Rocket took a big bite out of his sub.
“Ack. My shirt’s been hit by sub sauce,” he said.
“We could’ve eaten there like normal people,” Maddy said.
“I can’t sit. Too hyped. Besides, I can do this.” He took a bite. “See, no sauce on the shirt this time.”
“I’m very impressed.”
They turned off the main street.
“This isn’t meant to be a lecture,” Maddy said, “but you could, maybe, spend some time with your mom tonight. You leave tomorrow, and I think she’s a bit sad that you might be gone for the year.”
“I think she’s okay with it,” Rocket said. “Axton’s only a few hours away.” He took another bite.
“Trust me on this one. You forget that you two are … you two have been together a lot since your parents separated, like you’re a team. At least, that’s how I see it.”
“You’ll still be here.”
“I’m not her daughter.”
He thought about what to say next. “I’m not saying you are. It’s just that I think of us as a family, the three of us, like we’re in this together … like a family.”
For a while they walked together quietly.
“That’s a nice thing to say, and … that’s how I feel, too.” She let her sub fall into the bag, and she punched Rocket in the shoulder.
“Um … Ouch?” he said.
“Stop pretending to be so nice and brother-like, and go back to being the usual insensitive Bryan. You’re going to make me cry,” she said.
He rubbed his arm. “I thought you were supposed to be more mature than me.”
“Shut up.”
“Whatever.”
A bottle suddenly skidded in front of Rocket’s feet and smashed on the sidewalk.
“Where’s your bodyguard, Peewee?” Connor called.
He and Raja ran across the street and stood in front of them.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Rocket said. “We’re just going home.”
Connor snatched Rocket’s sub from his hands. “You ate my sandwich,” he said. “Look, Raja, the dude actually ate my food.”
“Total rudeness,” Raja said.
“You can have it,” Rocket said, “and I’m not interested in doing this.”
He wasn’t afraid of Connor. He’d dealt with way tougher guys on the ice. But Connor had Raja as backup — and Maddy had to get away from this.
Connor’s mouth gaped open. “I’m sorry, what are you interested in?”
“I bet it’s being a loser,” Raja said.
Connor laughed, tossed Rocket’s sub to the ground and kicked it aside. “So Peewee, do you care about what I’m interested in?”
“What are you interested in, Connor?” Raja said.
“I’m interested in kicking Peewee’s butt into another century,” Connor said.
“I have a phone and I’m calling the police,” Maddy said.
Connor’s head swivelled around. “You think we’re going to let you make that call?”
“We don’t need to make any calls,” Rocket said. “We’re just going home.”
“You go where I tell you,” Connor said.
Rocket knew he had to act now — show no fear. He charged into Connor with his shoulder and knocked him back. “Run, Maddy. Get out of here!” he yelled.
Raja threw a punch at Rocket’s head from the side. It clipped him in the ear. Rocket took a step toward him, and Raja backed away.
“I’m breaking an extra bone for that,” Connor growled, as he got up. His fists were clenched.
“Yeah, let’s settle this,” Raja said.
Maddy stood a few metres back.
“Get going,” Rocket said to her.
She looked like a ghost, her face was so pale. She shook her head, moved next to Rocket and raised her fists.
“You don’t think I’d hit a girl?” Connor grinned.
“I’m sure you’re the type of guy who would,” Maddy answered.
“Maddy,” Rocket whispered urgently.
“Forget this. Grab her, and I’ll take Peewee out,” Connor said to Raja.
Connor threw a left jab at Rocket’s face. Rocket blocked it with his forearm, and took a few steps back. Raja grabbed Maddy by the wrists.
“Let go!” she screamed. She kicked him in the shins.
“This girl is nuts,” Raja said, letting go.
“Just keep her off me,” Connor said. He faked another left jab and let loose a wild roundhouse. Rocket ducked under it and caught Connor in the ribcage with a wicked right hook. Connor grunted and stepped back, but only for a second. He came at Rocket with a series of jabs and a few right hooks. Rocket had no choice but to spin onto the street to keep his distance. Connor was much bigger, so Rocket had to make sure Connor didn’t get him down. He also had to keep an eye on Maddy. So far she was holding her own. Raja was trying to grab her wrists again and she wasn’t letting him. She also wasn’t running away.
