Last time of Smells Like Team Spirit - After finding herself the victim of a cruel and malicious prank, Vice Principal Maye goes on the hunt for this terrible culprit. When she attempts and fails to blame Arista, Amber volunteers herself as tribute and declares she did the prank. Kai is not amused. The JV/Varsity showdown is approaching and the team does not need this unnecessary drama. They also can't allow Maye to win. While Nicolai rushes to play mediator, and Amber tells Kai all the reasons why it should be her that takes the blame and saves the team, Hilary conspires with Mariam and the Octopussies to throw a spanner in the works. Flash mob confession time. Now Maye is even more determined to catch her culprit, and if it ruins the hockey team's day, all the better. Luckily Amber's dad is a lawyer and Nicolai isn't afraid to bring in the big guns.
Chapter Thirty Eight
I won't be at practice this morning. Cover for me.
Kai closed his eyes and exhaled a pained breath. The text from his father came in early that morning while Kai slept and now, hours later, it hadn't magically deleted or changed.
By and large, Saturday morning practices were awful. No one enjoyed waking early on the weekend and no one, except maybe himself, enjoyed entering a cold arena before breakfast. But this practice would go down as the worst. And now, to add to his woes, his father had excused himself and left Kai in charge of leading it.
He winced, already feeling the muted throb of a tension headache. It wasn't that he didn't know what to do, he did. But he didn't want to be coach, he didn't have the tolerance for it and he wasn't going to hockey camp to practice coaching skills. It just wasn't his strength and he liked to play to his strengths.
At least he'd have a few minutes of solitude to prepare before the team and their chaos joined him.
Muffling a yawn, he trudged through the tunnel, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the glare of the lights. The scratch of skates had his head snapping up. A figure skated furiously from the net to the blue line, to the net to the red line, and repeated the cycle. Making his way onto the ice, Kai watched the unfamiliar skater, taking note of the generic practice jersey and the deliberate motions.
One of the new guys, he decided, moving to the box. He had to give him credit; suited, booted, and on the ice before the rest of the team had entered the changing rooms. That kind of dedication appealed to Kai, but he needed to see more before making any kind of decision on him. He'd initially feared his father might have saddled him with a trio of dusters, but this one could at least skate.
He glanced at the clock mounted on the far wall. His team would arrive soon. Would they expect him to do the introductions, break the ice? He hated ice breakers. They were a slow form of social torture. But someone had to do it, or he'd end up watching the new players face the same disdain as he had when joining the team. Hell, he was battling it himself, the desire to close ranks against the interlopers.
But he couldn't afford a divided team.
Still, there was a desperate kind of relief when Ozuma stepped out of the ice and glided across to him.
"Morning."
Kai grunted a greeting and untethered his bag of pucks.
Ozuma leaned back against the half wall, his jade eyes tracking the other occupant on the ice. "Is that Rick Anderson?"
Kai nodded. He'd come to that conclusion too. The build was right and considering that Anderson had played football, getting up in the morning for a training session would be familiar enough to him. "Think so."
Ozuma made an impressed sound. "He's dedicated. Got an attitude but you have to admire that he's dressed and on the ice and already running drills by himself."
Kai nodded, finding it a little eerie how Ozuma echoed his own thoughts. Still… "He needs to learn how to play on a line though and that he can't just practice on his own."
"I'd assume your dad's already imparted that wisdom. So, where is Coach?"
He blew out a breath, his shoulders dropping. "Not sure, but if I had to guess, he's probably running interference with James this morning, giving him the lowdown before the meeting with Maye."
And Kai was not nervous about that meeting. He wasn't even thinking about it. Much. At all.
Ozuma's lips parted in surprise. "I keep forgetting they know each other. Have you heard from Amber yet?"
"No, dad said Maye confiscated her phone."
Despite knowing that, he'd repeatedly reached for his phone during the night, checking the screen for any contact. Eventually, he'd locked it away in his bedside cabinet. And still, he'd felt that crushing disappointment when he'd woken to find no message from her.
It was stupid. He knew it.
"Well, here's hoping James can work his magic. Maye's bound to be on the warpath since Nicolai stopped her plan."
Kai shot Ozuma a dark look. That wasn't helpful. He didn't need to think about everything that could go wrong today. The little flickers of anxiety that he'd stomped down to a smoulder ignited again and he took in a breath of frigid air. It chilled his lungs and settled the simmer of nerves.
"Right now we need to focus on running this team training so that we have a chance of winning today."
Ozuma snorted as he peeled away the old tape from his stick. "Are we expecting to win?"
"I don't intend to be the first Varsity team to lose the JV showdown. Do you?"
Unwrapping a length of new tape, Ozuma puffed out a breath. "No, the idea of losing to my baby brother is unbearable. I'd constantly hear about it at every family meal, get together or just a random day of the week… but we don't have a goalie, unless someone talked to Mariah—"
Movement from the doors drew their attention and Rei appeared with a stack of cones followed by Tala. Nerves thrummed along the base of Kai's spine as the minutes ticked down until the rest of the team joined them on the ice, and then it would only be a few short hours until Amber's fate was decided—
Not now.
"Morning," Rei greeted cheerfully, looking over their shoulder to where Rick skated and his friendly smile faltered. "That Rick Anderson? He's… dedicated."
Ozuma nodded. "That's what I said."
"He was on the ice before I got here," Kai added and Tala frowned.
"Has he said anything?"
"Nope. He's ignoring us as much as we're ignoring him," Ozuma answered pleasantly, and Kai smothered a smirk, instantly berating himself for enjoying the way the team closed ranks. That he was included within the team closing ranks.
Rei made a face. "We can't ignore him. We don't want a repeat of you guys," he said to Kai and Tala. "We don't have time for that. I'll go over and introduce myself."
"He already knows us. Made a lovely introduction last night," Tala muttered.
Rei rolled his eyes but plastered that goodnatured friendly smile on his face as he began to inch away from them. "He's friends with Max, remember? He can't be that bad."
"Max would be friends with a serial killer," Kai muttered but Rei had already turned his back on them to intercept Rick. They watched as the bulkier boy came to a stop and after a few words, he removed his helmet, his whole posture relaxing.
Kai opened his mouth to bring the others up to speed on his plans for practice, when a burst of noise echoed from the tunnel followed by a cackle of wicked laughter. Kai slumped back against the wall and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course. The next act in their tragedy of a team practice.
Johnny backed up onto the ice with his phone in hand, camera focused on a bulked-up Kane in full goalie gear, wearing an expression of utter indignation—the kind cats sported when their owners forced them into cutesie outfits—shuffling along behind him.
Ozuma stared, then turned to Kai with an expression of utter confusion. "Why is Kane dressed as a goalie?"
"Because, as you said, we don't have one, Mariah's got a cheerleading comp this morning and Kane volunteered."
"Kane? That Kane? Volunteered?"
"Yes."
"To play goalie? A position he constantly bitches about?"
Kai jerked a shoulder and lifted his father's notes. Maybe if he acted distracted, Ozuma would stop asking him the same question twenty different ways. He'd said his piece. Kane volunteered and now here they were. To Kai's way of thinking, someone was better than no-one.
"Kane's played goalie before."
"In our yard games, Tala, when we were kids and only because no one else would do it and— Oh."
Kai nodded. Exactly. He could all but see his NHL dreams fizzling away into smoke. It wasn't his team's fault, he knew that, but what scout was going to come to see this clown show?
They watched Kane's slow approach, the laborious steps, the awkward angle he held the overly large goalie stick, and Kai's stomach sank to his knees.
"Fuck, he's going to need more than this morning to practice," Ozuma muttered.
Kai silently agreed but, "it's all we can give him. Which is why we're splitting the training. I'll take Kane, and you and Rei can take the others, plug up the holes, get them moving like a team on the ice."
Before Ozuma could voice his doubts, Kane joined them, elbow rising as he twisted the stick.
"I hate goalie sticks. They're big and unwieldy."
"Like I said," Ozuma muttered under his breath, "bitches constantly."
"You volunteered," Johnny reminded him, hoisting himself over the boards to set his phone on the bench. He dropped back to the ice, clasped his hands in front of him and pouted dramatically. "Please coach, I want to play goalie and save the team."
Kane flipped up his middle finger instead of deigning that with a verbal response, though Kai imagined that Johnny's depiction wasn't too far off the mark. After all, how else did his father find out Kane's secret talents as a goalie? Guilt was a powerful motivator.
"This is fucking embarrassing," Kane muttered, as the rest of the team began to emerge from the changing rooms, their gaze skimming over the players on the ice before snagging on Kane. Elbows jostled, confused looks were exchanged, but Rei moved in before the teasing could begin in earnest—a good thing too because they didn't have time to waste. Plus they needed to show a united front to the new guys.
Catching Rei's attention, he gestured the team over to him. As they approached, Ozuma and Tala took up their positions flanking him while Johnny led the way into the box, dropping down onto the seat, holding his bottle loosely in his hands. Michael took the space beside him with Enrique stepping over the bench to stand behind it. Kai waited for them to settle, lifting a brow when Ian started to climb over the wall only for his skate to catch. Spencer righted him as Shahero snickered and bustled past to lean on the wall beside Johnny.
Once they'd finished bickering over space, with Miyami finally deciding to perch on Spencer's knee, Kai cleared his throat. "Okay, I'm running training today because dad's got an early morning meeting—"
"I thought the Amber one wasn't until eleven," Ian blurted out, glancing down the line to check if he was the only one who thought that.
"He's meeting James," Shahero told him, then catching Kai's look, she shrugged. "James told Treasa he was going to meet Nicolai for breakfast, maybe call in for the game. She let me know because she couldn't reach Amber on her phone."
"Well, James and Nicolai meeting is a good thing, right?" Miyami asked. "That way Maye can't spring any surprises on James."
Michael nodded. "I heard she wanted to hold the meeting during the showdown—bitch move."
"Okay," Kai jumped in before the conversation could derail, "as I said, dad's not here so I'll be doing practice. We've got ninety minutes so we need to make the most of it because the match this afternoon won't be easy. To do that, I'm gonna divide us up and the majority of you will go with Ozuma and Rei, and—"
"Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?" Ian demanded.
"Which one?" Enrique asked, his gaze bouncing from Kane to Rick who stood a little distance away with the other two new guys talking to Rei.
Kai folded his arms and braced his feet against the ice. "Kane's playing goalie, Rick and the others joined the team. You can introduce yourselves on the ice. What more would you like to discuss?"
Enrique's brow furrowed as he looked around the team, finding some support in the equally confused looks others were sporting. "Well, don't we get a say in any of this? What if Arista hears that Kane is taking her place?"
"She won't think that—"
"What if she does? First the tryouts and now Kane? I mean why wouldn't she and Amber think they're being replaced?"
Something in Kai snapped and he lanced Enrique with a hot glare. "Kane isn't replacing anyone. None of the team is being replaced but right now we need a goalie. Kane stepped up and it's about time the rest of you did too. We have a match today and this is the only practice time we have. Maybe instead of complaining about petty things, you could concentrate on actually playing the game."
Silence fell on the group and they shuffled on the bench or on their skates. Heat scorched the back of his neck but he refused to back down on this. There was a scoff of sound and Kai snapped his gaze to where Shahero stared back at him, Russia at her side. His temper began to simmer and he tamped it down, refusing to unleash it. He had no proof that they were behind the prank but he didn't need it. Shahero's little pranks were numerous and hardly secret. The bleaching incident being the most blatant.
And yes, he should have stepped in earlier, should have taken her aside—or gone to his father about it. Instead, he'd been amused, smugly vindictive when Maye had tried to cancel prom. Joined in with the mob mentality of the students versus Maye instead of de-escalating the situation before it could get to this stage where they were potentially facing a ban from the game or worse.
