Chapter Three
Like every other night at the snack bar, now that the game was over, the girls were cleaning. Gwen helped close up then went to meet Morgan. Her skates bounced on her back as she walked with Hailey. The girls were joking around, both laughing. They were near the locker room, which was desolate except for a few hard-core fans or players that were leaving.
Then, from behind, thick fingers went round Gwen’s waist. “Check!” Morgan shoved her into the wall roughly, pinning her against it. Gwen giggled as he held her arms by her head. He was in an overly happy mood, the triumph of his recent win still pumping through him.
Gwen tried to speak through her laughter, “You checked me. Now what?”
“My victory kiss.” He linked his fingers in hers and began kissing her, each one soft and sweet. Slowly, he looped her arms around his neck and pulled her away from the wall. His hands slipped into her jeans, his fingers kneading her bottom.
“Hey! Tanner! You back here?” Sam shouted, startling both of them. His voice was upbeat as he joked, his eyes settling on Gwen’s backside. “Who’s your new girl? She’s got a nice—” Sam’s smile melted, a flabbergasted expression replacing it.
Then came the scariest moment in Gwen’s life. She looked to the side, her shaky hands taking a firm hold of Morgan’s shirt. She couldn’t move, both she and Morgan not saying anything.
“Sam…” Morgan gently pushed Gwen away. “I—”
“What the fuck, Morgan?” Sam was fuming, his voice raised and echoing throughout the hall. “That’s my sister!” With a grand gesture, he motioned toward Gwen. His face was a bright red, and from the wetness in his voice, he was on the verge of tears. “You’re fucking my sister? Dude! How could you do that?”
“Sam.” Gwen tried to hold out a hand to him, but quickly moved to the side when Sam rushed toward them. He tackled Morgan, the boys now on the floor engaged in a heated brawl. “Stop!” Gwen held her hands to her chest as she pleaded. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood helpless.
Instead of trying to stop the fight, Morgan was taking as many swings as Sam was. Fabric ripped, blood flowed, and most of all, the best friends had turned on each other. No one seemed to be getting the upper hand, both boys able to hold their own. A few of the guys jumped in, and together, were able to break the pair up.
“You stupid fucker!” Sam spit in Morgan’s direction as two men yanked him backward. His face was bloodied, a gash on his cheek from Morgan’s fist, the skin around it already puffed up. “You touch my sister again, and I’ll kill you!”
“Fuck you!” Morgan spat out the blood that filled his mouth. He was being held back by his teammates, but was still fired up from the fight. They tried to calm him down, and eventually pulled him into the locker room to cool off.
Now that Morgan was gone, Sam turned his anger to his sister. “How could you do this to me, Gwenie?” He was crying, something the hardened defensemen never did. “He’s my best friend.” He pulled angrily at the hands holding him back, his voice strained with his tears. “My fucking best friend.”
Not wanting to face her brother, she turned around and ran home. When she arrived, her eyes were still wet. She shoved open the door and slipped into the dark kitchen. She was hoping not to see anyone, but when the light turned on, she realized that wouldn’t happen.
“Gwenie?” Her father looked at her with suspicion. She was wiping her eyes, her mascara smeared and her eyes red. “What’s wrong?”
“Daddy…” Gwen started to cry and held out her arms. Nick took her in and held her close. They both startled when the front door slammed and Sam’s loud voice filtered in. He was arguing with his mother and Morgan’s father.
“Let’s put out the fire, kiddo.” Nick kissed the top of her head and walked her into the living room.
“What happened to your face?” Joan motioned to Sam, who had a fat lip and a swollen eye.
“Just a little scuffle.” Kent, Morgan’s father, spoke. He looked annoyed, but his voice was steady. “I’ll deal with Morgan when I get home. I thought I’d bring this one back.”
“Thanks, Kent.”
“Yeah…” Kent sighed as his eyes fell on Gwen. He shook his head. “Night.” He waved limply then went out to his car.
“Who did you and Morgan get in a fight with? Sam, did—” Joan tried to speak, but Sam shoved past her, knocking her into the wall. With an agape mouth, she watched him storm up to his room. Her gaze then settled on her daughter. “Gwenie? What’s wrong?”
