The Seat Exchange

Chapter 12

The crisp air of the rink nipped at my cheeks even as I walked out into the concession area with Alex. The Falcon's loss weighed heavily as we funnelled out with the rest of the crowd, and with that loss came a whole lot of judgement.

"They played like absolute dog shit," someone behind us commented. "What the hell happened to them over the summer?"

More harsh criticism coated the conversation that buzzed around us. I didn't want to admit it, but some of the things being said even made me feel bad for Booker and the rest of the Fenton Falcons.

"I can't believe they lost their home opener," Alex commented as we passed by the snack bar.

"It's probably just a serious case of the first-game jitters," I replied. It couldn't be easy to come back and be expected to play an amazing first game when you've been off for the last four months. I'm sure they still had training, but I assumed that was very different from going head to head with another team.

"Let's hope so. Otherwise, this season is going to be painful to watch."

As we continued our walk through the bustling post-game crowd, someone in the lane of oncoming traffic collided with my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," they said, reaching out to balance me.

I was about to mutter that it was fine and move on with my life, but the words became jailed on my breath. The person who had bumped into me–the person who was cupping my shoulder–was none other than James Rutherford.

A sweet smile made its way across James' face. It almost looked misplaced with a jawline as strong as his. Guys with such chiselled features knew how attractive they were and often used that to their advantage, but there wasn't a single cocky vibe radiating off of the man in front of me.

I cleared my throat. "Don't worry about it."

James blinked between myself and Alex, probably trying to make sense of why he was seeing doubles. "

"Hey," he said as he pointed a long finger at Alex. "You're in my French tutorial. Alex, right?"

My sister's smile was effortless. "Yeah, that would be me," she said as she linked arms with me.

"This is my sister, Charlie. I think you guys have had some classes before as well. She's also a Visual Arts major."

James tore his eyes off of Alex before blinking at me, trying to form the connection. "Oh yeah? That's pretty cool. What are you specialising in?"

"Painting," I croaked out before swallowing.

James nodded, his burnt honey curls bouncing with the movement. "I'm taking a lot of sculpture this year. That's probably why I haven't seen you in the studio." He turned his attention back to Alex. "What did you think about the game?"

"It sucks that they lost their home opener. Hopefully they aren't beating themselves up too bad," she said. Alex was always more considerate of how other people were feeling.

"It's a tough situation to be in," he agreed, his gaze lingering on me for a moment. "So, what are your plans now? A few of us are heading to The Underground to grab some drinks and drown our sorrows. You two should join us."

My heart pounded in my chest at the prospect of James inviting us out. This was the kind of opportunity I had been waiting for.

"Sounds fun," Alex chimed in, giving me an encouraging glance. "What do you think, Charlie?"

"Sure," I said, surprising myself with my own boldness. "Why not? Let's do it."

"Awesome," James grinned, his smile something straight out of a toothpaste commercial. "I'll see you both there."