"Seriously," Josh groaned exasperatedly, "you too, Gabe? I swear, we haven't done anything together since Tuesday. And Rebecca's apparently busy, too."
Soccer practice on that fine Sunday morning was over. The boys were sweating like pigs and others were exhausted, so the team was split between wanting to do something, and others wanting to go home and sleep until they had recovered from a gruelling training session.
Josh Hart had been one of the players to suggest doing something, just him, and his three friends. Unfortunately, his plans would have to be postponed because Chris Choi was beat from the gruelling training session, wanting to get home, have a light lunch, shower, and sleep a little. Both he and Gabriel had vouched for Rebecca and stated that she would be busy, but between the four friends, only three were aware of why that was.
Chris and Gabriel exchanged glances, the former carrying a knowing grin.
"I think we should tell him," Chris stated.
Josh looked between his two friends and frowned. His interest was incredibly piqued. He didn't appreciate being the odd man out in their small friend group, and since they were as thick as thieves, it made no sense why they would exclude him.
"Tell me what?"
Chris glanced to Gabriel, silently communicating whether they should or should not. The latter saw no qualms with it, and Josh was, after all, their friend.
Like Chris, Josh had picked up on it that Julian was interested in Gabriel before the latter, himself, had even realized it, far too preoccupied with avoiding instances that would ruin their friendship, he'd been oblivious to Julian's subtle – not really – flirtations.
"Guys, come on," Josh whined. "Don't third wheel me! Just tell me what's up."
Chris and Gabriel exchanged glances, and the latter nodded, agreeing to Chris' silent question to go ahead and spill the beans. Chris then went closer to their friend and leaned in to whisper it like he was sharing some grand secret. And perhaps, he was. Chris was aware of one of the issues Gabriel might face even if his friend hadn't mentioned it.
They lived in a semi-religious town, with enough devout Christian followers to scrutinize and ostracise that which was different. To make an example of those who betrayed their beliefs, and the norms built from said principles.
Josh's eyes widened as he heard what his friend had whispered to him. "Oh," he said, and then when Chris mentioned the reason for why Gabriel would be unavailable to do anything with friends, Josh once again – and louder – exclaimed, "Oh! Oh wow!"
Josh was amazed as he flicked his gaze back and forth between the two. He still couldn't believe how fast things had moved along and perhaps, that was the part that struck him most. Just last Tuesday he and Chris had to spell it out for their friend what they saw for themselves, and in the blink of an eye, the snap of a finger, Gabriel had gone on his first date with Julian. Josh looked to Chris who nodded as if confirming he'd heard correctly, and Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly.
"Wow," Josh commented, laughing a little. "I mean...wow! I probably sound dumb but...damn! You two move fast."
"It just happened," Gabriel replied, a small smile playing at his lips.
Josh then groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh great, now I'm an even bigger loser," he whined, looking as though he were in pain. He gestured to Chris, "This one and Rebecca are practically together at this point," he said, and then pointed to Gabriel, "and now you've got somebody. I need a girlfriend, dammit!"
"You'll find someone," Gabriel replied, and Josh pouted, shaking his head in denial.
"Nuh-uh! I highly doubt it. In every group of friends, there's the one who's always a single pringle. I don't want to be the single pringle, guys."
Chris and Josh began to bicker back and forth, the former first reassuring their friend that in due time, he'd find someone. Josh continued to deny it and refused to believe such a fate was made out for him, instead, believing, he would remain single until the day he died. Chris retorted with playful jabs, and soon, they were bickering.
Gabriel shook his head, but he hoped with every ounce of his fate that Josh would find someone, too. He hoped, however, that Josh got into a relationship for all the right reasons, and not because he refused to be the odd man out.
"Guys," Gabriel said, capturing their attention, the bickering pair stopping amid their quarrels and flailing their hands in an attempt to 'fight' the other, giving their friend sheepish grins. "I'd like to stay a little longer, but I need to get going. See you guys tomorrow."
"Okay," Chris said.
"Bye-bye," Josh said, as well, and waved. And then he and Chris were back to bickering as Gabriel gathered his belongings and began the trek home where he would shower, change, and then meet up with Rebecca.
At the college campus in the city, Julian and his teammates were dressed and equipped with their respective gear, many of them heading out onto the ice as hockey practice was due to begin in only a few minutes. Julian paused before stepping onto the ice, glancing around to the seats surrounding the ice, searching to find his sister or Gabriel.
Neither of them had arrived yet, and they'd most likely show up together.
He was about to step onto the ice, a few of his teammates passing by him and heading out first, clapping him on the back in a show of sportsmanship. Among them was Duncan Boyer who stepped out onto the ice carrying his hockey stick. Duncan skated in a circle as if getting used to traversing his way across the ice before skating back to where Julian stood, leaning against the barrier. Duncan stayed on the ice.
