On and Off the Rink

Chapter Fifteen: Cheerleaders Watch Hockey?

"Dressing up has never been the important part, only the game." Lucas looked almost offended by my accusation, obviously believing he had tied his correctly, but Parker was the one to speak up and disagree with me, just like always.

I gave Parker a small smile then headed inside our homeroom, so I wouldn't be counted late again. When Cam and I walked it, almost every single guy looked our way. Then when the guys walked in all the girls head turned in our direction. So in less than a second everyone's attention was directed right at us. The guys sat down in their normal seat, like they were used to this treatment, but I wasn't. Usually when people noticed me it was out on the ice, but I could always hide behind all my gear so the attention never bugged me. This proved to be extremely different though.

I was frozen in the door way, unable to move forward. Cam finally pushed me into the seat in front of Parker, and she followed suit by failing into the desk beside me and in front of Lucas. I was pulled out of my trance when I heard the guys start to snicker from behind me.

"What are you two laughing at?"

"What do you think? You looked like you were frozen solid just cause a couple people looked your way." Lucas continued to laugh after saying this.

"Lucas is right. This is why I had no idea who you were before ice hockey! Your were basically a nobody who hides in the back of the class, just hiding from confrontation." At that moment the bell rang signaling home room was over, and I stormed out of the class, Parkers words still ringing in my ears.

I ran straight for the room and down the hall and into the locker room all before people started to flood in the hall. I collapsed onto the bench, tears pricking at my eyes. I don't know why I was letting that small innocent comment get to me. He was just joking around, but when Parker made that comment I really realized how much of a loser I really was.

The girls hockey team had never been popular or well know. We always lived in the shadow of the guys team, and now that we were one team, we were starting to gain attention. I always think I knew the kind of social outcast I was, but it never really affected me like this. What was really painful was that Parker thought this. I shook my head and started to wipe my eyes, surprised that Parker could bring this many emotions out of me.

I was about to stand up when the door to the locker room opened and someone walked in. I thought it was going to be Cam to make me smile again and bring me back to class, but I was wrong.

The person that turned the corner around the last row of lockers wasn't Cam, but Parker. "Hey, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, you were only speaking the truth. I am a social outcast." I stood up and wiped the tears away, trying to look strong.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Whether you meant it or not, it's true. I can't even walk into a classroom and have all the eyes on me without getting flustered."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"What do you mean, it proves everything."

"No. What matters is how you feel on the ice. The people in that class are just like the people in the stands. They are just background noise, they don't matter. If you act in public like you do while you skate you'll be unstoppable. Now one will be able to cross your path because of how truly amazing you are. Just believe in yourself like you believe in your edges and nothing can ever stop you." A silence fell between the two of us, but it wasn't awkward. We both let those words sink in for another moment before he turned and started to make his way out of the locker room.

Before he could get to far through the halls I ran after him and grabbed his arm. I whispered a small thank you in his ear then ran the other way to my next class, hoping I wouldn't get in to much trouble for being late. Before I turned the corner though I looked behind me to see if Parker was still there. When I turned around I saw him looking at me with a small smile on his face. It wasn't his usual smirk, but instead a genuine smile. He gave me a small wink then headed down the hall to his next class.