Goal Lines & First Times (CU Hockey 3)

I laugh.

@scientistguy: It’s a dude who came up with a scientific theory everyone likes to recycle. I’m still figuring myself out and haven’t landed on a label, so until I know for sure, I’m every label.

@confused96: Or no label at all.

@scientistguy: Exactly!

@confused96: Did I just science? Go me!

He’s ridiculous. It makes me smile.

@scientistguy: You made up for the terrible joke for sure.

@confused96: I’m going to put you in my ChatUp contacts as Einstein.

I start to type that Einstein was a physicist and I’m a statistical science major, but I let it go.

@scientistguy: Einstein is fine. Though I find it interesting you could spell that.

@confused96: Autocorrect is my friend for ducking once.

Taking his lead, I change his contact name to Richie.

As I hit save, a knock on the door makes me jump, and I almost drop my phone in the toilet.

“You okay, honey?”

Ugh. Moms.

September

Einstein: I saw a squirrel today. I think they’re my spirit animal.

Richie: Eating nuts all day?

Einstein: You wish. I meant because they seem so scattery and lost.

Richie: That’s deep.

Einstein: That’s what he said.

Richie: Well played. I just googled dumbest animals on the planet to find my spirit animal. I’m not like you. I can’t simply pick one because I see it eating nuts and think HMM, I LIKE THE LOOK OF THOSE NUTS.

Einstein: That’s not how it happened, but go on. What did you find?

Richie: Pandas are so dumb, they’re carnivorous but eat plants. Because … plants are right there.

Einstein: That sounds more lazy than dumb.

Richie: When Sloths climb trees, they sometimes think their own limb is a branch and fall to their death.

Einstein: LMAO! Oh wait, I mean … I shouldn’t laugh at that, right?

Richie: Turkeys drown by staring up at the sky when it’s raining.

Einstein: And we have a winner.

5

Cohen

Ah. First practice of the year.

We’re back again, and damn, it’s good to be on the ice.

Even if Coach Hogan is driving us all to the point of falling in a heap.

First day back is always grueling, and I see the doubt in the freshmen’s eyes, like they’re thinking What the hell have I signed up for?

They’re Beck and Jacobs’s problem this year.

Who are totally banging.

I was right. For once. Apparently, I can detect same-sex chemistry between other people, just not from myself.

Denial is a powerful thing.

“Penalty drills!” Coach yells, and the new kids groan.

They thought this would be over by now.

As old classmates have graduated and moved on, and new ones start, Coach has to rearrange the lines. We lost Grant last year from our first line, but we still have Jacobs and me. We’re looking for a center to fill Grant’s place, and they’re hard skates to fill.

I think Simms has a shot at center. So does Rossi. Rossi’s a junior this year, Simms a sophomore, so Rossi should get it, but it all depends on how well they skate leading up to the start of the season.

Coach is clearly testing them as he puts Rossi with us and Simms on the side that’s a man down. He gives us Martin on defense with Beck.

Rossi’s good. He’s solid. Simms is less consistent, but that gives him an edge because he fights for it more. He pushes boundaries. He’s great at sneaky penalties which can be good, but terrible if ill-timed.

Like right now.

Dude trips Rossi after Rossi’s passed the puck to me.

The whistle blows. “Really, Simms?” Coach yells. “Now’s not the time for risk. You’re a man down, and you’ve given the other side a three-on-five power play.”

Simms hisses under his breath.

“Next line,” Coach yells.

On the way to the team box, I nudge Simms. “Timing is everything, man.”

“I know. The second I did it, I knew I’d fucked up.”

“Stuff like that will cost you first line.”

When I step into the box, both Jacobs and Beck are looking at me weird, but I shrug it off.

All the newbs and guys who weren’t here over the summer take this exercise as a chance to catch their breath while there are only half of us on the ice.

It’s a good first practice, and coming off our win, we’re all pumped for the season, but I can’t wait until we can get out of here and I can check my phone.

That app is becoming damn addictive, but not for the reasons I thought it would.

The couple of times I’ve sexted with someone has been fun, for sure, but I don’t feel any connection to those guys. I look forward to one man’s messages only.

Einstein has something about him that’s not inherently sexual. Our conversations aren’t deep by any means, but they hold more weight than any other interaction I’ve had on ChatUp.

The rest have been fantasies and exploring things I may or may not want to try in real life in the future.

Talking with Einstein is fun, and the potential for more with him is there. No one else has come close to that.