ZANE
Yeah, we lost to the Larkin Lions. God was feeling generous when he allowed that squad of scrubs to chalk up a victory over a team that’s their superior in every way. Forget how we should’ve felt extra motivated to beat them after that brawl. It didn’t happen. Call it insult to injury after the Colter Bay Grill Fiasco, but it wasn’t something I could let rest.
I steamed for days after that fight and subsequent on-ice loss. The bitter taste in my mouth wouldn’t wane until I’d settled the score. That meant I couldn’t wait until the next Lions-Riptides game to take action. That wouldn’t come for almost a month, enough time to let Larkin think they were kings of the fucking universe.
What the hell was I going to do? I had no plan, just a burning desire to drive my fist through Jacob Martin’s face.
And then it happened, an answered prayer.
I hit up Parkside Candy after practice on a Thursday afternoon and spotted Jakob standing at the counter with a couple of friends. Only I wasn’t one hundred and ten percent sure it was him, if you know what I mean. I’d caught only a side view of him (which was enough), and the people withhim definitely belonged to the Larkin Lions (they appeared too attractive for that distinction).
When I looked closer, I saw that itwasJakob. My heart quickened and my fingers curled until my hands balled into little fists. I even shook a little from the excitement. At first, I thought I would never have the opportunity to right a serious wrong, and now it presented itself out of nowhere.
I couldn’t waste my chance.
I marched up behind Jakob and found him eyeing the container of sponge candy in his hand. I considered cold-cocking him and sending him sailing over the counter. I would give him a fat lip, a black eye or, even better, a broken nose the size of the Peace Bridge.
That sounded like par for the course given the shot he’d served me at the Colter Bay Grill. Then I reminded myself that such a shot would make me sink to his level. The Riptides didn’t play dirty like the Lions, and I should never lower myself.
Get this: the little idiot didn’t even know I was there. So, I cleared my throat to grab his attention.
He just stood there, studying his purchase, like no one else was in the store. So, I cleared my throat even louder this time. He didn’t budge. Finally, I said, “Ahem!!” so there would be no way on earth he could miss it… And still, nothing.
Oh, my fucking God…
I wanted to clamp my hand onto his shoulder and spin him around, so he could see who’d plowed him before the lights went out, and somehow resisted the urge.
“Excuse me!!” I practically shouted.
Finally, Jakob turned, but didn’t look up at me, which told me that my constant attempt to grab his attention hadn’t ultimately worked. He cemented that idea by staring in the opposite direction toward the cashier.
I slipped in front of him, blocking his path, the only surefire way of grabbing his attention. He didn’t really look up at me, though. He tried to step past me like I hadn’t purposely blocked his path, so I stuck my hands on my hips and puffed my chest out to tell him he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Excuse me,” he said.
And he took two more steps toward the cashier.
Son of a bitch.
This time, I did grab his arm and pulled him back.
He looked up at me, not quite like he’d seen a ghost, but maybe the next best thing. His eyes widened, and he looked a little startled at least. Maybe Jakob shitting his pants was too much to ask for, so I would take what I could get.
“Going somewhere?” I asked.
“Yeah, to pay for my sponge candy. Do you mind?”
“Yeah, I think Idomind. I’ve got a score to settle with you—now step outside.”
Captain Bravery stood there with his eyes empty as if he’d never been challenged like that before, like I was crazy to make that suggestion. That wouldn’t have bothered him one bit at the Colter Bay Grill. Then again, he would now have to face me one-on-one, head-on like a man. None of this sucker punch bullshit.
He shook his head, saying, “No.”
“No?”
“Yeah, you heard me.”
“Oh, ho, ho, ho, you’ve got some restraint now that you’ve got to fight me like a real man?”