But he hadn't, so he accepted the blame for that. He wore the captain hat, he should have done something earlier. However, the fact that both Shahero and Russia were now acting like it was their god-given right to unleash chaos onto the faculty, without any ounce of remorse or guilt for Amber's plight pissed him off.
"Kai's right," Rei said, having left the new guys to join the team, probably sensing the rising ire and wanting to soothe the frayed tempers. He was better at that kind of thing. "We need to play better, smarter. We're so close to the finals, so close to finally taking on the Sharks and this year, we really do have that chance to win."
"Why?" Ian demanded. "Because Hiwatari and Valkov are here?"
"No," Kai bit out, just about holding onto his last ounce of patience. "Because you're playing better than you have before. I don't understand any of you. You have the skills, you have the ability but you squander it to throw hissy fits over who can hang out with you. The Sharks are not better players than you. They never were but they have discipline. When they come onto the ice, they are there to practice and get better. They want to win and they will do anything to achieve that."
Shahero grumbled something under her breath but Enrique's words drowned it out. "Who wants to be like the Sharks?" He slumped onto the bench, elbows braced on his knees as he watched Kai from under the fall of blonde curls. "There's no reason to compare us with them. Yeah, they win the cup but if the price is turning into a clone, count me out. Life is short, we should be enjoying our final year in high school."
"Then why are you on the team?" Kane demanded, his skates shifting on the ice. "I'm here to win." At Enrique's accusatory look, he pointed a heavily gloved finger. "No, I don't want to be a Shark, but I want to beat them. In a game," he quickly added. "In the finals, I'd like to win that cup and shove it in their smug faces."
"I'd like to win," Michael added, lifting his shoulders when Enrique glanced at him full of hurt. "Well, wouldn't it be nice to be taken seriously as competitors for once? We get so far in the tournament every year but everyone assumes the Sharks will win. And Kai's right, it's because we don't take ourselves seriously, so why should anyone else?"
Kai clenched his jaw, the news of how little the Board of Management and Dickinson took them seriously trembling on the tip of his tongue. But he held the words back. They wouldn't help the team.
Not now.
"I'd like to win too," Ruin agreed, pulling her helmet on. "And it'd be a huge fuck you to Balkov and his little band of clones." Unsaid was that she'd like to stick it to Brooklyn. They all would.
Spencer grunted and Johnny nodded, stretching out his legs and hooking his hands behind his head. "It would be nice to watch their faces when we snatch the cup from them."
Shahero snorted. "They always win though, and we don't have a goalie, we don't even have a full roster. Look at us. We're falling apart at the seams. Yes, I'd like to win. I'd like us to take the game seriously and show everyone we're not just a slightly more successful version of the Rejects. But let's be real. This pep talk should have happened weeks ago. Now you're giving us the inspiration spiel? It's too late. We might as well eat crow pie and be done with it. We're not even beating the JV team, never mind the Sharks."
Ian scowled at her. "So is that why you did it? Pranked Maye? Because you've already thrown in the towel?"
"No," Shahero snapped. "We did it because Maye needed taking down."
And there it was. The confession. Except as Shahero had already said, it was too late.
Rei sent Kai a sharp look, and Ozuma inched forward as if to stop the conversation going further but Kai shook his head. Maybe this was necessary. A lancing of the boil so to speak. They weren't the Sharks, they couldn't compartmentalise this and deal with it off the ice, or ignore it completely. No, the Tigers were friends on and off the ice and if they wanted to work together, they would need to deal with the shit storm.
"At the cost of people getting expelled."
"No one is gettin' expelled," Russia retorted.
With a nod, Shahero shifted forward to stare Ian down. "And if they did, that would be on Maye too. And you don't get to climb on your high horse, Ian, because not that long ago, you'd have done the same. We've all been part of pranks against her. The only thing different this time is Maye's over-the-top reaction."
Tala shifted from his spot, leaning against the glass surrounding the rink, to stand in front of them. "Shahero's right. Pranks and you guys go hand in hand. It was only a matter of time until it backfired. But if we get a second chance as a team, we need to take it. Stop acting like the world has some personal vendetta against us—"
"Do you really think you're the person to lecture us?" Miyami asked with an arched look.
Tala froze and then his eyes hardened to icy shards. "You know what, yeah I do. I left and I have had that thrown in my face a lot recently. So I'll say it straight, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I abandoned you all, and I'm sorry that I never apologised and I'm sorry that by leaving, you all felt betrayed. But I'm not sorry I went to the Sharks and I'm not sorry I came back." He paused, letting the silence swell before he filled it again. "Do you know how frustrating it is to want something so bad and know that you could have it but it'll always be just out of reach? Do you know how annoying it was to have everyone tell me I was good enough to play pro and to know the reason I wouldn't was because my team, my friends, were holding me back?"
Tala braced his hands on the wall and leaned forward, staring them down. "So I left because I had the opportunity to go, and I did learn how to play better, how to shove everything that's not important away while I played. And you guys don't want to hear this, I get that, and maybe it would be easier to give up. It's not like you care if you stop someone from achieving their dream, right? But maybe you should because it's not me and Kai that you're fucking over, it's Rei, it's Ozuma. It's those guys you say you respect and look up to who are busting their balls for this team repeatedly. It's Kane who stepped the fuck up because we need a goalie. It's Arista, who might not have a team to come back to if she even comes back at all. It's Amber, who decided we are more important than she is, so she took the blame to stop us getting kicked off the team. So you guys go ahead and think about it all you want. I'm going to train. Kane, let's go. If we're going to have any chance today, we need to see how much of a sieve you are."
Kai tucked his tongue into his cheek as Tala skated off, pulling his helmet over his head. Kane swept the team with his own quelling look, then followed Tala down the ice.
Ruin rose and fastened her gloves. "Valkov's right. Sit here and whine about Amber and Arista being replaced, but I'm gonna make sure they have a team to come back to if they need it." She swung her legs over the wall and dropped to the ice, pausing by Kai. "I take it by his build, Anderson's defence?"
Kai jerked his head and Ruin nodded. "Fine, Spencer, Ian, Shahero, whenever you guys are ready. If Kane's gonna be in nets, we're gonna have our work cut out keeping him clear."
She skated off and Spencer stepped over the wall to follow her. Ian grumbled under his breath, then pushed to his feet. "Valkov's getting real familiar with that grovelling shite. I'm gonna have to smash him into the boards a bit, check his ego."
Kai supposed that was as close to an apology as he was going to get from the midget, though after his actions last night, Kai was willing to be lenient. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Miyami push open the door and exit, trailed by Johnny and Michael. Rei motioned for them to follow him to the opposite net. Shahero and Russia left soon after, splitting to go to their designated areas.
Ozuma glanced at Kai. "I'll take the defence guys, Rei can take the others through their drills, then we'll join up and do some scrimmages. You take Tala and Kane, then for the last thirty minutes we'll see how many holes you guys have plugged."
Since that mirrored Kai's intentions, he nodded, then caught the movement of Enrique out of the corner of his eye. The blonde shuffled out of the box, helmet dangling from his gloved fingers, a look of misery on his face.
Grumbling internally, Kai shifted forward until Enrique had to look at him.
"Look, they're not being replaced. If you ask Dad, he'll say the same thing." At Enrique's doubtful look, Kai added, "think about it this way, with Kane in the nets, when Arista does come back, he'll be more than happy to step down. He doesn't want to be a goalie. He's doing this for the good of the team. Support him."
Mutinous silence met his words and he felt more heat crawl like a rash up his neck. He hated pep talks. He wasn't good at them and they always sounded insincere.
Then with a groan, Enrique nodded. "I get it, I do. It just sucks. This whole thing sucks and if Amber does get expelled—"
"She won't. Her dad won't let that happen. Besides, they don't have evidence, all they have is the fact that Amber confessed. Which is meaningless now because we all confessed too."
"What if we end up barred from the team?"
Kai frowned. Those same thoughts circled his head; the weight of them threatened to lodge in his throat and choke him.
He swallowed hard and looked around the ice, taking in the forwards kneeling on the ice while Rei outlined what he wanted them to do, to where Ian and Ruin watched Rick move around two cones, to where Kane deflected a soft shot from Tala.
"We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it," he finally said. Hopefully, it wouldn't, after all, if they disbanded the hockey team, they'd have to do the same to the football and cheerleading squads. "Right now we have a JV team to beat, a goalie to train up and three new players to show the ropes to. Let's take it one step at a time."
Enrique studied him for a moment, then with a nod, he pushed off on his skates to join Rei's group. Kai took another moment, wondering how his father did this every day, and then he moved down to gather up a stray puck and launched it straight into Kane's glove.
Seated in a quiet booth of Vera's sixties themed diner, Nicolai drummed his fingers against the polished wooden tabletop and waited for James. Outside the sun began to peek over the sharp rooftops of the buildings that made up Preston's industrial sector, while the rest of the town dwelled in the shadows of a typical Saturday morning.
Cars cruised by slowly, their wheels bumping over the cobblestone street, with the odd vehicle using the side street for parking. Pedestrians stalked by, their footsteps bouncing off the stone walls of tall two-storeyed buildings that formed the perimeter of the retail sector.
Bluesy jazz seeped from the jukebox in the corner, an original feature from when Vera first opened the diner back in '63. Now her daughter Doris ran it with her own daughter Daisy, and ever since Nicolai had stumbled across the diner, shortly after he'd joined Preston Academy, he'd become a regular.
His phone buzzed on the tabletop and he checked the message.
It'll be tight, but I might be able to do it. I'll keep you updated.
With a satisfied nod, he replied to the message with effusive gratitude and then composed a separate message to his son to check-in. He didn't feel good about leaving Kai in charge, not today when everything was imploding for the team, but he had no choice.
The door opened and James stepped in, removing his sunglasses as he looked around the diner. The three old men at the counter nudged and jostled each other, giving James a long, slow, look before John, their leader, turned back to his paper, an obvious dismissal, and the other two copied him.
Nicolai could understand their look. James had dressed for his brand of war. A black, pinstriped suit and crisp blue shirt contrasting sharply with the burgundy tie and... sneakers. Nicolai exhaled a laugh. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree, and it was nice to realise that James was still the kid who refused to drive in anything but sneakers, and always carried a change of footwear.
He watched with amusement as James waved away the waitress's offer to find an empty table and crossed the gleaming tiled floor to the booth.
"Nice place," James said, sliding into the booth opposite him and setting his phone, keys and sunglasses to the side. "How come we couldn't meet in your office? Tell me it's a cubby hole in the back corner of the school and you've no space for a guest chair and you're too embarrassed to let me see it."
"Seriously? You really think we're going to compete about offices you fourth-floor-window-with-a-view looking schmuck?"
James laughed, crinkles forming at the corners of his blue eyes. "You know if I could hide in a dingy office where no one would visit, I would. But, seriously, why come out here only to go back to the school? I could have picked some breakfast up and come to you, finally get to see Nicky boy doing the work that nearly gave your dad a heart attack."
Nicolai made a face, though he acknowledged that James made a good point. They could have met at his office and gone from there to the meeting, but Nicolai didn't want to risk his team seeing James. He could imagine how that would go. His team were already on tenterhooks, he didn't want to exacerbate the situation any further. They needed to keep their head in the game as much as they could.
"If you want to see me doing my job, you can come to the match today if it's still going after the meeting."
"Maybe I will," James conceded with a grin, but it evaporated as he sobered, looking around the cafe. "So, what's going on up at that school of yours Nic?"
And, right to the point. With a grimace, Nicolai rubbed his hands over his face. "Food first. Then I'll fill you in while we eat."
"That bad?"