Gwen didn’t answer, instead, she buried her head in her father’s chest and cried.
Putting her hands on her hips, Joan shook her head in exasperation. “I’ll take this one.” She placed her hands on Gwen’s shoulders then motioned with her head up the steps. “You take that one.” Nick nodded then slowly made his way upstairs.
Robby was on his way down, half awake and dragging his blanket. He glanced at his father, who ruffled the boy’s hair. Nick spoke softly, “Sorry, buddy.” Robby groaned and went into the living room to lay on the couch. He tossed the blanket over his head and burritoed himself inside it.
Joan ushered her daughter up to her room. They sat on the bed, Joan waiting for Gwen to calm down a little before she spoke. “What happened, Gwen?”
“Sam and Morgan got in a fight.” Sniffling, Gwen dabbed her nose. “Because I—” Her stare ripped from her mother’s as she choked on her words and couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Because you what?” Joan placed a calm hand on her daughter’s knee.
“Me and Morgan, we—” Gwen’s bottom lip quivered as she met her mother’s eyes again. “We’re dating.”
“Oohh…” Joan let out a tired sigh and nodded. She squeezed Gwen’s knee. “I should’ve seen it coming.” She rubbed Gwen’s back, pulling her daughter closer.
“Sam just took after him, and they started fighting.” Gwen spoke quicker now that her secret was out. “That’s why we didn’t tell anyone, because I knew Sam would be mad.” Her sad eyes gazed up at her mother. “I really love him, Mom. Do I have to stop seeing him?”
“No.” Joan rubbed Gwen’s arm, Gwen now clinging to her. “We’ll work it out.”
“Sam’s never gonna forgive us.”
“He will.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Now, I am not as upset about this as I am that you were dating Morgan and not telling me.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a boy, Gwen. You can get in a lot of trouble with boys. I should know. I got pregnant with Mike when I was younger than you.”
“Me and Morgan don’t do that.” Gwen’s voice showed her annoyance.
“Honey…” Joan pushed Gwen away and chuckled. “Don’t pull that one on me. I know that’s not true. You and Morgan spend a lot of time together out of my sight. Don’t tell me you don’t take advantage of that.”
“Mom.” Gwen angrily glared to the side.
“We’ll have that talk tomorrow.” Joan sighed as she gazed at the clock. “Right now, you’re going to bed. You’ve got practice in the morning, missy.” She stroked Gwen’s hair and gazed into her daughter’s eyes. “And don’t you worry about those boys. They’ll make up.” She pulled Gwen to her feet. “Come on, to bed with you.”
Joan left then went to Sam’s door. She put her ear to the surface and listened in. It wasn’t too hard to hear what Sam was saying, as his voice was elevated.
“How could he do this?” Palming his forehead, Sam was trying not to cry. He was standing, unable to sit still. His father sat on the bed, his quiet nature quite the opposite of his fiery tempered son. “He’s my best friend.”
“Don’t be so hard on him, Sam.” Nick’s voice was tired, his gaze scanning his son calmly.
“Why? He’s like my brother. I thought he thought that way about Gwen, too, but instead, he was fucking around with her.”
“Now, don’t use that language with me, Samuel James Roberts.” Nick’s tone was stern.
“Sorry, Dad.” Sam’s voice lowered, showing his respect for his father. “What does he see in her? I mean, she’s a kid.”
“She’s not a kid. She’s a very pretty, sweet, smart, young lady.” He watched his son take a heavy breath. “And as soon as she turned into a woman, both you and Morgan saw it. You protected her from men, like good, caring, big brothers.”
“Morgan didn’t protect her.”
“He did. Hell…” Nick chuckled. “He beat up more of her dates than you did.”
“That’s cause he’s a fuc—” Sam caught himself. “A snake and wanted her to himself.”
“He’s not a snake. He’s a good kid and your best friend.”
“He’s not my friend anymore.” Sam leaned up against his dresser, holding a pack of ice up to his eye.
“Someone’s gonna date her.”
