Page 11 of Until We Burn
Coach Clark claps his hands.“Nice job, Kai!”
“That’s it, buddy!” Coach Dawson taps his stick against the ice.“Keep it up!”
Their praise fuels the fight blazing inside of me. It burns brighter through the scrimmage. Jonas passes the puck to me. Ice kicks up from my skates as I arc around, whirling towards the net. Ryan cuts in front of me. I sweep the puck between his legs and veer around him to bring the puck back. I pass it to Rowan. Our goalie Marcus cinches his legs together as Rowan charges towards him. He swings his stick and shoots the puck.
The whistle blows.
Rowan fist-bumps me. His breaths come out heavy as he says, “Nice pass back there.”
“Thanks!” I pant.
We smile breathlessly at each other as we skate off to gather in front of Coach Clark and Coach Dawson. James Clark watches us quietly, tapping his marker against the armrest of his wheelchair. It’s an honor to be coached by him. He was the first Black hockey player at DHU to become captain and lead his team to the Frozen Four, the NCAA Division I hockey championship, in 1984. He would’ve gone farther if it wasn’t for the injury that busted his spinal cord. He didn’t let that interfere with his love for the game, though. Coach Clark leads this team the same way he led it as a captain in the eighties: he was stern, but he was motivating.
“You boys remember the words on the walls of the locker room?”
Our voices blast across the arena,“The ones who persevere are the ones who claim it all!”
“That’s right! This is a new year for us. We gotta stay focused. We gotta work hard. We gotta play hard. The Lakefield Vipers are going to give it their all in the first game. But that’s nothing to us. They don’t have our drive and our hunger to win.”His words sink in, strengtheningthe determination in our bones. “This is just the beginning, boys! Winning the Frozen Fourwillbe our ending!”
The boys holler, tapping their sticks against the ice.
This is my last year to win the Frozen Four and rebuild my image enough to get signed to a team in the NHL. No matter how determined and focused I’ll be, I know I’ll have to watch out for anything that will get in my way.
CHAPTER5
DIANA
Before bàba hostshis dinner parties, plans have to be made.
I stride across the marble floors leading to the war room. In my clammy hand, my phone buzzes with emails and news updates. All I can muster is a single email replying to a source’s clarification on a story I’m working on for class. The rest of my attention hinges on what I’m about to hear once I step through those French doors.
“When I tell you I want to wear my pink Angeline Vivienne heels, you bring them to me.” Sophia’s voice pierces through the doors, sharp as ice against the maid’s meek voice.
“But your father said?—”
“You don’t serve my father. You serveme.Although, that might not be true the next time you ignore my orders. Get this through your head: I am wearing pink or nothing at all.”
The doors swing open. A maid scurries out with her head down. A pair of ruined black shoes flail in her hands.
I suck in a breath and walk into the war room.
“Sophia, do you really have to speak to Priscilla that way? She waits on you, hand and foot.”
My little sister flicks a disdainful glance at me from her velvet armchair.
“Don’t get sappy with me, Diana.” She touches up her makeup in a floral compact mirror. “She refused to listen to me when I’ve made it very clear that I only wear specific colors. I simply showed her what the consequence was.”
With her glossy dark brown hair, sultry doe eyes, and pastel pink dresses, Sophia is as pretty as a rose. But she’s as sharp as its thorns.
I shake my head and walk towards the bar cart. “Well, in that case, add a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ next time. I promise your skin won’t wilt.”
Sophia rolls her eyes. When she gazes back into her compact mirror, a silver of remorse flickers on her face. But, like always, the look disappears as quickly as it had appeared. That cold arrogance returns, easing her back into the little sister I no longer recognize.
“Mama and bàba said they’ll be returning home from the airport in about twenty minutes.”
A bitter smile teases my lips as I pour myself a glass of whiskey. “Did mamagive you the speech on Monday?”
“With glee and condescension.” Sophia shrills in mama’s voice,“Remember, Sophia,you might be one of the heirs to the Huang Media Group, but?—”
