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I’m playing for myself.

I’m playing for Eli.

I’m playing for my team.

No matter the outcome, I’m going to give it my best. For them and for myself.

The buzzer goes off in the arena and we leave the locker room, lining up in the hallway, waiting for the starting players to be announced. I’m on the fourth line, which I expected. I’m ready to bring the energy and help out the team, and maybe even score a goal. I’m still riding high off of my hat trick from the other day and combining that with the fact I’m playing in the NHL makes me excited and greedy to prove myself.

Eli

The first periodwas the worst I’ve played this whole season. There are two goals that I’d like to take back, but there’s nothing to be done now. Juuse tries to talk to me during intermission but I tell him to leave me alone so I can get out of my own head and focus.

The score is 2-0 for Boston and I can’t help but feel like it’s all my fault.

“You sure you don’t wanna talk about it?” Juuse asks. “It might get you out of your funk.”

I give him one of my angriest looks and hope that he’ll just leave me alone. He shakes his head but still sits next to me. At least he’s quiet.

My phone buzzes next to me on the bench and I pick it up.

as much as I enjoy seeing you give Juuse the murder glare, is everything okay?

I laugh a little and look across the locker room at him. Ash looks up too and smiles at me.

I’m trying to get in my zone and he won’t shut up.

sounds like me, lol

At least I tolerate you.

WOW, fucking rude

Kidding, you know I love you.

“Maybe you need to think about something else for a bit, take your mind off the last period,” Juuse says. Funny enough, texting Ash was helping, but now that he brought the period back up, my mind is on it again.

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Talking about it again doesn’t help,” I grit out.

“Sorry,” Juuse mumbles and rubs my shoulder in what he thinks is comfort. I slowly pull away from him until he gets the hint and lets it drop. My phone buzzes again and I quickly lookdown at it. I can’t stop the burst of laughter that bubbles out of me when I see Ash’s text.

if he touches you again like that I’m going to punch him in the dick

You just want an excuse to touch his dick.

ew, no. I don’t get what people see in him, he’s not even that good looking

He’s objectively good looking, but not my type.

oh, you have a type now?

Yeah, chaotic gingers with the attention span of a goldfish.

you have such a way with words, how did I get so lucky?

IDK but you’re definitely getting lucky tonight.

The second periodgoes much better, especially as I block two huge shots from breakaways that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The first and second lines are struggling to make any plays and we end up getting two penalties for hooking and high sticking.

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