When The Whistle Blows

Chapter 43

Astrid

The sounds on the bus were quieter than usual as it seems everybody was still semi-asleep. It was a quarter past 10 am but between midterms and the long practices Coach held this week, it seemed everybody was overdue for a long night's rest.

All of my guys had fallen back asleep except Ryder, who sat across the aisle from Henrik and I. He sat on his phone watching press conferences from the past week. I figured they were Coaches, players, and PR reps from the NHL, but wasn't for sure.

Henrik snored softly between us, his hand held my thigh unconsciously, something that made me smile.

It seemed almost all of my guy's love languages were physical affection, something that I would never deny that I loved.

Ryder caught my gaze and motioned for me to take the seat next to him. Despite not wanting to leave Henrik alone, I wasn't tired and figured some more lively company would be better than the snoring brunette next to me.

I slowly removed Henrik's hand and carefully scooted past him with my bag in hand. Ryder shifted so I could scoot past him easier and I plopped down into the seat next to him.

He wasted no time in placing his hand on my thigh while the other continued to hold his phone.

My eyes drifted to the screen and I immediately recognized the coach on the screen. Ryder gave me a side smile as he noticed that I had frozen in place.

His hand briefly left my thigh only to offer me an airpod.  I took it and put it in while his hand went back to its spot on my thigh.

"Why are you-"

Ryder cut me off with one word, "listen."

I rolled my eyes at the interruption but did as he said.

It was nice to hear my father's voice, even though he wasn't talking to me, it would always be a comfort to hear him speak.

"Coach Schwartz, what's your plan for the upcoming draft?" A reporter asked my father as cameras shuttered in the background.

A smirk that I knew all too well crossed my father's face. "I have something big in the making and to do it I need to ensure the team is ready. Not only financially but also physically. Some tough decisions are very near in the future, but I believe it will all be worth it when we make it to Playoffs next year," my father explained in a hopeful tone.

His words were cryptic though and I knew he did that on purpose. He always had his reasons, though I found myself struggling to think what these ones were.

When he finished speaking, more reporters called out to him. He pointed at one and a feminine voice rang out. "What do you have to say in response to your daughter recently being revealed as the first female to play on a men's college team for three and a half years?"

I was taken aback as my mind processed the question. Shit, she was talking about me.

A proud smile beamed across my father's face. "My daughter has never let anything hold her back. She knew she was good, and she wanted to get better so she played on teams that helped her the most. Whether it was a boy's team or a girl's team, she never cared. I think she sets an amazing example for little girls and boys everywhere that they too can play for whatever team or sport they want without anything holding them back." By the time my father finished speaking, a tear had trailed down my cheek.

I never thought much about how big of a deal it was that I was a female playing on a D1 men's hockey team. Mostly because I was too busy playing for a D1 men's hockey team.

Ryder faced me and gave me a warm smile. "It's quite obvious that he is very proud of you."

I couldn't help but chuckle as I wiped away the tear that had escaped. "What gave it away?" I asked rhetorically.

Ryder rumbled a laugh as he continued to watch my father answer questions. Once I got my emotions under control, I too continued watching him.

He had always been such a natural at being in front of people. I remember being so proud of him when he got the phone call from the big leagues. It was right after our team had won the High School National Championship. Apparently, he had caught the eye of them when he had taken over as the coach for our team my Junior year and brought us from nothing to glory.

I hated when we had to move our separate ways, I went to Minnesota and he went to Washington state. I was glad to be able to spend my summers with him though.

When the video of my father's press conference ended, it immediately switched over to a recap of one of their recent games.

"I thought you liked the Maple Leafs?" I asked the male with a tilt of my eyebrow.

"So?" He shrugged.

I rolled my eyes, "so you're watching the Kraken's game recap, not the Maple Leafs," I pointed out.

"They've been sucking lately so I figured I would watch some other teams," he defended himself.

"Some loyal fan you are," I scoffed before leaning my head against his arm as I watched along with him.

My father had a good team, they made it to the playoffs two years ago but didn't make it past the first round. So it made sense that he was looking to make some changes, after all if he didn't he probably would be fired as that's how things are in the NHL.

He didn't have any stand-out players, but it seemed like they all had great teamwork. Something I knew was a direct result of my father's coaching.

As much as I wished I could play for him again, I knew that this year would be my last at playing top-level hockey. Although the college level may be willing to break gender norms, the NHL was most certainly not ready for that.

However, I had hope for my guys. They all were stand-out players and had a passion for the sport as much as I do. I know a couple of teams have their eyes on them, just like with most of our teammates. After all, playing D1 hockey tends to open doors for its players. Unless you're a female, of course.

As I was lost in thought, my eyes drifted away from the screen and I held the glare of an angry male.

"Last I checked, you were sitting by me," Henrik said with a mixture of teasing and jealously.

"Last I checked, you were sleeping sounder than a bear in winter," I responded to him with a glare of my own.

His eyes narrowed at me. "Fine, you're off the hook this time."

I just smiled at him as my eyes drifted back to Ryder's phone.

I got comfortable as I knew we still had another hour ahead of us on our drive. Though with each mile my excitement grew more and more. It was always nice to be reminded that even though I've played this sport for years, I was always ready to play the next game.

~~~~~~
Thank you for reading Chapter 43. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for all the hockey stuff, but I was really feeling it today. Have a great Friday and weekend!

~Until Next Chapter