The Puck Bunny

Four

True to my word, I exited my room almost exactly fifteen minutes after I had agreed to take Luke with me.

"You don't seem too worried by having to share a bathroom with guys" Luke said as we walked across the quad to the car ramp. I shrugged. I wasn't.

"I shared a bathroom with my brother for fourteen years until he went to college, this is oddly nostalgic"

"Good. Too many girls come into the halls and get disgusted by it, they shower at stupid times. I was in Centennial last year as well and my room was right next to the bathroom. They'd shower in packs at like 4 am."

"Yeah, girls are weird like that. I bet the giggling was unbearable"

"Oh you have no idea. So naturally this year I requested a room furthest away from the bathrooms. And just my luck, I managed to land it."

"This is my car" I said, unlocking my little Corolla. He looked to me.

"I'm awful at giving directions, want me to drive?" He offered and I nodded as I tossed him the keys.

"I'm awful at taking directions, go for it."

We drove in a comfortable silence for a while. I didn't want to distract him while he was driving, in case he was someone who needed to concentrate on the road. My theory was busted open as he spoke through the quiet.

"So, what's your major?" He asked.

"English, you?"

His face lit up at that.

"Holy shit, no way! Me too!"

I was a little shocked to find that a star hockey player was majoring in something like English.

"So, you don't want to play hockey forever?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I want to go professional and eventually get the NHL or the Olympics. But hockey doesn't last forever, and I don't want to retire at age 30 and have nothing under my belt, I don't want to be a hockey coach either."

"That's pretty smart of you Bennett

He grinned at me as he pulled the car into a small private parking lot.

"Thanks Pruitt. Now these bagels won't compare to what you're used to in the big apple, but for Minneapolis they're pretty fucking good"

"Honestly I'm too hungry to care"

The girl behind the counter looked up to us and grinned from ear to ear.

"Luke! I didn't realise classes started this week for you" She gushed. He shrugged her off, returning her smile albeit not as enthusiastically.

"Hey Georgia, classes start next week. I'm just showing my friend Carter the best place to get a bagel around here. She's new to town"

Her smile faded a little. I could tell in that moment she must really like him, just by the way her face lit up when we walked in, and the way it faltered when she realised, we were together. Not that we were together, of course. But her face said it didn't matter. I knew I had to say something.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to have somewhere to go locally. My bank account wouldn't like me driving back to New York every weekend for a bagel. My boyfriend probably wouldn't mind it"

Her eyes brightened at the mention of my 'boyfriend', who doesn't exist. I feel Luke stare at me for a solid second before quickly turning back to the girl behind the counter, Georgia, to place his order.

"I'll grab my usual, thanks. What are you getting? I'll buy"

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll get it"