The Hockey Girl

Chapter 12

I woke up with a terrible pain throughout my entire body. My head was throbbing and I could barley see. I carefully got out of bed and inched down the stairs. When I got into the kitchen, no one was in there. I saw the front door opened so I looked out. The sun hurt my eyes so I turned away. When I turned back, I wasn't at my house. I was standing in the middle of the ice with my helmet off. Everyone was laughing at me, even my parents. Both of them, not just my mom. The figure that was my father was dark. I couldn't see the face, but the presence was him, my father. The buzzer went off, but it wouldn't stop.

I woke up to the alarm clock blarring out that dreadful noise. I went to stand up, but my leg gave out and I fell to the ground with a thud. McKenna came jogging in with half her hair straight and the other half untamed.

"What happened? Are you okay?" McKenna asked me.

"Fine, fine. Return to your regularly scheduled program," I said with a huff. I stood up and sighed because I had school. I wish I only went to hockey, not the actual school part. I'm an okay student with a B+ average. School came naturally to me and before hockey, I was a pretty big nerd.

Being a student athlete is hard. You are at school until at least 5 pm, sometimes later. When you come home you do your homework, eat, and pack your gear for tomorrow. Sometimes I go to clinics or rec games. Then that takes even more time away from your day. It's the endless cycle that I've fallen in love with.

I continued to get ready. By get ready, I mean put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I was bumming it today. I was showing my lack of effort to look good so soon in the year. Oh well, not like I'm trying to impress anyone.

When we got to school, I took my t-shirt and shorts into my first block with me (they were in a drawstring bag). We were doing another day weight lifting. I couldn't go into the guys locker room. What was I supposed to do? I guess I'll carry it around all day. As I sat down, Saige walked in.

"Hey girl. Why do you have that bag? Can't you put it in your gym locker?" she asked.

"Well Kris and Jaden insist I change in the guys locker room and I'm not going in there alone," I explained.

"Have Jaden go with you in third block," she suggested. I nodded my head and the day was a breeze. Lunch was fun with Saige. 

By our third block, I was sick of carrying the drawstring bag. While everyone else was still doing the assigned work, Jaden and I were done. I asked if he would come with me and we made up some lie for the teacher. He told her that I forgot where the gym was. I wasn't happy with that, but I let it go.

"So why can't you come up here alone in homeroom?" he asked me.

"I can't just walk into the boys locker room with no guy to explain the situation! And you're one of the two guys on the team that doesn't make fun of me," I said in a frustrated tone.

"Whatever Michaelyn," he said frustrated as well. We go into the locker room and put my stuff in my locker. We turn around and go right back to the classroom without saying a word. The bell ring for fourth block and I get there quickly. By the time I know it, the bell rings to finish the school day. But that also means the hockey day starts.

I wrote a story for school that I put on Wattpad. It's called "That One Game". It's lacrosse related but it's a short story. If you would check it out, I'd appreciate it!