"Your daughter nearly got expelled, James. It's not good." He glanced up and caught the attention of Daisy at the counter. She nodded and set down the sugar jars she'd been refilling and made her way over to them.
"Morning Nicolai. You guys good to order or do you need more time?"
Nicolai glanced at James who nodded. "We're good, Daisy. Can I get my usual and a refill?" He held up his mug and Daisy filled it with the coffee pot in hand.
"No problem, and for your friend?"
"Those pancakes on the board outside looked good, so I'll take a stack of those with bacon and maple syrup. And can I get a pot of black tea, English or Irish breakfast if you have it?"
Daisy nodded, setting the pot down to quickly scribble the order in her notepad. "No problem. We have some of that in stock. It'll take about ten minutes to get your food, so if you need anything else, give me a shout."
Nicolai waited until Daisy had headed off to the kitchen before raising a brow. "Pancakes? What are you, twelve? You're gonna end up with a heart attack."
Annoyance flared in James' eyes. "I'd rather be twelve than an eighty-year-old with no teeth forcing down a bowl of mushy oatmeal. Besides, I haven't been able to eat anything with sugar for two months now, so cut me some slack."
"Tell me you're not carb counting again?"
"No." With a sigh, James shifted on the booth and made a face. "Priscilla's got gestational diabetes, so to help, we got rid of any temptations in the house. So now I'm stuck on the same—I'm not using the word diet because it's not—it's a—" his face scrunched up as he tried to remember and then he brightened "—nutrition plan."
Face full of smug pleasure at remembering the correct term, James clasped his hands in front of him. "So you can't mock me for being a supportive partner."
"I can. I will." But still… "How is she?"
"Priss? She's fine." He rolled his shoulders in a way that was so much like Amber, Nicolai had to blink. "A little shaken up and pissed off that she doesn't get to indulge in cravings and eating for two like every other pregnant woman but she's fine. She's making up for it by having the mother of all mood swings though."
"Isn't it serious? The diabetes, I mean?"
"Well, I talked to Treasa about it and she said that as long as Priss sticks to the guidelines on what she can and can't eat, and attends her appointments, it's not something to worry about. Most of the time it goes once the pregnancy is over and if not, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"I'm glad she's okay." And he was glad, but it was also very strange. He was never sure how he was supposed to react to his best friend dating his half-sister. His relationship with the two girls born from Voltaire's second and third marriage had always been tentative at best. They were more like acquaintances who had the misfortune of sharing the same father. Voltaire had a habit of marrying for money, securing an heir, divorcing the wife and finding a new trust fund for Hiwatari Corp.
The only problem was that each time, the new Mrs Hiwatari believed she would be the only one, that her love would redeem him and that she would produce the perfect heir. It never happened. Nicolai's mother hadn't the political acumen to achieve Voltaire's dreams, but she had given birth to his only male heir. But Nicolai didn't want anything to do with his father. The next two wives had the clout but produced daughters, and Voltaire wouldn't leave his company to a daughter. And so, Voltaire turned his attentions to cultivating Kai as his heir.
Nicolai had every intention of nipping that in the bud.
He stilled as a thought occurred, a dawning notion of dread. "Do you know the sex yet?"
James looked up from pouring himself a glass of water, a wary glimmer in his gaze. "Yes, but we haven't decided on whether we're going to share it." He made a face. "I know how Amber was about Treasa's baby being a boy."
"I'm thinking more in terms of Voltaire."
That wariness dissolved into acknowledgement as James inclined his head. "It's a concern. Priscilla still has her own issues with her father but," he said, glancing away, "I think we'll be okay."
Nicolai frowned, eyes narrowing on James' face. "You're having a girl."
James looked at him sharply. "Nicolai."
"No, no, that's good. At least Voltaire won't try to usurp her as his heir but shit, James. Another daughter."
"Yeah, with the number of boys in my family, I wasn't expecting that. But you can't tell anyone. We aren't sharing this news yet, and if Priss finds out you know, she'll scalp me in my sleep. And Amber," he said, eyes narrowing. "You can't tell her."
"Oh," Nicolai said with a grim laugh, "I have no intention of getting involved there, but don't drag it out. I don't want her being the last to know. Or finding out in a letter."
The words were sharp, pointed, and hit their mark with a direct strike. James flinched, and colour ruddied his cheeks as he fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt. "Believe me, I don't intend to repeat that mistake again but let's get one hurdle cleared first. She might be a bit more receptive to the idea of being a big sister again if she's not expelled from school."
Nicolai glanced up as Daisy brought their food over and set down their plates and the teapot with James' tea, before wishing them an enjoyable meal and moving to the table by the window occupied by three harried-looking mothers in athletic gear.
"Even if she's not expelled, she probably won't be that accepting. You know that, right?"
James picked up his spoon and lifted the lid of the teapot, stirring the contents. "What do mean?"
"Don't play dumb. You're having another daughter. Amber already feels second best, and she thinks you're replacing her—"
James hissed out a breath and then snatched his hand back when the spoon struck against the teapot with a resounding clang. He blew on his fingers and glowered at Nicolai. "Did she tell you that?"
"She didn't have to. Anyone who spends more than five minutes with her can tell she has issues. I mean, she climbed out a window to get away from you, James."
With a groan, James dropped his face to his hands, and Nicolai glanced around the cafe surreptitiously, but none of the diners were paying attention to them. A muted TV held the attention of the three men as the weather forecast predicted a spring storm while one of the toddlers had upended their sippy cup and the mothers were frantically trying to mop up the spill with their napkins.
"What am I supposed to do Nic? I don't know what I did wrong—" At Nicolai's pointed look, James blew out a breath and sat back, steepling his fingers in front of his lips. "Okay, you're right, I've fucked up. I did things that only benefited myself with no consideration for how it would impact her, and now I'm reaping the consequences. But I want to fix it. You might not believe that but I do. She's going away to college at the end of the summer; I don't want that to be the end of our relationship." He licked his lips, and picked up his fork, listlessly staring at the leaning tower of pancakes and river of syrup. "That's something I'm going to have to fix. I don't know how yet, but I'll do something. First, I need to know what happened at the school. Fill me in on what you know."
Nicolai speared a strawberry. "How much do you know about Amber's life at Preston?"
James jerked a shoulder and sent him a bland look. "Clearly not enough. I know she plays hockey and she's got a ton of friends. It's hard to keep track of them, but, there's Miyami and obviously Shahero. That Tala kid with the red hair and big ego. She's close to her cousins too. She's never complained about any classes at school, and Treasa's never mentioned any issues there either. So, I would have said she was doing fine at Preston, better than fine, but obviously, I'm wrong."
Nicolai didn't bother commenting on that. He also wondered if James realised how often he relied on Treasa's information. It was strange that he had almost a better relationship with his ex-wife than with his own child. Then again, the issue between Treasa and James had never been communication. "Do you remember Gibbons?"
James wrinkled his nose in distaste as he poured himself a cup of tea. Their shared economics professor had been a royal twat, always condescending to the majority of the students in their class, but he had a special hatred for James. Neither of them had ever worked out why. "Hard to forget him. Had a stick up his arse and never liked anyone who argued with him, even if that person was talking sense."
"Well, Maye is Amber's Gibbons. It's a serious clash of personalities. Amber's had a few detentions, but she and most of the staff, like most of the students, have a fairly cordial relationship based on mutual respect. She pushes boundaries and tests authority in small ways and then accepts her punishment with good grace. Maye, on the other hand, is strict and tends to overreact to Amber's actions. She doesn't appreciate that the kids are finding their feet, seeing what they can and can't be expected to get away with. Maye doesn't have a lenient bone in her body."
"Maye? Do I know her? Sounds familiar. Maye, Maye Maye…"
"Please don't do that in front of my kids. You sound like a bleating sheep, and the last thing I need is for them to follow her around making that sound."
With a faint grin, James took a sip of his tea. "Your kids? You sound like their dad."
Nicolai snorted and rubbed the back of his neck as it heated because of the slip. "Sometimes feels like it."
James sobered. "Is that why Amber reached out to you and got you to phone me?"
Nicolai froze, a shiver of alarm shooting up his spine as he sat up a little straighter in his seat. "She didn't call anyone because she had her phone confiscated."
"She could have borrowed someone's."
"She didn't tell anyone, James," he repeated. "She was fully prepared to go into that meeting with the principal and Maye without any support. Kai and a few of the other boys came to get me because I was on campus and they knew I'd step in."
James chewed his pancake thoughtfully and nodded. "Okay, well, thank you for being there for her. So, what happened?"
"When I got there, Maye had Dickinson half convinced to call a Board of Management meeting to get Amber expelled. She's… quite convincing and Amber was understandably spooked. So I read them the riot act, reminded them that they shouldn't have met with her without her parents being present. Threw in the fact that you were a lawyer, which sobered Dickinson up in a hurry. But Maye wasn't satisfied. As far as she was concerned, she nearly had the win, and we stole it out from under her."
James rubbed his forehead. "What kind of prank was this?"
Nicolai shrugged. "From my understanding, a fairly standard senior prank. Whoever did it snuck into one of the computer labs after curfew and cellophaned all the furniture and equipment and filled it with balloons." At James' incredulous look, Nicolai added, "Maye has a phobia. As far as she's concerned, what we'd consider harmless, was a targeted attack on her. From what Judy—another teacher—said, Maye implied that she was a victim of bullying by students and that if Amber escaped without punishment, it would send a certain kind of message to the student body."
"So Dickinson has to be seen to act," James surmised. "Otherwise the teachers can't put their trust him and the kids can run roughshod. She's good. Nicely played."
"Exactly. She's not stupid. We all say that she got the vice-principal job because no one else wanted it, and that's true to an extent, but she got it because she's smart and she's ambitious." Nicolai sipped his coffee and watched as a dog trotted down the street, pausing to declare ownership of a tire belonging to a parked jeep. "The other problem is that last night the student body staged a protest of sorts. They came down to the office and each of them claimed they'd done the prank. It saved Amber from the threat of expulsion, but since quite a large number of those who showed up are the children of important parents—"
"They made Amber a bigger target," James cut in. "And this is why we shouldn't send children to fight our battles. So Maye will want Amber to take the blame because she can't chase the others. They're the ones that provide the funds for the school."
Nicolai swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal. "Amber's an easy target. Dickinson's hands are tied. He has to be seen to punish someone."
"But at the same time, if everyone else confessed, then why should my daughter foot the blame?"
"Like I said, Amber's been pushing boundaries, she's been involved in a few pranks and served several detentions this year alone. She's not a bad kid, but she's smart and has a tendency to speak first, think later." He pointedly looked at her father who shared that trait and James shrugged magnanimously.
"Still, she knows better than to confess to something she didn't do. I've told her time and time again, it's harder to prove you did something if you deny it. It puts the ball in their court, but now we have to try to prove she didn't do it. That's going to be difficult."
"She's not your client, James, she's your daughter. She did what she thought she had to do at the time. It was that or Maye would have gone after Arista."
James tore into a piece of bacon and chewed slowly. "So?"
"So, Arista's had a rough few weeks."
"Amber could end up having a rough few years, Nic. If she gets expelled, she'll have to find another place to study, it could impact her chances of admiral to a good college. Even if she doesn't get expelled, there will be a black mark that won't look good on her transcripts. I'm going to have to do a lot of juggling to get her out of this mess—"
Nicolai lifted his cup to his lips. "Then it's lucky her father's a lawyer. If anyone can do verbal gymnastics, it's you. Not every student can boast that. Arista certainly can't. Which is something I'm sure Amber factored in as well."
