Hockey is My Life, Plus Some Others

Chapter 5

The Iceland game is today. Charlie was barely cleared to skate, let alone play. I'm so scared. I sit with the Tigers in the stands and I catch up on the gossip. Christiana and Dean are a thing. Lyla and Banks are a thing. Fulton and Izzy are close as ever. And Mena, under different circumstances, might like Gunnar. Translation, Mena has a crush on Gunnar. I'm so happy for everyone, especially Lyla, because I knew Banks liked her forever. The game starts and everything is wrong. Bombay is even wearing his hair slicked back, he has not done that since I've known him.

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I wait outside the locker room for Charlie and Fulton. I hear yelling. Charlie walks out still in his pads. "We're running sprints." He says, visibly deflated. "My hockey stuff is here, I'm putting on skates and joining you." I declare. Charlie doesn't say anything. I walk back to the locker room with him and lace up my skates. "AJ? I wasn't expecting you." Bombay says. "Team USA is my team and if you punish one of us you punish all of us." I say. "Get out on the ice." He says. I leave the room and get on the ice. I'm a little shaky at first but my skating lessons with my dad come back to me and I improve rapidly. In sync, me and Charlie skate up to Bombay and Fulton starts to skate up and stops halfway through. I'm pretty sure it's so he can protect me. "This isn't very much fun, Coach." Charlie says. "I agree." I say. "Who said it was supposed to be fun?" Bombay asks. "You did, when you coached the Ducks." Charlie finishes. "And a month ago when you tied them up." I add. "I don't see any Ducks here, Charlie. All I see is team USA one loss away from elimination. Twenty more sprints! Let's go! Line up! Come on, let's go! Line up Charlie!" Bombay says. Charlie reluctantly goes back to his place. "Where's Coach Bombay?" I ask. "I'm right here, AJ." Bombay says. "All I see is Mr. Gordon Bombay. The farthest person from my coach." I say, my voice breaking "I'll do everyone's laps if you return to the person I know." "Please, just get on the line, AJ." Bombay says. I reluctantly go back to my place. I can't help but cry as I finish my sprints. I'm the fastest skater, even when I'm shaky, so I finish first. Bombay makes me stay late and I have to do fifty more sprints. Charlie tries to stay but I make him leave after he falls asleep more than five times. When I finish I'm too tired to go to the dorms so I fall asleep on the bench in the locker room.

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I wake up to my phone ringing. I answer it.

*phone call* Charlie = italics AJ = bold

Where are you?!
At the rink. I fell asleep on the bench in the locker room after Bombay made me stay late.
I'm gonna talk to Ms. Mackay.
You don't have too.
I want to.
Just don't tell anyone but her.
Fine. Can I tell Fulton?
No. He'll just try to kill Bombay.
The Tigers?
No. No one can know but Ms. Mackay.
Fine. Do you want me to pick you up?
Sure.
I'll be there in a half hour. Okay?
Perfect.

