Nowhere To Run

Chapter Twelve — Nowhere to Run

For the first five minutes, neither of them spoke.

Beck sat on one of the benches, staring at the locked door as if glaring at it hard enough would somehow make it open.

Aitor stood with his arms crossed.

“This is ridiculous.”

Beck glanced at him.

“You've said that three times.”

“Because it is.”

“Well, repeating it isn't going to unlock the door.”

Aitor gave him a look.

“You're surprisingly annoying when you're trapped.”

“I'm always annoying.”

“At least you're self-aware.”

Beck rolled his eyes.

He checked his phone again.

Still no signal.

“Someone's going to notice we're missing.”

“Eventually.”

“Eventually?”

Aitor shrugged.

“The team probably thinks we left.”

Beck groaned.

“Great.”

He stood and tried the handle again.

Nothing.

He knocked.

“HELLO?”

His voice echoed through the empty locker room.

Nothing.

Beck turned around.

“I swear, if we miss practice because somebody forgot to check the locker room…”

“That would be your fault.”

“My fault?”

“You were the last person near the door.”

“You were literally standing beside me.”

Aitor opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

Beck smirked.

“Exactly.”

Aitor shook his head and walked toward the other side of the room.

“You never stop, do you?”

“Nope.”

Twenty minutes passed.

Then thirty.

The silence became uncomfortable.

Beck sat on the bench, tapping his fingers against his knee.

Aitor was scrolling through his phone even though there was no signal.

Finally, Beck spoke.

“So…”

Aitor looked up.

“So?”

“You really don't like me.”

Aitor stared at him.

“That came out of nowhere.”

“Answer the question.”

Aitor leaned back against the lockers.

“You don't exactly make it easy to like you.”

Beck laughed.

“Fair.”

“And you don't like me either.”

“Obviously.”

Aitor smiled faintly.

“Good.”

Beck frowned.

“Why did you say that like you're relieved?”

“Because I'd be concerned if suddenly you started liking me.”

“Don't worry. That's not happening.”

“Excellent.”

Another silence.

Beck looked at him.

“You know what your problem is?”

Aitor sighed.

“Here we go.”

“You think everything is a competition.”

Aitor raised an eyebrow.

“Coming from you?”

“Yes.”

“You've spent four years trying to beat me.”

“Because beating you is fun.”

Aitor actually laughed.

It was quick.

Almost accidental.

Beck noticed.

For a second, neither said anything.

Then Aitor's expression returned to normal.

“You're impossible.”

“So I've been told.”

Eventually, they heard footsteps outside.

Both immediately stood.

“Hello!” Beck shouted.

The footsteps stopped.

A voice came from the other side.

“Who's in there?”

Beck looked at Aitor.

“Finally!”

“Coach?” Aitor called.

“No, it's Javier.”

Beck groaned.

“Javier?”

The door rattled.

“How did you two manage to get locked in?”

Aitor answered immediately.

“Someone locked the door without checking.”

Javier laughed.

“Okay, that's my fault.”

Beck stared at the door.

“Your fault?”

“I thought everyone had left!”

“Clearly not!”

“Give me a second!”

They heard keys jingling.

Beck looked at Aitor.

Aitor looked back.

For the first time all morning, neither was arguing.

Then—

Click.

The door opened.

Light from the hallway flooded the room.

Javier stood there, looking between them.

“You two okay?”

Beck grabbed his bag.

“Never better.”

Aitor picked up his hockey equipment.

“Let's go.”

They walked out together.

Javier watched them suspiciously.

“You know…”

Beck turned.

“What?”

“You two have been enemies since high school, right?”

“Yes,” they said simultaneously.

Javier blinked.

“Right.”

Beck and Aitor looked at each other.

Then immediately looked away.

Javier smiled.

“This season is going to be interesting.”

Neither of them answered.

Because they were both thinking the same thing.

This is going to be a disaster.