while Ty got the rafts ready. The wind picked up and I felt a few drops. You had to expect to get a little wet out here.
CHAPTER 15
It was a good beginning to the new season.
We won our first game in the coolness of a clear September evening. I didn’t score but had a nice assist on the game’s lone goal.
I felt like my new running regimen was paying off already.
“That’s how it’s done,” Ty said, clapping from the sidelines. “Great game!”
“Yeah,” I said. “That was all right.”
“You guys meeting us, right?” Tim said, walking up. “We’re stopping over at McMenamins for a victory beer.”
I looked over at Ty and he nodded.
“Sure,” I said.
“I’ll get us a table in the back by the fire pit. See you guys in about half an hour.”
I stretched for a few minutes.
“I like watching you play,” Ty said. “You’re really good out there.”
I smiled.
We drove over and found the team. They were in the back, by the pit like Tim said, already with pints in front of them, talking in a large circle. We joined them.
“Ty, you should play with us,” Sam said. “Victor sprained his ankle last week. We have an opening.”
Ty laughed.
“No way. I would sprain more than that if I actually had to play in a game.”
We didn’t have instant replay, but we did have Tim. He relived his goal for us, from several different angles, in super slow motion.
“I knew their goalie was super aggressive, so I figured I’d use that against him. I just waited for him to commit himself.”
“You totally outwitted that guy,” Bree said. “It was awesome.”
“It’s just the beginning,” he said. “But it’s nice to get off to a good start. I tell you what. There’s nothing like winning. I think we can all appreciate how good it feels after last season.”
“Well, we didn’t have Jack last season,” Bree said. “That would have made a difference.”
I hadn’t thought about Jack that much lately. And because no one on the team had mentioned him in a long time, I sometimes forgot that they still didn’t know what had really happened, that he had kidnapped me and taken me to a remote island where Nathaniel Mortimer was waiting. They still thought of him as a friend and a good guy.
“For sure he would have gotten us into the playoffs,” she said.
I looked over at her, but didn’t say anything.
“Doubt it,” Ty said to my surprise.
“What?” she said. “What are you talking about? Did you even know Jack?”
“I think I know him a lot better than you,” he said.
“You know nothing,” Bree said. “And you have no right to say that about our friend.”
I looked away at the fire and then at the people at the next table, hoping Ty was done, but he wasn’t.
“I do know him. Jack is a shapeshifter.”
“What are you talking about now?” she said loudly.
“He’s like a character from Native American mythology. A character that changes form. He pretends to be one thing, then another, then another. No one knows who he really is. That’s your Jack.”
No one said anything, their eyes shifting from Ty to Bree and then over to me.
I stared at the flames that were shooting up toward the sky, the smell of wood burning in my nostrils. I wasn’t sure how to feel. While I hated talking about Jack, I hated it even more that they all thought that he was a great guy. Maybe it was time for them to know the truth.
“You’re really out of line, Ty,” Bree said. “He was a big part of this team and he was our friend.”
“He wasn’t Abby’s friend,” he said.
I swallowed some beer, wishing it was something stronger, and watched Bree. It seemed like she was ready to turn this into an all-out brawl, but instead sank back and just glared at Ty.
“Ty’s right,” I finally said. “About everything. Jack was no friend to me.”
Ty smiled, his face glowing in the firelight. I looked back over at Tim. He was quiet and stared at me for a minute, like he was
CHAPTER 15
It was a good beginning to the new season.
We won our first game in the coolness of a clear September evening. I didn’t score but had a nice assist on the game’s lone goal.
I felt like my new running regimen was paying off already.
“That’s how it’s done,” Ty said, clapping from the sidelines. “Great game!”
“Yeah,” I said. “That was all right.”
“You guys meeting us, right?” Tim said, walking up. “We’re stopping over at McMenamins for a victory beer.”
I looked over at Ty and he nodded.
“Sure,” I said.
“I’ll get us a table in the back by the fire pit. See you guys in about half an hour.”
I stretched for a few minutes.
“I like watching you play,” Ty said. “You’re really good out there.”
I smiled.
We drove over and found the team. They were in the back, by the pit like Tim said, already with pints in front of them, talking in a large circle. We joined them.
“Ty, you should play with us,” Sam said. “Victor sprained his ankle last week. We have an opening.”
Ty laughed.
“No way. I would sprain more than that if I actually had to play in a game.”
We didn’t have instant replay, but we did have Tim. He relived his goal for us, from several different angles, in super slow motion.
“I knew their goalie was super aggressive, so I figured I’d use that against him. I just waited for him to commit himself.”
“You totally outwitted that guy,” Bree said. “It was awesome.”
“It’s just the beginning,” he said. “But it’s nice to get off to a good start. I tell you what. There’s nothing like winning. I think we can all appreciate how good it feels after last season.”
“Well, we didn’t have Jack last season,” Bree said. “That would have made a difference.”
I hadn’t thought about Jack that much lately. And because no one on the team had mentioned him in a long time, I sometimes forgot that they still didn’t know what had really happened, that he had kidnapped me and taken me to a remote island where Nathaniel Mortimer was waiting. They still thought of him as a friend and a good guy.
“For sure he would have gotten us into the playoffs,” she said.
I looked over at her, but didn’t say anything.
“Doubt it,” Ty said to my surprise.
“What?” she said. “What are you talking about? Did you even know Jack?”
“I think I know him a lot better than you,” he said.
“You know nothing,” Bree said. “And you have no right to say that about our friend.”
I looked away at the fire and then at the people at the next table, hoping Ty was done, but he wasn’t.
“I do know him. Jack is a shapeshifter.”
“What are you talking about now?” she said loudly.
“He’s like a character from Native American mythology. A character that changes form. He pretends to be one thing, then another, then another. No one knows who he really is. That’s your Jack.”
No one said anything, their eyes shifting from Ty to Bree and then over to me.
I stared at the flames that were shooting up toward the sky, the smell of wood burning in my nostrils. I wasn’t sure how to feel. While I hated talking about Jack, I hated it even more that they all thought that he was a great guy. Maybe it was time for them to know the truth.
“You’re really out of line, Ty,” Bree said. “He was a big part of this team and he was our friend.”
“He wasn’t Abby’s friend,” he said.
I swallowed some beer, wishing it was something stronger, and watched Bree. It seemed like she was ready to turn this into an all-out brawl, but instead sank back and just glared at Ty.
“Ty’s right,” I finally said. “About everything. Jack was no friend to me.”
Ty smiled, his face glowing in the firelight. I looked back over at Tim. He was quiet and stared at me for a minute, like he was
Similar Books
