Exchanging surprised looks with my fellow teammates, I follow him down the hall. He stops in front of a door and says: "Here's your locker room. Put down your bag and your stick now, please. Before we begin, coach Brooks wanted to speak to you."
I put down my bag and my stick, and then I hurry after him.
"Do you know Brooks from before?"
"Yeah, I study at the U and I used to play one year with guys so...I know him. And you are coach Patrick, right?"
He smiles kindly before he knocks on the door of Herb's office: "Yes. Good luck."
"Thanks, coach," I return him a small smile before I enter Herb's office. He is sitting behind the desk, looking at players' profiles. I cough, trying to get his attention. He looks up: "Ah, Y/N. Sit, please. How are you?"
"I am great, coach. But I am sure you didn't call for me to have a nice chat?"
"Still a smart girl. Listen, I called you in because I can't guarantee you'd make the final roster no matter how good you'll be. I am still waiting for Olympic Games Committee to allow you. It will probably take a bit more convincing to finally let them play with men's team. But what I really want to know is...are you really willing to play with guys?"
"Yes, yes I am. I've played with them for a year, I think I can handle few more months," I chuckle.
"We are talking about more experienced players, who are physically dominant. We are talking about teams like the Soviet Union..."
"I am willing to take all the risks and responsibilities."
He looks at me for a while and I am holding his gaze in complete silence: "Fine. That's all. And good luck."
As expected, I got my spot in a team. I was sitting with my former teammates and other guys from the U and they all shook my hand, wishing me and the others who got in a team good luck. When coach Patrick called my name, Jack O'Callahan turned to me with squinted eyes, apparently promising me hell.
And today, I believe, he is going to give me hell. Before heading on the ice, I feel someone hook my skate, trying to trip me. Just a glimpse over my shoulder reveals his grinning face behind me. And while I am chatting with Baker, someone shoves me forward from behind and I barely catch myself on the boards.
"Are you okay?" Baker asks and helps me get back on my feet, grinning.
"Yeah, just...nevermind."
"O-kay. Y/N/N, I think we should join the others."
We skate to the center ice when I hear someone say: "Looks like little babies can't go anywhere without their daddies."
I look around and see Jack grinning widely. Baker apparently didn't hear him or decided to ignore him, but my short temper isn't letting me do so. I drop my stick and skate to him: "What is your problem?"
"What is yours? I guess you don't realize a girl has nothing to do on the men's team."
"Thanks for pointing that one out. Beside, if it's men team... what are you doing here?" I push him away, sending him onto the ice. His eyes darken as he drops his gloves: "A girl wants to fight? That's fine with me!"
he swings his fist and it connects with my helmet, close to my jaw. Without a doubt, that would hurt if I didn't wear helmet. Force of his punch makes my head hurt, but I am too pissed off to notice that. Now I drop my gloves as well and answer: "Bring it on, asshole!"
Since I am much smaller than him, I aim for his sides. But before I can do anything, he grabs me by my hips and tackles me down on the ice. After that, the rest of the guys separate us.
"You'll have to grow up a bit more," Jack spits while Silk and Eruzione are holding him back.
"I will, but you will still be an asshole!" I yell at him, trying to wiggle out of Pavelich's grip. Mac picks up my gloves and my stick: "Drop it, Y/N. It's not worth it."
That was not our only fight. Oh no, we started throwing punches and cheap shots whenever we had chance. During the warm-ups against Norway, I was smacked against the boards more than any other player and Jack had to avoid pucks to his face all the time. Let's just say Herb was yelling at us more than at any one else. And playing a tie with hosts didn't help either...
"Goal line! That one!"
"What for?" Mac next to me asks and slams his stick against the ice when he doesn't get the answer. As soon as we line up, Brooks turns to us, looking at every single one of us. When he looks at me, anger fills his eyes and the same thing happens when he turns to Jack. He looks at coach Patrick, who blows the whistle, sending us. Blades hit the ice as we speed up and the sound of stopping fills the arena when we reach blue line. And then the red line. And another blue line.
The light have been turned off for a while before Mike saves us: "Mike Eruzione! Winthrop, Massachusetts."
He leans his palms on his knees, panting hard. Silk, who is helplessly leaning on a goal post, looks at him, few guys who are laying on the ice lift their heads and even coaches stop doing everything to look at him.
"Who do you play for?" Herb's voice cuts the air and our heavy breathing.
"I play for...United States of America!" Our gazes jump from Rizzo to Herb, who nearly smiles.
"That's all, gentlemen," he finally lets us go. I barely skate to the boards when someone bumps into me. I turn around and see Jack, who is also barely standing on his feet.
"What?"
"I-I..." he pants, holding on the boards. He takes a deep breath: "I wanted to apologize. For being such an asshole."
"You...are apologizing...to me?"
"I guess I am. We didn't start well so... I am Jack O'Callahan from Charlestown, Mass. I studied at the Boston U. and I can be an asshole. What about you?"
I smile lightly: "Y/N Y/L/N from Duluth, Minnesota. Still a student of the University of Minnesota and I can be pretty annoying."
"Nice to meet you, Y/N," he flashes me a big grin, revealing his white teeth. I return him a smile: "Nice to meet you too, Jack O'Callahan."
"OC," he winks playfully, making me let out a small giggle before asking him: "Why did you pick on me?"
"Hasn't your mother told you guys pick on girls they like?" his smile dies a bit. I stare at him for few seconds before answering: "What?"
"You've heard me. Listen, I know I can be a d**k, but...would you like to go out with me? I would like to get to know you better."
"I would love to, OC," I answer and realize we've had audience all along.
"Took you two long enough!" Pav claps his hands and the others follow him.
"But I never expected Y/N to say yes," Bah continues surprised. In fact, all of them look pretty surprised.
"Neither did I," Jack admits, chuckling.
53. #17 Jack O'Callahan (US Olympic Team 1980)
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