"I didn't even know that I was slowing down."
To echo Coach, what the hell is going on?
"The Raptors are in a rebuilding year. They're looking for new talent."
Coach looks me straight in the eye and I want to piss my pants. Is he about to say what I think he's about to say?
"I've had several calls from their head coach about you and two other members of the team. I told him you wanted to graduate, but you're willing to talk. He'll be at the game on Saturday. If you're still skating like this, do you think he'll stay to talk?"
Fuck no he won't.
"Shit."
"Exactly, so we need to understand what's slowing you down before then. Go home and think about it, then I want you here at 5 am to run speed drills."
An hour before practice.
If it means getting a spot on the home team here in Minnesota, then I'll run speed drills until I can't walk.
"I'll fix this."
"You better fucking hope so. Now get out and send Mendoza in."
"They want to talk to him too?"
Coach frowns. "They like the dynamic you and he have. If you can get your speed up, they might pick you both up."
"They know he wants to graduate too?"
Coach snarls. "Out boy and go unfuck your head!"
"Yes, sir."
I step out of the office, my head spinning in a million different directions. The Raptors might want to recruit me? I might be able to stay here, close to my mom? That's the dream, but one I didn't think I'd get to realize for years. I don't know what to think.
"Hey, Collin, Coach wants you in his office."
The color drains from his face. "What did we do?"
I shake my head and go to my own locker, grabbing my things and leaving the locker room without a word to anyone. I'd wait on Collin in my truck. I sent him a text to let him know. We'd ridden to practice together and I wasn't about to abandon him here without a ride.
How the fuck did I fall behind in speed? I thought I was skating just fine. It took twenty minutes for Collin to come find him, looking as dazed as he felt.
"What the fuck man?" he whispered when he got in and shut the door. "The fucking Raptors."
"Coach said I'm behind by three seconds in speed on the second and third lines. I don't know how."
"He said I keep letting the wingers on the opposing side sweep past my right. I don't catch it. He's told me this before, but if I want the Raptors to pick me up, I need to fix it."
"I need to get faster and you need to open your eyes. We need to do extra practices. For the next week, we live on the ice."
Collin nodded. "We can stay close to Mama Wanda if they pick us up and I might have the money to bring my mom back legally."
Mama Wanda is what he calls my mother. She smiles every time she hears it. She loves the bloke as much as she does me.
"We gotta fix this."
Collin nods. "We will."
"You hungry?"
"Yeah, I can eat."
When can't he eat?
I start the truck and drive into town, careful to keep my eyes on the road even though I'm distracted. It only takes me a few minutes to find our favorite burger place.
BINABASA MO ANG
Hutch
Romance(Minnesota Raptors #2) Liam Hutchinson or Hutch as everyone calls him only has one thing on his mind--getting on a pro NHL team. It's his last year of college and this is his year to score. He's kept his eye on the prize despite the parties, the wom...
