Endgame: Nora & Parker (Midwest University Series Book 1), page 1
LO Dressing
Endgame
Midwest University Series Book 1
Copyright © 2023 by LO Dressing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
LO Dressing asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
First edition
ISBN: 979-8-9892741-1-6
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy
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To the dreamers who become doers and to the motivated who take brave strides to get shit done, this one is for you.
& to those wondering if you can do something, this is your sign that YES you can!
Go do the damn thing. In fact… Do all the damn things.
Recommended Book Playlist
No Scrub - TLC
Queens Don’t - RaeLynn
King & Queens - Ava Max
Half of my hometown - Kelsea Ballerini Feat. Kenny Chesney
Paper Rings - Taylor Swift
Basket Case - Green Day
Thunderstruck -AC/DC
Air Force Ones- Nelly Feat. Murphy Lee, Ali, Kyjuan
All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled Feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, & Rick Ross
The Champion - Carrie Underwood Feat. Ludacris
Paradise City - Guns N’ Roses
More than my hometown - Morgan Wallen
Next Thing You Know - Jordan Davis
Clarity - Zedd, Foxes
Extended list can be found on Nora & Parker’s playlist on Spotify
Need to Know Hockey Terms
Apple- an assist
Bender- a player whose ankles bend while they’re skating, bad skater
Celly- celebration following a goal
Dub- W, short for Win
Duster- someone who doesn’t get much playing time and collects dust on the bench
Ferda- “For the boys”
FOMO- Fear Of Missing Out
Lettuce- Hockey hair
Muffin- a shot that should have been stopped after wavering back and forth in the air all the way to the net
Natty- National Championship
Upper decky- upper part of the net, or upper lip
Chapter 1
“If we see anyone, we know we are out of here, you feel me?” I cannot believe Carly convinced me to go here, HERE of all places. For people who want to avoid the majority of our former high school classmates, it seems a bit ludicrous to be showing up at the one bar where we damn well know people will be here, we might as well go shopping at the local Target.
To clarify it’s not like we don’t like who we graduated with, it’s just we are tired of seeing the same people over and over, and rehashing high school memories, memories I do not care to relive. Yeah, we had fun back then, but we’ve moved on. Talking about Mr. Swenson’s power volleyball gym class, and the twos tournament winners, gets old, even for yours truly who is one of the champions. Carly and I have been a dynamic duo since kindergarten when we arrived at the same school bus stop with the same Jansport backpack. She has been my ride or die, my sidekick, and of course my twos partner, AKA reigning twos tournament champions ever since. Nothing like a good fashion choice in backpacks to create a solid foundation for a friendship.
“I think the coast is clear Becks!” Carly declares, almost too excited. Nora Becksley, or what most people call me Becks. Growing up the only people to call me Nora was my mom, Dad, and grandparents, to everyone else I am just Becks. My mom will call me Becks though in front of my friends, it’s the trying to be a cool mom front she has always had going. You know the cool mom persona where she cares more about what people think, versus caring what her children think, or I don’t know even just plain old caring for her children. Step away from the mama drama saga Becks. Anyways, I suppose the nickname Becks was solidified throughout my years of participating in sports. The typical t ball years, the one season of soccer everyone had to try at least once, if you were in it for the snacks, you may have played a couple more years though, and of course all the years of volleyball. Coaches, friends, and even teachers called me Becks. I had some teachers forget my first name was Nora. If a pass was sent to me and the office wrote Nora B., teachers needed to see Nora paired with Becksley to know it was for me, otherwise most of the time they would send it back saying they had the wrong classroom. So basically, Nora just doesn’t exist in the small town of Meadowville, Minnesota.
“Why did you have to go and jinx it?” I elbow her in her side, signaling to her that she just put the biggest jinx on the night, and now we will for sure be running into former classmates.
“You’re paranoid.” She tells me point blank, while blinking her Bambi eyes at me.
“You know damn well saying that is like saying it’s slow in a hospital emergency room, or declaring that it’s quiet in a classroom,” I explain to her by throwing my arms up in the air in defeat. Then I slowly scan the room and in fact see no one we recognize, but I thought I don’t dare agree with her because I do not want to risk solidifying her jinx. Instead, I will just think that she was right and we in fact did luck out, because no one we graduated with is here. Not me trying to sound confident, but ultimately knowing that there was a hint of wishful thinking attached to it.
It is no use though, because I don’t even think I got the full sentence, or thought for that matter, out when I saw him…. HIM. Parker Knightly. Parker frickin Knightly. Talk about the captain of the douche kabob team. Of course, he just walked in the door, with no doubt his band of minions following him. Buckle up Becks, tonight is going to be a bumpy ride. Urgh. Amy better have enough tequila behind the bar to get me through this one.
