Page 16 of One Shot

Three days later, I’ve set up time for interviews with both Tyler and Lucas. I thought it would be easier to meet with both of them on the same day between their workouts. None of us have class today. I just want to rip the band-aid off and get my one-on-one time with Lucas over with.

I haven’t interviewed anyone in a while. The last interview I did was with Nick for a class I was taking at community college called Advanced Digital Content Creation. I took classes year-round after graduating high school. The more credits I had to transfer to West meant less classes and more time to focus on the hockey team and building a portfolio. I guess I was pretty successful there. I transferred to West with seventy-six credits. It would have been seventy-nine if my stupid sculpting class I took for fun transferred.

Coming to West and working with this team was a big dream of mine. I wish Nick were here though. I know I sound like a broken record, but at least I feel less like one. Nick would be one of the Sexy Seven if he were here. I wonder whose place he would take. Would I be interviewing and writing articles about him if he were still here?

Near the locker room and gym, there are a few small meeting rooms. I grab a couple bottles of water just in case someone needs them and re-arrange the chairs for a more intimate setting. I’ll use my phone as a camera so I can make sure to go back and listen to anything I might have missed while I am taking notes and engaging with Tyler or Lucas. I don’t mind interviewing people when it’s not live, but I easily get lost in the heart of stories that the interviewees share. Live interviews giveme incredibly sweaty palms. I’m a little camera shy and hate the idea of always needing to be “on” in front of an audience, no matter what’s happening in real life. I much prefer the writing and digital marketing side of things.

Libby, a sophomore on the Student Marketing team, is sitting in and ready to type out the answers the boys give to the questions I’ve already prepared. I warned her that I might go off script. I want to make sure we get as much of an authentic story as possible.

I head into the gym and find Tyler lifting with Lucas. How convenient. I greet both of them, and hug Tyler even though he’s drenched in sweat. I try to keep my eyes averted from Lucas in his gray sweatpants and cut off tank top that accentuates his undeniably sexy biceps. I know he looks like a Greek God underneath the thin fabric of his clothing. My heartbeat quickens just from my quick glance at him.

“Tyler, you’re up first. Lucas, I’ll need about twenty minutes after I’m through with Tyler to wrap up notes, and then I’ll be ready for you. There will be a camera, just my phone so I can be sure not to miss any details in your answers. Do you consent to being filmed?”

They nod in agreement.

“Great! I doubt it will be good enough footage to use for anything later. Like I said, it’s just to ensure I get all the details possible. On the off chance we use the footage, we’ll be sure to discuss it with you beforehand.”

Both guys nod again. Tyler grabs his water bottle and hoodie then follows me out the gym door. Tyler’s interview takes about an hour.

I ask him about his personal life: his family, his relationships, school, where he grew up. I have to ask him about his younger days playing hockey. I knew it would be difficult for us both because he played with Nick. I can sense him trying to hold back and say as little as possible for my benefit.

“Tyler. I need you to give me more than ‘yeah, I loved playing hockey growing up. I fell in love with the sport when I was traveling for it.’ I need depth.”

“Laur.” He looks up at me. I haven’t seen him look so serious or sad in a long time. “I'm trying to protect you.”

“It’s okay, Tyler. I love you for that, but the world deserves to hear your story. So, let’s start again. Libby,”—I turn to the sophomore helping me—“make sure you take thorough notes on this.”

“Tyler Barret, tell us a little bit about growing up playing hockey.”

“I started traveling for hockey when I was eight. I didn’t think it would last long. Honestly, I thought I would have to quit. My dad was always traveling for work and my mom worked a lot too. I figured a few months on the travel team would be it for me. My mom got promoted and started working more. My best friend’s family changed everything for me.”

Tyler shifts in his chair, his gaze focused on the floor in front of him avoiding my gaze.

“Let me start by saying, I loved staying at hotels with the team. I didn’t have any siblings so getting to hangout all weekend in a hotel with my team felt like I had a giant family. Nick was my best friend. Your mom told my mom that I could come with Nick, you, and your mom, to a tournament one weekend. Mrs. Bellinger overheard my mom telling the coach she wasn’t sure if I would be able to join the team for that weekend because she had a work trip.”

Tyler looks up, his green eyes locking with mine as his shy smile starts to form.

“I know I said I loved staying at hotels because I felt like I had a giant family, but staying with your family I really felt like I actually had a brother and sister.”

Warmth spreads through my body hearing how much we meant to him. Happy tears are tempted to fall before Tyler starts to give more details.

“Nick was a hell of a hockey player, even at nine years old. After that first weekend tournament with you, I went to so many over the years with your family. Nick was slightly older and a better player, so we eventually ended up on different teams when I was aboutfifteen. We stayed close but there’s nothing like the bond of spending every weekend shooting shots with your best friend. Hockey gave me the siblings I always wanted.”

Tyler stops. The story is beautiful. Now, I’m fully teary-eyed, reminiscing about roaming hotel hallways with Nick and Tyler. Tyler clears his throat. He’s a little teary-eyed too.

“Tell me about your experience before transferring to West. What made you decide to change schools?”

Tyler starts talking again, but I’m zoned out. My mind is stuck on Nick now. The first time I interviewed Nick takes over my thoughts . . . It was around the time that Nick and Tyler started playing travel hockey together. I was eight and convinced Nick to be my first interviewee. I had to tell him three times to stop making up stories about how he could literally fly across the ice with wings. He was clever and funny, but I wanted it to be a real story I could submit to a paper. I wanted to be a real journalist. Once I told Nick I wanted to submit it to a paper and he realized other people could potentially see it, he got serious.

I took five pages of notes. That’s a lot of writing for an eight-year-old. My article was called “Carrying on the Bellinger Legacy.” I wrote about how Nick still played hockey after Dad had passed a year ago. Nick was carrying on the Bellinger legacy that he started. Mom was beaming with pride. She helped me submit it to the local paper. I was a published journalist for the first time, and Nick was in the paper for the first time. Nick asked mom to frame the article for his room.

“Laur? Any other questions?” Tyler asks.

“Oh. No, not right now.” I wasn’t paying much attention the last ten minutes. I’m so glad I video recorded this and have Libby’s notes.

“Thank you so much, Tyler.” I hug him. “I’ll reach out with anything else, but I should be good for the week. Tell your captain you gave me good content, so it’ll be closer to thirty minutes before I’llcome grab him.”

My mind is still swirling with thoughts of Nick as Tyler leaves the room. Diving into my notes about Tyler really focuses me. I got such amazing detail on why he fell in love growing up. It was clear he felt comfortable with me sharing details I didn’t know before while we went down memory lane. Jotting down a few key notes, I start to remember how much I enjoy writing about hockey. My content on Tyler is going to have the perfect personal touch to it.

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