That was partially true. It was very much the reason why she'd asked Kai not to contact her father. "The fact is," he continued, "Maye isn't the kind of teacher who wants the truth, she wants results, something that will look good when she has her review with the Board of Management. She's the type of person who climbs the ranks on the back of someone else's work, but who can manipulate everyone into thinking she achieved that greatness on her own merit. Dickinson won't stand up to her, and the rest of the staff are in a position where fighting her could result in losing their jobs or having their budgets cut. They rebel in small ways, but the students have bigger issues with Maye, and they don't know how to fight subtle, because the politics of the situation don't matter to them.
"Amber saw an injustice and she stepped up. She's a good kid, James, and she saw the writing on the wall. If Maye didn't get her, she would target someone else until she got her way. So like I said, it's lucky Amber has you because the other students don't."
James considered that; his expression stoning over. "It shouldn't be up to my daughter to stand up to a bully, especially not a teacher."
"She was in a difficult spot, she reacted. Now hopefully we can do something to get her out of that spot." Though Nicolai was failing to see how. Maye would dig her heels in.
"That's the intention. You'd think though, that since I am a lawyer, her friends would have reached out to me or even Treasa. Why did they go to you?"
Nicolai sucked in a sharp breath, then blew it out. "Are you serious, right now? I told you, they came to me because I was on campus. What would you have done? Dropped everything to come down to the school?"
"Of course, I would have."
Nicolai snorted. "Yeah, right."
"I would have. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Only because I told you that you were needed here for official reasons. You initially tried to push it onto Treasa. Treasa, James, who just had a baby. What did you think she was going to do?"
James rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean it like that and I didn't realise the trouble Amber was in. Once you told me, I was ready to come down last night. You pushed it to this morning."
"Because you coming down last night wouldn't have helped."
"But the intention was there."
"Road, hell, good intentions. Your entire relationship with that girl is good intentions," Nicolai hissed, feeling his blood heating with temper, and he bit it back. This wasn't helping. They didn't have time for this conversation and the middle of the diner was not the place.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
"No, spit it out. I'd rather—"
"No, we're not discussing it right now because I need your head in the game and we don't have that much time before the meeting."
"You know, it must be nice to be infallible, Nicky. You never make the wrong decision, you never fail, you never misstep."
"Really?" Nicolai hissed, fisting his hands on the desk. "You think I've never made a mistake?"
James caught himself, had the good grace to at least look sheepish at his words. "That's not what I meant, it's just you lucked out with Jean and Kai and, you know, it's easier with a son."
Nicolai gaped at him, torn between utter bewilderment and simmering fury. There was no bitterness, no resentment in James' tone, just resigned acceptance as if he really believed that. "It wasn't luck, idiot. I worked at my marriage, I worked to raise my son."
"Yeah, but your job lets you see him all the time. You can be there for him whenever he needs you. I barely get to see my daughter and she's always disappointed in me. It's like nothing I do is good enough for her. You have no idea the minefield I have to—"
Nicolai shook his head with a baffled laugh. "I'm not ready for this level of stupid this early in the morning. Look, Jay, I'm telling you this as a friend. Your marriage didn't work because you didn't put the effort in. You wanted your career more than you wanted your family. I never said anything at the time because I didn't feel it was my place, but your daughter is one of my kids now, so I can tell you this. You fucked up, so now you have to fix it. Stop playing the victim and start actively trying to make things better. Put Amber first. You know, I've been her coach since September and you've never come to see her play. You're not living a million miles away James, you just don't make the effort."
James swallowed tightly, and his jaw clenched. Nicolai glanced at the clock mounted on the wall, ready to divert the conversation filled with excuses he knew was coming. "Look, it's nearly—"
"You're right," James said, voice quiet. "I know you're right. I haven't been putting her first. I just keep thinking that someday I'll do it, someday I'll go to a game but that day hasn't come, and this gap between us won't be fixed unless I try to fix it now."
Nicolai said nothing. Words were always James' greatest weapon, it was the actions that made the impact. And they were words he should be saying to his daughter anyway, though at this stage Nicolai figured Amber was just as used to James' words.
"Priss and I," James began, fingers tightening around his mug of tea, "we've been attending couples counselling. She has her own… issues with her father and hearing her talk, it highlighted a few things in my own life that I've done wrong. And I want to do better. I don't want Amber to think that she's not important or to resent the new baby when she comes around. I just don't know what to do, how to take that first step. I'm not you Nic, this kind of thing doesn't come easy to me."
Which was ironic, since James had a supportive family, but maybe that was the problem. James took having a family for granted, but Nicolai had always thought about the kind of father and husband he wanted to be. He'd taken measures to ensure that he wouldn't repeat his father's mistakes.
James' father was a good man, but he was absent, always out on the farm and leaving the raising of the children to Molly. That was what James knew, and he'd followed in those footsteps, putting his own career first and leaving Amber to be raised solely by Treasa except for those brief instances where he took notice. Unfortunately, Amber didn't have a bunch of siblings to fill the gap of a missing father. She'd looked at her uncles and the fathers of friends and found her own lacking.
"You need to apologise to her, you need to make more of an effort. Amber needs a father she can rely on, someone who supports her and has her back. Start with this but don't get caught up in your work and forget her again."
"I know."
"Saying I know, doesn't fix this."
"I kn— I'll try." Then with a grunt, James raked a hand through his hair, dislodging the dark strands. "I'll do it. I don't want to get to a stage where I just get the odd Christmas card from her or hear about her adventures through Treasa. I've been remiss, let the fact that she was at boarding school and happy with her mum be an excuse for not making time for her. Made up reasons as to why I shouldn't bother her. It's probably too late, but I want the chance to prove to her that she can rely on me. That when things get tough, she can reach out. Not through some intermediary, but directly. I know you probably don't believe me, but I do care about her. She's my kid."
"Well then, step up. Put everything else aside for the day and just be there for her."
Nicolai lifted the check then raised a brow when James took it from him.
"Let me get this. I have a few things to pay for, so I might as well start small."
Nicolai grunted his assent. "Fine, but don't expect miracles either. You've hurt her and you've got a lot to make up for. She's scared and she's got her own shit going on, beyond this issue with Maye. It might be nice for her to have someone she can turn to." He didn't think Amber was aware of the way she protected her mother, seeing herself as the stronger one. So to Nicolai's way of thinking, Amber needed an adult she could depend on. And while he was happy to be that, it would be better for her if she could find that person in her dad.
Closing the leather book, James studied him. "She has you."
"I'm not her dad. I'm her coach." They stood up and moved to the exit of the diner, Nicolai raising a hand in farewell to Daisy as she slipped behind the counter.
"You know," James said, slipping his hands into his pockets, "I may not be a great dad, but at least I'm better than Voltaire."
"That's not really something to gloat about." They crossed the street to a rather staid looking silver Jeep, now christened with dog piss. "You'd have to do something pretty damn terrible to be in the same boat as my father. Speaking of your employer, have you heard anything further about Kai?
The lights flashed as James unlocked it. "You know better than to ask, client confidentiality and all that. Besides, I never deal with that kind of thing. Don't really deal much with Voltaire at all these days. He probably rightly assumes I'll feed everything back to you. Hell, he's not talking to Priscilla much recently either. He's been quiet, withdrawn. Spends a lot of time up in his office, doesn't really come out. Were he anyone else I'd be worried?"
"The bastard's too cantankerous to die. But if you hear anything…"
James opened the door and looked across the roof. "You know I'll tell you. If he were smart, he'd just divide up the company and let the employees buy shares but he's obsessed with the family name. Priscilla's done herself out of the running now too, what with the baby. He's not a fan of women taking maternity, thinks the baby will make her weak-willed and unable to pull her weight. Which basically means that she won't just drop everything at a whim to work insane hours for no gratitude."
"And you?" Nicolai asked, getting in and frowning at the interior. Very safe and boring, and very not what James had ever driven before.
"I'm cutting back on my hours too. I made mistakes with Amber that I'm not going to repeat with the new baby."
Nicolai made a face. "Jesus Jay, whatever you do, don't phrase it that way to Amber."
James flinched and held up his hands before starting the car. "I won't. I promise. You know, since you have the week off, we should catch up. Maybe grab a beer. You've got this dad thing down, I might need to pick your brain."
"Rain check?" At James' look, Nicolai grimaced. "I'm not blowing you off, but I'm taking Jean on holiday. She's always talking about wanting to try a cruise, so I booked us on this little river thing."
"You? On a river cruise?" With a rich laugh, James merged with the traffic. "Now this I have to hear about."
After a restless night, alternating between dozing off and waking with her heart slamming into her chest, Amber studied her wane reflection in the light of Judy's small bathroom mirror. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and her skin appeared two shades up from death.
She looked ill.
Which could work to her benefit. Surely the Board of Management wouldn't expel a sick kid. Then again, Maye would.
Nope, she'd have to make an effort to look presentable. She grunted and tugged open the small cabinet where Judy had told her she could find a few hair ties. Grabbing two and three hairpins, she closed the door and made a face in the mirror. God, she actually found herself wishing for Miyami and her blusher.
Things were dire, indeed.
Seizing her brush—which Miyami and Aspin had packed into the duffle bag delivered by Nicolai night before—she began to manipulate her slightly damp hair into a stubby ponytail and pinned the flyaway strands into place.
There, that was a little better. Definitely a bit more human than corpse.
She wrung her hands and then dropped them to her sides. No nerves. Not yet. There would be plenty of time to indulge those later.
Leaving the bathroom, she packed her brush away and began to dismantle the futon Judy had set up for her in the living area. She placed the pillow on the folded quilt and shrugged on her cardigan. While the sky outside was a solid blue that stretched to the horizon, the temperature itself hadn't climbed quite high enough to venture out without layers.
A knock at the door broke her thoughts. Judy had left earlier, something about getting paperwork in place before she escorted the juniors students on the ski trip—which confused Amber because wasn't Judy going on the Ireland trip?
No. She wasn't allowed to think about the Ireland trip, lord knows she'd jinxed herself enough already. But, with Judy out, there was no reason for anyone to knock on the door of the small cottage.
If it was Maye…
No, it was probably Nicolai coming to check on her. She needed to be positive. Stalking through the kitchen, she stepped up to the front door, peeked through the lace—
"Bryan?" She yanked open the door.
Her cousin stepped inside, his burly form taking up half the space in the small kitchenette. "You ready to go?"
"Uh, go where?"
"Aren't you going to see James before the meeting?"
"I wasn't planning to."
"If you don't, you won't get to tell your tale before Maye tries to twist it."
She blinked. "Oh. That's a good point. Let me go get my bag and blazer."
"Blazer?"
She made a face as she returned to the futon and grabbed her bag and the blazer she'd draped over the back of the chair. "Dad's always saying first impressions can make or break your chances." She reentered the kitchen and rolled her shoulders. "I figured the full uniform might help."
Bryan quirked a brow, and there was so much scepticism in that look that she wanted to throw something at him.
"Okay, so my first impression is going to be a woe begotten child who can't get a uniform that fits." Her mother bought it two years ago thinking that at some point her daughter would have a growth spurt. "And who absolutely could not possibly psychologically torture a teacher."
"That Maye's claim?" Bryan asked, taking her duffle and shoving the brown bag hosting the deli logo into her hands.
She studied it suspiciously as she opened the door and gestured for Bryan to exit. "Yeah, that's what she's claiming. She's very convincing. I need to look as innocent and non-juvenile delinquent as possible. I'm even wearing a skirt." And it was the last time she'd do that too. Not because she planned to get expelled, but once the summer semester started, she'd swap the skirt for the skort that Miyami had designed for her.
She closed the door behind them, checked that it was locked, then shook the bag. "What's in here?"
"Breakfast."
Ah, a man of many many words. She unrolled the top and peered inside, noting that she'd been right to wear the cardigan and blazer. There was a nip to the air that whispered through the trees and slid around her legs. "Bryan, this is what mom ate when she was pregnant."
