Page 22 of Untouchable Player
“I guess I hadn’t really noticed, it’s not that strong. Do you miss it?”
I shrug, “I miss my little sister, but I’ve lived away from home for three years now, I can’t imagine going back to live with my parents.”
“So you don’t want to move back when you graduate? Not even in your own place?”
I shrug, “I dunno, I haven’t really thought about it.”
I wait for him to tell me I’d better think about it, like everyone else does. Remind me I’m in my senior year of college with no prospects and no plans, but he doesn’t.
Nate tries to explain that diagram to me again and I sort of get it. I think.
When Jones comes back, I’m zoning out.
“Come on, time for practise.”
I feel like I’m at home with my parents again as I get up and collect my books. Doing homework at the kitchen table, my dad interrupting to take me to hockey practise. Except Nate definitely doesn’t remind me of anyone from back home.
Jones waits until we’re in the car to ask how it went.
“Good,”
“told you Nate was smart.”
I’m glad he’s not looking at me as my face gets hot.
“Yeah, he is.”
Nate
After Jesse leaves I sit at the table for a few minutes. That was… not how I expected.
I’d imagined all kinds of scenarios when I agreed to tutor a hockey player. Him leaning back in his chair and making paper airplanes, making jokes or wanting to put the TV on or playing on his phone, but that was not what I got, at all.
Yes, Jesse seemed to zone out once or twice, but it wasn’t through lack of trying. And we had an honest to god conversation where he allowed himself to be kind of vulnerable.
Him telling his mom he loves her wasn’t that much of a surprise. Harrison sucks up to our mom too and he’s still a dick. I’m pretty sure there are serial killers out there who love their moms.
I pick my books up and put the snacks away before heading up to my room. I have some studying of my own to do, but I find myself wanting to look more into nutrition. Not just so I can be a good tutor, because if I’ve agreed to do something, I want to do it well, but because I’m actually interested in how it works.
I end up in a protein synthesis rabbit hole and take a break when I hear my mom come home from her Pilates class.
When I go downstairs, she’s standing at the kitchen counter drinking a green juice from one of those overpriced juice stores.
“Hey honey, how did tutoring go?”
“Good, I now know how to refuel after a work-out,”
“oh?”
“Yeah, maybe you should put some protein powder in that or something.”
Mom rolls her eyes, “not you too, I get enough of this from your brother. Can you just stay as my sweet smart boy and I’ll get work-out advice from him?”
She gives me a hug and despite the fact she just did a work-out, smelling like Chanel perfume and cinnamon.
“It’s sweet you tutoring that boy,” she says when she pulls away. “You know he’s on a scholarship?”
I prickle at the way my mom says ‘scholarship’ in the same sympathetic manner in which she talks about homeless people and families on welfare. She means well, but she’s so far removed from those real world problems she doesn’t even realise she’s doing it.