Breaking the Ice | ✍🏼

14. Taking Punches

"What did you say to me, little fucker?" he questioned, as he grabbed my jersey, before slamming me against the glass. "I called you a motherfucker" my words slurred together, and I watched the color drain from his face. Dropping my jersey, I thought he was going to hit me in the face, but my eyes had started to close, as I felt something cold dripping down the back of my jersey. 

"That's right. I got you. You hurt Angus, so know you have to get what I give you" I had no idea what I was saying, and it sounded jumbled, but everyone that had once been cheering for our team, had gone silent, as I felt my body collapse, relying on the hold of the boy that I had tried to take down. I tried to reach my arm around to get a good swing at him, but I felt my arm dropping, not making any contact with the older, larger boy.

Trying to stand up, my skates slid out from beneath me, before my knee was hitting the ice, causing a scream to erupt from my lungs, as I hadn't realized that the boy had slowly lowered me, but my body had fallen faster than he had expected, as I felt him land on top of me, causing another scream. 

Someone came rushing towards me, but I had no idea, as my eyes started to close, my body filling with pain, as I tried to grab my head or my knee, but I had no sense of orientation. The last thing I saw was the blood pooling around my head, and I felt immediate regret for what I had done. I wouldn't have ended up like Angus. 

If I hadn't of done what I had done, then I wouldn't be where I was right now...

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| Annalise Lauren |

As the game had progressed, I had slowly inched closer to Archer and Alistair, finding great comfort in the two of them. They were talking to me, trying to teach me the game, but I just wasn't really getting some parts, which made me feel bad. They were trying really hard, but I just wasn't giving it the same amount of passion back. 

This wasn't my forte. I was a dancer on the ice, not a player. I couldn't be, as that was Aiden's role. Watching how my brother so effortlessly slid around players and pushed the small puck with so much strength, amazed me. He was truly better than he ever gave himself credit for. 

But on the other hand, Angus succeed above everyone. He was a step in front. I watched on, as he pushed the puck, giving himself a second to calm down and look at the timer, before he was hitting the back of the net. I watched the puck, jumping up with Archer at the amazing goal that clinched the game winning score of 8-0. 

When no one else started cheering, I stopped. Looking down at the ice, Angus was face down, blood pooling out of his face, that was on the ground. People were rushing to him, as he laid stoically on the ground. I felt my heart stopped, as I looked at the boy that had been nothing but nice to me the past couple of days, laying on the ice, as blood was surrounding him. 

Hearing more shouting, my eyes followed yet another commotion. Seeing the name on the back of the jersey, I so badly wanted to run down and stop him. My legs wouldn't move, only my hands making it to my mouth as I covered it, while tears gathered in my eyes. My brother was fighting with the same opponent that must have hit Angus down to the ground. 

Not only was Angus in a bad way, I had to watch my own brother collapse down on his knee, before he too, collapsed with blood on the ice. This wasn't right. Rushing to the door, I finally got my feet working, as Archer ushered me out of the room, while Alistair was way ahead of the two of us. I didn't like how quiet he was, always having his eyes trained on the room. 

Running behind him, I overtook him, as I ran down the stairs that I knew we had come up, taking every turn like I knew it with the back of my hand, as I pushed through people. For once, I didn't care what they thought of me. Pushing my way to the bench, I swung myself over, before I was where the rest of the players were filing out and back into the changing rooms, leaving my brother and Angus out on the ice for the medics to look out for. 

"Stop" a hand grasped the back of the jersey that I was wearing. I tried to push his hand away from me, knowing that he was going to have stopped me. I knew he would. "You can't go out there" I pushed his hand, grunting in annoyance, as I felt the tears start to flow down my cheeks as I laid at the two bodies on the ice, really hoping and praying that they weren't dead. 

This is why I never should have come. "I have to" I muttered, feeling a hot flush of anger run through me at the feeling of not being able to get out there and do something. Just anything to make this whole situation go away. I had caused this situation, as for once, I had come to a hockey game, and now I had to just stand here, and watch the two people that were close to me, have nothing that could help them. 

"You can't do anything. It's up to the medics" I pushed him away, seeing Alistair storm past me, Archer close behind him. "She's with us" and with that, Archer had his hand in mine, as he pulled me out to the ice. It wasn't the same feeling of Ethan's hand holding me back on when Angus held my hand through the shops. It wasn't as warm and inviting as it used to be, when he would always make sure that I was okay, as he knew I was quieter than the rest.

He had changed, and so had I, but his hand was all that was keeping me grounding as my thoughts ran wildly through my head. He held me up, as I nearly slipped on the ice, before I gave up and practically ran to Angus's figure, still on the ice. Pushing through the medics, I grabbed his hand, as the tears fell down my face, noticing that he had passed out. 

Laying my head on his chest, I didn't care about all the people shouting and telling me to let go of him, as I watched his pale face, knowing my brother would be looking the same. I felt awful. 

I felt at fault. 

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thoughts? xx