Page 127 of My Brother's Enemy
“It’s making it worse, isn’t it?” He held up a glove toward the fans. “He’s getting off on it.”
I noted some of the fourth-line players paying attention to our conversation. I tapped one of them on the shoulder. “Take my brother out.”
“Huh?” He gaped at me.
Their fourth-line winger’s head snapped toward me, but he didn’t say anything.
“He wants to fuck with our heads, but let’s fuck with his instead,” I told them. “My brother thinks this game is about him. It’s not. He’s not some hockey god among the mortals. He’s just like you. Let’s remind him of that. If a fourth-liner checks him, he’ll feel disrespected.”
One of the other guys leaned forward. “How about if only the fourth line goes after him?”
I fought back a smile. That would curdle my brother’s blood. I met his eyes, keeping my voice neutral. “This is hockey, boys. Remember what I said in the locker room. Have fun.” I paused. “However you deem that should be.”
The matching grins on their faces sent a chill through me.
Javier whistled, moving aside. “This should be fun,” he mumbled. He went over to Coach Hines, and their heads bent together for a moment. Coach glanced my way, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes before he barked out, “Fourth line, you’re going to stay out a little longer for a few rounds.”
He’d just given his approval. My brother was going to hate it.
For the rest of the second period, the fourth line as a whole went after my brother, but only the fourth line. It pissed my brother off, but he tried to rally. The crowd didn’t understandwhat was going on. Their “fuck you, Daniel” chant had petered out, so now they just booed anytime he was on the ice.
Knowing Daniel, though, he didn’t even hear their boos. He never had. He could tune them out. I knew because I’d been part of his training.
The second period ended right after Montreal scored. But they would still go into the third period down by one.
“You want to say anything?” Marken paused next to me as everyone headed down the tunnel. “Coach Hines wants to know.”
“No. Just do what you normally do.”
“Will do.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Having him as a brother? People are watching. Fans are watching. And they all know. From my perspective, you’re coming off like a smooth motherfucker. Fans are rallying around you too, if you pay attention.”
He followed the team to the locker room.
I looked around the arena. I never paid attention to the fans. Football fans had no idea who I was, but hockey was different. I hadn’t dared to look in the stands. I did now. Tentatively. A few girls near our bench noticed me looking and both immediately smiled. They nudged the guys they were with, and those guys each gave me a nod in respect.
“We got you, little Connors,” one of them said.
I could read his lips.
A strange sensation went through me. Even as an adult, my expectation was that they would hate me. The fans. The players. Everyone. I forced myself to smile, trying to convey that I appreciated the respect before I moved down the tunnel.
I needed a moment and stepped into the bathroom.
Fans were fans. They could like me now and hate me within five minutes. I knew not to take anything personally. But havingthem show their support for me? Even for a moment? It shook me.
And I let it. I set a timer on my phone for one minute, and I let myself spiral—feeling, doubting, wondering, worrying. But when that alarm beeped, I stopped it. Full stop. Period. I was done indulging. I put everything away in my head. Locking it up, compartmentalizing every thought, doubt, and fear until it was all gone.
My mind was clear.
My emotions were steady.
I was ready for the third period.
73
TYLER
Third period was frustrating. It was back and forth the entire time. I got the puck. They took it back. Sunny got it, passed it, and they intercepted it. We checked each other hard into the boards. That was the game but tonight was especially rough. I wanted another goal. I wanted two more, and then we’d have some room to breathe. But Montreal was on our ass. When we got down to the two-minute mark, their goalie skated off and an extra shooter came on the ice.
