So'hara short stories

Not again!

Kelley makes a bet with her younger sister, and Emily is against it once again.

********

Kelley shivered slightly, the heat pump humming as it blew in warm air. "It's a cold one today," she said to Emily, who was lounging on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Yeah, it's freezing," Emily agreed, "I'm glad we don't have to go outside."

Kelley's sister, Addison, was visiting from out of town. She played on the US Women's Hockey Team, and they had a game against Canada in a few days in Washington D.C. Addison was wearing her leather jacket and sipping hot chocolate, while Kelley and Emily were in their sweats, enjoying a lazy day inside.

"I can't wait for the game," Addison said excitedly, "it's going to be a close one."

Kelley smiled mischievously. "I have a deal for you," she said to Addison, "if your team wins, I'll give you two hundred bucks. But if you lose, you have to teach both me and Emily how to play ice hockey."

Emily looked horrified at the thought. "No way!" she exclaimed, "I chipped my tooth while ice skating as a kid. I'm not going anywhere near a hockey rink."

Addison laughed. "Really, Em? I'm missing two of my top front teeth, and you don't see me not wanting to play." She said, showing off her gap-toothed grin.

Kelley giggled, "You still look weird without those teeth, Addy."

"Hey, I'll have you know, I rock this look," Addison retorted, playfully sticking her tongue through the gap in her teeth. "Besides, Mary Earps thinks otherwise." She added with a wink.

Kelley and Emily looked at each other in confusion, and then looked back at Addison, "How do you know Mary Earps?" Emily asked, curious.

"Well," Addison began, "You know how I went to that FA WSL match last month? The one at Kingsmeadow between Chelsea and Manchester United? Well, Mary Earps was there, obviously, and after the match, I got to meet her! She was so nice, and she said that she likes my gap-toothed smile!"

Kelley and Emily laughed, and Kelley said, "and let me guess, you showed her your O'Hara charm?"

Addison grinned, "Most definitely, especially in my hotel room where we-"

"Ugh!" Emily groaned, interrupting Addison before she could continue, "TMI!"

Kelley laughed and high-fived her sister, "Now, do we have a deal?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in challenge.

"Deal!" Addison said instantly, while Emily shook her head and groaned.

**********

A few days later, they found themselves in the arena, surrounded by cheering fans and the scent of popcorn and hot dogs. The ice rink was glistening, and the sound of skates cutting through the ice filled the air.

As the game began, the atmosphere grew more intense. Addison and Hilary Knight were flying across the ice, scoring goals left and right. Kelley was on the edge of her seat, cheering her sister on, while Emily was gripping Kelley's arm tightly, her eyes wide with excitement. Suddenly, Canada scored, and Emily let out a scream, causing a few people around them to jump. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered, looking embarrassed.

Kelley turned to her with a grin. "Hey, Em, you're getting into it. Maybe Addy can teach you how to skate after all."

Emily scowled, "Yeah, right. Maybe after a few years of therapy for my trauma."

The game continued, and the tension in the arena grew. With only a few minutes left on the clock, the US was down by one goal. Hilary went in for the face off and managed to pass the puck to Addison, who took it down the ice with lightning speed. She was body checked and hit the boards hard, losing possession of the puck.

"Fuck," Addison muttered as she skated back to her position. She managed to get near the Canadian player who had the puck and attempted a stick lift, but failed. As she fell to the ice, Kelley could see the frustration on her face.

Addison got up and skated to the bench as her shift ended, Kelley and Emily both letting out a huge breath of relief. They watched as the clock ticked down and the US managed to score in the last minute, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

The crowd were on their feet, eager to see who would win. After a few minutes of play, Canada scored, the horn blowing to signal a goal. Some people in the crowd cheered, some booed, and Kelley and Emily sat in their seats feeling bad for Addison, but Kelley started to smirk as she looked at Emily, "Looks like we're going to learn to skate, Em!"

Meanwhile, Addison sat in the locker room, feeling frustrated. She took off her jersey and began taking off all of the padding and equipment. Hilary looked at her and gave Addison a high-five, "Next game, we'll get 'em," she said.

Addison nodded and smiled, "You bet we will." she replied.

**********

The next day, Addison, Kelley and Emily met up at the local rink. Kelley was excited to learn how to play hockey, and Emily was hesitant. Addison went out on the ice first and skated for a bit before returning to the side. "First of all, I assume you already know how to skate?" she asked Emily and Kelley.

Kelley nodded, "I know the basics, but I'm sure I'll need help."

Emily shook her head, "I'm still not sure about this," she said, but she laced up her skates and stepped out onto the ice. She wobbled and held her arms out to keep her balance, nearly losing her footing a few times. Addison laughed and skated behind Emily, holding her hips to steady her.

"Don't worry," Addison said, "you'll get the hang of it."

Kelley watched, a bit envious of her sister's natural talent. "Hey, no funny business with my girl!" She yelled out to Addison, who just laughed at her older sister.

For the next hour, Addison taught the girls the basics of hockey. She taught them how to shoot, pass, and how to handle the stick, "Always keep your head up, and never forget to keep your stick on the ice," she said.

At the end of their lesson, Emily and Kelley were both exhausted, and Emily's fear of skating had all but disappeared. "Thanks Addison," she said, "I had a lot of fun, and I actually think I'm kind of getting the hang of it."

Kelley smiled, "Me too! Thanks for teaching us, Addy."

Addison smiled back, "Anytime."

Just then, Emily lost her footing and fell over on top of Kelley. Addison broke out into a fit of laughter, unable to keep her own balance on the ice. Kelley let out a groan as Emily looked down at her, "Jesus, Em. You really want to kill me?" She said jokingly.

Emily gave her a cheeky smile, and Kelley noticed one of her teeth had a chip in it. She stared at it, and then giggled.

"What?" Emily asked, looking confused.

"You chipped your tooth," Kelley said, pointing to it.

Emily's face turned bright red, and she quickly put her hand to her mouth. "Oh no! Not again! I can't believe it."

Both Kelley and Addison laughed, and Addison said, "Don't worry, Em. It's not that bad. In fact, it kind of makes you look cool!"

"Yeah!" Kelley added as Addison helped them both up, "Makes you look sexier too."

Emily punched her in the arm, before the three of them skated off the ice, arm in arm, laughing together.