Cheap Shot by Brittney Mulliner
Reid
Ethan was missing.Every night that the guys wanted to get together to play video games as a means to distract themselves from the parties they were skipping, he disappeared.
It wasn’t just those nights, though. It was happening more and more often, but every time I asked where he was going, he blew off my question, giving me a vague, noncommittal answer. I wanted to press and find out what was really going on with him, but the less he was around, the less often he asked me about his sister. Almost two weeks had passed without him mentioning her around me, and I didn’t want to remind him, so maybe the break from each other was good.
I was still concerned something was going on, though.
“This sucks.” Matt stuck a piece of sausage and mushroom pizza in his mouth.
“Yeah, well it’s the one you ordered so suck it up,” Benjamin teased.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Matt said.
“It feels like we’re grounded, only we didn’t do anything fun to make it worth it.” Kevin scratched his neck while the next level of the game loaded.
“It won’t always be like this,” Benjamin said as the countdown started. “But during the season we really need to focus.”
We all focused as we entered the war zone, splitting off and calling out warnings and directions to one another.
“It’s not just parties, you guys. We shouldn’t be wasting time and energy on distractions.” I fumbled with the controller, trying to take down an enemy’s tank.
“We already don’t drink, smoke, do drugs, and we cross the street with the signal. What more can we give up?” Kevin asked. “Heads up, Becker!”
“Got him,” he replied.
“Girls,” Benjamin responded before I had the chance.
Matt hit pause on the game. “Are you saying we can’t date?”
“No, it’s the drama and …” I tried to explain, but they turned on me.
“Dating is the only thing we have. Don’t take that away from us too,” Becker whined.
“As if that’s a legit concern for any of you,” Hunter said.
“How are we supposed to date if we can’t go to the parties? That’s where all the girls are,” Kevin said.
“You’re twenty years old, Kevin. I’m not going to teach you how dating works.” Benjamin resumed the game.
Matt grunted. “Seriously, how are we supposed to meet anyone?”
Hunter paused the game again. “Have you ever looked around during class? About half the people there are girls. Talk to one of them.”
“Or we can set each other up with girls we know,” Benjamin said.
“That’s not a bad idea.” Matt wagged his brows. “Too bad Ethan’s sister is off-limits. She’s hot.”
I glared at him. I didn’t think I’d been the only one that noticed Haley, but I didn’t like hearing anyone else talk about her, especially like she was just another co-ed for him to use.
“Don’t even think about it,” Benjamin said. “That’s the last thing our team needs.”
His reminder hit me in the gut. It was one thing to repeat the warnings to myself, but hearing it from him was worse.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to Haley for a while, but I needed to stop thinking about her at all. Every time I saw a girl with hair like hers, I stopped and stared, hoping she’d turn around and smile, but it was never her.
Last time she texted me, she’d had a great time with the girls from her hall at a party. That was it. It was for the best. She was making her own friends and having fun. I was happy for her.
I had to be.
We played for another hour or so without interruptions, but when we finished a campaign and the guys started grumbling about more food, we put the controllers down and discussed options.
“We just ordered pizza.” Benjamin stretched his arms over his head.
“But it’s gone, and I’m still hungry. Plus, if I eat more dairy, I’m going to puke up my guts and die at practice,” Becker said.
“Then order a salad.” I rubbed my left shoulder then switched to the right side. I’d need to ice after practice tomorrow. I was getting too stiff lately.
“Does that Japanese place deliver? A teriyaki bowl sounds good,” Matt tried.
“Let me check.” Hunter pulled his phone from his pocket. After a moment, he nodded. “Tell me what you want.”
We each rattled off our order then went back to another round to waste time before it got here. It arrived quickly, probably because not many people ordered dinner at ten on a Saturday night.
I was only a few bites in on my teriyaki steak when my phone vibrated on the floor next to me. Before I went to grab it, several other phones went off.
“Seriously?” Mike groaned.
“This sucks.” Becker tossed his phone to the other side of the room.
Hunter grunted and dropped his phone face down on the floor.
Benjamin and I shared a glance before checking ours. A girl we were all mutual friends with, and who had dated one of the guys that graduated the year before, sent us a series of pictures from a party, telling us we were missing out.
I examined each photo, hoping, while also dreading, to find Haley in the background. I didn’t see her, and it took me a moment to figure out what was off about the pictures. Everyone was dressed up in styles from different decades. That softened the blow a bit. Themed parties were the worst.
“You hate dressing up, Becker.” Benjamin reached for his controller and selected a new game.
“Yeah, but they’re having fun. They’re socializing. They’re talking to women. I’m trapped in here with you guys.” He made a face and pushed his bowl away from him.