“Stand still, Peewee. Stop running around like a chicken,” Connor said.
Maddy darted over and kicked him in the shin. “Leave us alone!”
Connor grabbed her arm and pulled his hand back.
“Let her go!” Rocket threw a right hook, connecting hard with the side of Connor’s head.
Connor staggered back, his eyes darting wildly about.
Rocket shook with rage. “You’re so tough? Let’s do this already!”
“You’ve just made the biggest mistake in your life, loser!” Connor said. Then he nodded at some people on the other side of the street. “We got company. This must be your lucky day. But this isn’t over, believe me.”
Rocket’s right hand was throbbing. He could only pray it was over for now.
“C’mon,” Connor said to Raja. “I think I saw a cop.” He turned and disappeared down an alley.
Raja glared at Maddy and Rocket, his eyes bugging out, and then he followed Connor.
Rocket raised his gaze to the sky. This was bad. What if he got caught on the streets by himself when Connor was with the Brigade crew? Or worse, what if Maddy ran into them? He turned to her. Her eyes were red and puffy.
“I hate this place so much,” she said. Her voice shook. “That Connor needs to go to jail. It’s … it’s …”
“Ridiculous,” Rocket said.
She took a breath and opened her fists. “That’ll do for now.”
Rocket tried to make her feel better. “Connor thinks he’s a big man,” he said. “But he was too scared to fight André, and he just backed down from me. He won’t bug us now.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said.
“Anyway, we’ll probably be out of here soon. Mom’s looking for a place closer to school.”
They continued up the sidewalk.
“She won’t be able to walk to work, then, and I’d feel bad if she moved just for me. And places by the school are a fortune.”
Rocket had no answer. His mom had been looking for a while, but everything was so expensive. He flexed the fingers of his right hand and winced.
“You okay?” Maddy said. “Is that the hand you hit him with?”
“Small price to pay for smacking that guy,” Rocket said. “It hurts a bit.”
“Hold on.” She stopped and took his hand in hers. She pressed his knuckles. “Does this hurt?”
“Ow!” Rocket pulled his hand away.
Maddy’s face clouded. “A little ice is probably all you need.”
Rocket rubbed the inside of his palm with his left thumb. “It’ll be fine.”
They crossed over to their building and went in.
“I guess it’ll be quality-time with Momsy tonight,” Rocket said as they got in the elevator.
“Good.”
“You can come out of your bedroom and hang with us for five minutes, as long as you don’t talk, naturally.”
“I have to be there the whole time,” Maddy said. “You’ll drive your mom insane with your boring hockey talk.”
“Sorry. You said boring and hockey in the same sentence. That’s not possible.”
The elevator doors opened. There was a thick, stale smell of stewed beef in the hall that almost made him gag. The television was in 1207 was blaring. He really wished his mom could find another place. They went in.
“Hey, guys,” Risa said. She was in the living room. “Did you enjoy your celebratory submarines?”
He would have enjoyed finishing his.
“They were great,” he said. “Hey, Mom, do you feel like watching a movie or something tonight?”
“Are you packed for tomorrow morning?”
“Yeah, I think.”
“Do you want to go over the checklist again?”
“I’m good.”
“You have your toiletry bag, right? And toothpaste and a toothbrush and some dental floss? A book to read on the bus? What about all your hockey gear?”
“We went over it, Maddy and me. I’m good.”
“You have to get up early enough to be at the bus station by nine o’clock,” Risa said. “You won’t have time to pack in the morning, so make sure—”
“What kind of movie do you want to watch?” he interrupted.
She sighed. “Okay, I admit it. I’m very sad about you leaving and I feel like crying. Sorry about bugging you so much.”
“You’re not,” Rocket said. “Well, you are, but … I’m going to be sad a bit, too. It’ll be weird, living with another family, going to a new school where I don’t know anyone.” He stopped suddenly. “I can’t believe I said that. Totally jinxing it. I meant I won’t make the team, so there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be lucky to even survive the three-day training camp before getting cut.”
“Jinxing it? I thought you were going to limit your superstitions to knocking on the front door three times before a game and wrapping the blade of your stick with ten strips of tape,” Maddy said.