"Looking for someone?" Duncan asked, his tone rather suggestive indicating that he knew what was happening with his friend. Duncan had figured it out and he guessed that Shaw's local superstar was who his friend was searching for.
Before Julian could respond, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him and he could not stop from rolling his eyes in annoyance. He meant no ill-will or ill-intention to the young woman, but Julian would expect she would have lost interest by now.
Never mind it was only yesterday evening when they ran into each other at the movie theatre.
"Heather," Julian greeted with a tight-lipped smile and an edge to his tone. He was thinking to have a serious conversation with his friend and teammate – Bryant Munroe – about keeping his sister in check. Maybe Heather might understand it better if Bryant told her to keep away from his teammates but then again, Julian figured that his friend could not be that oblivious.
Surely, Bryant Munroe must have figured out why his sister kept hanging around the hockey team. It wasn't just to show her support to her brother. Bryant must have noticed – at some point – that Heather was tracking one of the players.
Heather acknowledged Duncan's presence with a wave of her hand, shooting him a pearly white smile but she was just as quick to dismiss his presence as her focus swiftly returned to Julian. Duncan paid no mind since he was already skating away, providing the two the privacy they needed to speak.
"Are you free after practice?" she asked, and when Julian said nothing but raised an eyebrow in question, she felt the need to further elaborate. "I wanted to make sure you don't have any plans afterwards with your sister...or Gabriel."
Julian noted the subtle edge to her tone when she made mention of Gabriel as though what she wanted to add on was, 'Especially Gabriel.' And he would not be far off from thinking so because even as Heather looked at him with her signature pearly white smile, she was thinking those very words.
It displeased Heather a great deal that her competition for Julian's attention and affection was a boy, and a high schooler, nonetheless. It was even more upsetting to her that Gabriel didn't need to do much other than walk into a room and he would ultimately hold Julian's undivided attention.
"No," Julian said, "I don't have any plans with Becca or Gabe."
"Perfect!" Heather exclaimed. "Do you want to hang out afterwards? I was thinking maybe we could hang out a little, and then grab a bite to eat."
"No, I'm good. I'm not interested," he replied with a straightforward edge to his tone.
Heather wasn't going without a fight. "Well, we can whatever you want to do. I'm okay with anything." She smiled flatteringly and Julian could feel the devil in him coming out to spew venomous words.
But he held his tongue fast and replied to clear up her 'confusion'. "No," he said, and gestured to her. "It isn't whatever you have planned. I'm just not interested...in you."
"Oh," Heather replied, feeling a pang in her chest and she was stunned into speechlessness. She couldn't decide which one hurt more; whether it was that the guy she had fancied for over a year had just rejected her, or that Julian Stroup had been the first guy to ever reject her. Or maybe, it was both.
Julian didn't feel bad, but he raised an eyebrow in interest. "You had to have known I wasn't into you. Did it never cross your mind when I never...responded?"
Heather shook her head. "I just thought maybe you were playing hard to get."
Huh, Julian thought incredulously, and then shook his head in the negative. "No. That's not what happened at all."
"I should go," Heather said. Before Julian could get another word in – not that he had anything worthwhile left to say – she took her leave, going back to her friends with an unreadable expression on her face.
It was over with and after more than a year, Julian had finally spelled it out for her. Perhaps now, she would stop wasting her time and move onto someone who will reciprocate and be worth her while.
Hockey practice commenced soon after and the team – under the orders and supervision of their drill sergeant coach – trained for two gruelling hours before they were allowed a thirty-minute break. They would then commence practice for another hour at the very least. During those first two hours of training, Gabriel and Rebecca had arrived and made themselves comfortable in one of the boxes where they had a good view of the ice and all of the players.
Even though many of the players wore plain t-shirts over their padding, and wore helmets, Gabriel had no problem identifying Julian. He'd seen him play hockey before and was familiar with Julian's body movements and his movements while on the ice. As if to confirm that he'd had his sights on the right player, Julian had spotted Gabriel and Rebecca when he'd paused and looked away while the other players lined up to take turns practicing their aim by hitting a puck past the goalie into the net. Julian had waved to them in acknowledgement – and unbeknownst to him, Heather had witnessed the exchange and was silently fuming in her seat.
She was incredibly upset and sought to do something about it. With the players coming in for their thirty-minute break, one-by-one heading into the players' box to get something to drink, Heather went over to the barricade and waited. And when she saw the person she wanted to speak with, she caught his attention.
"Hey, Bryant," she called out to her brother, and he stopped to look at her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
And while she spoke to her brother, Bryant's face changing expression from a light-hearted one to one of controlled anger, they had no idea that Duncan Boyer had been watching them.
And Duncan had an ominous feeling that something was about to happen by the angry gestures Heather made, the expression on Bryant's face, and that they would both steal a glance in Julian's direction where the latter was seated higher up in the spectators' box, speaking with Gabriel and Rebecca.
Duncan took a sip of Powerade and decided that thiswas probably the calm before the storm.