Hearts of Ice | A Hockey Story

Punishment - Chapter 10

                                                                                         CHAPTER TEN

                                                                 "oooh i fall apart, down to my core" - Post Malone

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I woke up in my bed with almost no memory of what happened last night. I remember falling asleep in the garden... so how did I end up in my bed? I push off my blanket and see that I'm in a huge tshirt and shorts. Wait but wasn't I wearing a dress last night? I get up and my make up is smudged all over the pillow. As soon as my foot hits the floor it's immediate pain. Well great. Ugh, I look a mess, I need to take a shower or something. I grab a towel and try to find the bathroom. God this place is so huge. I turn the corner limping and see Connor at the bottom of the stairs, slinging his hockey bag over his shoulder. He's wearing grey sweats with a hoodie, but he makes it look good.

He looks up at me from his phone, scans me, then looks back at his phone, "Sheesh someone just woke up," he says rudely. "What do you want Harris."

"Where are you going?" I ask him, ignoring his rude comment.

"What does it look like? I have tryouts, it's three already. Also I want my shirt back." I look down at what I'm wearing. It's a hockey tournament shirt. I can feel my cheeks flush when I realize what this means.

"So you're the one- you saw me-" I say as stiff as a board.

"It's not a big deal." He puts his phone in his pocket, grabs his stick, and walks out the door.

I'm frozen in place. Ohmygodohmygod. Suddenly it's 100 degrees in here. I frantically limp-run into the bathroom and splash water on my face. I find my hairbrush already in there and do my makeup.

Wait. Did Connor say tryouts?! I limp out the bathroom and search for my hockey stuff. Shit, I don't have a car. I whip out my phone and call Harper, she has a car. It rings for a bit before she picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Harper, I need a favor, can you drive me to the school's hockey rink? Like right now."

"Oh ok sure! Be there ina few."

*Later*

Harper finally pulls into the driveway and I throw my stuff in her trunk. It takes like 8 minutes to get there. We pull up in front of the rink and she drops me off.

"Wait I thought this was the boys' tryouts?"

"Don't ask, thanks for the ride!" I jump out and walk into the rink. I see the boys all standing together waiting to go onto the ice.

Shit. They're all already dressed. I walk into the empty locker-room and get dressed as fast as i can. I barely make it on time. I step out onto the ice and start skating laps with everyone to slowly warm up.

* 25 minutes later*

This tryout is way harder than last time... I'm so glad my headache is gone or else I'd suck today. 

The coach makes us do a breakout drill: He tells two defenseman to get in the zone and he'll dump in the puck. I'm mainly a defenseman so I get in the zone. I have one center to help me and also my defense partner. There'll be three players trying to keep me from getting the puck out of the defensive zone. It sounds complicated but it's pretty simple.

The first few times I do it perfectly, I make great passes and skate past everyone, despite my ankle hurting like a bitch. I'm ready to go again when I see who I'm up against. Connor. He looks at me with an evil yet focused look on his face. Great, this is who I'm against. I nervously look away. The coach dumps the puck in and as fast as I can I chase after it. I can feel Connor gaining on me. I take the puck away from the boards and try to skate up ice as fast as I can, but it isn't  fast enough. Connor comes to the side of me and cross checks me into the boards, hard.

"SHIT!" I scream in pain. I look down and my leg is folded in a way it's not supposed to. I clutch my leg and groan in pain. All of the boys come to see what's going on and they circle around me. "Holy shit her leg's broken," I hear in the distance. I look up at Connor while hyperventilating. Connor looks like he wants to say something but he doesn't and backs away while the coach checks on me.

The coach takes my helmet off so i stop hyperventilating. Fuck, there goes my cover. The coach's eyes widen when he realizes im not a boy, but he doesn't say anything. He asks me who he should call. My first thought's my mom... But i tell him to call an ambulance. I don't have anyone. My white sock has red soaking onto it... I'm in so much pain my head feels dizzy... I feel my head start to sag and my vision is blurry. I feel my body fall to the side and I pass out.

I wake up in the hospital to someone yelling... really loud. I open my eyes and see Mr. Hughes with his back towards me.  "You have no respect. How could you do this at a FUCKING TRYOUT? You're such a god damn disappointment. I can't even look at you right now."

I see him beginning to turn around so I immediately shut my eyes and pretend to be asleep. I hear a door open and a doctor walks in and "wakes me up". I pretend to wake up and the doctor says I can't walk without crutches for a while. My heart drops into my stomach when I hear that. Obviously I knew, I just wasn't prepared to hear it...

Mr. Hughes looks at Connor and Connor gets up and walks toward my bed. I look at him with the angriest gaze possible. He hesitates then says, "I'm sorry." I look at him and shake my head.

"No.. I have to be able to play... I'm fine guys." I try to get out of my bed but the doctor grabs my wrists. This sends an alert through my body and I let out a blood-curtling scream and try to tear away from him. "Get away from me!" I yell and start thrashing in my bed. They have to get another doctor to hold me down. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through me. It feels like when your foot falls asleep, but it's your entire body. It takes a long time for them to calm me down.

Later,  when my breathing finally slows, Mr. Hughes clears his throat, "I'm going to be gone for work this weekend. Connor, I'm expecting you to take care of her here at the hospital and when she goes home."

"What? Why me?" Connor says frustrated.

"You caused this didn't you?" he tries to not scream at Connor.

"Dad.. you know why I can't stay-" Mr. Hughes gets a call before Connor can finish. He mouthes something to Connor then leaves.

So... he's just gonna leave me here with him? How does he even trust him after that shit he pulled at tryouts! I don't feel safe at all. If he pulls anything i'll seriously beat his ass.

Connor lets out an angry sound then sits down at the chair near my bed. I honestly don't know what he's doing. He looks down at the floor for a while and then his eyes start darting around the hospital room. Then he looks up at me. He stares at me like he's thinking, it feels like he's studying my face. "What?" I ask him rudely. He doesn't respond. I don't get what he's looking at me for.

His head hangs towards the floor again and starts tapping his foot really anxiously. Why is he acting so weird. He lets out a loud breath and mumbles to himself, "I can't do this shit." He quickly gets up and storms towards the door.

"Connor!" I yell to him.

He doesn't look back, and storms out slamming the door behind him.

I sink into my bed in defeat.

The doctor comes in and tells me I need to get a cast or something on my leg. I sigh and go with him

*11 pm*

I decide to call Luca, I need to get all this crazy shit off my chest. He answers right away

"Hey! Are you okay? I heard what happened." My heart starts beating fast.

"... What do you know?" He better not know about my mom.

"I just heard from some of the hockey guys that Connor hit you really hard or something?"

"Yup... pretty much but there's more you don't know."

I tell him about my mom, my leg, connor storming out, everything.

Luca doesn't give me advice, but tries to comfort me instead, and God he's good with words. We end up talking until like 3 am when he has to go.

I stare up at the ceiling and try to keep my emotions in. Tomorrow will be better.