“Not him.”
“Then who?” Nick sighed. He watched Sam’s brow lower, and he didn’t get an answer. “You don’t think anyone’s good enough for her. I get that. She’s your little sister.”
“I know what guys do…” Sam swallowed hard, his eyes turning to the side. “And I know all the shit that Morgan’s done with other girls. What he expects from them. I don’t want him doing stuff like that with her.”
Nick nodded. “I don’t want him to do that, either.”
“What if Morgan…” Sam sniffled, a few tears falling down his hardened expression. “Is doing that to her?” His voice lowered. “Seeing him touch her like that. It hurt. His hands all over her, kissing her.”
“If they are, then we can step in, but…” Nick palmed his forehead. He took a few seconds before speaking again. “You need to step back and let her grow up. You can’t go beating up every guy that kisses her.”
“Why’d it have to be Morgan? He’s my best friend.”
“You don’t want your friendship to end over this.” He waited for Sam to answer, but he didn’t. “You need to forgive him, Sam. I know you feel betrayed. Cheated. Angry. But you can’t act like this. He’s your best friend. I know Morgan. He wouldn’t do this on purpose. He’s not like that.”
“I didn’t think he was, either.” Sam wiped at his nose angrily. “But ever since he joined the Kats, he’s become an asshole.” He caught his father’s glare at the swear. “Sorry, Dad.”
“And you’ve become different. You’ve got a girlfriend. You don’t have time for him anymore.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. Why don’t you change that? Kent asked you to join the crew for the team. But you refused. If you did, you’d have a leg in for next season.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
“I know you’re angry that Morgan got into the Kats.”
“We were supposed to go together.” Sam’s voice was soft. “I just can’t keep up with him, Dad. It’s always been easy for him. Even if I practiced a million times harder, I’d never be as good. And now, he’s joined the Kats, and I’m still playing on the Eagles. He’s taken my dream…” Tearing up, Sam’s lip quivered as he tried to hold them back. “And now, my sister.”
“If you wanna be on the Kats, you gotta try harder. This has nothing to do with Morgan or Gwen. Morgan isn’t doing any of that to hurt you.”
“He’s always gotta show me up.”
“Sam…” Nick leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Why are you talking like this? Morgan is your best friend. The one who shares your love for hockey. Your love for workin’ on cars in the shop and that stupid…” He spoke with his hands, a slightly disgusted look on his face, “Strong man, game show thing you guys watch on television all the time.”
A reluctant laugh escaped Sam’s lips. “It’s called The Incredible Challenge.”
“Yeah. And who’s that screeching guy you two blast up here all the time?”
“Mine Shaft.” Sam smiled softly.
“And who’d you spend two summers with building that death car in the garage?”
“It’s a go-cart, Dad.”
“Go-cart.” Nick’s voice brightened.
“You’d give up that guy just because he’s dating your sister?”
“What else am I supposed to do? I don’t want him to.”
“Well, you’re not gonna stop them, so either lose your best friend or your sister.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Can I suggest something?” He watched Sam nod, his son gritting his teeth, his jaw stiff. “You let Morgan date your sister—” He raised a finger to hush Sam when the boy opened his mouth to protest. “And, you trust both of them. If you see them getting too close, step in, but don’t push them apart.”
“I don’t want him dating her.”
“Actually, I do.” Nick chuckled. “He’s a good kid, and I wouldn’t mind having him as a son in the future.”
Sam’s expression darkened. “You won’t.”
“Just sleep on it, Sam.” Nick stood. “It’s not the end of the world. It’s just a change.”
****
Standing on the scale, Gwen squished her eyes together tightly. She was not at her target weight.
Her mother stood next to her. There was silence then Joan spoke. “You’re still ten pounds over, Gwen.” Trying not to cry, the younger girl looked away. “Do you want to be remembered as the fattest girl in the tournament?”
“Mom—” Gwen tried to argue.
“You’re on a strict diet until the competition. I mean it.” She wagged a finger. “You screw this up, and your dream will be over.”
