Page 44 of UnWholly Angels
Chapter Seventeen
Riley
The high-pitched whistle echoed around the empty arena as Coach called us to attention. I really didn’t want to hear anything he had to say today; we needed to practice instead of spending useless time in conversations that could be done later. He had spoken about switching up our lines with the injuries collected over the past few games, and I was concerned about building chemistry with some of the others on the ice.
All of them were great guys and skillful players, but I couldn’t help the aggravation or anxiety of change. Hockey was the only thing that hadn’t changed up to this point, but just like everything else, I was learning to go with the flow.
Coach Alexander was a good man, but on the older side, and I’d been with him long enough to know that the pros league was not the same as it used to be. He needed to catch up and create lines that not only tightened up defensively but had betterpuck management, especially when close to the net. The lack of motivation among some members of the team was something I called out a while back. All I could do was voice my concerns and hope they listened.
I almost lost it just a few minutes ago watching Petrov’s turnover. Three in a fucking row. I didn’t like the kid too much, but he clearly needed help, and at the rate he was going, he wouldn’t be here long. That wouldn’t be on me, though. He’d get sent back on his own accord. Standing between the twins was the worst place to be right now because of the insistent chirping. They weren’t even that funny, but every now and again, they got a chuckle out of me.
“Alright, gentlemen. Listen up! Youhaveto get moving on those penalty kills. What I saw last week was a crock of shit!” he shouted, but all I could focus on was the piece of gum hanging halfway out of his mouth. I was close to skating up and ripping it from his mouth, but I had more respect for the man than that. Unfortunately, I happen to be an expert on facial expressions, and it gets me in trouble often. This was definitely a conversation where I’d made at least seven different expressions.
“Get it the hell out of the zone! And for God’s sake, when we are on the power play, stop wasting time and rip it as much as you can. Twenty-one shots on goal in ninety minutes is unacceptable,” Coach continued.
“Oh, just fucking kill me already,” I mumbled to myself, my chin resting over the top of my stick. “Just let us practice.”
“You are a part of the issue, so I suggest you take what he’s saying to heart,” Noah piped up from my left. “Not trying to overheat the kitchen or anything, but hitting the goalpost multiple times and careless turnovers because you can’t trust anyone but Palmer says something.”
“Yeah, he should stop worrying about unclogging the pipes at home and focus on the game,” Ethan laughed from the other side of me. “Although I suspect they are very, very dirty. In fact, I think our dear captain needs help with his home improvement.”
I couldn’t help the smirk that crossed my face at the comment. “We all have bad days. Plus, I bet my girl has enough coordination to skate backward, unlike you, and I’m willing to bet it’s been years since my girl has had a foot in skates,” I said, running a gloved hand across my forehead.
Ethan’s laugh boomed around the expanse of the arena while his brother leaned against the boards with an amused expression. Noah Stryker was the best when it came to protecting the defensive zone. Tall, brooding, and the complete opposite of his twin. Noah was like me in more ways than one, and that was why I went to him when I needed to set my mind straight. He told you how the situation looked, unapologetically. Able to hit the vape a few times while he listened, observed, and brought all of his darkest fantasies to life. He was the first one to jump when I needed to get rid of someone. That man was a psycho.
“I’m smelling a challenge.” Ethan smirked. “I’ll get in on that.”
Fuck.There was no way I would be able to teach Maya to skate, much less backward, by Sunday. Maybe I could enlist Nick and Chloe, but I would be lying if I wasn’t excited to see her try and prove them wrong. That was when Maya was at her best. Up to now, she had never turned down a challenge, and I believed in her abilities. “Even five hundred? Time to put your money where your mouth is, Kingston,” Noah sideways glanced at me, pretending that he was listening to what Coach was saying.
I was so going to regret this, but what could I say, I was a big spender. Noah held out his gloved hand, and I bumped it. “Five hundred even.”
“Kingston,” Coach sounded. “You, Birdie, and Petrov three on two rush with Noah Stryker and O’Connor.”
Alright, let’s do this.I nodded toward the others taking position, and the next thing I knew, the arena filled with the noise of skates carving along the ice. As I passed some of the others, I noticed most were working on passing or laughing amongst each other. I was starting to enjoy life again, but the tightness still remained in my chest, allowing my guard to stay up as needed. Petrov passed me the puck, and I sped up on the ice on a breakaway when Coach yelled, “Tighten up defense.”
I continued to move up the ice flawlessly, sending the puck gliding over to Birdie, who was able to snipe it into the top left corner of the net. “That’s how you do it,” I yelled over the cheers from the team.
“Alright, everyone, we have a chance this year. You are all strong, and not only do you know your capabilities as a player, but also what we need to work on as a team. I have no doubt we will go all the way this year. Rest up for the next couple of hours and be back for the game.”
Sticks banged against the ice for a moment before most started to head for the locker room. I’d probably stay here until the game to keep my head clear, and focused, ready to win. Playoffs were fast approaching, and there was no time to lose focus.
The electricity of the fans as I walked through the tunnel never ceased to amaze me. The amount of unwavering support never stopped, despite us losing mid-way through tonight’s game. As I balanced the puck off the blade of my stick, waiting for both teams to make a line change, I did a quick scope of the crowd, scanning for Maya in the same spot she always sat in.
She couldn’t get rid of me now, and I needed her at every game. We couldn’t show our bellies now; winning was the only option. We still had this; we were only three goals down, withfifteen minutes left in the third period. We had done that before. We could do it again.
My skates hit the ice hard as I took off toward the opposing net, launching it to the other side, and hoping to get it to Nick when the whistle blew for the icing, and I groaned. The referees tonight really loved their fucking face-offs, and even the fans were frustrated.
I was fucking frustrated too. It was hard preforming when everyone had their eyes on you. Most nights, I internalized it, but once the feeling of inadequacy passed, I was back on the ice, focusing on what I could do better.
Meeting over toward the side of our net, everyone placed themselves as they should, and I leaned forward, playing with my mouthguard as I waited for the puck to drop at our feet. Quickly, I grabbed it, sending a sharp pass over to Ethan as the other team rushed to grab the puck. I always told Ethan he needed to take more risks as a defenseman, and he did that tonight, allowing me to cruise through the blue line with enough time for him to fire the shot in just the perfect moment for the puck to bounce off my stick and into the net.
I could immediately feel the momentum shift in the arena as I skated over to the bench, hopping over the boards to take a seat and patting Ethan on the back for the risky shot. “Amazing job, man! Really good fucking shot. You may have tipped the favor for us tonight!” I shouted over the screams.
“We’re still down, but we have this if we push,” he smiled back, squirting his water into his mouth. Some splashed on my face, and I wiped at it with my glove. This was about the time the arena workers cleaned up the ice, so we got a small break.
Nick laughed beside me, elbowing me in the process. “Look up at the video screen.” My eyes found what he was talking about, and I laughed. Maya and Chloe were on the screen, but Maya held her hands over her face, cheeks flushed red withembarrassment. She was wearing a generic Crestview Jersey with a matching hat, and one brown orb peeked through her fingers. Just before it switched to another set of fans, her upper lip twitched, a smile crossed her face, and my heart swelled.
The whistle blew, and I hurried back to the ice. There was only a minute left in the game, and we scored two more goals while I was preoccupied. I hadn’t even noticed the game started back up again while I was distracted, and Coach had to give me a nudge to signal a line change. One more to secure the win or go into overtime.Let’s do this.
