Well here's another chapter of Ice and Dirt. Again you'll just have to read and find out what happens. It was going to be longer than this but then I realized that it was way too long and part of it was actually part of the next chapter. I own very little please enjoy. And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed.
Chapter 21: Broken Promises and a bet
ER's PoV
After dinner I came back to my room and flopped down on my back on my bed. Riley was leaving the next day but that didn't bother me too much. "Rick Riley? You went to dinner with Riley? Are you out of your mind?" Dean yelled slamming open my door. I ignored him. I stared at my ceiling and thought about calling Aaron to see what he thought about my hockey situation. "Answer me ER!" He yelled again.
"Yes."
"Yes what?"
"Yes dinner, yes Rick Riley, no I'm not out of my mind."
"Do I mean nothing to you?" He shouted.
"Of course you do Dean. I trust you with all my heart." I sighed sitting up. I looked at him as he glared at me and crossed his arms across his chest. "Dean we've been through this several times you are my boyfriend and Rick is just a friend or not even that really just a close acquaintance."
"How'd you meet him?"
"Seth went here for his junior year, Riley's sophomore year and Seth tough him a lot about hockey and girls and for Christmas he came home bringing Riley with him. Riley and I talked for the few days Riley stayed with us and when Chris noticed how close we had gotten he pulled him aside. You know what he said? Chris told Riley that if Riley even thought about me in any way or even dared to be any more than friends with me he would kill him. You know what he said to you. In case you forgot he said 'you hurt me he'd make your life a living hell' there's a difference there. Chris is willing to let you live he trusts you."
"Maybe it's because you were 13 and Riley was 15, 16 years old."
"No, he also threatened to kill Dwayne when he started dating me. Apparently he wanted you to live because he can tell how much I like you. Dean, you are amazing and I don't want to lose you. Riles is just a friend I promise." Dean sighed and pushed me down on my back and leaned over me.
"I know it's just..."
"Just what?" I asked lifting a hand to run it along his arm.
"It's just sometimes my temper works faster than my head or heart. I apologize." He said smiling sheepishly.
"Come here you big teddy bear." I smiled and ran my hand up to his neck and pulled his lips to mine. After kissing for a bit he pulled back.
"Am I forgiven?"
"Yes just trust me more in the future alright?" I said. He nodded.
"I'll let you think." He said pulling back and going to the door. "I love you."
"I love you too." He left and I went back to my thoughts. Then I picked up my cell phone and called Aaron's home number.
"Hello?" Mrs. Hoffer answered.
"Hey Mrs. Sandra, it's Lizzy, Aaron home?" I asked. She hated it when I called her Mrs. Hoffer and wanted me to call her Sandra but I was taught to never call adults by their first name so we compromised and I called her Mrs. Sandra.
"Yeah just a minute sweetheart." She said.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey Romeo it's Juliet I need your help I have a major problem." I said.
"ER, look I'm kinda in the middle of something can I call you back later?" He asked.
"Make it sometime tonight and you have yourself a deal."
"Ok bye." I hung up and stared at my ceiling rolling over to look at my clock as it read 11:15 pm.
I sighed and changed into my PJ's then into bed. "Damn you Aaron." I cursed knowing it was after midnight there and making it the next morning.
Then next morning I woke up and stretched. "7:30 am. Mmm a little breakfast then we'll see what my team thinks." I got dressed and went to the mess hall for breakfast where I ran into Bastian.
"Hey Lizzy come sit and talk." He yelled waving me over.
"Hey Bash." I sighed sitting down and poking my eggs.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
"I don't know."
"Come on you know you can trust me."
"I know but..." I trailed off then something occurred to me. He was neutral most of the time and rarely had he lied to me. "Hey Bash can I have your honest to God opinion on a few things?"
"Certainly, I would never lie to you unless I had a good reason to."
I sighed trying to think of what to ask him first. I finally settled on Dean. "What do you think of Dean Portman?"
"As a person, hockey player, or your boyfriend?" He asked.
"As a person."
"He's a nice guy at times but I have been told about his rough temper and I've seen it when he gets mad and on the ice. He's a damn good hockey player too."
