Chapter 60 Different worlds
The victory party was held at The Red House, a massive off-campus rental where the senior hockey players lived.
Usually, these parties were the highlight of the semester. There was loud music thumping through the floorboards, the smell of cheap pizza, and hundreds of students packed into every room.
The Vipers had won a huge game, and the atmosphere should have been perfect.
I walked into the kitchen, trying to find two sodas. I had spent the last hour glued to Jaxson’s side. He was the hero of the night, and every person at the party wanted to shake his hand or buy him a drink.
I was so proud of him, but I could see he was getting tired. His head probably still felt a little heavy from the game, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
"Elena! Over here!"
I turned and saw a group of girls standing by the back door. It was Tiffany and Menae, two girls I had known since private middle school. Their parents were friends with my father. They didn't really go to the hockey games for the sport; they went for the social status.
"Hey, guys," I said, giving them a small smile. "Great game, right?"
Tiffany rolled her eyes, her expensive jewelry clinking as she moved her hand. "The game was fine, I guess. But Elena, we haven’t seen you in weeks. You’ve completely disappeared into this... hockey world."
"I've been busy," I said, reaching for a drink.
"We can see that," Menae said, leaning in closer. She nodded toward the living room, where Jaxson was standing in the middle of a circle of cheering teammates. He was wearing a faded hoodie, his hair messy, laughing at a joke Leo just made. "Is that really him? The guy everyone is talking about?"
"That's Jaxson," I said, my voice turning a bit defensive. "He’s the best player on the team."
Tiffany giggled, but it wasn't a nice sound. "He’s cute, in a rough around the edges kind of way. But Elena, honey, be serious. Your father is going to lose his mind. We all thought you were just having a little rebellious phase. You know, dating the tough guy to annoy your dad."
"It's not a phase, Tiffany," I said firmly.
"Oh, come on," Menae chimed in. "He’s a scholarship kid from a town nobody has heard of. He probably thinks a fancy dinner is a double cheeseburger. It’s a cute story for college, like a movie, but what happens after graduation? You’re going to be running a foundation or working in a corner office, and he’s going to be... what? Smelling like ice and old gym socks?"
I felt my face getting hot. I looked over at Jaxson. He looked so happy. For the first time in weeks, the weight was off his shoulders. I didn't want these girls to ruin that.
"You don't know him," I said. "He’s not just a hockey player. He’s incredibly smart. Especially for someone who grew up the way he did, without all the tutors and private schools we had. He had to work ten times harder than us to get here."
I meant it as a compliment. I wanted them to see how hard he had struggled and how much I respected his brain, not just his goals.
But I didn't realize that Jaxson had started walking toward the kitchen to find me.
He was standing right behind the swinging door. He had heard every word.
The door pushed open slowly. Jaxson didn't look like the hero who had just won the game. He looked like he had been slapped. His smile was completely gone, and his eyes were cold, colder than the ice he had just skated on.
"Jax," I gasped, dropping the sodas onto the counter. "I didn't see you there."
Tiffany and Menae looked at him, then at each other. They didn't look embarrassed. They just looked bored. "Well, speak of the devil," Tiffany muttered. "We’ll leave you two to it. See you at the brunch tomorrow, Elena? A real brunch?"
They walked away, their high heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
I turned to Jaxson, my heart racing. "Jax, they’re just being mean. They don't know what they’re talking about."
"I'm smart 'for someone who grew up the way I did'?" Jaxson repeated my words. His voice was flat. It was worse than if he had been screaming.
"No, I didn't mean it like that," I said, reaching for his hand.
He pulled back. "Then how did you mean it, Elena? Because it sounded like you were explaining me to your friends. Like I’m a stray dog you found and taught a few tricks."
"Jaxson, please. I was defending you! They were saying you didn't belong here, and I was telling them how hard you worked—"
"That’s the problem!" Jaxson snapped. His voice was loud enough now that a few people in the kitchen stopped talking to watch us. "You think I need you to defend me. You think I’m some project you have to explain to the rich kids so they don't look down on you for dating me."
"That is not true! I love you for exactly who you are!"
"Who am I, Elena?" Jaxson stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. "In your world, am I the guy you love? Or am I the tough guy scholarship kid who makes you feel like a good person because you're dating someone from the wrong side of the tracks?"
"You're being unfair," I whispered, tears starting to sting my eyes. "I have fought my father for you. I have fought my brother for you. I am on your side!"
"Are you?" Jaxson asked.
He looked around the room at the expensive clothes the students were wearing, at the way people were looking at us like we were a reality TV show. "Because every time we’re in a room like this, I feel like I'm under a microscope. And hearing you talk about me like I’m smart for a poor kid just proves it. You still see the gap between us, Elena. You see it just as much as your father does."
"Jaxson, stop. I was trying to tell them how impressive you are."
"I don't want to be impressive to them!" Jaxson yelled. "I don't care what they think! I cared what youthought. And now I know. You think you're better than me. You're just nicer about it than your dad is."
"That is a lie and you know it!" I shouted back.