Rise Up | A. Matthews

[Ch: 12] "How bad does that hurt?"

We get to our seats and it's just before the boys get out there that I remember I have to do something.

"Hey I'll be right back." I say to my family.

"Yeah do your thing honey." I get up out of my seat and go to the locker room. I find Hayley just fitting her jersey over her head.

"Hey can I talk to you outside?" I ask her.

"Yeah what's up?" I find a corner where no one will see us.

"I just want to say thank you for meeting my family. My sisters have been talking about you for so long."

"What about Alex? I didn't think she liked me as much as you say."

"She thought you were some golden boy like McDavid or me." I wink at her and she laughs.

"Well I am better than you and McDavid." We both chuckle.

"Now go win the game for your mom, good luck." I kiss her. This time the kiss lasts longer than before.

"See you after Matthews." She smiles back. I go back to my family. On my way back to my family I can't get the smile off my face. As much as my knee flares up in pain, I love to watch Hayley play hockey. I really like her, I think I should make her mine.

"Hey Auston they're just about to go out!" Bree says as I sit between my dad and Bree. Warm ups start and everyone skates out onto the ice. My dad gives me a little nudge as Hallsy goes out onto the ice. I see Hayley come to the corner and throw a puck at Bree. I laugh and read what's written on the puck in silver marker.

"Thanks for coming tonight! - Parker Hall with her signature" I read to my family and I laugh at her standing on the ice. She circles back around and takes her last shot bar down as usual.

The national anthem plays and I hear my mom beside Bree "Wow she really braids her hair to fill that helmet." I think about seeing her in the locker room braiding her hair and fitting it into her helmet to disguise her long brown hair.

"And tonight the Toronto Maple Leafs would like to dedicate the game to Lindsay Parker, who recently passed away and is survived by Parker Hall who will be starting tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs." The announcer says and I see a few tears run down Hayley's face as she sees a picture of her mom on the screen. Mitch and her do their handshake and get out for puck drop.

The puck drops and it starts. Within the first 2 minutes of the game Morgan sends a one timer to Hall and she scores. "And a goal for Parker Hall."

"Ugh." I hear Alex let out. A few more minutes go by and we're scored on making the score 1-1.

"Hey Alex I know you got off on the wrong foot with Parker but you don't have to be rude. I didn't know Parker Hall was a girl until she walked into practice for the first time. You were hoping that Parker Hall was going to be some golden boy like McDavid or something. I was so rude to her at first when she didn't deserve any of my moody bullshit. You should try being nice to her because you might see her more than you like." I scoff back.

"Shoot your shot eh there son." My dad nudges me again.

"I'm seriously thinking about it." I watch her skate around the ice. I want to make her my girlfriend. I realized tonight on my way to say good luck I feel like how the wives do. They are so proud of their guys out there and I get to have my girl out there on the ice with me. I'm glad we aren't in Montreal anymore. I would get so jealous every time she would talk to Max. When she FaceTimed Mitch in Montreal the night her mom died, I was so worried about her I wanted to make sure she was okay even though I knew she wasn't. Hallsy's line got back out there just to close off the end of the period and that is when there is a high stick penalty. "Oh my god." I look at the ice to see Alex Goligoski removing his stick from Hall's visor.

"What is a high stick penalty?" Alex asks.

"That's not a high stick that just a stick in the visor." I see blood start to flow from Hayley's face.

"How bad does that hurt?" Alex asks.

"A fuck ton." I start to worry as the trainer is out there giving her a towel.

"And Parker Hall will be helped off the ice and given to the medical staff." The announcer says.

"I'll be back." I get up from my seat and go to the back. My player ID swings around my neck as I run down the long hallway. I'm worried about Hayley. Getting hurt sucks and getting a stick to the eye is really dangerous and I couldn't imagine how much it hurts. "Hey Hallsy," I catch up to her "babe." I see her walk down the hall with help from the trainer with her left eye covered.

"Auston, we're going to take good care of her you can go back to your family." The trainer cuts me off.

"No I want him." I hear Hayley tell the trainer.

"Let me help you then." I go to her right side and help her walk to the physician's office. We get to the office and have her sit on the bed.

"Ow ow ow." She responds as the doctor takes the towel away from her eye. I stand beside the bed looking at the damage. There is a huge cut from the blade of Alex's stick under her eyebrow then it has already started to bruise a ton.

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"Like I got a stick to the eye." She sasses me. I can only laugh. I did the same thing to her in the hospital with my knee.

"Ow ow ow!" The doctor begins to stitch her eyebrow and she grabs my hand in a death grip.

"So how bad do you want to get back out there?"

"Once I get stitched ow," She squeezes my hand tighter. "Then I'll go out there and score."

"That's my girl." I smile at her as she winces in pain. The doctor finishes cleaning up the blood on her face and finishes the last few stitches. "Hey before you get back out there I need to ask you something."

"What's up?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" I ask looking into her eyes even though the left one is starting to swell.

"Only if I score." I laugh but I realize she is serious.

"You should know you look hot with those stitches." I wink.

"Go back to your family there Matthews I have a game to play."

"And a goal to score."

"Sure." She says smiling. I walk back to my family with a little bit of a limp. My knee hurts from running to Hayley. I walk out my limp by the time I get back to my seat and the third period is about to begin.

"Ah." I sigh as I sit down back in between my dad and Bree.

"How is she?" Mom asks.

"8 stitches later and some jokes and we're all good." I look at the ice.

"Awe honey you two are so cute."

"Apparently it didn't cut her until he yanked it out of her visor."

"That's too bad." Bree said. "I hope she recovers soon."

"Me too."

"So did you shoot your shot?" My dad asks.

"I shot what I had to shoot." I smile.

"And returning back into the game after getting 8 stitches, Parker Hall." The announcer says and the whole Matthews family gives her a standing ovation.

"If she scores were together." The whole third period Hayley was yet to get the puck without losing it to the Coyotes. I start to get nervous as the game is coming to a close. The final 40 seconds of the game Hall receives the pass from Mitch and shoots the puck bar down. I can't help but smile and blush as she skates around the bench and gives everyone a high five. The game finishes and we win. I couldn't be happier seeing Hall celebrate her third NHL win. We all go back to the lounge we sat in earlier.

"Are you going to see your girlfriend?" My dad asks.

"Wait you're dating Hall?" Bree asks.

"Ew you're dating your team mate?"

"Yeah. Remember what I said earlier about her." Alex didn't reply. I am realizing that I am already kind of protective over Hayley. "I'll be back."