His unrepentant look told her that was where he got the idea and she sighed, accepting her fate. "Sure. Everyone already thinks I'm pregnant with the longest gestating baby ever, might as well feed the rumour mill some more."
Cracking the seal of the apple juice, she sipped delicately. "Thanks."
Starting on the banana as they meandered down the path towards the front parking lot reserved for visitors, she got three bites in before her stomach rolled and threatened to reject it.
"Banana?" she offered.
Bryan exhaled gustily but took the fruit from her. "You're supposed to eat that."
"My stomach is rough this morning. It's a miracle I got this much down, but I'll try the crackers, don't worry. Though a rumbling stomach might help my first impression. A poor, unfortunate, child who can't even feed herself when food is provided on campus. Definitely not a terrorist in training."
He chuffed out a laugh, lilac eyes brightening as the two of them crossed under the shade of a towering oak tree. The quad was empty of students, and only a groundsman could be seen in the far corner deadheading a bush. In the distance, she could hear the buzz of a strimmer or some kind of gardening device that mingled with the rising chattering of birds. One bird, in particular, seemed to follow them along the narrow path towards the gatehouse, its musical trill just a tad too chipper.
Amber selected a cracker and nibbled on it. "How was practice this morning?"
"Didn't go."
"Why not? You're taking on the JV—" At his warning look, she held up her hands in surrender.
"Nicolai excused me because he figured you'd want moral support. I'll get some ice time during your meeting." And that would probably help distract him too, she surmised. Still, it was nice that he was here; that Nicolai had thought of that. "As for the JV game, we're as ready as we can be. A few extra hours on the ice won't help."
"You've got new guys, right?"
"Yeah, and we'll rely on them as little as we can. We met one of them last night before we came down to confess. Rick Anderson. You know him?"
She racked her brain trying to bring a face to mind but came up blank. "Don't think so."
"He's… interesting. Used to play football. Got a mouth and an ego on him. He'll probably spend more time in the sin bin than on the ice."
Amber flinched. While it was in some ways good that the new guys wouldn't really be replacing anyone, she hated the idea her actions had impacted the team. And depending on the outcome of today she'd find out if she'd ever be able to make things up to them.
"I owe you guys big time for last night."
"You don't owe us anything," Bryan said, voice gruff. When she opened her mouth to protest, he stopped her, hands on her shoulders. "No, you don't. From what Ian said, you were stuck between two impossible choices. You did what you had to do. You don't have to explain yourself to me or anyone. We weren't there."
The simple support floored her. She stopped, a surge of emotion clogging up her chest until her eyes burned and she furiously blinked them away, lips rolling together tightly. The emotion threatened to escape, and she clamped down on it, crushing the bag in her grip until Bryan nudged her forward and she dropped her brow to his chest.
"You okay?"
She nodded against him, and they stood in silence until she got herself under control. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You know," Bryan said, as they continued down the path to the red brick building strangled by ivy, "if you want me to take care of Maye, I can. She could just disappear."
She chuckled weakly. "No. We gotta keep things above board. Which means dad's gotta wield his lawyerese."
Bryan nodded and shifted the duffle bag to his other shoulder so that he could open the door to the gatehouse—which was just a glorified security office. The man behind the glass window glanced up from his wall of screens as they entered but stayed seated, his attention returning to the one screen that displayed a Saturday morning cartoon show. The other screens were supposed to be live feeds of the campus, but everyone knew the majority were looped because half the cameras didn't work. Hence why Maye couldn't get the concrete evidence she needed.
They passed through the cool darkness and out the double doors to the steps. The sun beat against the cement steps and bounced off the walls and tarmac of the parking lot creating a wall of heat. A bus sat at the base of the steps, the driver throwing bags into the undercarriage while girls in short skirts and letterman jackets offered instructions or made their way onto the bus.
The cheerleaders, Amber realised with a frown, off to a competition. She caught sight of Mariah talking with her coach, with another girl directly behind her braiding a thin blue ribbon into Mariah's pink hair. A flash of blue rounding the back of the bus caught her attention, and she watched as Mariam said something to the driver as she passed over her bag just as Clover stepped in front of them, obstructing Amber's view.
"You got your bags packed Amber?"
Bryan tensed beside her and Amber sighed. "Why? You need me to come be a cheerleader for the day?"
"No, idiot, to go home? Because you're getting expelled?"
Mariam looked up. "Hey, Clo, maybe you could stop running your mouth and run on to the bus."
Clover rolled her eyes, and with a little stomp of her foot, huffed onto the bus, sending Amber another smirk as she stopped at the door. "Bye, Amber. Hope to see you never," she called out in a sing-song voice before she disappeared inside.
Oh, how witty, Amber thought as she dropped down onto the top step.
The driver slammed the luggage compartment door and climbed onto the bus, starting it with a rumble and a belch of smoke. The coach, Mrs Wilde, made a note on her clipboard before moving to the door and gesturing the remaining girls inside.
Mariam fell into step with Mariah and both girls joined the queue by the door.
"Hey, Amber?" Mariah called. "Good luck today."
"Thanks."
"Yeah, good luck," Mariam echoed, and while it wasn't the most sincere thing she'd ever heard Mariam say, it was more than Amber had expected.
She nodded in response, as Mariam's gaze trailed over her shoulder and up to Bryan. It lingered there for a moment and Amber surreptitiously glanced over her shoulder. Bryan studied his phone, the most invested in his device she'd ever seen him. The bus hissed as the door shut and then it lapped the parking lot before disappearing through the trees along the shadowed route towards the main gate.
"You'll get dust on your skirt," Bryan said, pocketing his phone again.
"It will brush off." She bit her lip and cast him a quick glance before looking away.
After the third time, he caught her. "Just ask."
"Okay, how come you never told me about you and Mariam?"
"Nothing to tell."
"You were together." She broke off a cracker and put it in her mouth, brushing the crumbs from her skirt. "Kirby told me."
He made a face and his fingers tightened on the rail behind him until the knuckles whitened. "We weren't together. Not the way you mean. It just happened, and then it didn't happen again. It wasn't a big romance."
"So, she didn't break your heart?"
"No. And I didn't break hers."
"Oh. And you don't ever think about—"
"What? Reigniting it? No. Mariam doesn't know what she wants and I want out of this place. Once the summer comes, I'm—" he cut himself off.
"You're?"
He swallowed and straightened, hands slipping into the pockets of his jacket. "I'm moving to the city with Spencer. I want to study art and maybe travel a bit. I'm not leaving you, but I—"
She smiled and tilted her head. "Your apartment better have a nice couch for when I visit."
He relaxed and mustered up a smile. "Of course."
"And I might get one of those futons that Judy has for wherever I end up because it wasn't that bad to sleep on, plus it's longer than a sofa so your feet won't dangle too much."
He exhaled a laugh and dropped onto the steps beside her, nudging her shoulder. "You're gonna have to ask Spencer nicely and maybe bake him something."
"Spencer likes me, I'll have you know. He'll probably invite me before you do."
Bryan conceded that with a barely-there smile that curved his lips but it dropped at the crunch of tires on gravel and they turned to the watch the silver jeep cruise into the parking lot.
"Does your dad drive a jeep now?"
Amber jerked a shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe?" Had there been a jeep in the driveway that day she'd escaped through the window? She didn't remember. She hadn't exactly been paying much attention, which was why she'd nearly found herself under Nicolai's car.
The jeep stopped in front of them. Amber rose unsteadily to her feet, taking a moment to compose herself by brushing down her skirt.
The passenger door opened and she released a relieved sigh when Nicolai climbed out and shot them a pointed look. "I thought we said we'd meet at Judy's?"
Amber wandered to the bottom of the steps to meet him. "Figured he'd be less likely to yell at me in front of others," she muttered. "And I couldn't stay there any longer."
"He's not going to yell at you."
"You told him?" She glanced across the car as the driver's door opened and a pair of shoes appeared on the ground. She rolled her eyes. "Dad, seriously? If mom can drive in heels, you can drive in your prissy shoes. Heh, prissy."
Nicolai made a choked sound behind her as her dad peered through the window at her.
"Kid, can you not give me grief when I've come to save the day?"
"This the equivalent of your white steed?" She gestured to the jeep and watched as he flushed. "This is the kind of thing you gave Seth grief about. No point complaining about me razzing your choice of footwear."
James finished changing his shoes and rose to his feet, giving Bryan a quick nod. "I like my runners. I'm not apologising for comfortable footwear." The jeep chirped as he locked it and came around, shiny shoes clicking against the pavement, to stand in front of her, the humour draining from his face to something resembling sympathy. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. "You okay kid?
"Been better."
"I'll bet." He reached up, hand hovering over her shoulder before he lowered it and gave her a comforting squeeze, the way he'd done when she was a kid who'd lost her games. It'd been too long since she'd felt that touch and she mourned it. "Look," he said, waiting for her to meet his gaze, "you didn't do anything wrong. Nicolai filled me in and you acted with integrity and compassion, and that shouldn't be penalised. They were wrong to put you in that position and we're going to make them pay for it."
"Dad. Maye won't let it go."
"Maye, Maye, Maye," James dismissed, shooting Nicolai a sharp grin when her coach snarled his name. "We'll deal with her. Don't worry."
"You don't understand. She needs a scapegoat, and if it's not me, it'll be someone else."
James glanced over her head. "You were right."
She darted a look between the two and frowned. Right about what? "Regardless of who is right or wrong, I need to face some punishment."
"Let me do my job. I'm on your side, but you gotta trust me, okay?"
She blew out a breath, glanced over to Bryan as he stood on the steps, hands shoved deep into the pockets, and nodded. Not like she had a choice. She did trust her dad, but most of the time they didn't sing from the same hymn sheet. What she wanted and what he assumed she wanted, weren't necessarily the same thing.
Kai backed up against the wall and studied his gathered team, shuffling in the middle of the empty hall that led to the rink. He could almost taste their nerves, the potent energy filling the hallway to the ceiling, and mixing with the distant sounds of the gathered crowd. There weren't many, which was a relief in itself. Only about 20% of the school would witness their humiliating loss.
And that was defeatist. It didn't help the team.
He kicked the floor with his skates and glanced around. Rei and Ozuma leaned against the opposite wall, Rei keeping his own watch while Ozuma's eyes were shut, zoning out his surroundings. Tala blatantly ignored every gesture Ian tried to make to apologise for knocking Tala into his locker while he was getting changed and Ruin watched on with amusement. Shahero and Miyami had cornered Bryan, but he couldn't give them anything more on the meeting since he'd left shortly after James had arrived. Which was a small relief to know.
Kane was taking slow, deep breaths in the corner, tugging at the goalie uniform as if it was suffocating him, and he kept flexing his hands around the goalie stick. Johnny offered blunt words of encouragement, but Kai could see them falling on deaf ears as Kane retreated into the silence of his mind.
They weren't ready.
Rei shifted beside him. "The team could do with a pep talk."
Could they? They could do with a goalie. To have Amber not be facing punishment for something she didn't do. A pep talk, especially one from him, was low of their list of needs.
"Didn't the one I gave them this morning suffice?" It had gone down a treat. "Besides, we still have half an hour of practice time before the game."
Rei grinned, a hint of a canine flashing as he looked around the gathered team. "It wouldn't hurt, and with Nicolai unavailable…"
Right, because Nicolai was helping Amber. So if his father could do that, Kai could step up again. He didn't like it. He was not the pep talk type of guy, but he'd already mangled one, he could muddle through another.
