My Deal With the Hockey Captain

ELOWEN BENETT

His hands slipped beneath my skirt, slow and certain, like he already knew exactly where I wanted him.

It didn’t take long.

It couldn't; the skirt was barely there to begin with. I’d worn it for this exact reason. A soft, shaky moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“Are you sure you want this?” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.

The sound of his voice alone made my body tingle, heat rushing through me, my stomach tightening, my thoughts scattering into nothing.

I tilted my head just enough to meet his gaze.

His blue eyes and messy hair, the kind of face that made you forget every rule you’d ever been taught.

My mom would kill me.

But right now?

I didn’t give a shit.

The book was suddenly yanked out of my hands.

I blinked, disoriented, my reality snapping back into place so fast it almost hurt.

“Hey!”

I looked up to see Liora standing in front of me, holding my book hostage like it had personally offended her.

She was wearing a ridiculously shiny skirt, like, blindingly shiny. I wasn’t even exaggerating. If sunlight hit it right, it could probably start a fire.

“Girl, why are you reading?” she asked, flipping the book over to glance at the cover. Her nose scrunched in disgust.

I stared at her, offended. “Because I’ve been waiting four months for that release?”

“At this lame book,” she scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder, “when the hottest final-year party is happening tonight?”

I rolled my eyes, leaning back against my bed. “Liora, you should know me by now that I don’t care about stuff like that.”

Liora was my best friend. You wouldn’t believe it if you saw us together; we were complete opposites.

She was loud, confident, and somehow always the centre of attention. Meanwhile, I was… well. Me. Hoodies, glasses, back row, invisible by choice.

“Girl,” she groaned dramatically, dropping onto my bed like she paid rent there, “we have three months left of high school. Three. Months. Don’t tell me you’re planning to spend your final days buried in books.”

I shrugged. “It’s not the worst way to go.”

She threw me a look. “Have you forgotten you have a boyfriend?”

The excitement in her voice made it sound like she was the one dating him.

I sighed, sitting up straighter.

Dax.

We’d been dating for three months now, and I still didn’t fully understand how it happened; I was the girl who blended into the background.

He was… everything else.

Tall, handsome, popular and actually doing well in school, which, for some reason, made him even more attractive. The kind of guy teachers trusted and students admired without question. And to top it all off, he was friends with Alaric, the hockey captain. Alaric Hayes. The kind of guy people whispered about in hallways.

The same Alaric Hayes I hated.

Not the casual kind of dislike, not the kind you could laugh off or ignore.

No, this was deeper.

Because back in middle school, Alaric hadn’t just known my name, he had made sure everyone else did too. The quiet girl, the awkward one, the easy target. He had been my personal nightmare, all sharp smirks and careless words that stuck long after the laughter faded.

And now?

Now he walked these halls like he owned them, untouchable, admired and desired by all except me.

So yeah… when Dax asked me out, saying no hadn’t exactly been an option; plus, he was the first guy to ever ask me out.

“Of course I didn’t forget,” I muttered, standing up and reaching for my book.

Liora immediately lifted it higher. I froze, glaring up at her. I hated being 5'2". She smirked, fully aware of her 5'7" advantage.

“He’s going to be there,” she added casually.

That got my attention.

“Really?” I turned quickly, already moving toward my bed, pushing aside clothes and notebooks as I searched for my phone. “He didn’t tell me.”

A small crease formed between my brows. I was his girlfriend; he was supposed to tell me, right?

“You barely check your phone, Elowen,” Liora said, already making her way toward my bookshelf and sliding my book back into place. “He probably did, and you just didn’t see it.”

I paused.

That… was actually possible.

Still, something about it didn’t sit right; I shook it off.

“So?” she pressed. “You’re going.”

I exhaled slowly, already knowing I’d lost this battle the moment she walked in wearing that ridiculous skirt and determination in her eyes.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” I said, even though we both knew that wasn’t going to stop her.

Her face lit up like I’d just said the magic words.

“I knew you were going to say that.”

Of course she did.

She reached for the oversized bag she’d brought with her because apparently she came prepared and dumped its contents onto my bed.

It was like a rainbow exploded. Sequins, Satin and Colours I didn’t even have names for. My eyes actually hurt.

“There is no way I’m wearing that,” I said flatly, pulling my glasses off and rubbing the bridge of my nose like that would somehow help.

Liora pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“I have a plain black dress,” I said, already walking toward my closet. “I’ll just wear that.”

She stared at me for a second, then sighed.

“As long as you’re going.”

Victory, small, but still. Even though Liora and I were completely different, I was grateful for her.

Before she came into my life, things had been quiet. Too quiet, I kept to myself; people kept their distance or worse.

But Liora?

She didn’t just enter my life; she crashed into it, and somehow, she stayed. By the time I finished getting dressed, I felt like myself again.

The black dress wasn’t tight or flashy. It was simple and comfortable, and I was fine with that.

My glasses sat perfectly on my nose; I headed downstairs. Downstairs, I found Liora and my mum deep in conversation. They were both laughing.

Of course they were. Sometimes I wondered if they liked each other more than they liked me.

“Mom?” I called, stepping into the room and then stopping. She was dressed up.

Like… really dressed up.

“Where are you going?”

She turned to me with a bright smile, practically glowing. “I have a date, baby girl!”

I blinked. “A date?”

“Mm-hmm!” she nodded excitedly, like a teenager instead of a grown woman.

I stared at her, confused. Three days ago, she’d been crying over her man cheating on her and swore to stay off men.

And now… this?

I didn’t know whether to be impressed or concerned; it had always just been me and my mum.

After my dad left when I was fourteen… things changed. He didn’t just leave; he betrayed us.

What he did…

I shut the thought down immediately. Some things weren’t worth remembering. Some people weren’t worth calling family.

"Elowen", my mum said, pulling me out of my thoughts, her eyes scanning my outfit, “don’t you think that dress is a little too plain for a party?”

“Bye, Mom,” I said quickly, grabbing Liora’s arm before she could agree and start another fashion intervention.

“Wait… at least try something!” Too late, I was already dragging Liora out the door.