Until Forever (ROYAL RIDERS SERIES BOOK #1)

5| Win

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Win

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Chapter 5: Win (Demi's POV)

I stood outside the locker room in the ice hockey stadium the next night, waiting for the team to file out. Just like me, all the other players' assistants were out waiting. 

As Vince wanted, we reached the hotel by noon yesterday and he spent the entire day lazing around. He went for a swim, allowed himself two burgers and some fries. He wanted to go to the spa but coach Peters said he could do that after the game, just in case he strained or over relaxed a muscle. 

Today, the team had training in the morning and now, at six, they're getting ready for the game that starts in thirty minutes. Vince is one of the three forwards in the game, he's the right-winger. The game consists of three twenty-minute games with a seventeen-minute break between each half, those seventeen minutes are generally spent deciding new and improvised strategies, switching out players if one is injured, and of course, catching a damn breath. 

Our opponents for tonight were the Scorpions. They're an American team, however, most of their players are Canadian and so is their coach. Well, so is coach Peters. 

The door to the locker room opened and coach Peters walked out while clapping and calling out behind him to the team. "Let's go, let's go, boys! Get on the ice!" 

Each player walked out one at a time while double-checking their gear and helmets, some of them checking the wrapping on their hockey sticks and getting a firm grip. "Demi," Christian smiled, saluting me with two fingers as he walked past. He plays center. 

"Demi," Cody and Logan greeted in sync. Cody plays left-winger, Logan is the defenceman. 

Michael, our big guy is the goalie, who walked out next, giving me a high five before fastening his gloves, and last came our kindest boss, Vince. 

"Tiffany," he nodded, holding onto his helmet. 

"Mr. Hunter," I nodded in response. 

He looked calmer than his teammates, always does. He always looks arrogant in the game, it's something that his fans love and his haters hate. He leaned down just a bit. "Push my hair back, could you?" 

I went on my toes and ran my fingers through his hair till it sat back. He dampened it, as usual. He handed me the helmet and I fixed it on, knocking on it three times for good luck. It's something my Dad always used to do when I was a kid and still does. Knock on my head three times for good luck. The first time I did that to him, he just looked at me weirdly, rolled his eyes, and walked onto the ice, but he's used to it now. "Good luck," I sang. 

He stood upright, threw me a wink, and then moved to the rink from this side while the opposing team walked in from the other. The other assistants took a seat on our bench while I went and stood beside coach Peters. 

My Dad played ice hockey in school, he's obsessed with the game, never misses a match, so you bet I know everything about the game and I've actually come to enjoy watching it. Brutality and all. 

"Everyone take positions!" the referee called out. 

"Come on, boys!" coach Peters yelled beside me. "Hey, Demi," he mumbled. 

"Hi, coach," I replied, watching the puck in the middle while Christian and the center player from the other team prepared to steal the puck, aiming to beat their opponent to it. I glanced at the scoring machine which showed zero on both sides while a countdown from ten began. An automated voice counted the numbers aloud while two voice anchors sat in a booth above the scoreboard, ready to announce every detail of the game for the radio.