anything from him," Noah asked.

"He's not playing hockey anymore, and he's—" Viktor began, but Noah cut him off.

"Injuries suck. They've killed so many promising careers. I'm just happy that yours is still going."