“You forgot about putting my elbow pads on before my shoulder pads, being the last one to leave the dressing room and crossing the centre dot with one skate during the warm-up,” Rocket said. “Other than that, I’m letting the superstitions go.”
That is, unless he said something about making the Axmen. Then he needed to take it back to cancel out the jinx.
“I’ll make some popcorn,” his mom said as she got up. “You guys choose the movie. Nothing too scary, please.”
“Let’s make it a girl night,” Maddy said. “How does that sound?”
“I’m all for that,” Risa said from the kitchen.
“It is sort of my last night here — for a few days anyway,” he said. “Isn’t that a bit cruel and unfair? You can’t be that insensitive.”
“Okay, but only because you’re scared about Axton and you’re probably going cry yourself to sleep tonight,” Maddy said.
Rocket grinned. “You rock, sis.”
“Obviously,” she said.
Maddy turned on the laptop. “I have a good idea,” she said. “I’ll have it downloaded in a sec.”
Rocket sat on the couch and leaned back. He wasn’t going to cry himself to sleep, but he was scared. He wanted to make that team so bad it hurt. He’d been training himself to death the entire summer, when he wasn’t working with Maddy at the juice bar. He couldn’t be in better shape — or could he? His nerves were kicking up. It was hard to sit still.
“It’ll be two minutes,” Maddy announced.
“What are we watching?”
“It’s a surprise,” she said.
He threw a pillow at her.
“Such a boy,” she said.
He’d miss his mom — and Maddy. If he made the team, he’d be billeted with a family in Axton until the season ended next spring. He was a bit scared about all the changes, but he was more scared that he’d be sent home. He had so much riding on this that it felt like there was a huge weight on his back.
Rocket rubbed his right hand. “I’m going to get some ice,” he said.
“Is it bad?” Maddy asked.
He got up. “It’ll be fine. I just have to ice it.” He took a step and stopped. “Thanks, by the way. For back there. Those were some awesome fighting moves.”
“No one messes with my bro.” Maddy grinned.
Rocket held up his fists — and then groaned. His right hand was really hurting. He went to the kitchen and opened the freezer.
“Perfect,” he said, pulling out a bag of frozen peas.
“What did you hurt now?” his mom asked.
“I banged my hand — running. I slipped on the sidewalk.”
His mom came over. “Can I see it?
“It’s fine,” he said hurriedly.
She patted him on the arm. “I’m going to miss my little boy,” she murmured.
“I’ll miss you, too,” he said.
She put her arms around him. He had a feeling she was crying a bit, and he had to blink a few times, too. They’d been through a lot together, the two of them. Like Maddy said, they were a team, and now it felt like the team might split up. He’d always be her son, of course, but things were different now. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. She obviously knew that. He figured she needed him to be her little boy for one more night.
The popcorn began popping.
“I’m going to burn it,” she said, rushing to the stove. “You can start the movie.”
“We can wait,” he said.
He went back to the couch and put the frozen peas on his hand. The cold stung his knuckles. A tight ball formed in his stomach. What if his hand was really hurt? Could he still grip his stick? This could be a disaster.
He pushed it from his mind. It was one punch. He could still wiggle his fingers. He’d be fine.
“You going to finish downloading that?” he said.
Maddy stuck her tongue out at him. “Already done.”
Looking at her, the weight on his back felt even heavier. Maddy had to deal with Connor and the Brigade when he was gone. It almost made him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn’t stay here and protect her, though. He had to go.
That gave him an idea.
“Hey, Mom,” he called out.
She walked in with three bowls of popcorn.
“Maybe Maddy can come up to Axton for a day or two, for a little break before school starts? I could ask my billet once I get there.” If Maddy disappeared from the neighbourhood for a few days, Connor might forget about things. And since Connor never went to school and Maddy got up early to go, she might be able to avoid him for months. There was after school to worry about, but Rocket couldn’t think of a better plan right now.
“If she wants to, that’s fine with me,” Risa said.
“That might be fun. I’d be up for that,” Maddy said.
“Consider it done,” Rocket said. “Now roll the film.”
Maddy attached the cord from the television to the computer and pressed the enter key.
Rocket felt grateful to Maddy for convincing him to hang out with his mom tonight. This could be the last time they were together like this — like a family — for a long time.