Chapter Three

Once Saturday came, Jacob practically yanked me out of our apartment to avoid confrontation with Ethan. I didn't mind because it was massively uncomfortable having him as our roommate. So, Jacob called up the hockey heads for a fair game to distract my mind.

My skates scrapped the ice as I dashed from one side of the field to the other. I occasionally bumped sticks with my teammates to keep the puck on my side. Thankfully, I managed to. Finally, I knocked the puck into the net on the other side, for about the third time now. Jacob and a few others on my team cheered, as the other team playfully gave us the finger.

"You guys are cheating!" shouted one of them who was a blonde. "You have the best player on your side!"

Jacob patted my shoulder and flipped back at them. "Hey, we said to choose!" he shot back. "You chose not to have Kyle on your team! So, we win! Ha!"

Colorful words spat back and forth between my side and the opposite, creating a lovely rainbow. My mind drowned out the noise as I studied the face of the player who spoke first. I took in the charisma electrifying his deep blue eyes, but swore up and down of their familiarity. I took in his tan and wondered how his complexion could stay so perfect in the dead of the winter. With my luck, he caught me staring. He flashed a toothy smile that sent my heart fluttering but I averted my gaze fast enough to not give myself away. I turned back to Jacob who busied shouting insults and roughing with the hockey heads. 

"Richman!" Tyler spat at Jacob with a chuckle shaking his shoulders. He was tall, had an even chestnut complexion, and his smiling dark eyes could make anyone feel warm. Jacob and I have been friends with Tyler since grade school. The three of us would get into trouble in the streets and ended fights with anyone who started with us. My sister Tiffany always called us "Dumb, Dumber, and Dumby" whenever we showed up at the house door stuck in the grips of no-nonsense town officers, who were more than done with our shenanigans.

"Clover!" Jacob shouted back. The next I knew, a whiplash of Tyler flew in my vision as he tackled Jacob, pinning him flat against the ice.

A laugh escaped my lips and my stomach tightened at how hysterical the scene was. "Can't we make up over beer and pizza?" I tried to let out.

"What is this? Grown Ups 2?" Jacob managed to let out. "I'm dying over here!"

"Call it!" bellowed Tyler.

Jacob squirmed under his grip. "Never!" which was followed by an "AAH!"

"Give up, now?" I chimed in.

Jacob kicked and screamed. Suddenly everyone circled the three of us with their phones out and taunting too.

"Not so tough now, Richman!" teased Mason, who usually plays as defense next to Tyler on our actual team.

"Come on, Jacob," said Tyler. "I have all day for this."

"Fine! Fine!" Jacob squealed. "Uncle!"

"What?"

"UNCLE!"

Finally, Tyler peeled himself off of Jacob, who scrambled to his feet. Before I could call out for Tyler to watch his back, Jacob knocked him off his feet. This time, it was Tyler's turn to cry out.

We were at the ice all day.

...

Tyler, Mason, Jacob, and I spent the rest of the day in a mall. We were hungry after our mini-game but the mall was minutes away. Plus, it had a massive food court. After grabbing food from the stands we individually chose, the four of us regrouped at the dining area. We found a table somewhere in the middle. Thankfully, the mall wasn't as packed because it was damn near 5. So, the shoppers were either going home or busy buying last-minute items they most likely forgot to put on their list. Lucky for me, the mall's food court had a stand specifically for vegetarians, so I happily took a bite of my meals, as Jacob and the others passed around sausage pizza, wings, and bacon-coated cheese fries.

Mason looked over at my rice bowl filled with seaweed, wasabi, and tofu. "What the heck is that?"

I peered up with a spoonful barely touching my lips. "A rice bowl," I simply said.

Tyler dramatically put a hand on my shoulders. "Kyle, why are you doing this to yourself?" he teased. "Your body is a temple and shouldn't be deprived."

Mason chimed in. "It's okay, Ty, we can get him through this."

I rolled my eyes, playfully. "Says the idiots who are filling their temples with grease, grease, and grease."

A gasp erupted around the table as Jacob, Mason, and Tyler pretended to look hurt. "We are manly!" joshed Jacob. "Grease is the fuel of our manliness!"

"No, I think it's the fuel of your stupidity," I shot back with a shake of my head.

Mason's brownish-yellow eyes narrow at me, but I could tell he tried to keep himself from dying laughing. "I don't think we can be friends," he said, sniffing as if he was about to cry.

"Oh, look, you made the man cry!" Tyler said handing our friend a tissue.

Jacob faked a sob, too, batting his eyes with a tissue. "Have a heart, will you!" he whined.

I rested a hand on my forehead wondering how the hell I ended up being friends with these three. "All I wanted was to eat my rice bowl," I said half to myself. Aloud, I taunted, "Quit being grandmas and eat your food!"

"He called us grandmas!" Mason squealed. His face scrunched up in that weird expression as if he tasted something horrid.

Tyler and Jacob burst out laughing, thankfully realizing how dumb the three of them looked. Mason, who couldn't contain himself, either, joined the hyenas.

"Are you guys done?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Jacob as the four of us went back to eating.

Although, Mason couldn't quit staring at me. I gave him a look that said "What?" He put down his pizza and asked, "So, uh, I heard the devil came knocking on your door."

I tilted my head, baffled at his remark, but Mason went on.

"How are you holding up with the whole Ethan thing?"