"So, how was tape review yesterday? Any good highlights?"
"Your team's little stunt had us all doing sprints at 6 in the morning. We got to practice and Coach had garbage cans on the ice. At least three guys puked, probably more."
"I knew you seemed a little slow on the ice today."
Ryder and I are just cleaning up the cones as I continue to tease him about the latest prank. After the hockey team struck on Saturday the entire team got together to devise a plan to get them back. The hockey team retaliates quickly but our team is way more methodical. They were able to get their hands on the tapes the team was reviewing yesterday and edit them so instead of hockey it was full of embarrassing pictures and videos of the team. The stuff was all harmless, nothing that would jeopardize anyones spot on the team, but enough that they stormed the gym where we were working out and swore revenge was coming.
"It is bullshit I got wrapped up in this and I am not even a part of the stupid war."
Ryder is sore and bitter today and I have to slow my pace to match his despite the foot height difference that usually leaves me sprinting to keep up. As we walk into the office Josh and Barb are in their usual spots. We stay and chat a little but we make it quick since we both want to shower before class.
"Ride Beck?"
I chew on my lip about to say no but Ryder has already grabbed my skating bag and thrown it into his car. "Sorry, did that sound like a question? It wasn't. Get in the car."
I look at him amused before we both burst out laughing. When we aren't on the ice we can never take each other seriously. It is actually nice how our friendship has progressed from me wishing he'd join the circus so I would never have to see his face again to now I look forward to our couple hours a week together.
We have barely pulled ourselves together as Ryder pulls out of the parking lot and my phone rings. I pick up and put my phone on speaker because I am still sweaty from practice. "Hey Luna, what's up?"
"Those demons! They filled our apartment with feathers! Our place and a bunch of other peoples! Fran there are so many fucking feathers! Do they fucking sacrifice chickens in that creepy ass basement!"
"Luna," I choke trying not to laugh at my poor roommate. "How did they even get it?"
Ryder next to me has tears basically welling up in his eyes as he tries not to laugh and piss Luna off even more. I flip him off because while this is funny, that is still my apartment. Apparently me being neutral doesn't protect my apartment just like Ryder being neutral didn't protect him from sprints this morning.
"I am sorry, I swear after class I will clean this. Luna please don't kill me." I don't hear Luna clearly as she replies to Maya but I hear enough to know that Maya's missing apartment key was never missing; it was stolen by her lovely new boo. I can't see my roommates but I know poor Maya is probably hiding behind the couch while Luna is stalking after her ready to beat her for letting the jocks get our apartment key. I wonder if he gave it back or if we are going to have to buy a new lock.
"I am almost home Luna, go to class and I will clean up what I can before I go to my 4pm class."
"I am going to make their life hell."
"I have no doubt you will," I tell her before hanging up.
Ryder finally busts and has to literally stop driving because he is laughing so hard. "Not funny, that is my apartment Ry!"
"I'm sorry, sorry," he gasps out while trying to get his laughter under control.
When we reach my building instead of dropping me off like he usually does, Ryder parks in an empty spot. "What are you doing?"
"I want to see this chicken massacre up in your apartment. Besides, I figured you could use an extra hand cleaning up."
I don't argue because arguing with Ryder is basically arguing with myself and I would never argue with myself. We are both extremely thickheaded and stubborn so I have to pick and choose my battles, this is one I choose to sit out. Also, he probably knew this was coming and since his team made the mess the least he could do was help clean it.
When we reach the 5th floor I already see white feathers in the hallway and Ryder literally has to grip the wall for support at the sight. I just shake my head at him and storm down the hall to our front door. The area outside our door is even worse and I am actually scared to see what the inside looks like.
Opening the front door I nearly pass out at the sight. Feathers cover the entire apartment in an inch thick layer. There is not a single spot in sight that isn't covered from the floor to the couch to our table, everything is completely covered.
"Where the fuck did they get all these feathers," I yell spinning around to look at Ryder behind me.
I have to look down for once since he is completely laid out on the hall floor, laughing so hard he isn't making any noise. "Asshole," I mumble walking into the apartment and wadding my way through the feathers.
When Luna called I never imagined it would look like this and as I travel deeper into the apartment it slowly gets worse. Nothing was safe, not our kitchen, not our bathroom, not even our bedrooms escaped the feather attack. I look around in horror at the mess. It is nearly 2 o'clock now, no way I can even make a dent in this mess before I have to leave for class at 4.
