ALL YOUR LIES

✨ Lie nr. 16

The rink was - is, my home.

"Miller!" Coach Benson's voice echoes through the room and I lift my head up, Céline instantly taking a step back, and it pains me that her fingers are no longer tangled into my hair. The most comforting feeling in the world soundly gone. "Čermák called me." His eyes scan the room, and he quickly notices my stuff on the floor, the broken sticks, the jersey... "Fuck." He swears and it renders me silent as I desperately wipe away the tears from my face. "You're alright?"

"No. Do I look alright?" I mutter, looking at the floor and my top lip is trembling with anger. "All of my gear has been reduced to fucking trash." 

"Who would do this?" He runs a hand over his stubble, his other disappearing into the pocket of his dress pants, carefully accessing the situation.

I shrug. "Last year we got pranked by the football team," Still kind of mad at Brooks about it. "They cut all our laces and taped our sticks together, but this is different. This time they just touched my stuff. It was targeted. Whoever did it wanted to hurt me, and me only." My voice sounds calm, but on the inside, I'm conflicted with either sadness or utter anger.

"Rémy," He strides towards me, but not before picking my jersey of the floor in one smooth motion. "You need to think really hard who could have done this."

"Maybe that d-man from Michigan State? He got suspended for fifteen games for purposely hitting me in the face with his stick." I shrug and then I feel the tears well up again. "I don't know what to do, I can't replace any of this shit. The season is done for me." I say, sitting back, my gaze directed to the floor once more, like the answer is laying there right at my feet. I will not ask Ezra again; I don't want him to worry about me in the middle of his season, not when he has a legitimate shot at the Stanley cup this year. 

"I can pay?" Céline mutters and an instant frown wrinkles my face.

"Hell no." I shake at her and it almost comes out as a laugh. "You're not going to pay for my shit, definitely not with your parents' money." Fuck, that came out way too harsh. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

She interrupts me with an annoyed scoff. "With my money. I have been doing shifts at a bar all year and I haven't spend any of it yet. It should cover some of it."

"Still no. No." I shake.

"Rémy." Her pout is adorable but adorable isn't convincing enough. 

"No Céline. No, I won't accept it." I stare into the other side of the room, refusing to look at her.

She shouldn't spend a single a dime.

Not on me at least.

"I will." Coach interrupts our little argument and my gaze shoots towards him. "We'll get your stuff replaced next thing tomorrow and I'll pay for it. This team is nothing without its captain." He steps closer and pushes the jersey into my chest. "We'll get you a new jersey too. Can't have you playing in this one."

"No." I shake again.

"Of for god's sake Miller. I'll bench you if you don't let me. Besides, I will talk to the Dean, maybe we can arrange something off our budget to sort you out. This wasn't your fault; you shouldn't be punished. You're not sitting out a single game because of this. Not when I'm your coach." He stares at me and it's convincing, his ocean blue eyes beaming confidence yet a sense of comfort.

I frown at him. "I'll pay you back."

"Pay me back in points. If we win the title we're even."

"But-"

"But nothing." His voice sounds ten times more serious now, he's definitely not taking another but for an answer. "We're going to look at whoever did this on the camera images. They'll have to pay for the damages eventually." He then looks over at Céline who's staring at him like he's some sparkly ghost. "Something wrong?"