Playing to Win

Things weren’t only tense on the ice, they were rocky at home, too.

“Jordan, take your plate up to your room,” Dad said one night as I went to sit down in my usual chair at the dinner table.

“O-kay,” I murmured, backing away from the table. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but the air in the dining room felt thick with tension. My little brother sat with his head down, his hands in his lap. Dad’s jaw twitched and he fisted a napkin in his hand. Mom’s worried gaze flicked back and forth between father and son.

Tempting as it might be to sit at the top of the stairs and listen to the drama unfold at the dinner table, I didn’t. Whatever was going on with Payton, I wished he’d figure it out. I hated seeing him get in trouble. And I didn’t know how much more my parents could take.

I closed my bedroom door to block out the raised voices downstairs. I looked to my window, but doubted Asher would be outside this early. I didn’t think he’d realized we lived so close to each other yet. He definitely hadn’t caught me listening to him, but that could be because I didn’t sit there and stare at him through the window. I made sure to remain out of sight, content to hear him even if I couldn’t see him.

Which said something about his singing, because not looking was a sacrifice. I’d never considered myself boy crazy before, but the boy next door had quickly become an obsession.

I even found myself watching for him in the halls between classes, before and after school in the parking lot, and I’d cast enough glances his way during lunch to have drawn the attention of my two best friends.

Not that it mattered. I would never date Asher Sloane. Even if he wasn’t completely out of my league as far as looks went, we were teammates. I needed to think of him as the enemy. I’d been paying attention during practice. Asher played with effortless determination, his movements graceful and efficient. He played intuitively, anticipating his opponent’s next move. I hated to admit it, but he played better than me.

But that just made me want it more! And I knew I’d made the right decision to join my dad’s team. They played at a higher level, forcing me to up my own intensity. Everyday I improved my skills, learned something knew, or performed in a way I didn’t know I could.

Voices rose from downstairs again and then nothing. I held my breath, waiting until Payton’s feet pounded on the steps, before opening my door.

Payton’s shoulders hunched as he stomped down the hall toward his room. I reached out, stopping short of touching him as he passed me.

“Pay-”

“Leave me alone, Jord.” My heart broke at the defeated tone in his voice.

He turned into his room while I watched, wishing I knew what to do with my little brother to make him stop breaking our parent’s hearts.

“Love you,” I called out, just as he slammed his door shut behind him.

No longer hungry, I abandoned my dinner in favor of a shower. I should honestly shower before dinner, but Mom knew how hungry we all were as soon as we got home and always had dinner on the table. The boys showered at the rink, so I was the only sweaty one most nights or I don’t think she’d have been okay with me waiting. One stinky person she could handle, four of us would have been overwhelming.

I took my shower and returned to my room to get dressed. As I pulled on a pair of gym shorts and an over-sized t-shirt that once belonged to one of my older brothers, I debated if I should keep eavesdropping on Asher.

Who did it hurt? He didn’t know anyone listened. Would he care if he knew? Maybe he should stay inside if he didn’t want anyone to hear. Right?

Unable to resist, I grabbed my government textbook and lifted the window before sitting on the beanbag chair I’d hauled up from the basement just for this purpose.

Like clockwork, Asher’s voice floated through my open window. For the last few days, he’d been working on the same song. I’d come to the conclusion what I heard every night was him in the actual process of writing songs. Even though he repeated snippets of the same song over and over again, I never seemed to tire of hearing him sing.

Tonight, however, he started something new. A haunting melody coupled with powerful lyrics about misunderstandings, lost dreams, and wishes on stars.