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63. Keep Him Distracted
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Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 64. Fully Connected
As we trudged toward the backcountry area, I hesitated. "I didn't think we were allowed to just go back there like this," I said, unsure of the appropriateness of our little expedition. They all burst into laughter, and all eyes turned to Jules, who led our little procession with an air of authority I hadn't noticed before. Sliding his arm around my shoulders with familiar ease, he tightened his grip as I tried to shrug him off. "Dude, my family owns most of the backcountry land. It's fine," he chuckled. I was momentarily dumbfounded. "Uh, I didn't know that. Is that why we aren't allowed on it typically?" I asked. Jules shot me a look. "That, and other reasons. Now come on, I want to show you my house," he said, pulling me along as he plowed energetically through the snow. We barreled through the woods chasing Bear, who was gleefully chucking snowballs back at Adrien as they played. As we put a bit of distance between us and them, Jules leaned in close and whispered, "Hey man,
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 65. Just be James
Adrien was obsessing over sports gear, flipping through options on his phone with more focus than I'd ever seen him have in class. Rolling my eyes, I continued watching him, amused by his seriousness over something as mundane as hockey gear. Across the room, Bear and Jules were similarly glued to their phones. Seeing them like this, a world away from the phone-free zone at school, it was pretty clear why the school forbids them. It would be tough to keep their focus if their faces were always buried in screens. When his eyes lit up at the goalie gear, I knew I was about to be dragged into something.He flipped his phone toward me with a smirk. "We need to get you set up properly," he declared, loading the virtual cart as if money meant nothing. The total price soared, quickly surpassing my sparse savings left over from the Christmas card money.Which was supposed to last the whole semester and summer somehow."What? No, no, I'm not letting you spend money on me like that," I protes
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 66. At Least Midnight
The rest of the night followed the same chaotic rhythm. Was this their norm? It sure seemed like it.One of the staff, clearly aware of how much teenage boys can eat, brought in stacks of pizza. These guys devoured it, and I did my best to keep up. At this rate, I'd gain weight in more places than just my chest.Jules tossed me a thick pair of pajamas and an obviously old long-sleeve shirt, teasing, "You'll need these. It's gonna be freezing tonight." I snorted. "Does the house get that cold?" He smirked, "That and those cots aren't really made for sharing." Adrien shot him a look but kept silent.I headed to the bathroom to change, feeling odd about not putting my Knight hoodie back on. When I emerged, I told Jules I liked the PJs. "Keep them," he shrugged. "They don't fit me anymore."Was I going to end up with clothes from all of them? It was starting to seem that way. Glancing around at everyone still on their phones, I said, "Damn. I wish we had a chessboard or something. I'm k
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 67. Green Eyes
"You were outside, man," I said, relieved. "Do you remember anything?"Adrien shook his head, still shivering. "No... I just remember falling asleep."Jules looked at me, concern etched on his face. "We need to tell someone. This isn't normal.""Yeah," I agreed, my mind racing. The dream, Adrien's disappearance, felt somehow connected. But for now, getting him warm and safe was the priority.After pulling his cot right in front of the fire, we sat by it, watching Adrien slowly regain warmth and color. Bear handed him coffee, and he sipped it gratefully."You scare..d us, man," Bear said.Adrien managed a weak smile. "Sorry about that."Jules sighed, shaking his head. "Just... don't do it again, alright?"Adrien nodded, the seriousness of the situation sinking in. "I won't. Thanks, guys."We stayed by the fire until the early hours, watching Adrien and ensuring he stayed warm. The adrenaline slowly wore off, leaving us exhausted but alert. I couldn't stop thinking about the dream and
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 68. He Noticed
Adrien got up to shower, leaving me alone in the living room. I wandered around the house, curious about the various items scattered about. Family photos, awards, and achievements filled the walls and shelves. I paused at a large group photo, clearly old, judging by the fashion. It must have been taken over twenty years ago. I scrutinized each face until the floor seemed to drop out from under me, plunging me into a new depth of confusion.My mom was there, staring back at me. My damn mom. She was standing next to a younger version of Coop. I'd always heard I looked exactly like her when she was a teen, but I'd never seen any real proof. Her bio family supposedly didn't care enough to take photos. But there it was, a longer-haired version of me, staring back from the past.I didn't even hear Jules come up behind me. "That's the first photo the academy allowed a graduating group to take," he said."Graduating group?" I asked. Holy shit. My mother went here?I pointed to another f
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 69. Far Beyond
Adrien and I walked back to the dorm room. The power was on, and a few more guys were milling around than before. We climbed the stairs, and at the fifth-floor landing, I paused and looked at him. He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I don't want to be alone right now... So..." No surprise. I had already guessed he would do this. I sighed. "Well, come up to my room. I really need to clean before Alec gets back." Adrien followed me up and jumped onto the top bunk, watching me as I started to tidy up. "Are you a neat freak like Alec?" he asked. I snorted. "No, not in the least. But living with one tends to have that effect, I guess." "Yeah, when I roomed with him, he definitely made me cleaner. If a speck of dirty laundry hit the floor, he was mopping in here..." I decided to prod a little. "Yeah, or maybe that's why you keep your clothes so neatly tucked in your hamper now, well, most of the time anyway..." Adrien got a bit flustered. "Dude, okay. I wasn't going to say anything else ab
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 70. Spiraling
I opened my mouth to start explaining, then closed it again. I had no idea what to say. Jules just stood there looking at me, waiting for a denial that wasn't coming. I wasn't going to lie to him anymore. The lies were already getting so tangled that I was having trouble keeping up with them all. This is the very reason it is best not to lie like that in the first place. At least not to the people you really care about.And damnit, I cared about Jules. Another lesson from my grandparents that I will cherish for my entire life. After pacing the room several times while running his good hand through his hair and mumbling, he sat on Bear's bed instead of his own, gesturing for me to join him. Reluctantly, I sat down next to him while maintaining a certain distance. My head was a chaotic mess, pieces of my theoretical board flying around in total disorder.Jules laughed a bit nervously. "Well, fuck man, it isn't exactly the right moment to get all uncomfortable with me, is it? I me
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 71. This Place Changes You
I made my way to Coop's office, my mind racing with questions. The first one was why Coop even had an office here. Yes, he seemingly funded most of the athletic department and such and was even labeled as a professor, yet I haven't seen him teach a single class or do anything that would suggest he was actually a teacher here. "Come in," Coop's voice called from inside.I entered, and Coop looked up from his desk. "James, what can I do for you?""I need answers, Coop," I said. "No more half-truths. I need to know everything about my mom and why she was here."Coop leaned back in his chair, studying me. "Alright, James. Have a seat."I sat down, my heart pounding in my chest. Coop sighed, looking weary. "Your mother was a student in the last co-ed class. She was exceptional, one of the best we ever had.""Why was she here?" I asked."She was here because she was special. The academy was experimenting with integrating from other schools, but it turned out to be more complicated than w
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