"What about as my boyfriend?"
"I like him as long as he's taking care of you. You're like a sister or cousin to me and I don't want to see you get hurt. I know that fights tend to happen in relationships and more often in the one you're in because you're both very stubborn people, as Charlie tells it, and you both have explosive tempers. I know because I've seen them both. If you can just sit down and work things out instead of yelling at each other you won't end up hurting each other."
"I know, now something else I need you to be honest about."
"Ok shoot."
"Should I play hockey until Adam brings his grades up?"
"I don't particularly like the sport because of how dangerous it can be but I can't stop you. I know you grew up playing the sport as did two of your brothers and Charlie but I...What I mean is follow your heart, do what your gut is telling you. And just what is it telling you?"
"I don't know. I mean I want to play to make Matt proud but I don't want to play because what if something bad happens to Matt again? I just can't go through all that again."
"I know but Matt will be proud of you either way."
"I still don't know what to do."
"Why don't you go see Matt today?" Bash suggested.
"You think he would mind?"
"You're his baby sister of course he wouldn't."
"I just don't know when he's flying back to Michigan."
"Call him genius."
"Oh duh." I replied making us both chuckle as we dumped the leftovers and trash from our breakfast. He walked back with me to my room and waited while I called Matt.
"Hello?" Matt asked.
"Hey Matt." I said disguising my voice a bit. There was a time when Chris called home when I was sick and I answered and Chris thought I was Seth.
"Which one of my brothers is this?" He asked.
"It's Seth."
"Oh hey, what's up?"
"I was just wondering when you're coming back to Detroit, maybe we could get together or something."
"My flight leaves in two day."
"Oh so what are you doing today?"
"Going to talk to the coach of the minor league team here why?"
"Oh no reason. Well I got to go but I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah bye."
I hung up and looked at Bastian. "Hey want to go to Taylors Falls?"
"Where?"
"It's up north, the Minnesota Waves play and practice there Matt's going to be there today."
"I have nothing else to do."
"Good lets go." We reached the rink and saw Matt's car parked out front. I grabbed my skates out of the trunk just in case. We climbed up into the bleachers and watched Matt help their coach with some plays as the team scrimmaged. "He's down there with the coach." I said pointing to Matt.
"I can see where you get your good looks from." Bastian said.
"I look nothing like him. He looks like my mom though."
"Your mom?" Bastian questioned.
"Yeah she had blonde hair and green eyes. She died right after I was born."
"I'm sorry." He said wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close to his side. "My dad died in a car wreck a few years ago."
I nodded and we sat there just watching. Ten minutes later the blue team had scored another goal and the red team was gathered at their end of the rink.
"You know these practices are closed, right?" A voice said in my ear. I jumped about a foot in the air causing Bash to let go of me. "Whoa easy Lizzy I didn't mean to scare you." I got my breathing under control and looked up. Turns out the voice belonged to Matt.
I gave him a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry..."
"It's ok I knew you'd be here."
"How?"
"You really think I couldn't tell your voice from Seth's? Becca it's haunted my dreams for the past five years not to mention your number is programmed into my phone."
"Oh so can we stay?"
"We?" He asked. I knew he saw Bash sitting there he just wanted me to introduce them.
"Yeah this is my third baseman and junior at Eden Hall and a good friend of mine Bastian Johnson, Bash this is my brother and star center for the Redwings, Matt."
"Hi." Bastian said. Matt sized up Bash and then shook his hand.
"It's nice finally to meet you." Matt answered.
"Finally?" I asked.
"Yeah I saw him before your break and you talked about him over break." Matt said simply. I thought he might be lying but there was nothing I could do to get the truth out of him.
"So can we stay?" I asked again.
"I guess come on I want you to meet the team." He said. He took us down to the players' box and introduced us. We sat and watched them scrimmage and eventually they left. "Well I see you brought your skates so let's put them to use." He said. After putting them on we got to skating again. Matt stopped at Center ice and looked at me. "Hey Teddy do you ever think about playing again?" Matt asked.
