Love, Hate and Hockey Skates

Twenty-Two

"So, this is where we'll be staying?" I asked as we toured the house.

The frat houses.

"Do you have any better places?" Ace asked though he didn't look happy about it either. He never even told me he was a member of a frat, but apparently, all the players on the team were, they had formed their own frat house to help with funds for the team that the school didn't provide, like food and resources when travelling between games.

It wasn't a terrible idea; it was just the whole idea of frat houses that was terrible. The whole street was lined with them, it was one huge party central every night, which meant it was going to be impossible to get any studying done late at night. That also just meant I would be spending more time in my abandoned building now.

"Are we at least sharing a room?" I asked.

He scoffed. "Of course, you think I would leave you in a room here? You're staying with me whether you like it or not."

"I was willing to get an apartment with you, so yeah, obviously."

He cracked a smile, but I could tell he was stressed. The last thing any guy wanted was for the girl they were crushing on to be living in an all-boys frat house.

"I'm sure they will all be on their best behaviour," I said.

He laughed. "Oh, I'm sure they will."

"Ace, my man!" The door swung open. "Glad you guys made it. The room is all setup, but first," he stopped and spun around with two beers. "We drink!"

"It's two in the afternoon," I said.

Ace grabbed the beer and handed it to me. "It's tradition. You have to have a drink before you enter the house." He tipped his beer back and gestured for me to do the same.

"Well, I can already tell this is going to be fun."

"I'm Travis, by the way. Nice to properly meet you," he said and stuck out his hand.

Before I could grab his hand, he switched it to a fist bump and smiled nervously at me. I awkwardly bumped his fist with mine.

"Ditto," I said.

"A woman of many words, I see." He joked. "Come on in, let's get you guys settled."

"Travis is the President of the house, he makes sure everything is running smoothly and he'll make sure we can stay here without the board finding out," Ace said.

"The board?"

"The school boards. Every member staying in a frat house has to be accounted for, and there is no co-op living, so you technically can't be here."

This was just getting better by the minute.

"We have to find our own place," I said.

"Relax, Isla. Everything is going to be fine; I promise you."

Despite his gentle words, I didn't feel relieved. This was a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion, and it seemed for the moment I was going to be the only one who suffered if it all hit the fan. I wasn't okay with that, but what else was I to do?

"You won't be going down alone, Isla. Whatever you're thinking, stop. I would never abandon you; I promised you that, and that is one promise I know I can keep," Ace suddenly said.

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"If you say so," I said but smiled back.

As long as he kept that one promise, I felt like maybe I was able to tackle anything that came our way. Even if that meant I had to live in a frat house for the time being, what was the worst that could happen? People had already spread rumours about me banging the entire team, I might as well live with them, right?