Chapter 2
“Why do you want to go to the one bar that guarantees we see people from high school?” I ask Jenks begrudgingly. Jenks, short for Jenkins which is even shorter for Charlie Jenkins. Charlie has been like a brother to me since we were five and met at the kindergarten bus stop. I liked his teenage mutant ninja turtle backpack, and he liked my Minnesota Twins baseball cap. What else do you need to solidify a friendship at that age, all you need are cartoons and sports.
“Why don’t you?” Jenks asks dumbfounded. “We love going to Clark’s Bar and you’ve never questioned it before.”
It’s not a weird question and honestly, I wouldn’t believe him if he said I was trying to avoid it, and up until a week ago I was always down to go there. What is not to like? Two for one drinks, sports on every TV, and a guaranteed group of friends always being there. Recently though, it is hard to figure out who is there to chill, who is there to be spotted, or worse, who is there to start some drama and be noticed in the worst way by the worst people, puck bunnies. With summer coming to an end, the puck bunnies have been coming out of the woodwork. It is like they can smell the sweat of the hockey season getting closer. I mean to be fair, who can’t smell the sweat of hockey gear? Even though Minnesota summers keep some of the bunnies busier, seeing just one is enough for me to want to make a mad dash for the exit. I have been trying to shed my playboy image and be taken more seriously, but man the puck bunnies are relentless. Asking for pictures and then posting them on social media like we’ve been friends, or even worse, lovers… For years now. I just do not want to deal with the drama of it all. School. Hockey. Sleep. Repeat.
Even though I love Minnesota summers, and the ending of the season also pairs with the annoyance of school starting, I have to admit I am always excited for winter. Minnesota winters are simply the best, especially because it means hockey season is underway. To live in Minnesota, you must have thick skin, no literally it is frickin freezing. If you can tolerate the cold, you are rewarded tenfold. There are so many winter activities, like skating, sledding, snow forts, snowball fights, and even winter carnivals. The sights are also something to be seen. There is something to be said about Minnesota after a fresh snowfall. It is as if our world goes silent and still, there are no footprints in the snow, and the trees are covered in ice and snow. The image is priceless, and the feeling you get being immersed in it cannot be put into words. There is a peace to it, the same peace I feel when I am in game mode on the ice.
Leaving Jenks outside with the task of moving boxes, I step inside quickly to grab some tape for some of the boxes that opened. Walking into my parents’ home I can hear my little sister, Rachel, on the phone saying Natalie is coming over. I wonder if her sister Nora is in town for winter break too. Rachel interrupts my thoughts with, “Yeah as soon as Becks leaves, just come on over and we can make our TikTok.”
“You and Nat making another TikTok?” I ask Rach.
“Yep! Once she says bye to Becks,” Rachel answers me, without looking up from her iPhone.
Nora Becksley. AKA Becks, AKA the one I never gave a chance to, because I was an immature moron who listened to his friends about social hierarchy. I wonder what she’s been up to, last I heard she was attending Sai
“Is Becks going back to USF?” I ask, pushing down my thoughts as far as possible, and ignoring the insecurities of the chances that I may never be pulled up to the professional level.
“No, she’s going out with Carly, I think, then headed back to school so Nat wanted to spend some time with her before they left,” Ohhhh maybe she will be at Clark’s tonight. Rach still hasn’t looked up at me from that frickin phone.
“RACH!” I practically yell, she jumps - I feel bad…. sorta.
“Jeeezus Parker, what was that!?” She practically screeches at me.
“Can you look at me while I talk to you? Please be-”
“Be careful on TikTok, keep my name anonymous, and don’t let creepy creeperson’s follow me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know Big Brother.” She is mocking my big brother, be safe speech, but she is smiling so I know she understands and will in fact be safe.
“Thank you, you know I cannot always be here… I just need you to be safe.” I tell her, wholeheartedly knowing I am gone most days of the year, because my life is consumed by hockey.
“Yep, I know - Nat just texted me, I gotta go get our fits ready!” She starts to leave.
“Fits?” I ask as she is walking towards the stairs to go up to her room.
“Outfits, come on Parker you are too young to sound this old.” She pats me on the chest, in a sympathetic yet condescending, she’s too cool for me kind of way, making me feel as ancient as a dinosaur.
Rachel is only four years younger than me, but sometimes it feels like a decade separates us. She is a senior in high school, while I am a junior in college, but I will always look at her as the baby I met when I was four. “Got it, go have fun!” I tell her as she steps towards the stairs to go to her room…
“Bye bro, see-ya Jenks.” She says, as Jenks walks in the door.
“Hey! That’s favorite bro to you,” Jenks walks in and right up to Rach before she has time to make it all the way up the stairs unscathed. He messes up Rach’s hair when she walks by. Jenks and I have been friends since before Rach was born, we’ve not only been friends, but he practically lives here- especially after his dad left. So, they have a brother-sister rapport, and of course with us everything is a competition.