"I can't stop lately, why?" I asked moving toward him.
"Wanna to try a shot just for old time sake?"
"Matt last time I played hockey you ended up 'dieing'." I said putting air quotes around dieing.
"That had nothing to do with you." He growled gripping his hockey stick firmly as I stood in front of him at center ice.
"Of course not but the pain was bad enough last time I can't go through that again." I said. Then I heard the sound of a puck hitting the net. "Matt we can't have a serious discussion if you're practicing."
"Um Teddy Bear...that wasn't me." Matt said. True to his word his hockey stick was gone and Bash was just coming out onto the ice in his street shoes.
"Then who was it? You and I both know hockey pucks don't just fly into the net on their own." I said. Matt looked at me and pointed to my hands.
"Teddy you have the talent and the skill it's only your self doubt holding you back. You took that shot without much concentration. You're the only one besides some of the hockey greats that can do it. Adam might have the talent but I couldn't tell that for sure." Matt explained.
"Lizzy you know what I said at breakfast right?" Bash said.
"Yeah."
"Now with that in mind I think you should play. If you have this much talent for baseball we're shoe-in's for state this year."
"But..."
"Look Lizzy this was my fault I just wanted to see if you just had it." Matt said.
"Fine go get me the puck." I sighed. If I really was this good then I guess there was no reason not to just hit the puck around a bit. Matt went and got it and stopped in front of me.
"Let's make a little deal here. You make 20 shots and don't miss a single shot I'll lay off trying to get you to play hockey and make the team do so too."
"If I miss?"
"If you miss, even just one shot, you have to take me and Bastian out for dinner and you have to go to at least two JV hockey practices and play like you mean it."
"It's a no win situation."
"What do you mean?" Matt asked.
"Well I've never been able to make twenty straight goals and I don't know if I can play again."
"Sure you can. I'll tell you what though; I'll throw in 50 bucks and a free dinner if you win." I sighed. Most of my mind knew I couldn't do it but there was the weird traitorous part of my brain that really wanted to see if I could.
"Alright deal." See there it goes again, making me agree to things I shouldn't agree to.
"First 10 from the blue line and the last 10 from center ice." My jaw dropped but my traitorous mind moved my body so I agreed. I made the first five but after that I started getting nervous.
Fulton's voice popped into my head. "Take a deep breath and relax Lizzy, you can do it. Just relax." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I started skating back and forth behind the blue line moving the puck with me. The next five were also perfect shots.
"That's 10." I called.
"Ten more to go from center ice." He called back. The next seven also went straight in relieving me of much hated tension. The next two times the puck also hit the net. "One more Becca, make it and everyone lays off, you win 50 bucks, and a free dinner."
"I lose and I've got practice on Monday, you and Bash get a free dinner, and I might end up with Coach Orion breathing down my neck too."
"Take the shot Lizzy." Bash said shaking his head. I took a deep breath and flipped my hockey stick around. I ran my hand along the edge and concentrated on the one phrase my brothers had told me before every game. They'd each place a hand on my shoulder and say...
"Win or lose,..." Matt would start.
"...no matter what..." Chris would add.
"...we will..." Seth adds.
"...always love you..." Ben put in.
"...because..." Chris said.
"...you're our..." Seth added.
"...little..." Ben said but would sometimes change it to baby or only.
"...sister." Matt would finish. This saying only work with Seth, Matt, and I. Matt's would always be big brother and Seth's was middle sibling.
I took that saying in and let the old air in before righting my stick. I lined up the shot and took it. Right after the stick made connection with the puck I shut my eyes and prayed to every god listening that it would go in. My prayers weren't answered though because I heard the metal clang of the puck hitting the bar. I opened my eyes and saw that the puck had gone to the left of the bar and back to the boards instead of to the right and into the net. I sunk to my knees and stopped myself from crying.
"A fraction of an inch. One stinking fraction of an inch." I muttered.
"So Bash what do you want for dinner?" Matt asked stopping next to me.
"Burgers are always good." Bash suggested pulling me to my feet.
"You knew I couldn't do it that's why you bet me. You knew you would win."