He tapped his helmet against his thigh until he caught their attention and rolled his shoulders. "Look," he started, pitching his voice over the low buzz of conversation, "we know what we need to do today. We take it slow, we don't give away passes, we dominate the puck, and when the puck is down in their section, we hit the goal with everything we've got. We don't have time to play sloppy. We're faster with the puck, we make quicker decisions, we have more experience on the ice."
Miyami shoved her helmet into Bryan's hands and gloves into Shahero's before she deftly began to braid her silver hair. "Don't worry cap, we've got this. We won't be the first Varsity team to lose to the JV, especially not Hitoshi's JV. No offensive to the baby brats but it's kind of personal."
"Fine. Let's do this."
He held out his hand and high-fived the team as they clumped past him. When Kane was left, Kai pushed away from the wall and faced him.
"Just stick with the play we went through. No heroics, no making any dangerous moves. Stay in the crease, trust your D. And if they're blocking your line of sight, tell them. Give them directions, they're not mind readers and they're used to working with Arista."
Kane blew out a breath and his eyes lifted to Kai before averting to the white light of the arena behind him. "Yeah. Okay, I've got this."
"You do. Like you said, it's not your first time playing goalie."
"Fuck you, Hiwatari."
Kai smirked and stepped aside, patting Kane on the helmet as he passed and taking the elbow to the ribs as his comeuppance. Releasing his own sigh, like releasing the pent up energy inside, Kai stalked up the corridor towards the bright lights.
He took a moment to stand off the ice, looking up around the arena at the smattering of students assembled in the bleachers. They were still filtering in, those that remained for the weekend, those killing time until their trips began. He caught sight of Aspin and Sonia near the middle of the stands, passing comments as they looked around, but there was no sign of Amber. Not surprising. After all, if his father hadn't appeared, she clearly wasn't free.
He took a calming breath and stepped out to start his own warm up lap. As he slowly lapped the ice, he took note of his team: the way Kane had situated himself in front of the net, warming up and doing the patented goalie wiggle; how Ian and Ruin were eyeing up the JV team as they circled the defensive zone; and how Tala and Russia were passing a puck back and forth at the blue line.
Kai blew out a breath.
"Hey!"
He startled and looked over his shoulder as Ozuma slipped into step beside him. "Everything okay?"
"I kind of expected Nicolai to be here by now."
"Yeah."
Ozuma glanced around the ice as if steeling himself to say something difficult. "Since he isn't, maybe I could act as coach."
"You? Why?"
"Why not? I'm the assistant captain, I have some ability to direct the team."
"I know that. Why would you want to?"
"Because you don't."
At Kai's sharp look, Ozuma jerked a shoulder. "Someone has to. Nicolai's taking care of Amber, and honestly, you're more valuable on the ice. The team will listen to me, and with family on the opposing team, I know a little bit about the strategy needed to stop them. I've seen the plays coach has drawn up; I've had my own input. We need someone to coach, so I'll volunteer."
Kai flinched. He was probably going to develop a nervous tick with that phrase.
"What about your line?"
Ozuma slowed to a halt and studied the ice until he picked out a figure warming up nearby. "We get Rei to fill it. He's on the second line with Johnny and Miyami, so we switch them out, send out Michael and Enrique to join him. He's played on lines with them before, the chemistry is there, they trust each other."
Kai studied them then glanced over to where Hitoshi was holding court with the JV crew kneeling around him. "They'll be a fast line."
"Might be exactly what we need to get a chance at Max."
Kai considered that and picked up the puck Ian sent at him. He whipped it down the ice and smirked when Kane looked up just in time to kick it away. "Okay," he said, turning to Ozuma, "if dad doesn't show before the game starts, you're coach."
Half an hour of waiting outside the conference room and Amber was ready to scream. Beside her, Nicolai shifted in his chair, so that the cushion creaked. She followed his gaze to the clock.
"You should go," she whispered. The team would be going on the ice soon, they'd need their coach.
"We still have time."
"Yeah, but if you want to leave—" she subtly gestured to her father "—I'll be okay."
"Amber, it's fine, I don't mind waiting, the team can handle themselves."
"We shouldn't be waiting," James said, pitching his voice loud enough so that in the conference room beyond them, Dickinson would hear them. They could certainly hear him shuffling papers and whistling cheerfully to himself.
Her academic future was in danger, and he was whistling the tune of "Mister Sandman".
"This is ridiculous," her father said, folding the incident report he'd wheedled out of Julie, and stretching out his legs to cross them at his ankles.
"Dad," Amber warned, shooting Julie a quick look but the receptionist looked equally unhappy with the delay.
"I dropped everything to be at this meeting. The least they could do is show up on time. It's basic manners."
Footsteps clipped down the carpeted hall at a fast pace and Maye breezed into the lobby, offering them all a placid smile.
"So sorry for the wait. I had another appointment that went on longer than I thought. I did say the afternoon would suit me better." She crossed to Julie and handed her an envelope before turning once more, all professionalism in yet another power suit this time in royal blue, and gestured them to the conference room. "Shall we begin? No point in delaying things further."
She disappeared inside and James turned to Nicolai. "I really don't like her."
"James. You're still the adult."
"What? Just stating an opinion. Let's go, Amber."
Amber took another calming breath and got to her feet, her knees trembling like the muscles had been replaced with water. Time to face the music.
They stepped inside the bright, airy conference room. Amber paused, taking in the sunlight spilling through the Venetian blinds, the open space with the arc of walnut desks, where Dickinson sat at the head, and the large white screen for teleconferencing. It had been a big deal two years ago when they refurnished the suite. It would, they said, be used to host guest lecturers but Amber had yet to enter the room for any kind of academic reasons. They'd had one meeting there during her third year at Preston regarding school uniforms and that was it.
"Ah Mr Benson, Amber, Nicolai, please come in."
Dickinson gestured for them to take a seat at the pair of tables opposite him.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
James smiled, a faint curling of his lips as he scanned the room. "Not at all. The wait gave me plenty of time to review all relevant details pertaining to this meeting."
At this Maye's thin lips twitched. "Well, that's fortunate, isn't it?"
"Sorry, is anyone sitting at these desks?" Nicolai asked, gesturing to the trio of empty desks to Dickinson's right.
"Ah, no. Due to the late notice, a few of those we invited will be unable to attend."
"Well, then I'll steal one of these chairs."
"You can, of course, please feel free…" Dickinson trailed off as Nicolai lifted the seat and drew it over to the other side to the room beside Amber. "Oh, very good. Well, now that we're all here. Shall we begin?"
Maye sat up a little straighter. "Yes. Mr Benson, it has come to our attention that your daughter has confessed to a rather serious incident which took place earlier in the week but only came to light yesterday."
"Amber has briefed me on your accusations and more importantly, the circumstances behind them. I also had plenty of time outside to review the incident report lodged against her and quite frankly, I see a lot of holes in the testimony. In fact—" he pulled out a file and held it up "—according to your policies and procedures—"
"These were extenuating circumstances," Maye butted in cooly, opening her bottle of water and pouring it into a glass. "Our policy does allow for that. Sometimes it's impossible to follow the procedures to the letter, though we do try and you'll find that throughout your daughter's time at Preston, we have followed a number of those procedures and been quite lenient. She has been talked to, she has served numerous detentions. This is an escalation of issues we have been trying to deal with. Her behaviour this year has steadily devolved, and it now puts our staff and students at risk."
Amber stiffened, glad for the desk that hid her fisted hands.
"I see." James studied his notes. "And yet despite this devolving behaviour since last… September, I assume"—she inclined her head—"not once did you or Mr Dickinson arrange for myself or her mother to meet with you to discuss her attitude. We could have easily formulated some kind of measure to rehabilitate my daughter's dangerous behaviour."
Amber swallowed her mouth suddenly dry. Surely he didn't buy into this, did he? Because she'd never done anything to put people at risk—or not that she knew about.
"Well, we wanted to work with her ourselves," Dickinson offered. "We like to give our students the chance to make choices that impact their lives for the better."
"Yes, our intention is always to try to help remediate the problem inhouse with our students, however, this escalation was quite a surprise and unfortunately our usual methods no longer can apply."
James smiled blandly and inclined his head. "Hmm. So despite her steadily devolving behaviour, this escalation was a surprise? Yes, I can see how frustrating that might be. So, after my daughter confessed to this incident that she didn't do, you saw fit to drag her into a meeting with both of you and no adult representation present?"
She glanced at Nicolai. A faint smirk lurked around his mouth, barely concealed humour in his gaze.
"Mr Benson, your daughter confessed several times to this incident. We have it documented."
"I'm afraid that Ms Maye is right, Amber did confess." There was a tone of apology in Dickinson's voice as he glanced at Amber, like he was sorry for ratting Amber out to her father, or sorry she had confessed. Amber really wasn't sure.
"Yes, I am aware of that but considering you took her report with her accuser in the room, that becomes null and void. My daughter confessed under duress. At what stage was she to tell you that she made up her confession? That maybe something had pushed her to that act?"
Dickinson slid off his glasses and began to polish them. "Well, as Miss Maye was the victim of the incident…"
"An attack that has had very serious repercussions on my mental well being—"
"I'm sure," James acknowledged, "however, you must admit your opinion will be biased. And, I'm sorry, but what was the incident? I'm afraid that due to the short notice of this meeting—and Nicolai thank you for contacting me about that—I didn't get to hear the nature of the… attack, you said?"
Dickinson flushed, and Maye's jaw twitched as they dropped their gaze from James's scrutiny.
"Miss Benson, perhaps you'd like to inform your father of your actions?"
With a soft laugh, James drew the attention of the room. "Miss Maye, we just covered the fact that my daughter confessed under duress and I also want to remind you that per your minutes from that meeting, several other students confessed to the prank too. I don't see their parents here, or are their meetings scheduled for later? Or perhaps you simply didn't tell their parents either."
Amber rolled her lips together to suppress a smile.
Dickinson put his glasses back on and folded his hands on the desk once more, studying them with a pleasant smile. "We would prefer to discuss Amber's involvement first. We do apologise to you for how this occurred. Miss Maye was a little overzealous in her pursuit of the truth and those who were behind the prank."
"Ah, okay so it was a prank. Well, what heinous crime did the perpetrator commit? I'm curious. I might have pranked a little when I was a student, harmless things and, back then, of course, there was the senior year prank. A way of blowing off steam when things were getting stressful."
"Yes, and I'm sure you didn't take into consideration the ramifications of such acts."
"They cellophaned the computer lab and tossed a few balloons in," Nicolai answered, voice laced with annoyance.
James blinked, then glanced at Amber, and then back to Dickinson. "This, all of this, is because of cellophane and balloons?"
Dickinson shifted uncomfortably. "Miss Maye has a phobia."
Maye flushed darkly, eyes glittering with hatred. "It's tantamount to psychological torture. If you were to dangle Miss Benson over a high ledge, I think she would find that traumatising too."
"Considering if you dropped her, she'd die? Then yes, she would. That's not the point. This prank was incredibly juvenile, and I'm sure it was quite upsetting for you Miss Maye, but this—" James gestured to the room "—is excessive and unnecessary. You've wasted my time, you've wasted my daughter's time. She should be packing for a trip to Ireland, and yet here she is, frightened for her future. All because of a childish prank that you decided to blame her for."
"She confessed! And regardless, her actions have perverted the course of justice. Because of her, students who have never done anything wrong have confessed to this prank. And so now we have to punish them, and it will go on their permanent record. She is the kind of student who incites rebellion."
"She is Irish," James said with a laconic shrug.
Maye seethed and rose to her feet, leaning over her desk. "Mr Benson—"
"We discussed this last night," Nicolai pointed out, cutting across the beginning of what was surely be an epic rant from Maye. "Amber was in the office, she couldn't have rallied the students."