“Yeah, yeah whatever you say favorite bro,” she walks backwards looking at him saying favorite bro in air quotes. Gosh I love her. Causing both Jenks and I to just laugh.
Jenks and I make our way to the garage and start moving some boxes that my dad needs out of the way, so he can fit his summer car back into the garage. I bet Becks will be at the bar tonight. I can’t help but get excited from the anticipation of seeing her. It has been too long… I wonder how she has been.
“Earth to Knightly,” Jenks is waving his hand in my face as I move the last box. “Are you ready to go or what? I’m either grabbing one of your old man’s beers or we are leaving now.”
“Chill bro I’m coming, and you know you’ll wait, because grabbing one of my dad’s beers means an hour-long convo with him retelling his glory days, or worse giving you one of his infamous motivational speeches on how we are going to win a natty.” Jenks physically shivers and shakes.
“Oh, we are going to win that national championship, but the speech….” he rubs his neck as he ponders the idea, “yep not worth it - but seriously let’s go.”
* * *
As expected, Clark’s Bar is packed. As I scan the bar to see who’s here, I see her. Yeah, sure the bar is getting packed, and there are a lot of bunnies already out for lettuce, pun intended they sure do love hockey hair. That’s not who I’ve spotted though. Curled ponytail, simple cutoff jean shorts, and a white t-shirt, to match her white tennis shoes. Simple and classic. Without seeing her face, I not only know she’s going to be good looking, but she’s the one I want to pursue.
She turns around. Oh shit. She has blonde highlights and leaner legs, but I’d recognize that face from anywhere. Nora Becksley. I want to sprint to her yelling her name, keep your cool man. “Hey Becks! How have you been?” I ask, sounding almost too excited. Smooth.
“Umm hey Knightly, I’m fine I’m just catching up with Kevin.” She gestures toward the guy who must be Kevin, and he gives me a what’s up nod.
“Hey Kevin, it’s nice to meet y…” I can’t even get the word you out when he rolls his eyes and leans in to hug Nora. Jackass.
“Seriously Knight!?” Becks throws her arms up in exasperation, which I’m sure was her signaling she was annoyed, but I just thought it was cute as hell, and it didn’t deter me from noticing those perfectly pouty lips she has either.
“Seriously what? I was trying to say nice to meet you, last I checked that is something nice to say,” I explain to her as I step closer trying to close the space between us.
“Kevin went to high school with us.” She said, rolling her eyes again at my blatant memory loss, resulting in her taking a sip of her drink.
A yellowish concoction. I bet you want her to want your cock son. My brain isn’t doing me any favors, because I nearly laughed out loud. Turns out I’m the asshole. “Oh, my bad. Sorry man.” Kevin just nods at me.
“Mhmmm, I bet you are,” she said, and I swear I felt the vibrations of those sounds go straight to my dick.
“It’s all good, I’ll catch up with you a little later Becks,” Kevin takes his exit and moves towards the hostess stand. Nora is just staring at me and blinking.
“What? We graduated with like a million people, I’m just supposed to remember everyone?” I ask her innocently while batting my eyelashes at her, trying to get her to crack a smile.
“Knightly you practically had every class with Kevin. You even had him write some of your papers.” She pointedly explains to me, annoyed but not mad. Noted.
“Oh shit… my bad.” It really is my bad, but enough about Kevin. “Anyways,” changing the subject quickly to get some of this heat off of me, “back to my question, how have YOU been?” I ask, as I once again attempt to close the space between us.
“I am fine, it seems your days at Midwest University are winding down. You had great freshman and sophomore seasons. I am sure your team is preparing for another Nationals tournament appearance this year?” She asked arching an eyebrow while simultaneously sipping out of a tiny bar straw from her drink.
Before answering her question, I lean in close, too close probably, but I don’t care I have to know. I get about an inch from her face, and even closer to her glass that she had already started moving that pretty little mouth of hers towards. I take in the smell of her drink, and her in general. “Hmmm tequila, huh?” I rhetorically ask, because I know I am right.
She parted her lips and took in a deep breath before answering, “Are there really any other real options?” She questions as her eyes linger on mine in a questioning, yet clearly intrigued way.
“Nope. I was just curious…” Before I can say anything else, boom interruption. That is a delay of game ma’am.
“Becks, our table is ready, Kevin and Jason are joining us too. I figured it was a good idea since it got us a table faster and that ultimately means we get fed faster. Besides, it will be nice to catch up with Jason, since he is in town only this weekend, and Kevin can get his time in with us, since he won’t see you as much this year.” Then at that moment Carly notices me. “Knightly? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off playing with your stick, or do your teammates handle your stick for you, I forget.” Carly’s aggressive, yet comical greeting was nothing new. We’ve had this banter going since high school. In fact, this banter is really just how she socializes with everyone.
