Page 31 of The Trade Deadline
RJ:What the heck was that!?
Louis Ponts from the Boston Militia:(a string of bleeped out expletives)
RJ:I think that was kinda uncalled for, but same to you, bud.
On the bench during the game:
RJ, after a save:YEAH, VORNY! He’s so talented.
RJ, after a breakaway:GO GO GO! SHO— Aww, that was a close one. Dang it. That would’ve been sick.
RJ:Look, they’re doing the wave. Look, look. It’s coming around. Get ready…now!
RJ:Sorry on that pass. I sent it too far ahead of you.
Jordan Foster:No, it was perfect. Sorry, I wasn’t going fast enough. I was gassed. My fault.
RJ:Nah, bro. I’ll get you next time.
RJ, after Nilsson scored:Heck yeah! Was that—was that off his butt?
Pierre Laurent, laughing:I think so.
RJ:Did he just score with his butt?
Laurent:That would be a helluva first goal, no?
RJ, fist bumping Nilsson as he skated along the bench:Was that off your butt?
Nilsson:It was.
RJ:Nice. You know you gotta redo that awful tape job all season now, right?
Chapter10
Ryan
Ryan didn’t regrethis hookup in Toronto. He’d worked off some energy and had felt good and relaxed for a solid week afterwards. It was rejuvenating and had spurred a three game scoring streak.
That it helped distract him from the growing place Lars held in his life was an added benefit.
After talking to Tanner, he decided it did make sense to view Lars as a friend. It seemed like they both could use the connection, and it was easier to work on this new relationship than to try and shift the ones he already had. For better or worse, their other teammates already had their views of who Ryan was to the team and to them, and he wasn’t interested in fighting an uphill battle to change that. Besides, Larswantedto be his friend.
So instead of avoiding Lars and keeping distance, on a Friday afternoon after practice, Ryan decided to bite the bullet and just…go for it.
“Hey,” he said to Lars as he took a seat next to him in the locker room. Most of the team had cleared out to the showers or left already, so it was easy to snag a spot next to Lars as he finished putting on his shoes.
Lars immediately abandoned his shoe and sat up straight, his face brightening. “Hi.”
“So, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
“Stop scoring goals? I’m halfway to catching up.”
“Oh, I’m actually going to need you to score twice as many. You promised me the playoffs, and if the team is relying on me as top goal scorer, we’re doomed.”
Lars’s face dimmed. “Ryan?—”
“This is actually way more important than the playoffs, anyway.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Youth hockey.”