Maye's eyes shot to him. "Then it was your team. They are a menace, and they need to face repercussions, or they will go out into this world as entitled brats expecting everything to come to them and they will be in for a rude awakening. One of them will end up in jail, mark my words. What we do now, as their educators, will have a great bearing on their future. We can set them on the right path."
That maniacal gleam was in her eye again, the zealous belief that Maye was the messiah of education, come to lead the children of academic Zion or some such bullshit. Amber gaped at her, then looked around the room to see if anyone else had spotted the lurking madness.
James shifted forward, resting his hands on the desk as he met Maye's gaze squarely. "As noble as your intentions are, your tunnel vision where my daughter and her friends are concerned is detrimental to their future at this school. Do you honestly think that penalising students for something they didn't do will improve this school's standings? You are the vice-principal, and if you start targeting students without a scrap of evidence, then a more gungho parent will seek the termination of your employment."
Amber wasn't sure which of the two her father spoke to by the end, but both wilted, as if realising their cash flow was about to dry up, or their gainful employment.
"She did confess," Dickinson muttered pitifully.
"My daughter showed integrity when she saw an act of injustice. A member of your staff blamed a student, again with no salient evidence to back up the claim, and Amber stepped in. I am not going to let my daughter be punished for that."
Maye crossed her legs and pinned Amber with a hard look. "Well, if Miss Benson isn't to blame, then I guess I need to look elsewhere. After all, these actions cannot be excused. If we look away once, someone else will act, and they might cross a line. It really is for the best if someone pays the price."
Amber felt the rock shifting in front of her, backing her up against the hard place once more. "Dad? We need to talk."
"Amber?"
She looked to Dickinson. "Can we have a break?"
Surprised Dickinson stared for a moment before quickly recovering. "Of course. Yes. Would ten minutes be enough?"
It would have to be. She glanced at the clock. Nicolai could go back to the game, and she and her father could figure a game plan that would hopefully save her friends.
Two minutes on the clock.
Tyson watched the numbers flashing in a paused state as he made his way to the circle for the face-off. The last attempt on Kane had knocked the puck into the icing zone so now the Varsity team were on the defensive and the JV team had two minutes to strike.
A lot could happen in two minutes.
He just had to make them count.
He glanced up into the bleachers. They didn't have the crowd of the Open Day showdown, but still, the smattering of students in the bleachers were doing a good job in showing their support. Someone had found a music player and was attempting to drop some tunes during the downtime, and a group of sophomore boys were attempting a Mexican wave. It never took off, but Tyson admired their commitment.
"Still no sign of Amber?" Daichi asked, circling him as Jefferson, a part-time PE teacher serving as referee for the match, skated off to fetch the puck. Max, ever the gentleman, rescued it from the corner and passed it softly to Jefferson before moving back to his spot in front of the nets. Probably the most excitement their goalie had seen all period.
God, this match was slow. Not that he could fault the Varsity team for swarming the net or for Kane clamping down on the puck whenever he got a hand on it, but still, it was extending the gameplay something awful. Pacing was sluggish, with the Varsity team playing keep-away with the puck and the JV team trying to do everything to grab it.
"Tyson!"
"Hmm?"
A furrow appeared between Daichi's brows as he gestured to the stands. "You keep looking at the crowd. Thought you were keeping an eye out for Amber or Nicolai." Sending Tyson another narrow-eyed look, Daichi shrugged. "Not like Coach coming back will save them, but I'd prefer it if he did."
Tyson blinked, thrown by the comment. "Why?"
"Because," Daichi said, gesturing wildly towards the Varsity box. "How am I supposed to show my obvious superiority to Ozuma if Ozuma's not on the ice?"
Tyson grimaced. Having suffered years of comparison to his older brother, he could sympathise with Daichi's plight, but the last thing he wanted was to actually get on the ice to see. Either he outplayed Hitoshi and then felt guilty for it, or Hitoshi outplayed him, and he'd feel inferior. Neither was an emotion Tyson was willing to entertain. Better to not tempt fate.
Not that he had to worry about that since Hitoshi was his coach and with his leg injury, he'd never be able to play to his previous level again.
"I feel bad trying to score on Kane."
Daichi scowled at Kirby as she came up on their left, face morose behind her cage.
"I'm having an existential crisis here and you're whimpering over the Pain? He wouldn't have any qualms about scoring on you. Suck it up, Kirbaby."
Stunned, Kirby's lips parted, and she folded her arms as she stared hard at her cousin, then looked to Tyson for an explanation. Before Tyson could open his mouth to insert foot, she closed her eyes in understanding.
"Ohh, you're pissy because Zum-Zum's not playing." Her brow lifted. "Really Daichi? You think he'd be whining if you weren't on the ice? Suck it up, DC!" With a flash of a grin, she patted Daichi on the shiny curve of his helmet. He shoved her off with a grumble as he circled around to take up his position for the face-off.
"You okay, Kirbs?" Tyson asked, bending low to take some of the burn from his legs.
She looked away from the box and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Hey, Kirbaby! Your legs getting tired chasing me yet?" Tala taunted from the other side of the circle.
Kirby glowered in his direction while Miguel nudged past his cousin. "She's just making sure your geriatric ass doesn't feel outpaced."
"Hey! I have stamina to spare. Ruin, tell them."
Ruin glanced between them then made a slow line towards the box. "Use that stamina to change your line, Valkov."
As they fled the ice, Tyson snickered and settled into place. Rei swapped with Tala, pausing to pass a comment to Kai as the captain, too, left the ice. Tyson grimaced. This was an interesting move. Taking their power line off the ice with two minutes to go and replacing them with the speed line. Risky, but it could work. He looked to Hitoshi who nodded. Right. He'd stay put with Dunga and stop them.
As Jefferson approached, he forced his body to wait, to anticipate. His eyes locked on the puck, ready to move when it dropped. Sounds bounced off the arena, the call of support from the box, the buzz of conversation and tinny music from the bleachers, the soft scratch of blades finding purchase, the clack of sticks striking the ice. He absorbed them all, letting them seep into his blood, centring him in the moment.
He exhaled softly.
The puck dropped.
Rei snatched it from under Miguel's stick and passed it to Michael who immediately sent it back to Rei. Tyson cursed under his breath, wheeling around to gain some space as Dunga hurried to intercept.
His gaze snagged on Enrique. As soon as the puck zipped towards the blonde, Tyson backed up. All he had to do was get a touch on it. He might not have the speed to beat Enrique in a head-on race, but he was fast enough to cause a disruption. And Enrique's puck handling skills were weaker.
On the breakaway, Enrique charged down the ice, driving towards Max. It was a desperate move, banking everything on Enrique's speed and ability to score.
It wouldn't work.
Tyson raced to cut the blonde off. He clipped him, sending Enrique stumbling forward. Nipping the puck away, he glanced up and in a split second summed up his position. Rei on his right, Bryan in front of him, Kirby behind Rei. Unable to avoid Bryan's check, he passed the puck just as the senior collided with him.
He took the hit with a hiss, his body crumbling back against the boards. Stars danced in front of his eyes. He shook it off and scrambled to his feet.
Thirty-five seconds left.
It had to be now.
Leaving Bryan behind, he raced down the ice after Kirby as she zipped past Michael and passed to Daichi. There was a shout behind him, the roar of the crowd as anticipation zinged through him. They could do this. They would. Kane shuffled in the crease, shifting from one end to the other as Kirby and Daichi deked the puck.
One.
Two.
Miguel took the puck around the back of the net.
Twenty seconds.
Miguel struck, and Kane smacked it away with his stick. Kirby collected it; whipped it to Daichi. Another shot, another miss as it hit off Shahero's blade.
"Get out of the way, Kaeto!"
The puck came to Tyson. His pulse galloped in his chest. He saw the line, saw where he needed it to go to breakthrough. Winding up, he slammed the puck across the ice.
The whistle blew. Out of time.
The puck zipped under Kane's hand and hit the net.
Two seconds too late.
Tyson dropped his head with a groan.
"Nice try, Tyson!" Kirby said, passing him as she headed for the box.
His head rattled on his shoulders as Dunga rubbed his helmet in commiseration. "Lousy timing but we'll get the next one."
Yeah, next time. He circled on his blades and skated slowly back to the box, looking up at the stands again but the seat beside Salima and Emily remained empty.
He stepped through the door Joseph held open for him and accepted his commiserations with a bland smile.
"Nice shot, Tyson. Do that again in the next period," Hitoshi said.
Tyson shot his brother an exasperated look as he shuffled down the bench and dropped onto it, grabbing his bottle and taking a quick mouthful. It was hard enough to get the first one and now he wanted another?
Max approached the wall and leaned against it. "Too bad, Tyson, that was a really good goal."
"Would have been nice if I got it in two seconds earlier."
"No beating yourself up. Keep taking those shots, Ty, it'll go in some time."
Wiping his mouth, Tyson rolled out the kinks in his shoulder. "Sure thing, Maxie."
"Gonna be harder to do," Joseph muttered, wrapping new tape around his stick. "Varsity won't try a move like that again, and they'll swarm the net even more. Getting through their defence is next to impossible."
"Quit your whining," Hitoshi growled, scanning his notes. "You've got this. You broke through once, you can do it again. They're getting desperate, they need to draw first blood but the fact that we scored first, even if it doesn't count, is going to rattle them. So yeah, they'll be more defensive, but that'll keep the puck in their zone, so you go on the offence and hammer the puck at Kane. He doesn't have the experience to stop you, and they're down a player. Take advantage of it. Stop being careful. It's a showdown. You guys could be the first JV team to win."
"They're not playing their best though," Kevin muttered from his spot on the wall, feet swinging idly. "They're all twisted up because of Benson." He paused and added, "Amber."
Gary patted his shoulder. "Kevin, I think they knew who you meant."
"Just being clear."
Tyson snorted and rubbed the back of his neck as he sent another surreptitious look up into the stands. Still no sign of Hilary. Where the heck was she? She said she'd come watch.
"Yeah, well if they want to be legit hockey players, they need to suck it up. Me and Kirby are worried too, but we're holding our own out there. Me more than her, but I'm not as emotional—" Kirby pushed Daichi non too gently and he wobbled on his skates, nearly falling out the door only to be shoved back by Miguel. "Hey! Watch it, Kirbaby!"
"Sorry, I was being emotional."
"Behave!" Hitoshi snapped. "Right, when Jefferson starts again…" he trailed off. "Be right back. Miguel, you're in charge!"
Bewildered the team watched as Hitoshi marched to the door and stepped out into the corridor to greet Nicolai.
Tyson heard Daichi's muffled "excuse me" and then Dunga was rudely pushed aside so that Daichi could wedge himself into the now empty space beside Tyson, with a better view of the conversation outside their box.
"So Nicolai's back. Think Amber's back too?"
Tyson shrugged and looked up into the stands. If Amber were back, she'd be sitting with Aspin and Sonia but both girls sat on their own, their attention glued to the Varsity box. He looked away but not before his gaze skimmed over the empty seat beside Salima. He fisted his hands on his knees, forcing himself to look at his brother's back.
After a succinct conversation, Nicolai stepped into the chaos of his box and Hitoshi entered theirs.
"Well?"
Hitoshi held up a hand silencing Daichi's interrogation attempt. "The meeting's still ongoing. They adjourned for a break, so Nicolai came down but he said that James has it in hand and that we shouldn't worry."
That wasn't exactly reassuring but Daichi seemed to accept the news with a shrug of his shoulders. "If James says he's got it under control, he's got it under control."
Joseph raised a bemused brow. "I thought you didn't like James."
"James is fine. He's not dad of the year, but he's a decent lawyer. I wouldn't like to go up against him in a battle of words and he hates losing."
