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“I don’t know man but show up for her. Support her. Show her that you’re not a dick.” Preston pulls out his phone and clicks some things on it then hands it to me. I look at it and it’s her hockey schedule. I smile and we start planning.
“Operation get Benny and Sloane together.” Preston rubs his hands together. “I should be weirded out about my best friend and sister but I think you’re good for her and vice versa. She’ll challenge you and you’ll support her dreams.” He shrugs. We spend the rest of the time eating and talking about football, hockey, and Sloane. I feel so much better now.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SLOANE
We are in the locker room singing “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. We dance and laugh. This is a tribute to our coach when she first came to introduce us as a team our freshman year. Her phone started to ring, and this was her ringtone. It’s a tribute to her sister, so we honor her sister who lost her life to cancer the year before. Even the coach is here. Once the song ends, we get ready to walk the tunnel.
The fans pick our entrance song every year which is so much fun having them get involved. This year it is “TNT” by AC/DC and gets us even more pumped when we see the fans stand at the beginning of the song. We come out and skate on our side of the rink while the visiting team is already there warming up. As I skate to the net, I scan the crowd and my mouth hangs open.
The entire football team is here wearing our hockey sweatshirts. Ben is sitting with my family. Did he do this? He winks at me, and I feel my cheeks heat up. If the team is here does that mean my dad is here too? I scan the crowd for him and my eyes land on Preston who shakes his head. He knows who I was looking for without even having to say anything. The smile never wavers from my face until the game starts.
I channel the hurt, disappointment, and anger toward my dad into being the best hockey player I can be. I know I’ll never go pro or be at an Olympic level and I’m okay with it because my passion is still to be involved with sports when I graduate and become sports agent. My mom used to tell me I could argue with the best of them. I was always making deals on the playgrounds as a kid and teenager. Preston told me he would be my first client, and I snarked back I don’t do football players which had him laughing.
The game begins, and I get lost in it doing my job blocking those pucks. This team is strong and a great competition for us. We rarely compete against them until we make it to the playoffs for the Frozen Four, which is like the Stanley Cup for college players.
The game ends with us barely wining. We snuck a goal in during the third period. I kept it a shutout on my end, but it was difficult. We walk back into the locker room and we’re a sweaty mess. I take the helmet off and everyone is talking about how we were sold out and how the football team was there.
“Sloane, did you know they’d be here?” someone asks. I couldn’t place the voice with all the chatter.
“Preston didn’t tell me. He wasn’t sure he’d make it, but I’m sure he was lying now.” I laugh, shaking my head. “We support them. It’s nice seeing them taking their heads out of their asses to give it back to us.” The room erupts in laughter. I’m removing my goalie gear when my phone buzzes in my locker. I stand to grab it before heading into a shower.
Little Spoon:
Don’t take long. We’re going to dinner.
Me:
Okay. Hopping in the shower now.
Leaving the locker room with my bag on my shoulder, I walk down the hallway where my family is usually waiting, and I stop when I see Ben with the family. Some of the football players are there too.
“There she is!” Preston yells. Everyone looks at me cheering me.
“Baby sister Powers is a beast on the ice!” Carter, the guy I train with during the summer, smiles at me.
“What are you all doing here? Football players never come to hockey games,” I remind them all. Caleb grabs my bag from me and William grabs my wrist, tugging me toward the crowd.
“We had some free time and wanted to see what the talk of the campus was all about,” Ben speaks up. “You were amazing tonight.” I blush at the compliment. What is going on? I’ve never been so affected by a guy like this before and it’s confusing me.
“Come on. I’m hungry. Mom only let me get a hot dog, fries, and nachos. I’m a growing boy and need to eat if I’m going to play hockey.” Laura laughs, shaking her head at William. We all walk off together. I banter with the football team like we’re the best of friends. Some of my teammates join us at the diner. Laura looks like a sports mom fussing over all of us. I’m sitting next to Ben with William on the other side. He’s always on my right side wherever we go. Ben’s leg is pressed up against me and I don’t hate it. I look forward to his good morning text messages and random facts about anything and everything. Our tutoring sessions don’t feel like an obligation anymore but two friends hanging out. But can I get past the football player thing?
“You, okay?” he asks as he catches me staring at him.
“I don’t know, to be honest. Can we talk later?” I scan the tables of football and hockey players eating, talking and laughing. He nods. He slides his hand under the table and interlocks our fingers, squeezing them. My heart races and I can’t help the smile. I notice Laura wink at me like she knows what's going on under the table. We hold hands for the rest of the time as we finish eating and talking. Laura goes over to pay for dinner as one by one or even two by two, leave. William and Caleb are yawning, and they have school tomorrow. I hug them goodnight and thank Laura for everything.
“I’m proud of you sweetheart, and if your father doesn’t see you as everything you are, then he’s the ass.” She sighs.
“Say it. Don’t hold back,” I reassure her.
“Not every football player is an ass like your dad. He has his issues with your mother, even with her dead, and I don’t blame him for most of them, but it does take two to make a baby. He needs to let go of the past or he’s going to lose out on you. Ben is a great guy. Preston adores him and I’m pretty sure William is shipping you two. It’s all he talked about on the way over here since you rode with Preston and Ben. The whole team coming was Ben’s idea. He wants to show you that you’re important to him.”
I wipe the tear from my cheeks.“I don’t know how to see any different. My mom made sure to let me know daily once I started to notice boys that football players only care about themselves and the game. Dad is doing the same thing. He made me tutor Ben to get a trip he already promised me. How do I know he isn’t the same?” Laura has me sit in a booth and grabs my hands.
“I don’t want to bash your mom but during the time where you were supposed to be having fun with boys and learning to love yourself, you were taking care of her and her drug habits.” I nod. As soon as I could work, I was working part time to help with bills. Mom’s habit was getting worse, and I didn’t know how we would survive. I never dated until I moved here, and Laura made me be a teenager. I was eighteen when I lost my virginity. I’m now twenty years old and my dating experience with guys is middle school age. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. “Honey, how you get to know someone isn’t like your dad is to get to know them. Date them, kiss them, and do some making out.” She winks at me. “But follow your heart. I know you like him, and he likes you. See where things go. I don’t believe he’s like your dad.”
“Why do you stay with him?” I blurt out and instantly cover my mouth with my hands. “Don’t answer that. It was rude and insensitive of me.”