“You’re free to go,” I said.
His eyes widened. “Really?”
Matt sat up too.
“Yeah, and get kicked off the team. It’s a choice that no one is forcing you to make.” I collected the empty dishes and tossed them in the trash.
“I hate paying for bad decisions other people made.” Becker dropped his head against my bed.
“I know for a fact you have three other offers. Again, this was a choice no one forced you to make.” Benjamin tossed me the other controller near him.
I picked it up as the game loaded.
“I know, I just want to complain about it sometimes,” Becker grumbled and joined in the game.
“Yeah, just let us whine.” Matt flopped his legs like a child.
Hunter chuckled and shook his head before picking up his controller and adding his character.
“In a few years when we’re all playing in the NHL and you want to complain to me about missing out on the normal college experience, I won’t answer your call.” I smirked, and the level started, ending the conversation.
I played for several minutes before my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen, expecting more party pictures, but it was a call from Ethan.
“Becker, cover me.” I waited for him to confirm before answering the call.
“Hey, man.” I kept my eyes on the TV screen.
“Have you seen Haley lately?” Ethan’s voice came out in pants like he was running.
I sat up straighter. “No, I haven’t seen her in a few days.”
“Has she called or texted you?” His breathing was heavy, and it was starting to freak me out.
Was something wrong? Was she okay?
“No, what’s going on?”
“I haven’t been able to get a hold of her for two days. She never goes this long without checking in.” He mumbled something about a deal, but I couldn't understand.
“She mentioned she met some new friends. Maybe she’s been busy with them.”
“She did? Who are they?” His breathing was much calmer.
“Some girls that live in her hall, I think.”
He sighed. “She didn’t tell me that.”
“Where are you? Are you okay?”
There was some noise in the background I couldn’t make out. “It’s fine. Just let me know if you hear from her.”
He hung up before I could ask him again where he was. This wasn’t normal for him. Disappearing, then calling me, sounding like he was being chased? Something was going on. I wished he would just tell me. I couldn’t help when I didn’t know the problem.
“Everything okay?” Benjamin asked while pressing a series of buttons and cringing.
I picked up my controller and went back to what I’d been doing. “Ethan was looking for his sister.”
“Why would you know where she is?”
I wanted to shrug, but he couldn’t see that right now. “I’ve run into her a few times.”
He grunted but let it go.
Was she really missing? Or in trouble?
It wasn’t my business. She didn’t seem interested in talking to me anymore, and I needed to keep my distance from her. I debated replying to our friend who’d sent the pictures earlier and asking if she’d seen Haley at the party, but I didn’t think she would know her, and I didn’t have a picture of Haley to send her.
We got back into the game and were in the middle of an intense campaign when my phone buzzed again. I took my eyes off the screen just long enough to read the name. It was unknown, so I pressed the side button to silence it and went back to following Hunter’s character through a tunnel.
“Up ahead,” he called.
“Got it,” I said as my phone went off again. Unknown number. I debated silencing it again, but if they were calling me back, maybe it was important.
“Hold on. Sorry.”
I answered the call and heard music blaring before I even got it to my ear. “Hello?”
There was no reply, but I could hear muffled noises.
“Hello?” I said again, a bit louder.
Benjamin paused the game and looked at me with narrowed eyes. “What’s up?” he mouthed.
I shook my head.
A choked sob. I straightened and put the phone on speaker. “Hello? Are you okay?”
The guys leaned in, and I locked eyes with Benjamin. “Crying?” I asked quietly, wondering if he heard it too.
He bent in closer, listened, and nodded.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Leave me alone!” A woman’s voice.
We all shared looks.
“Who is this?” I yelled.
There was a grunt then silence.
I stared at my phone, but the call ended.
“What was that?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t know. It was an unknown number.” I blinked at my phone waiting for it to ring again.
“Maybe it was a prank,” Matt said.
“Or a wrong number,” Becker offered.
“Did it list the number?” Benjamin asked.
I went through my recent call log and shook my head. “It just says unknown.”
“That’s weird,” he said while working his jaw back and forth.
Maybe it was Ethan’s call that had me rattled, but I had a bad feeling. Someone was upset, a woman. She shouted at someone to leave her alone. How could I ignore that? She could be in danger.
But what could I do? I didn’t know who it was, let alone where she was. I just had to hope that she called back or got help from someone else.
What were the odds of her calling me by accident? Twice?
“Let it go for now; if she calls again, put it on speaker, and we’ll see if we can figure it out,” Benjamin said.
I nodded and put my phone on my thigh while picking up the controller and trying to focus on the game, but it was too hard to concentrate. A knot formed in my stomach, and I kept dropping my gaze to the black screen, willing it to ring again.