11. Walking away

I wasn't even in the school for five minutes before I regretted showing up.

"Brooks!"

Before I could react, an arm locked around my shoulders, dragging me into an unwanted half-hug. Vince. Of course.

I shoved him off. "Personal space, jackass."

Vince just grinned, completely unfazed. "Oh, look, she speaks outside of practice. Progress!"

Jax smirked from where he leaned against the lockers. "Maybe she's finally admitting she likes us."

"Not even in my worst nightmares," I deadpanned.

Seeing as I have barely spoken to these idiots since I came to this fucking town and now they where all buddy-buddy with me was fucking weird.

The guys laughed, but I was already looking for an escape. Unfortunately, I had barely managed to take a step before Alexis appeared beside me, hovering just close enough that I knew she was unsure about being here.

Right. If I was getting dragged into this circus, I wasn't letting her get steamrolled by it.

I jerked my chin toward her. "This is Alexis."

Alexis gave a small nod but stayed mostly silent, shifting slightly behind me. Which was odd since she wasn't shy when we had met.

"A new recruit!" Vince said dramatically. "How much did Brooks pay you to hang out with her?"

Alexis blinked. "Nothing?"

Jax whistled. "Damn. So you're here willingly?"

I sighed. "Can you guys not harass my friend for five seconds?"

"She seems fine," Luke pointed out.

"She seems overwhelmed," I corrected, shooting a glance at Alexis. "You good?"

She nodded quickly, but I could tell she was out of her element. The boys had that effect.

"You guys are loud," she muttered under her breath.

"Understatement of the year," I agreed.

Mason, who was somehow the most normal one, gave her a reassuring nod. "You'll get used to it."

Alexis didn't look convinced.

The conversation shifted, and, of course, they had to bring up practice.

"I still don't get how you were sniping top shelf like that," Luke said, shaking his head. "You have to have played before."

I sighed. "Oh my God, it's not that deep."

"See, that's what's suspicious," Grayson muttered.

I shot him a look. "Not everything is a conspiracy theory, Maverick."

The guys snickered, but Grayson didn't respond. He just kept watching me, like he was trying to figure something out.

Dylan clapped his hands together. "So, you coming to the game tomorrow?"

I hesitated. "Yeah, probably."

The guys nodded like they expected it. Alexis, on the other hand, looked like she was weighing whether or not she could back out of this situation.

"You coming too?" Jax asked her.

She flushed. "Oh, um, I don't really—"

"She's coming," I said before she could talk herself out of it.

Alexis gave me a seriously? look, but sighed. "Fine."

The bell rang, cutting things short. The guys started breaking off to their classes, but Grayson lingered.

"You're not bad, Brooks," he said finally.

I crossed my arms. "You say that like you want to take it back."

His jaw twitched slightly, like he was trying not to react.

I smirked. "Did it hurt your soul to admit?"

Grayson rolled his eyes. "You're insufferable."

"You're slow on the uptake," I shot back.

He didn't argue. He just shook his head, walking away.

I didn't trust Callie Brooks.

Not in a she's-up-to-something way, but in a how-the-hell-did-she-hide-that-skill-from-us way.

For days, she'd been this quiet, detached presence—always around but never involved. Then suddenly, she was sniping top shelf like it was nothing? Nah. That wasn't normal.

So yeah. I watched her.

And when she showed up at school today, something about her was... different. Not in an obvious way, but in the way she didn't immediately brush off the team.

Vince latched onto her first, which was predictable. The guy had zero concept of boundaries.

What I didn't expect was for Callie to actually introduce her friend.

Alexis.

She was awkward with the guys but confident with Callie, which was interesting. Most people were the opposite—Callie didn't make it easy to get close.

"Damn. So you're here willingly?" Jax asked.

Callie's patience was already thinning. "Can you guys not harass my friend for five seconds?"

That part got my attention.

She didn't care when we messed with her, but the second Alexis looked even mildly uncomfortable, Callie shut it down.

Noted.

Then the conversation shifted, and before long, we were back to talking about practice.

"I still don't get how you were sniping top shelf like that," Luke said.

"You have to have played before," I added.

Callie just sighed, looking like she wanted to throw herself into the nearest wall. "Oh my God, it's not that deep."

That answer was too easy.

"See, that's what's suspicious," I muttered.

She shot me a look. "Not everything is a conspiracy theory, Maverick."

Maybe. But this wasn't nothing.

The bell rang, and the guys started breaking off, but I didn't move right away.

Instead, I found myself watching Callie again.

I didn't know why, but before I could stop myself, I said, "You're not bad, Brooks."

She crossed her arms. "You say that like you want to take it back."

I clenched my jaw slightly. "Just take the compliment."

She smirked. "Did it hurt your soul to admit?"

God, she was insufferable.

I rolled my eyes. "You're insufferable."

"You're slow on the uptake," she shot back.

I shook my head, turning away before I got dragged into another argument I wouldn't win.

But as I walked off, I realized something.

She was getting under my skin.

I couldn't be distracted after season games I knew we had a few big matches with scouts there to watch out for only the best players, following some girl around like a stupid lost fucking puppy was not going to help.

But knowing she went out drink and smoking with some low life city kids and then could control a whole team of hockey players makes me wonder who the hell is she.

And I had no idea what to do about it.

—————

A/N: OKAY, so I know this chapter was short but it's only because I really want to do the main chapters and I have GREAT IDEAS!!

Also please comment and give me ur ideas bc I'd love to include them!!

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