Hockey Ruined Me 《Mathew Barzal》

CH. 1: First Encounter

Micah's POV

Dad has dragged me to yet another Thunderbirds practice. For those who don't know, my dad is Steve Konowalchuk, former NHL left winger for the Washington Capitals and Denver Avalanche. But now, now he's just the head coach for the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds. They're a great team, don't get me wrong, but seeing as they have yet to ever win the WHL Cup, and the fact that I hate hockey, they aren't that great. They've got some great players, like #4 defenseman, Turner Ottenbreit, he's 19 and one of my only friends, and #16 centre Alexander True, he's 19 too, he is also one of my only friends, just like Turner. Me and Turner were the first ones to talk to him when he came from Denmark, that's why the three of us are so close. That's why Alex and Turner are my friends, my only friends, they're extremely kind. I trust them, even though I know and talk to most of the team, I don't trust them like I do A and T. That's why they are the only ones that know, that will ever know, the real reason I hate hockey, even my dad doesn't know the real reason. Everyone just assumes I'm a girly girl and I hate it because I never got any genuine friends that didn't want me as a friend just for my dad. The only friends I had until I was 15 was dad's old hockey buddies.

Dad retired from the NHL in 2006, after my mom died. I was 8 when she was murdered.
Dad was on the road, me and mom, she had just finished getting me ready for bed, but I refused to go to sleep until dads game against the Wild was over.

We were in the family room when she heard them, men were yelling, mom hid me in the secret cabinet in the kitchen.

"Micah, listen to me, baby, you are the strongest, most brilliant young lady I have ever met. Make me proud, play hockey, or don't, never change for anyone, I mean it. Don't ever feel like you need to impress anyone, because you don't, and you won't ever have too. Fall in love, grow into a beautiful and loving woman. Tell your father that whatever happens to me, it isn't his fault, tell him I love him. Micah, my precious baby girl, I love you, never forget that, do not come out of her until I come get you"

I remember clinging onto her shirt, both of us in tears, "Mommy, no! Stay, don't leave me! Please, mommy! I love you." I said, as she pulled me off her, she took her locket, the one with the photo of her and dad when they found out I was girl, and put it around my neck, then did the same with her wedding rings, putting them on the locket chain, "Keep them safe fore me, Micah. Take care of your father, I love you both, so much more than you'll both ever know." she got up, and quietly walked into the family room, those were the last word she said to me.

A few minutes later, I heard yelling and my mother scream, then a single gunshot. They had shot my mom in the head, but I wouldn't know that until what felt like an eternity later. When I had heard the sirens, and men yelling and running, I finally got out of the cupboard.

My mum held a jar in her hands that said "For Our Baby Girls Wedding". The men must've not have enough time to grab it, so, I sat next to my mom, grabbed the jar out of her lifeless hands, and waited for the police to come. I sat next to my mom, staring at the jar, and holding her hand, whispering that it was going to be okay, sobbing.

They never caught the men responsible for the mothers death. And for awhile, I was angry, furious, so dad signed me up for boxing, he said it would help, I went everyday we were in town for the next few months.

Dad was angry too, he thought it was his fault, he thought that if he wasn't on the road for hockey, he could have saved her. So, he retired from the NHL, and moved us to Seattle, for a "fresh start". Dad still kept in touch with his hockey buddies, I found a new boxing place, and I made my dad swear to just say mom had cancer, he did.

No one will ever know the truth, they won't need too.

When dad takes me to practice with him, I usually go to the training room until the end of practice, I get done with my workout by the time the team comes in for optional post-practice workout, so me, Turner, and Alex usually just go hangout, but today, I go and sit on the bench, I lace up my figure skates, and while the guys are doing the required pre-practice workout, I decide to skate a few laps and work on my skating. I haven't skated in awhile so I work on my triple axel. Once I nail that, I work on my triple toe(ws) loop, nailed that after a try or two, then moved onto an easy spin, then glide. I made it into a small routine and kept going over it. I'm so focused, I didn't realize someone had skated into the rink. Someone clapping in the middle of one of my triple toe loops, awakens me out of the trance I as currently in. It startles me and I lose my balance and fall, the person who caused me to fall rushes over to me, I see their skates, my eyes continue upwards to see the guy who knocked me down holding out his hand for me, I forget his name, I think it's Manny or Michael, "Sorry if I startled you, you're just really good, where'd you learn to skate like that?" I look down and my cheeks turn a light shade of crimson. "It's alright, I've had worse falls, and thank you. I've been skating since I was four. My mom used to skate with me until she passed when I was eight" I grab hold of his hand, and he pulls me up. "I'm sorry about your mom." "Oh it's fine, thanks though." I look at him, he seems nice, he's kinda hot, too. "You must me Coach K's daughter, Micah right? I'm the captain, Mathew Barzal" He flashes a smile and holds out one of his hands for me to take, I shake it. We stand there for a few moments more until dad yells for me to sit on the bench and for Mathew to start skating his laps.

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Word count: 1144
Date published: 05.29.17