Page 52 of Four Letter Feelings

Chapter 21

“Did they like your gift?” AJ asked, as he sat on the bench in the locker room, bent over and unlacing his skates.

“Mom cried.” Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Like, actual tears.”

It was January 5th, they’d started back to classes and hockey practice yesterday and they’d just skated off the ice after their first post-holiday game which they’d won. Today was their first of three double-headers over the next three weeks. Jeremy was excited. The rush of adrenaline, the speed, the skill required and that buzz of performing in front of a crowd cheering for you to win was second to none. From the minute he’d boarded the plane in Canada, he had felt restless. That pull to the ice was strong and he wanted to continue their journey to greatness this season; he could feel it in his bones. They were going to do well. They had a strong team, strong leadership and they were hungry for it.

“You shoulda seen it, man. She thought the night at the hotel was the gift and was thrilled, but then she saw the tickets and that was all she wrote. Tears. Lots of them.”

“She’s a bit excited then, eh? Parents! It’s always the weird shit that gets them up in their feels.”

“So true! She can’t wait. I bet she’s already started to pack, and she’s only going for one freakin’ night!”

The team had started to filter out for the night, AJ and Jeremy were always one of the last to leave after practice or a game. Jeremy knew a few of the guys would go to the bar for a drink or two, but after an intense and physical game like that, he expected most, if not all, would go home, have an ice bath and crash, hard.

“When is it?”

“The concert?” AJ nodded. “Uh, January 12th, I think? So she only has a week to wait, but to hear her talk about it you’d think it was months away. She’s so dramatic!”

AJ raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“I guess that runs in the family,” he answered with a grin.

“Hey now! Anyway, Dad’s excited about the craft beer and the mac and cheese, Mom’s excited about the show and Jeremy gets a head-pat and son of the year award.”

“Well I’m glad it went down well. My family loved their gifts from you, man. They told me to send their thanks. Mom and Dad have gone back up north for the foreseeable, there’s some big project involving contracts or something Mom needs to supervise, but she was insistent that I tell you she loved her figurine. She was thrilled you’d noticed her collection and got one she didn’t have.”

“And adopted-son-of-the-year points too, it would seem!”

AJ gave him a playful shove. “Kiss-ass.”

“Not just a perty face,” Jeremy retorted with a smile, as he picked up his kit-bag and they started to make their way to the parking lot.

“You gonna be ok tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?” Jeremy paused, as he unlocked the car with the key-fob. “You mean Ryan?”

“Yeah. Y’all got a bit heated out there tonight. We aren’t on the same lines, though, so I can’t have your back. Do you need me to have a word with Coach and ask him to swap me in so I can watch your six?”

“What? No! I don’t need a babysitter, man.” Jeremy dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. “I can handle that asshole. I don’t even know what his problem is. Isn’t it you he hates?”

“I think you’re just guilty by association, Jer. I’m sure it’s not personal.”

“Then he’s an even bigger asshole than I first thought. Let him try something and we’ll see how far it gets him.”

***

The next night, AJ found Jeremy sitting on a bench in the locker room holding an ice pack to his face.

“How bad is it?” AJ asked, as the rest of the team filtered in behind him, loud and lively.

Tonight’s win was harder fought than the previous night, and despite the team being generally exhausted, they were exuberant from their win. Jeremy’s legs felt like lead weights, his muscles ached and he had three stitches in his face from his fight with Ryan.

Jeremy pulled the ice pack from his face to display the damage and AJ gave a low whistle.

“Yeah, you’re bruising up already. That’s gonna be gnarly in the morning, man. Good job standing up for yourself, though. That asshat deserved every punch.”

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