"Great," Hitoshi said, with a clap of his hands, "because I hate losing too. And now Varsity has their coach back and with Ozuma back in his line, that's going to give them a boost."
Daichi bounced in his seat, jostling Tyson and earning a hard look. "Yes. Now to see who's the best Benson."
Kirby glowered at him. "You realise there are other Bensons on the team."
"None with the surname! You guys don't count. This is a battle of brothers."
"Head in the game, Daichi. You guys know what to do. Do not lose momentum. They still have a sieve for a goalie, so get that puck in the net."
"What do we get if we do?" Kevin asked.
"My heartfelt gratitude."
Which didn't count for much, Tyson mused.
Jefferson blew the whistle, and Hitoshi urged them out onto the ice, grabbing Tyson's shoulder when he rose. "That goal was perfection. You can't replicate it so don't try to, and don't beat yourself up. Time ran out, it happens."
"I know," Tyson muttered.
"Good. Now, go out and get another."
"Sure," Tyson muttered stepping through the door. "No pressure."
"Yo Ty-man," Dunga said, as he joined him on the ice. "You ready to break this Varsity siege?"
Tyson grinned and bumped his fist. "You know it!"
He sent another quick glance into the stands and then pushing Hilary's lack of appearance out of his mind, he focused on the game.
Before Amber knew it, before she was really ready for it, she was back in the conference room once again facing Maye. Sadly the ten-minute reprieve had allowed Maye to gather her own thoughts, and this time she only had her father for support. Something Maye had been quick to remark on when they had reentered.
Deep down, she knew that her father would go to the wall to defend her, but there had been a sense of security with having Nicolai present. A knowing that James couldn't just decide something else was more important. It was stupid. Her father was going to just desert her, but she couldn't latch onto that shadowy thought to squash it.
Maye paced along the row of windows behind the arc of tables, with their blinds drawn to prevent glare on the screen—or nosey pupils peeking in.
"The problem, Mr Benson, is that your daughter has humiliated me and painted a target on me for the entire school. Do you have any idea how impossible my job now becomes? That when I go to administer any discipline, I will have to keep an eye out for balloons? This is a genuine phobia that I have no control over, and yet your daughter used that to not only undermine my authority but to give a weapon to the student body."
James tapped his pen against the desk, slowly waiting out Maye's tirade while Amber sank a little lower in her seat. When Maye put it like that, it was an awful prank. Ordinarily, Amber would have felt disgusted but… it was Maye. She kind of brought it on herself.
"To be fair—" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and her father shot her a warning look.
"Yes?" With a razor-thin smile, Maye turned to face her. "Do continue Miss Benson. To be fair, what?"
"Well." She glanced at Dickinson, forcing her shoulders down as they tried to climb to her ears. "No one would have known about the prank if Maye hadn't made such a big deal about it." She released the words in a torrent.
Dickinson flinched and her dad exhaled softly.
"So this is my fault? I asked for this?"
"That's not what she said," James pointed out.
"That is what she implied. And this—" she gestured to the room at large as if she had a larger audience than just the four of them "—is the problem. Miss Benson cannot even apologise for what she did. Everything is an excuse. She is always the victim. We have tried to instil some common decency and respect into her and yet, here we are. Now the whole school, and probably all of Preston, knows about my balloon phobia."
"But you were the one that overreacted to it. I didn't— that is to say, I was unaware that anyone else knew about the prank until you started demanding security come to the computer lab."
Her father paused, pen poised over his legal pad. "Security?"
"Bomb disposal."
James scribbled that down.
Maye's eyes narrowed. "It was a genuine concern. These days a teacher can never be too careful, and as Miss Benson has pointed out, I will now need to practice extra vigilance with the student body."
"Because now all of Preston knows your phobia," Amber mumbled, then flinched. She really should have just kept her mouth shut.
Her dad hissed out a breath and scribbled another word on the paper in front of him in block capitals.
MULAN?
She flushed and ducked her head. Probably shouldn't have quoted the one movie she'd forced her father to watch hundreds of times when she was five.
"Yes!" Maye hissed, slamming her hands down on the table. "Because of you. Because of what you did!"
James pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've discussed this. Amber is willing to offer up a public apology."
With a shake of her head, Maye flicked back her brown hair. "And I am unwilling to accept. No, an apology is simply not enough. What she has done to my reputation, my job security, it really does require something more fitting for the crime."
"She didn't commit a crime. It was a prank."
"She confessed."
"To a prank. Not some conspiracy to murder."
"We do seem to be going in circles," Dickinson jumped in, hands tightly clasped with his knuckles so brilliantly white Amber wondered if they wouldn't just pop out from the skin and skewer Maye. Then again, probably not. He was far too civil. "We have concluded that Miss Maye was the victim of a cruel prank and that Miss Benson did confess to it."
Maye skewered him with her gaze. "But?"
"But, we need to come to some kind of compromise. We cannot in good faith allow this event to be ignored. The students will be watching and while I know that Miss Benson regrets her actions, regardless of what they may be, a fitting punishment must be delivered. An apology is a good start—"
Maye hissed and if looks could kill, Dickinson would have been six feet under and choking on the dirt. "We both know it wouldn't be sincere, Stanley."
"It'd be as sincere as your belief that she did it," James muttered, not looking up from his notes.
Amber bowed her head to hide her smile. Sometimes her dad could be such a bitch.
"Of course, something a little more serious than an apology will be required. A month of detentions—"
"Suspension."
Amber's head jerked up to stare at Maye. "What? No. If I get suspended I can't go on the trip."
Maye's eyes gleamed, her smile so goddamn condescending. "That would be an unfortunate side effect, but a suspension is serious enough to push home the ramifications of this attack. You did not just pull a prank, you targeted a member of staff with something hurtful and cruel. We suspend bullies at this school, Miss Benson, we have zero tolerance for that kind of—"
Amber glanced at her father and caught a note he'd written in a slant for easy reading. "Um, actually, quick question, has the school ever suspended anyone for bullying? I know it gets reported, but I've never seen any action taken against known culprits. I mean, Kennedie and Clover are swanning about the corridors terrorising students and spreading malicious rumours and they don't seem to suffer any repercussions."
"That is a very harsh accusation Miss Benson but if you do wish to report an incident, my door is always open." Except her door was like a wormhole and anyone who entered likely wouldn't return. "I will, of course, conduct an impartial investigation into the issue, but do be warned, people in glass houses really should not throw stones."
James sat up, pen pointing in her direction. "I don't like your tone Miss Maye, and I'll repeat my daughter's question. When was the last time a student was suspended for bullying?"
Maye sat down, crossing her legs. "Well, I can't recall any in recent memory. We tend to intervene before it goes too far. In fact, our track record with dealing with bullying is extremely impressive." Her practised smile melted into a sombre expression. "Alas, it's unfortunate today had to destroy that record. I do believe, that per our policies, a two weeks suspension would suffice as a punishment and, also, show the student body as a whole that we do not take such matters lightly."
"So you're suspending her effective immediately for a senior prank. Don't you think that's a little excessive?"
"Well, it's that or—" She broke off with a demure smile and a slight inclination of her head. "Perhaps you're right, that is quite harsh. Two weeks suspension would have her missing out on a lot of classwork, and it is her final year of school."
Amber froze, heartbeat pounding in her head. There was no way that Maye was capitulating. No, this was the calm before the storm.
"It might be more prudent to remove her from all after school activities. After all, we could put down this action to being led astray by her peers. Maybe if Miss Benson were to give up the hockey team, focus more on her school work and cultivating friendships with other upstanding members of the student body, that would also suffice."
"No."
Maye blinked as if startled by the blunt refusal but the gleam in her eyes belied that emotion. "Excuse me?"
"I'm not giving up hockey."
"Okay. Well, Miss Benson, you're an adult now, so we'll put the decision into your hands. You serve a suspension for the next two weeks effective immediately, meaning you miss out on the trip to Ireland and whatever work your teachers assign in class, or you sacrifice your place on the hockey team which you've already admitted, you're not playing on. I do believe I'm being rather lenient. Wouldn't you agree, Stanley? Mr Benson?"
"Before Amber chooses anything, are we in agreement that any punishment my daughter serves is the punishment for the prank and anything relating to it. That this will draw a line under this debacle and no further action will be taken. If I hear anything more about this prank or any more accusations made against my daughter or another student in this school, I'll consider that a form of harassment and I will seek a meeting with the board. This matter will dealt with today."
Dickinson nodded slowly, but there was a slight franticness behind his eyes as if he could sense a trap but couldn't see it. "Well, that does seem fair. Amber, do you agree?"
Amber closed her eyes. This was what she wanted. This was why she'd confessed in the first place. "Yes."
"And which of this punishments would you prefer?"
None of them. She didn't like either of those options, but she realised that there wouldn't be a good option. She'd known that that going in. She wasn't expelled. She could still see her friends. Still serve out her final year at Preston, all she would have to do is give up her chance to go to Ireland with her friends and see her grandmother, or give up the sport she loved that had helped her "cultivate" those friendships. Rock and a hard place. That seemed to be her life.
She fisted her hands under the desk and breathed in shallowly. She could give up hockey. It wasn't like she was on the team anymore, but she'd been training, she was working to get back.
"Maybe my daughter and I could talk about this in private."
"Another break? Hasn't this been dragged out long enough? Some of us do have—"
"Miss Maye! Please. Let's step outside and let Amber make her decision."
Maye sniffed. "Fine."
As soon as the door closed with a quiet snick, Amber dropped her head to the desk and inhaled a shaky breath. She couldn't get enough air. Solid warmth touched her back and she focused on her father's hand moving round and round in rhythmic circles.
"Just breathe kid, just breathe. You'll be okay. You're alright."
Tears filled her eyes, surprising her into blinking and they spilled down her cheeks. Hastily she wiped them away and gasped out a sob, before crumpling into her father's arms. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. She was supposed to be getting on a flight, going to Dublin and sneaking away to see her grandmother. She was supposed to be riding on buses through the rolling green hills and singing bawdy ballads with Johnny, staying up all night talking, and exploring blustery cliffs and windswept castles with her friends.
And she could have all that if she gave up the game.
There was no choice. She wasn't on the team, hadn't been to practice in ages and it wasn't like she'd lose her friends, she could still hang with them, sit down in the arena and watch a practice, go to games. Aspin did it, so could she.
But she wanted to be on the ice. She wanted to hear the sharp ping as she clipped the crossbar, see the net shake when she found the back corner, watch the lamp light and feel the crush of her team when they crowded around her.
She wanted to go to the final match.
She wanted that chance to win.
She wanted, but did she really need it? If she gave up hockey, she wouldn't have to worry about eating. No more croissants from Ian, no more dragging herself out of bed to sit in a changing room with a bunch of grumpy teenagers before the sun rose, no taking showers with temperamental faucets and running drills until she wanted to puke.
No more seeing Kai and torturing herself with something she couldn't have. She could finally move on.
It should have been an easy choice.
And it was.
So simple.
Her breath hitched as she lifted her face from her father's chest and wiped her cheeks, struggling to compose herself. She rolled her shoulders and exhaled, puffing out her cheeks.
"You need to talk?"
She shook her head. The decision was made. She knew what she had to do. "You can call them in now. I'll give Maye what she wants."
TBC
AN: Ireland's in lockdown again so here's an update! This is sort of a two parter because, guys, I wrote 70,000+ words and there's still more to come so here's part one and I will hopefully have part two soon. Alpha read by Sarah as per usual and all mistakes are mine. If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a review. It'll motivate me more for Nano, and Nano is for the next part and other parts after that. This story is getting finished. I just tend to write a novel for every chapter!
Hope you enjoyed! Also, you can find me on Tumblr under Zadien and that's a good place to find out how things are going with my writing.