Gwen stepped off the scale and continued to hear her mother’s lecture. It wasn’t the first time, either. Joan had pushed her to be the perfect ice princess since she was old enough to skate, and it was exhausting—the pressure of each practice, the hours she obsessed over perfecting her triple loop. Gwen’s dream was not the same as her mother’s. She just wanted to skate. Not have the world heavying her shoulders and making her want to scream.
“Let’s get to ballet practice.” Joan’s voice showed her disappointment as she ushered her daughter out to the car.
Meanwhile, Robby was in the living room watching Sunday morning cartoons. His eyes were glued to the screen, a Pop Tart in his hand. He was the baby of the family and really didn’t do much of anything besides lounge around the house and play video games. He wasn’t interested in hockey like his older brothers were, or his mother’s favorite like Gwen, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Robby’s gaze flitted to his brother when Sam came into the living room. With a tall glass of chocolate milk in his hand, he sat on the couch. When he saw Robby looking at him, he sent the boy a glare.
“Nice face.” Robby laughed as he pointed.
“Shut up, fucker.” Sam shoved Robby into the arm of the chair. The pair then watched cartoons until the ten o’clock when the regular shows resumed. Then, Sam took over the remote and watched last night’s Avenger’s game that was re-running on the sport’s channel. He soon got absorbed in it, his stare glued on the screen.
“Hockey’s stupid.” Robby groaned as he pulled up his feet and laid his head on the couch.
“You’re stupid,” Sam replied in a sarcastic tone. The doorbell rang, both boys turning to it. Sam shoved his brother. “Get the door.”
Robby rolled his eyes and did as he was told. When he came back a few seconds later, there was a very sheepish looking guy, with messy blond hair, a black eye, and swollen nose with him. Morgan and Sam stared at each other for a few seconds while Robby escaped into the kitchen.
“Game’s on.” Morgan motioned toward the television.
Nodding, Sam turned back to the game. “Clinton’s playing horrible.”
“Yeah, he’s such a plug.” Morgan sat next to him. “He’s fucked up all season.” He reached into the bowl of trail mix on the table and took a handful. The boys watched for a while, and though there was still an awkwardness between them, they carried on the same conversations they always had.
“H
ey…” Sam tapped Morgan on the shoulder. “Do the Kats still need help?”
“The gopher thing?” Morgan’s gaze focused on Sam.
“Yeah.”
“I think so. Why?” Morgan smiled, a spark of happiness in his eyes. “You want to travel with the Kats?”
“Yeah. Like you said,” Sam’s voice was soft as he looked downward, “It could help me get on the team next year.”
“Yeah. That’d be awesome.” Morgan laughed as he shook Sam’s shoulder. “I’ll ask Dad about it. He’ll get you in. It doesn’t pay anything though. Just volunteer.”
“That’s okay. It’ll still be cool, and I can watch the games for free.”
“Fuck, yeah!” Morgan raised his hand, and Sam gave him a high five.
“Cool.” Sam chuckled nervously, his eyes not able to meet his friend’s.
“So, how’s Olivia’s kid? She call you ‘Daddy,’ yet?”
“Mom and Dad don’t know about that.” Sam glared at the television. “Gwen better not—” With the mention of her name, all the hurt feelings seemed to return.
“She won’t. Gwen knows it’s your business.” Morgan’s eyes were on the game, though his voice showed his nervousness. “Accidents happen, I guess.” He sighed, the tension thick now between them. “Just don’t knock her up again, and you’ll be fine.”
“Are you doing it with her?”
“Doing what?” Morgan sneered a little, glancing briefly at Sam. He didn’t want to talk about it, and it showed in his defensive tone.
“Fucking Gwen.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.” Morgan rolled his shoulders. He looked really uncomfortable.
Sam’s spoke through gritted teeth, “Are you porkin’ my sister?”
Morgan turned to Sam. “Dude…seriously. I’m not talking about that with you.”
“So, you are.” A deep scowl set into Sam’s brow, and he scooted over a little on the couch.
“Stop making this weird.” Morgan glared at the television.
“You’re the backstabbing friend, who’s fucking my sister behind my back.”
Black Kat Page 7
