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..⃗. [ '𝙸 𝙳𝙾, 𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙴' ] 𑁍ࠜೄ ･ﾟˊˎ ﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋
"HOW MANY MORE LAPS DO WE NEED TO DO?" Darcy skated quickly alongside a few of the guys. "Dunno" Goldberg shrugged. Darcy halted next to Julie, "you okay Jules?" She asked. The girl was going really slow and looked a bit down.
"Work those legs, Gaffney! Where's your energy?" Coach Orion yelled to the girl. "I think— I'm gonna be sick" Julie suddenly jumped over the edge, vomiting onto the floor of the penalty box. "Alright, get it out." Darcy patted her back before making sure she was okay and skating off.
"One cupcake over the line, Catlady." Goldberg skated back around, Darcy shaking her head at him. "This is total crap, I can't play for this drill sergeant." Charlie sighed, skating next to Fulton.
"Play for us, Charlie. The ducks. Come on, man." Fulton looked at him. "Alright Fulton. Get low, vend your knees, smooth strokes." Charlie skated backwards in front of Fulton as he did what Charlie told him, improving his skating skills.
"Julie the cat!" Coach Orion yelled to the girl who was still vomiting, "what's the matter, you eat a fur ball?" He asked, Goldberg laughing at his comment and Darcy stayed beside her patting her back.
"You know, I don't see a captain out here!" Coach skated through the middle of the kids as they played a game of hockey. "Make him make the first move Conway!" He yelled, Charlie letting Averman go around him.
They kept trying to play when coach yelled at them once again. "Freeze! I said freeze!" He was nothing like Coach Bombay, nothing at all. Averman froze, still skidding across the ice as he fell into the wall. "I did freeze" he mumbled.
"Where's the one place you never want to clear the puck?" He asked the group, mainly Charlie. Darcy rolled her eyes, helping Averman up. "It looked o— Charlie answered, pulling his helmet off and getting cut off.
"Just answer the question." The tall man looked at the boy. "Listen, I'm not a defenceman, I'm a scorer!" Charlie finally snapped. Darcy wanted to start cheering and clapping but she held it back. "Follow me" coach skated away.
Charlie did as he was told and followed coach and sat in the penalty box, slamming the gate shut as well as slamming his stick down against the boards. "Anybody share his opinion?" Coach turned to the team, looking at each and everyone one of them.
"I do, asshole."
Darcy spoke over the silence. Charlie gave her a soft smile, also a smile telling her she should've stayed quiet. "Alright then, take a knee." Coach tried to ignore Darcy's comment and her foul language. "Henderson I'll speak to you after." He picked the puck up as she took a knee.
She turned her head to the boy, looking at him. "Thank you" he mouthed to her. She shot him a smile and mouthed back, "anytime lover boy." The two smiled and kept eye contact for a few seconds before Charlie pointed his finger and spun it around telling her to concentrate.
"What's the one thing all great teams have in common?" Coach Orion asked, breaking the silence. "Great coaching" Averman answered. "Don't try to suck up to me Averman." Coach scolded, Darcy patting his shoulder gently.
"Defence." He shrugged casually. "See, unlike scoring, defence never quits." Darcy rolled her eyes, so far back she'd never be able to see straight again. "Well I'm about too" she mumbled, leaning over to Averman and Goldberg who were never to her.
"But to play great defence, you need one thing above all else." "Bet it starts with a 'W'" Darcy snickered at Averman's comment. "Confidence." Orion looked at him menacingly.
"Listen, if you lean nothing else when you're here, you learn this. Alright? Cause it's not just about hockey. It's easy to be confident when you have control of the puck, it's very, very difficult to keep that confidence when you gotta take whatever strange bounces life throws your way. Don't be careless, but don't be too careful either. You cannot be afraid to lose. That's how you gain the confidence to attack the game when the puck isn't yours."
Coach Orion's speeches were so long, but actually made sense. "That's how you attack life, even when you think you don't have any control. And that's how you play real defence."
****
"Henderson, talk?" Coach pulled her to the side as everyone made their way to the locker room. "Yeah?" She took her gloves off. "You have a lot of confidence, and I'm guessing there's also something between you and Conway? Considering how much you stick up for each other or how much you are around each other?" He asked.
"Oh— I don't— I don't actually know. But the confidence makes me feel like I'm not weak, like I can stand up for whatever I want and need to in the world . . . that's why i act like I this I guess . . . oh and sorry for calling you an asshole." She gave him a tight-lipped smile before getting dismissed back to the locker room.
Everyone had started to head home by now, Darcy and Violet made their way down the long halls and out of the two big double doors. They sat down on a bench, Corey soon joining them as they waited for the bus. "This seat taken?" She jumped as a voice spoke into her ear.
"No, not at all." She smiled, turning her head to see Charlie. "Hey Charlie" Violet gave him a smile, pulling her Walkman out of her backpack and plugging her earphones into it. "Who's this?" Corey looked at his younger sister.
"Corey, this is Charlie. Charlie this is my brother Corey." She smiled, introducing the two. "Oh the boy you don't stop talking about?" He smirked and shook Charlie's had as he sat next to the dark haired girl.
"He's almost as tall as me" Corey blabbered with a chuckle. "Yeah well either way your both taller than me." Darcy looked between them. Charlie was almost six foot. Five foot nine at the minimum. Corey was just above six foot, probably six foot one or two. Whereas Darcy was only five foot six, Violet was just a little bit taller than her though.
The bus arrived and the three of them got up. "You getting on or skating home?" Darcy asked as she hauled her bag onto her right shoulder. "My moms picking me up, but I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed her cheek, a huge smile on their faces.
Corey got on the bus, followed by Violet and Darcy. Charlie waved them off as she smiled the whole way home.
