ENCHANTED -'๑'- JACK HUGHES

twenty five

☄. *. ⋆ FIX THE THINGS YOU HATED
AND YOUD STILL FEEL SO INSECURE
olivia rodrigo

JACK

I WAS more than happy to spend a night in with Stella, to watch movies we'd already seen and spend the majority of it talking and sharing a bag of chips. Like we'd done for the past two Saturdays.

But, due to popular demand, but none other than Cole Caufield, we were going to The Lounge which had just opened.

The Lounge was owned by a friend of Cole's older brother, Brock. It was a mix of barbecue food and live music, and to me, the perfect source for a headache. Not to mention he invited the entirety of our team, including Stella, Georgia, and Addison who could technically be in our group at this point.

But right now, as much as I wanted to focus on Stella sitting at the opposite bench and talking to her teammates, I needed to focus on hockey.

I glided down center ice, dodging past Zegras and York in a quick manner, having the puck right with my stick. It was a breakaway and an easy scoring chance. It hit the back of the net with ease, going right over Spencer's shoulder.

On the ice, I was confident, it just came easy to me. It was like clockwork, score, score, and score. I smiled at my teammates that had been posing as the other team, watching them mock me.

We continued to play the mock game and I was having the practice of my life with three assists and two goals. If only this was an actual game, my status would jump even higher.

It was no lie that I was being looked at from the highest prospects. I knew I was eligible for the draft, and so were many of the guys on my team. I just needed to be better, I needed to work, and I needed to focus. Three things that were buried into my head since the day I stepped foot onto the ice.

I had the puck, juggling it between my stick as I searched for an opening. Before I could pass it, I was slammed into the boards, the pain spreading throughout my body. Fuck.

The whistle rang in my ears as it was blown loudly from our coach but it was all blurring to me as I lifted my head, staring at the culprit.

Matt Boldy was staring at me with the most immense amount of hatred I've ever seen and I knew right away what this had been about. Using my stick, I wasn't thinking in the captain mindset as I plowed it into his chest.

He stumbled back, only to push me with his own stick.

"Fuck you!" He shouted, knocking into once again, harder this time.

I grunted as I used my hand to knock into his shoulder. "Fuck you, dude!"

This continued until we were both on the ground in a wresting match. With months of pent up anger towards the jerk, I was letting him have it.

Trevor managed to wriggle his hand between us, pulling me off as he me held against him, Beecher helping Matt up as he stood between the both of us.

"Boys, enough!" Our coach skated up to us, his veins practically popping out of his forehead. "Practice is over. All of you to the locker room. Now!"

I knew we were going to get ripped into, more specifically, Boldy and I. Even more so myself. I was supposed to be the leader and here I was wresting my own teammate.

I threw my helmet off my head, brushing my hair back before I glanced back over to the opposing bench.

Stella stood with her mouth agape, brows pinched together as she stared at me with an unreadable expression.

I shook my head before sliding on my skate guards and heading towards the locker room with the rest of the guys.

"Matt. Jack. Both of you in my office." Coach had his back pressing against his door, his jaw clenched as the both of us walked in.

I slumped in the chair across from his desk and I had forgotten how uncomfortable it had been. Matt sat beside me and I felt the sudden urge to sit in the corner, far away from him.

"What the hell was that?" Coach Wroblewski folded his hands, leaning forward on his desk as he darted his eyes between the both of us. "You two are teammates. On the ice, you care about protecting each other. Whatever shit you've got off the ice, leave it that way."

"I'm sorry." Matt was the first to speak. Kiss-ass.

I darted my tongue out to lick my lips as I sighed lowly. "Sorry, Coach."

"I don't want you to apologize to me." Coach shook his head, causing us both to furrow our brows. "I want you to apologize to each other."

I pressed my lips together as I had the sudden urge to laugh at his stupid request. I cleared my throat. "Sorry for hitting you back."

Matt glanced at me, snarling as he pulled his bottom
lip into his mouth. "Sorry I slammed you into the boards. I can't say it wasn't deserved, though."

I clenched my hands into fists, turning my head to meet his gaze. "I deserved it? Are you serious, Matt? I should've ripped your fucking head off."

"Hey!" Coach slammed his palm on his desk, silencing us before Matt could retaliate. "That is enough out of you both. You're better than this. Matt hit the showers."

I stayed put as Matt mumbled to himself before walking out, leaving both myself and my coach in complete silence.

"Jack." He began, pinching the bridge of his nose as I mentally prepared myself. "You're the captain of this team for a reason. You urge your teammates to do the best and find a way to lead this team to victory in every way possible. That is why I assigned you captain. But going after Matt? That is unlike you, Jack."

I swallowed, feeling shame grow upon me as I stayed quiet. I didn't know what to say.

"I don't know what caused this outburst and I'm not sure I want to know. But whatever it is, drop it. You're under a spotlight, Hughes. You're right where a kid dreams to be. Don't fuck it up." Coach laid into me, nodding.

I nodded because he was right, he always was. "I know, Coach. Thank you. I'm sorry, again."

the girls are fighting.