Page 23 of Trick Play

I turned what I was taking in through my senses and flipped it around, using the lights, music, and familiar scents to pump me up.

I was exactly where I was meant to be, and tonight, there was more on the line than a win. Tyler Rodriguez was here to see me play. Me! I wasn’t going to let anything interfere with playing at my best.

Benjamin, Reid, and Hunter were the only ones who knew about the scout. I couldn’t keep it from them. After all, he might be here to watch me, but that didn’t mean the others couldn’t draw his attention.

If we impressed him, word could spread, and more scouts would show up to see us play. That was good news for all of us. Plus, as much as I wanted to make it to the NHL, I wanted my brothers to get there too.

“Ready?” Reid called to me as we joined the end of the line to skate to hype up the crowd.

“Of course.” I shot him a cocky grin, and he laughed.

“Do you know where he’s sitting?”

I glanced around as casually as possible. “No, I assumed up in the boxes, but you never know.”

Some of the scouts preferred to be closer while others liked the higher view. I hoped he was in the first group. Those were the guys that paid close attention and took note of more than our scoring or penalty counts. The ones that hung out in the boxes were there to be schmoozed by the athletic director and university president. They spent more time talking, drinking, and eating than watching the game.

I wanted to join a team that truly cared. Getting to the professional level wasn’t about fame or money, especially since hockey players made much less than football or basketball players and were almost never included in gossip magazines. I didn’t care about that. I wanted to play at the top level because it was the only way for me to become my best.

A whistle blew, and we headed back to the bench.

Coach Weston barked out orders while Coach Hiller repeated them down the line.

A heavy smack on my back had me turning. “You got this,” Weston said before giving me a single nod and taking a step back.

Reid and I stood together, joining Benjamin at center ice. We all shared a look. They had my back. They’d make sure I looked good. It wasn’t something I even needed to ask for. It was who they were.

The first period was a blur. If anyone asked me to give one detail of what had happened, I couldn’t. All that mattered was that I scored once and had another assist. We were all in sync with one another and Virginia U would need to make some serious changes to get back from a two-point deficit when we were on fire and hungry for more.

The coaches and Benjamin hyped us up for the second period, giving tips on what they saw that we could improve on and weaknesses from the other team we could exploit.

“Don’t get comfortable just because we have the lead.” Benjamin stared us down. “They can still come back and turn this game around. It’s our job to not give them that chance. Their goalie is frustrated with his defensive line, so play on that. Push them, distract them, get rough if you have to. Get in his head.”

I smirked at my friend. There was nothing in the world that mattered to him more than this sport. He was cunning and cutthroat when he needed to be. Seeing this side of him always made me want to laugh since I knew him so well outside of the arena, but the other guys respected him because of his authority and experience, and I’d never disrespect him by laughing.

If only they could see how worked up he got while playing video games and how he screamed during horror movies. They might’ve had a harder time taking him seriously.

I caught Reid’s eye and knew he was thinking along the same line. We’d be heckling Benjamin later.

“Get out there and show them they have no right to be in our house!” he yelled, and the guys all jumped, cheering and slapping each other on their way out.

Benjamin waited for the room to empty out before turning to us. “Too much?”

Hunter shook his head. “No, very scary.”

“Yeah, super intimidating,” I agreed.

“Shut up.” Benjamin shoved both of us out of his way.

“Yes, sir!” Reid called behind him.

The three of us smiled as we headed out to the tunnel, not daring to say anything in case he overheard.

Once again, I was able to push away all distractions and completely focus on what mattered most in the moment. I could see each play before we started, knowing exactly what I needed to do and where I had to be.

Numbing myself to everything else in my life was one of my favorite things about playing. I wasn’t sure if it was just me and how my brain worked, but I could block everything else out while I played.

It wasn’t until we were in the locker room between the second and third period that a stray thought snuck in.