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“Coach, its already third period. When are we going in?” Levi asks.
“Now, shit, now,” Coach says as Connecticut scores yet again. Manuel is practically a ball of fire and fury. I can almost see the steam rolling out of his ears from here.
Third line skates back in and I follow Braylon out to the rink, ready for faceoff after the defense’s penalty. I come face to face with Jeremey Chen again. My heart pounds beneath my gear. I refuse to let a freshman get in my way.
The puck hits the ice and I’m on top of it before him. He races after me as I skate to the line, waiting for Levi to take position. Jeremey manages to pass me, but I reach out my stick, tripping him and sending him flying face first into the ice. Just what he deserves. I can’t help but cackle watching the freshy sprawling on the ice. That’ll keep him in check.
The buzzer goes off and I’m escorted to the box for five minutes. Fuck. I can’t even look at Coach across the rink. I just know he’s going to tear me to shreds after the game. Five minutes pass before I’m back on the rink, helping Levi and Braylon get the puck back onto their defense zone. I surpass their left winger, skate towards the center, shooting the puck as hard as I can past the small space between their goaltender’s legs and get the second score of the evening. The buzzer sounds, and I’m gifted a sweet break between the score and lining back up to center.
I bite back my laugh as I face Jeremey again in the center and see that his nose is busted and bloody. He flips me off as the puck lands on the ice, and I take it from him again, confirming I’m still the best in the league. As I skate past him, he shoves me forward with a force I haven’t encountered in all my time playing hockey. With one push of his arm, I am sent flying forward, toward the unforgiving ice as if a train rammed me in the fucking back.
I can hear the reactions of the audience before my body meets the cold ground. To my surprise, nothing seems to snap in half as I land face-first just like Chen, turning my head to the side to avoid breaking my nose in two. My helmet screeches across the ice until I finally stop against the wall. Coach calls us out, and I’m almost too dizzy to get up and skate to the sidelines. Guess that’s it for me this game.
I yank my helmet off, running into the club house and lockers. The last thing I need is my head swelling into my helmet. Levi skates in after me and pulls me down onto the bench.
“Dude, you need to get checked out. You could have a concussion.”
“I don’t have a fucking concussion,” I spit. I hold my head in my hands. “Just busted and bruised. I’ll heal like I do any game. Get back out there.”
He shrugs, taking off his helmet. “We lost man. We lost.”
The rest of the team comes in, yelling and cussing. Coach comes up to me and kneels in front of me.
“Fucking Chen,” he says. “I warned you.”
“You warned me, Coach,” I say.
“I’m still pissed off at you. Get yourself better first, then we’ll talk about that particular trip.” He raises his eyebrows and I just nod, knowing I deserve much worse than he’s giving me.
Everyone goes to the showers as they talk about the party currently going down at my house. That’s the last thing I can think about right now. Taylor will be pissed if I don’t put on that damned costume, but she’s the least of my worries right now. I follow the team to the showers and change into my regular clothes before driving Braylon and Levi to the party.
Braylon is dressed in a fresh set of hockey clothes for his costume while Levi still has his in his bag.
“Don’t let anyone see me,” Levi says as I pull up to the house lined with cars around the block. Trick or treaters walk around in their little outfits and candy bags. I nearly ran one over parking in the driveway. I guess I should be thankful Taylor saved me my spot.
Levi and Braylon follow me into the house, and Levi runs to the bathroom to change.
I go to my room, find the fucking fireman costume and throw it on over a tight white shirt. My body aches and groans with every move. I manage to put some gel into my hair and swoop it out of my eyes. My feet hurt from my skates, so I rock white socks and hobble down the stairs to meet Levi in the kitchen. Music blares from various speakers Taylor must have set up. I haven’t even seen her yet in the crowd of people I wade through to get a beer in my own goddamn kitchen.
“Hi, Elijah. I’m such a fan,” a pretty blonde says, clearly drunk out of her mind. “She just wants to fuck a hockey player,” a brunette says behind her.
“Oh my god, shut up!” She turns around and I slip past her to the fridge to get a sports drink and beer. I don’t even care how gross it is to mix together; it’s exactly what I need.
“Oooh la, la, hello fireman,” Stephanie says, rubbing her hands against my abs. I roll my eyes as I take a drink of my beer.
“Hey, Stephanie,” I say, leaning against the counter.
Levi walks in. I can hear his old-lady black shoes clacking on the hardwood before I can even see him. He struts in looking like that old lady politician and it’s the ugliest, funniest costume I have seen yet. Stephanie squeals and kisses him. I just don’t get the appeal.
“You can disagree without being disagreeable,” Levi says in a lady voice as he fixes his glasses. Stephanie claps and he hands her his phone.
“Take some photos for my professor,” he says.
He strikes poses in front of a bunch of half-dressed girls. For a stocky guy, he somehow actually looks like a lady. The front door opens as more people walk in, probably hockey fans and players who stayed for the disastrous game.
“How you feeling, man?” Braylon says, coming up beside me with a solo cup in his hands.
“Fine. I’m fine,” I grumble. He pats my back hard, making me nearly double over in pain.
