Page 5 of Hockey 101

The next sixty seconds were chaos. As I ran out, she hissed, Not that way, you dummy! He’s coming up the stairs. She pointed towards the elevator. I pushed the button repeatedly, but it was taking so long to come, and I couldn’t stand there naked and wait. What if her boyfriend—or anyone—saw me? That’s when I spotted Andy Robson’s nameplate.

Swanny and Bergy watch me expectantly, waiting for the next installment of My Fucked-Up Life.

I ended up hiding in the RA’s room. She’s the one who lent me these clothes. I motion towards the leggings, which have split at the seams and exposed my thighs. As a bonus, my bare ass is probably hanging out the back.

Jesus fucking Christ, Swanny snorts. You’re already a legend. Wait until the guys hear this one.

I’d rather be a legend for my hockey skills than my failed hookups. Every team has one guy who is constantly fucking up. He’s good for team morale, since we all need a laugh, but I really don’t want to be that guy.

And you didn’t even get to fuck her, Bergy says sadly. Wally and I were wondering if those tits were actually real. Were they?

No clue. How would I even be able to tell? It’s not like they have a barcode or anything. Besides, everything about Jenny is giving me the creeps right now. I put my head in my hands. I’m sorry I ever met her.

Swanny tosses a cushion at me. Don’t worry about it. She was the one hitting on you. And going hard too. Any guy would have gone for it.

Bergy picks up his controller. Yeah, too bad her boyfriend didn’t show up ten minutes later. You would have been done.

Jesus, Bergy. It’s supposed to take longer than ten minutes. No wonder you can’t keep a girlfriend. Swanny shakes his head.

Nuh uh. I’ve read scientific surveys. Sex is supposed to take seven minutes, Bergy replies. They resume gaming and begin an argument on what constitutes sex, so it’s a good time to leave.

Tonight has been a gong show, and I’m ready to crash. I head up to my room, but as I open the door, I immediately sense that something’s wrong.

When I flip on the light, there’s movement inside. There’s a naked couple on my bed!

What the fuck, man? the guy groans as he throws his hand over his eyes. It’s Lloyd Unger, cousin of my housemate, Ethan. Lloyd’s housing situation got messed up, so he’s been staying at our house while he looks for something new. The woman continues sleeping, totally out of it.

Fuck is all I can say. I’m exhausted and unprepared for yet another problem.

Lloyd blinks at me. Oh, Sinc. Sorry, I didn’t think you would mind. Thought you were spending the night with that chick.

Well, no, I say.

Then he grins at me. Hey, would it be okay if we stay here? You can sleep in my room.

It’s definitely not okay. His room is not even a room, it’s an air mattress in our laundry room. After the crappy night I’ve had, all I want is to fall into my own comfy bed and then get dressed in my own clothes in the morning. Still, I feel bad kicking them out.

When I don’t answer right away, Lloyd’s smile widens. Thanks, buddy. He turns his back to me and puts an arm around the still-sleeping woman.

I smack my hand against the door frame, then sigh. I grab my robe off the hook on the door and go downstairs. The air mattress is tiny and uncomfortable. I stare up at the ceiling beams.

All I’ve ever wanted to do was play hockey. Monarch College is my chance to play for four more years and get a good education—something my mother’s really happy about. Cori thought that I should go to university in Saskatoon, like she was doing. That I could play hockey there too. She knew I’d moved to British Columbia to play, so I’d have a better chance of getting an offer from a U.S. college. And when I explained how good the hockey and coaching would be at Monarch, she’d scoffed. It’s not like you’re going to make the NHL, Jack. You need to stop dreaming.

Even if I had gone to Usask, we would still have broken up. Cori had been unhappy with our relationship for a long time, but never bothered to say a word until the day she dumped me.

I turn over and pull the scratchy blanket up. I’m not going to dwell on what happened with Cori. Monarch is a fresh start. A chance to do what I love, and maybe even find love with someone new…even if I’m not off to the best start.

I wake up feeling tired and sore. When I go upstairs, my bedroom door is still closed, so I assume that Lloyd and company are still asleep inside. I stomp down to the kitchen. I’m starved, so I eat a yogurt while I start cooking breakfast.

Morning, Sinc. Roy Matsumoto ambles in. He’s already showered and dressed—lucky guy.

Hey, Mats, I say.

He doesn’t ask why I’m wearing a robe, sweatshirt, and no pants. I threw out the remains of the leggings. But that’s his way. Mats is very zen. He’s the kind of guy who can hold things together in a game when everyone else is panicking.

Mats is actually the reason I’m here. We played on the same team in junior hockey and lived with the same billet family. Mats is a year older than me, so he got scouted and ended up here in Minnesota last year. When the team needed defencemen, Mats recommended me to the coach. Colleges here like players like us who are older and have already played four years of junior hockey.

I’m making bacon and eggs. You want some? I ask.

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