matters of the heart

4

I see Dante waving me over to him and a few of the guys with the corner of my eyes but ignore him. I focus on the middle aged man in front of me "Alright, I'll try."

"You'll thank me later."

"Yeah I sincerely doubt that." I mutter under my breath as I walk towards the locker room where the guys are waiting or me.

"What was that about?" Dante asks, worry etched on his face as I walk up to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I push open the blue door that leads us to the locker room, throwing him a confused look over my shoulder "why wouldn't I be?"

"Dude, you looked like you were about to pass out all through practice and then coach pulls you aside. What'd he say?"

"Nothing serious." The lie slips out easily and I shrug to prove my point "come on guys Chipotle on me?" I holler just to get Dante off my back and the boys cheer loudly.

I've been friends with Dante ever since I stepped on UCLA soil 4 years ago and I'm pretty certain he knows I'm feeding him shit but I'm glad he respects my decision enough to not question me. Instead, he gives me a long look before nodding.

"F**king missed you." Sawyer jumps on me, his hands wrapping around my neck to put me in a chokehold as he ruffles my hair. "Glad to have you back on the team sucker."

"Get off me." I push him off me and roll my eyes "like we don't live in the same house idiot."

Twenty minutes later, I follow the team out of the locker room to the parking lot. Since I didn't bring my car with me, I end up getting a ride with junior, Ryan Murphy, in his Mazda Mazda3 with Dante. But Neal Mcbride, a freshman and one of the latest additions to the team, who's also hitching a ride left his phone inside so Ryan and I are outside the car waiting for him to get it because we can't stand being next to Dante while he watches some crime documentary on his phone. Mcbride is taking his sweet time in there and Murphy's willing to leave him behind.

"Show some team spirit Ryan. Chipotle is not running away. Jesus."

"I'm starving. I haven't had shit to eat with all these classes and then practice."

"Me too." I look away from my phone "doesn't mean I want to be a d*ck and leave a teammate behind."

"Whatever." He rolls his eyes and I turn back to scrolling through my messages.

Reading old messages isn't my style but it's the only thing I have left of Robin-and the stupid Yankee's cap. At first I was furious at Mum for selling everything she owned until I realised in some messed up way, that's mum going through her own grief and I can't blame her for not wanting her dead daughter's old shit lying around. That'd be another painful reminder that Robin isn't here anymore.

"Hey are you coming with us to the North Pole tomorrow?" Murphy asks, cutting my thoughts before they can spiral.

I lock my phone and slip it inside my pocket, promising myself not to go on Robin's chat again. Remembering Sawyer asking his dad if he can have the VIP section of their club to himself, I shrug. His dad had replied him with a whooping no. No businessman in his right mind would shut the VIP section of one of the hottest spots in LA on a Saturday night-millionaire or not. And although Sawyer did manage to snag a VIP booth to himself, I haven't decided on whether I'd be going or not.

"Don't know yet. It's 50/50. Why?"

"We're all going to be there, there's going to be a lot of girls and alcohol."

"Well, if the team's going to be there then so will Bradley and Alexis." I hate to admit it but my best friend and ex girlfriend are now people I want absolutely nothing to do with. Not after I found them tangled up in each other a year ago. The image alone makes me want to punch Bradley in the face until his head explodes-but I can't do that. That will get me in a lot of trouble with Coach and unneeded attention from the Dean.