"Fuck, they really got everything," Ryder comments as he looks around.
"Everything is covered," I whisper suddenly not finding any of this amusing anymore. My desk which was once neat and orderly is not only covered in feathers but papers are spread out and messed up. I have a busy schedule and the only thing keeping me together is my organization. I set up my entire life so things are ready to grab and go and now my desk is no longer ready to grab and go, which is freaking me out.
I drop my bags in the middle of the room and try to pluck the feathers off my desk without ruining anything else but there are too many feathers to pick off one by one. I groan, feeling completely helpless as I continue to try to rid my desk of the mess.
"Hey here throw them in here, not on the ground." Ryder hands me a big black garbage bag that I assume he got from our kitchen and begins to clean off my bed the best he can. He first removes my pillows from the bed and dusts them off before removing my comforter and shaking it out before trying to put them both back how they were. "Put the stuff here and fix it."
"How did you...," I can't finish the sentence because I am too stunned.
"I do the same thing, my room, as messy as it seems, has a system and if someone wrecked it I would be upset too."
Ryder continues cleaning the best he can, focusing mainly on my side of the room and leaving Lunas. Slowly my brain reboots and I start moving, fixing my stacks of papers and binders and other stuff on my bed while he clears my entire desk of feathers.
Once my desk is orderly again we both put on music and continue cleaning the best we can but it is a pretty big job. Ryder spends as much time as I do cursing his team for this mess. As the two captains we wonder if maybe it is time we step in to broker a truce between everyone or just call the whole stupid war off completely.
By the time there is some order to my apartment again Ryder and I have filled nearly 4 garbage bags of feathers and he walks down the hall to the trash shoot while I take the quickest shower of my life. I am going to be late to class today but I couldn't leave without a shower.
As I finish getting dressed Ryder comes in and sits down in my desk chair surveying my now somewhat clean room. "Brothers?" he asks pointing to a group picture of me and my brothers at an Islanders game last year when we were home for Christmas break.
"Yeah the goofs themselves." I smile at the picture even as the twinge of homesickness hits me. Being so far from home is tough but I am hoping that like everything else it proves worth it in the end.
Ryder sighs, still looking at the picture before turning back to me. "When is your class?"
"4, I am going to be late but that is ok."
"Want a ride? I'm sure if we leave now we can get there in the next 10 minutes so you aren't late."
"Please," I sigh in relief. I hate being late, it is probably one of my biggest pet peeves.
Ryder nods and I scoop up my backpack and pull on my jacket as he checks himself out in my mirror fixing his hat as he does. "You are so full of yourself," I tease as we both walk out.
"You would be too if you looked this good Beck, don't be a hater."
"God you're so painfully cheesy."
"I wish I was made of cheese. I am hungry."
I rub my face as Ryder laughs at his own joke. Lord give me strength to deal with this boy.
Back in his car I anxiously check the time. I have 7 minutes until class begins. Thankfully Ryder knows the way once I tell him what building so I can anxiously check the time the entire drive instead of give directions.
"Are you coming to tomorrow's game?"
"Tomorrow? I thought you played on Friday and Saturday?"
"We have an exhibition against the U-18 team tomorrow and then a bye week this weekend."
I nod and think about my schedule. Tomorrow is my busy day. "What time," I ask anyways, even though I know I should just say no. This is how I always end up stretching myself too thin, I never want to say no to people.
"It starts at 7pm."
I can't believe I am even considering this but if I move my review session from 7pm to 6pm I could get out at 8pm and make it there for at least the third period. "I have a review session I host on Wednesdays but I will come after that."
"Sweet," Ryder smiles as we pull up to the building.
"Thank you again for the ride and the help, you aren't the worst, I guess."
Ryder just shakes his head like he expected nothing less from me, which he shouldn't. "Bye Beck, see you tomorrow."
"Tootles Ryder." I slam the door shut and sprint to my class with barely a minute to spare before the teacher begins. Ryder saved my ass today, so for that I feel like the least I can do is go to his game tomorrow.
_______________________
Author's Note
Remember when I said my posting schedule would only be Monday and Wednesdays? Yeah I am a big fat liar so disregard that I will be posting Monday Wednesday and Friday unless I announce otherwise.