Slapshot

Chapter 16: Hurt Too

We finish off and head out onto the ice. It feels great to be back, it truly does. We warmup for about 10 minutes to get ourselves ready and to tighten up any loose ends. The 10 minutes pass by quickly, and before I know it the game's about to start.

Our line is up to do the starting face-off. Tom takes his spot in the middle, and Maria blows me a kiss from her spot on the left. I'm paired up with a huge kid I remember from last year.

Tom loses the face-off, so I follow my partner, number 48. He receives the pass from his centre man, and I'm quick to swipe it off him and move it up. I look to my left and see that nobody on my team is open for the pass. I continue bringing it up and over the blue line, ducking away from #48. I finally see Tom pass over the blue line, so I pass the puck to him, quickly moving to the side of the net. This is where I scored my best one-timers, and everyone on my team knew this.

But Tom couldn't get the puck to me, instead it was taken into possession by another player and moved down the rink. I sighed, racing back to try and catch the guy, but instead he slipped at centre ice. I was almost there, but #48 had already taken the puck, passing it up to another player. He shot it, but it was deflected off Gunner's skate and up over the glass.

I moved back into our zone for the face-off, passing by Noah and touching his helmet in a nice way. "Jon." he said, calling me back. "Watch out for forty-eight, he's trying to hit you." Noah says, and I nod.

Internally groaning, I took a look at #48 who was back on the bench. I was quick, he wouldn't be able to hit me. I'd get him first.

I took my spot back on the bench, sitting beside my line mates Maria and Tom as the second line went out on the ice. Maria laced her arm in mine as the play started. I realized we should've been more careful, but knowing what Coach did to Braden and Taylor... we could be separated at any time, too. Both Maria and I knew that, and I think the both of us also knew that we were allowed to get away with being a bit... more with each other. Just because of the possibility that we could be separated.

I watched as Kate made a good play in our own zone off a shot. She was good, but she definitely didn't get enough credit. She seemed like a good person, too. I should put in a better word to Coach.

As the puck is iced by the other team, my line is called back on for the offensive face-off. I take my spot on right wing, preparing for the puck to drop. It does, and although Tom wins it, it's taken back to our side. Maria and Tom both skate back, so I cautiously wait around the opposing blue line.

"Merritt." someone calls, and when I look around it's a guy standing next to me. I recognized him, I know it. He was on this team, the Royal Lions, last year.

"Dean, hey." I say to him. He skates closer to me, but my eyes are still on the puck being played in our zone.

"Congrats on the win last year, I never got to tell you." he mentions.

"Thanks." I say, giving a little smile. I remembered Dean as a player sort of like me. He was the captain, and he sure was smart. We knew each other for a few years just by playing against each other. Even though we were on opposite teams, relationships with guys like Dean assured the both of us that we wouldn't purposely inflict harm on each other.

"I've noticed the girls on your team. Is that allowed?" he asks.

"Yeah, we didn't have enough guys trying out." I frown.

"Sucks." he shakes his head. "My guys sure are distracted, so I guess that's an advantage for your team." he chuckles.

"Guess so." I give a small smile as Tom passes up the puck to me. My mind immediately shifts gears and I'm able to get around Dean. He's up blocking my left side, though, so I can't get a good angle. I bring the puck up and take a wide shot from about 15-feet out, which their goalie stops. I head back onto the bench with Tom and Maria.