"Yes but what I don't understand is why you agreed when you knew you couldn't make it. You've never made more than 19 straight shots even if I raised it to 25 or 30." Matt said. I looked down and dug my toe into the ice.
"Lizzy?" Bash asked rubbing my shoulder.
"I guess some part of me thought I could. I was wrong." I confessed.
"There's nothing wrong with trying though." Matt reassured. He was right but that didn't mean I had to admit it. So after dinner I got back to the school and Bash walked me back to my dorm.
"You know there's no way out of this right?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He's gonna call Charlie and ask if you went to practice."
"I know and thanks for coming with me to talk to my brother."
"Any time Lizzy." He said walking away.
When I woke up the next morning the red glare from my alarm clock read 5:00 am. I sighed and got up. I opened my fridge and looked around inside. I pulled out a carton of milk and drained the rest of it. Then I drained a carton of Orange Juice and downed a Pb&j sandwich. I pulled on a pair of track pants, thick socks, my baseball workout t-shirt, and Fulton's pee-wee Ducks jersey. I pulled my hair up and put on my favorite purple bandanna after that. I pulled on my sneakers and grabbed everything I would need to get a few hockey shots in before the rest of the school came alive.
When I got to the rink I set down my bag and pulled out my portable CD player. I popped in my favorite mixed CD and got to doing 20 laps. Once I finished those I did 20 sprints and then raced from blue line to blue line for a bit and stopped when my CD ended. I skated to the bench and put the CD player away and checked the time on my cell.
"6:15 good now time for the hard part, let's see if I still remember all my puck handling skills."
I pulled out a puck and my stick. Then I got to work. Little did I know I wasn't alone anymore. After a bit of what I used to do to show off I dropped the puck to the ice and started acting as if I was in the middle of a game again. I had made six shots when my cell went off. I skated over and picked it up shutting off the "Without You Here" by George Strait ringtone.
I knew it was Aaron but I didn't really want to talk to him.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hey Juliet." Aaron said. That was the first and probably only time I've ever been annoyed to hear his voice. "How's everything?"
"Aaron..."
"Look I'm really sorry for not calling you but I had this huge project that just wiped me out I'm really sorry Lizzy."
"Aaron I'm kinda in the middle of something right not but I promise ya I'll call you back in a few hours, if you're not busy."
"Yeah sure just sometime tonight." He said.
"Alright bye." I said. I hung up and rolled my eyes. Nope I wasn't going to call him back until sometime on Tuesday like he had done to me. I went back to what I had been doing before, stick handling a bit and showing off to my invisible spectators just making sure I still had it. "Three more shots down let's see if I can make this one." I mumbled to myself.
I skated down the ice a bit pushing the puck in front of me and brought the stick back. It made a connection and the puck went sailing through the air. It hit the crossbar bounced upwards hit the ceiling and headed for the stands where a group of kids were sitting. "LOOK OUT." I hollered. The group split apart and the puck hit the bleachers. They got back up and one of them brought the puck back down to me.
"Hey, sorry about that, sometimes I'm more powerful then I mean to be."
"I know Lizzy." The guy said.
"Do I know you?"
"Ever seen a Redwings game?"
"Never had a reason to before."
"Oh right Matt told me about that. My name's Brad McCormack I play left side. Matt's almost always talking about you."
"Awww that's so sweet of my little Mattie-poo. So what are you doing here?"
"See that kid up there?" He asked pointing to the boy in the middle of the stands that looked a lot like him. I nodded. "That's my little brother, invited me down for the day so I could see the school before he graduated, he's a senior this year."
"Oh."
"Well it was really nice to meet you I had better get back up to him but I must say your brother was right you do have the special talent for hockey."
"It was nice meeting you too, and I hope I have the same talent for baseball. Tell my Mattie-poo I said hi will you?"
"Certainly. Don't be a heartbreaker, even though you're pretty enough to." I nodded and he went back up to his brother.
Well there's the end of this chapter. Not a big fan of this chapter as it was kinda boring having to rewrite it and definitely not my favorite chapter but it was necessary but thanks for reading and review if you want.