*end of phone call*

I check my phone and realize that I have a bunch of texts from Connie and Julie. I read them to pass the time. I check the clock and it's only been five minutes. Only five minutes!? I hate waiting. I decide that enough is enough. I put on my skates and go out on the ice with my stick and a puck. I practice my triple deke. The one hockey move my dad taught me before he died. I practice my slap shot. I skate and skate and skate until I've run out of things to do and start doing laps around the rink and clocking my time on my phone. By the end of it, I can go around the whole rink in 15 seconds. I practice my triple deke and my slap shot again and again and again. I try it from different starting points on the ice. If I try hard enough, I can get the puck in from anywhere on the ice. I start skating slow, leisurely laps around the rink. Slowly, I feel eyes on me, and a feeling of adoration comes with them. I turn around and see Charlie watching me from the box. "Wow. You can really fly." Charlie says. "Thank you, how long have you been watching?" I reply. "Since you started practicing your triple deke and slap shot from everywhere on the ice." He says. "Charlie, it's not cool to watch someone without them knowing." I respond. "Sorry, it's just, you were so graceful, and I wish I could skate like you, and- will you teach me?" He stammers. "Sure." I reply simply. "Really?" Charlie says. "Yeah, go get your skates." He runs out of the box and into the locker room. He comes back a few minutes later with his skates laced and a stick in his hand. I teach him the tricks of speed, sharp turns, and stopping without spraying. He slowly gets it. I teach him the slap shot. And he picks it up miraculously quick. We hear voices in the locker room. We get off the ice and escape into the stands through the other box. We hide in between a few rows and when we hear footsteps on the ice we come out of our hiding spots. "AJ, I knew you were here." Bombay says "Fulton has been yelling at me all day because I left you at the rink. Why did you stay, anyway?" "I was overworked and tired and something about being by the ice makes me feel at peace and free." I reply. "The presence of your father." Bombay responds "I knew him well, I'm actually your mom's brother, believe it or not. I was at his funeral. You probably don't remember but I'm your Uncle Cash. I was always called by my middle name. I started to stray away from you and your brother's lives because everyday, when I looked at you and your brother, I saw your father. He was my closest friend." I nod. "I do remember, actually. I used to call you Uncle GC. Do you remember?" I say. "Of course I remember, Jojo." Bombay replies. "Only my father called me that." I say. "I know. You have to remember that while I'm here I feel his presence, too." He says. Bombay walks out. Me and Charlie go back to skating. I get cold and Charlie gives me his flannel. "Can we go to the beach with the teams today?" I ask. "I'll text USA, you text the Tigers, ok?" He says. "Got it." I reply. I text the Tigers and everyone says yes, even Ella and Faith, not expecting that. We put our stuff away in the locker room and walk back to the dorms. When I get to my dorm room I change into my long sleeve one piece, put on some shorts, and find my slides. Everyone meets in the common area and we walk to the beach. I walk with Fulton because we haven't seen each other a lot recently. "What did Bombay do?" He asks. "He finally mentioned that he was our uncle and left." I reply. "Finally," Fulton says "Does Charlie make you happy?" "Yes, very." I respond, we feel the sand between our toes as we arrive at the beach. I run to the water's edge and dive in, splashing everyone in a five-foot radius. Charlie and Fulton dive after me and Dean just complains to Christiana. I swim until my lungs ache for air. I break through to the surface and swim for a while. It's very easy to stay ahead of Fulton and Charlie, neither of them can swim very well. Fulton gives up after swimming for about a minute, he knows he can't catch me if I don't want to be caught. But Charlie doesn't know that and he swims after me. After a while I see him drop to the bottom, that's not good. I immediately dive after him and drag him to shore. It's hard to swim for two. Charlie coughs up a lot of water. He rolls onto his side and groans. "Charlie," I coax "it's time to get up." "Do I have to, mom?" Charlie asks. I kiss him on the lips. "Wha-?" He says as he sits up. "That's what you get for calling me 'mom'!" I shout. I dive back into the water and Dean starts complaining again because I splashed him. I swim back to shallows and call out to shore "Hey, Conway! If you want another kiss you better catch me!" Charlie jumps in after me. I stay where I can touch because I don't want Charlie to sink again. My feet keep catching on the sand on the ocean floor. Charlie catches me, picks me up bridal style, and kisses me on the lips. Everyone is cheering, even Fulton, not expecting that. "Do you love me?" Charlie asks. "Yes." I reply simply "Always have and always will." He kisses me again. The sun is setting. I can hear everyone snapping photos of me and Charlie. Team USA and the Tigers go out for dinner after we play at the beach for a couple hours. We get Chinese food because we're tired of Mexican food, pizza, and whatever they have in the cafeteria. I eat my egg drop soup, it's so good! Every so often I steal some of Fulton's Kung pao. Sometimes I catch Connie stealing some of Guy's Mu Shu pork. Apparently, Dean hates Chinese food but Christina makes him try some lo main and a crab Rangoon. Now, he's basically addicted to it. Me and the Tigers are teasing him left and right. Connie got sushi and Julie got cashew chicken.