I'm in the JV locker room. My jersey is red. I had to give my speech again. There are fewer detractors this time, I guess most of them keep forgetting I'm female. Gav's on the team, so is Luke. Too bad. The other D don't have a chance. The plus is I get to face Scooter. That'll be fun. We're going to be coached by one of the Varsities assistant coaches. The two head coaches are going to watch. The game is going to be attended by a majority of the school. I hate audiences, they're just a distraction. Okay, so sometimes they can pump you up, but I don't need them to. The game is enough, I would play just as hard on a lake in the middle of nowhere, actually I'd probably play harder.
Game time. I'm confidant yet nervous as we step out onto the ice. As we are going through our warm-up I sing Itsy Bitsy Spider softly to myself. Tommy Curtis comes up beside me and smiles.
"You look nervous. How can you be nervous?"
"Well, it is my first high school game even though it's not official. And this is the largest crowd I've ever had at one of my games."
He glances up at the audience. "Well, you'll have to get used to it, because this is the normal amount at one of our games."
"JV too?"
He smirks. "Come on, Rae. You know you're going to make Varsity. I'm even afraid that you'll take my spot."
The guy in front of us turns around, it's Aaron Millet, one half of the twins. "Plus, like you always tell us, just focus on the fun."
I laugh. "Thanks guys."
By the end of the warm-up I feel ready. Nervousness banished, my fun center activated, a hug grin on my face. The grin seems to be infectious, everyone starts to grin. I start at center, Casey Warner is across from me. We grin at each other, these guys are fun to play with. Gav would say I infected them with good humor.
The game goes well. It's pretty even, although my team's winning, of course. (I'm not full of myself, really). We've all been getting even playing time. The lines are constantly being switched around, even our positions are. I've played a few times at wing.
Towards the end it gets a little rough out there. I think we're all getting desperate to show our stuff. I try not to let the adrenaline get to me too much, emotion clogs the brain, causes you to make mistakes. Ah hell, it's almost over, time to let loose, and I lose myself to the game.
When the final horn blows logical thought once again surfaces within my brain. That's the funnest type of hockey, the kind where you don't think just act. When I'm being assessed I think, because when I just act I don't care if we win or lose or if I do good or bad, I just play. Some people think I play better at this stage, some say I just look berserko, because I do go all out, my body turns into a tool and I'll throw it in front of a slap shot if it gets me the puck.
The crowd is cheering as we head off. We must have given them a good game. In the locker room we celebrate, I mean we did win. There are a few who complain about how much they sucked today. We all try to convince them otherwise. Me personally wouldn't know, I don't pay much attention to how well others are doing unless it directly effects the play at the moment.
Chris Shimek, the other goalie, comes over to me. "You know," he starts, "as a goalie you get to see the entire ice. And what I saw from you was short of amazing. What got into you those last five minutes? Did you shoot up or something?"
I laugh. "Yeah, that's right. I took a shot of pure sugar."
He grins. "But seriously, what was that?"
I shrug. "I just decided to quit worrying about what the coaches thought and had fun."
"You should do it more often."
"Yeah but only when the opponent isn't someone you like," Millet spoke up, "Did you hear Warner whining after she hit him?"
The room broke into laughter.
~~~~~
We mill around in the stands after we get out of the locker rooms. Nervousness is back full force. The coaches are picking the teams at this very moment. I send a silent prayer to the hockey god for myself and the rest of my friends. I see Aidan Matthews clasping his hands before him, eyes closed, lips moving. I smile, he's praying too.
Curtis walks up to me. "Are you going to start singing the Spider song again?"
I laugh. "Nah, I'm beyond that. Now I'm praying?"
He chuckles and moves to sit. I sit between Gav and Colin. The coaches choose this moment to appear.
"First of all," Coach Stevens starts, "I'd like to congratulate you all on a great game. You gave our fans quite a show.
"Now the thing you've all been waiting for. Those I name will be on Varsity, the rest of you will be on JV." He pauses for dramatic effect or more likely to prolong our suffering.
"Banks, Bernard, Brewer, Conway, Curtis," he said them slowly, deliberately so there is no question as to who he says, "S. Daniels, T. Daniels," Trevor made it, good for him, "Dukes, Finch, Gaffney, Germaine," the Ducks are getting twitchy, "Lupi, Mackenzie," I slap Gavin on the back, "Mahoney, Melton, Mendoza," more severe twitching, "Perrin," I knew it all along," Portman, Reily," yay Colin, my congratulatory slap is interrupted by the launching of Portman from his seat, but he is restrained by the others. Coach ignores him and continues, "Shimek, Slusher, L. Smith, Stetson, Thompson, Wallace, Warner."
He pauses. Some of the guys have smiles or smirks on their faces, some have disappointment. The Ducks look spitting mad.
"The first Varsity practice will be Monday at five am. You'll receive schedules and equipment. Make sure you arrive 45 minutes before practice time." There is a low groan. "The practice will go to 6:30."
He steps back and Coach Orion steps forward. "The first JV practice will be Monday at 4pm. Show up an hour early to receive your equipment."
The coaches leave. The players erupt, the Ducks in yelling, the rest in talking. I congratulate everyone who made Varsity and give condolences to the JV. The Ducks yelling starts to annoy me so I decide to speak to them.
I move to stand in front of them. They don't notice.
"Guys,' I say. They continue to yell.
I grab the loudest two, Conway and Portman, and shove them down into sitting positions. They all stop shouting and look at me, startled. A few shake it off quickly and glare. I glare right back.
"What the hell is your guys' problem?"
They're speechless for a second, then "captain" Charlie speaks up.
"They split us up," he pouts. I almost roll my eyes.
"So? You'd eventually be split up in some way or another."
"But we've been together for almost five years," he whines.
"Is that all?"
He blinks. "And some of us grew up together."
"And you're still growing up together."
They look at me blankly.
"I was on a team with the same people for over seven years. I admit I didn't get to grow up with them until three years ago, and then with only half of them. But at the point where we were closest I was torn away. And now I'm here, alone. You guys still have old friends on your team, and you get to live with all of them. I can't even talk to mine."
"B . But," stuttered Portman this time, "they split up the Bash Brothers."
"And my coming here split up the best offensive line in New England."
"Yeah, and wouldn't you give anything to go back? Didn't you come here kicking and screaming?"
"Yes, at first I was kicking and screaming, I thought my life was finally shot to hell for good. I thought someone must be really pissed at me to take me down just as I was getting back on my feet.
"I was angry. I was sad. But then I got to know everyone here, my new teammates, the coaches. And I realized that my move wasn't necessarily a fall. Here I am more challenged, here I am exposed to more people. I don't need to be surrounded by my original friends to be happy, it would be nice to have them near, which you do, but I am happy to have the new friends that I do. I left fifteen brothers and sisters for forty-seven."
There is silence at the end of my speech. All the non-Ducks look on in awe and amazement. The Ducks are too stunned to think. Conway is the first to start processing my words. Portman scrunches up his brow in thought. The others mimic him.
"So you're kind of saying be happy with what you got, right?" Charlie asks.
I look to the heavens in thanks, they got it. I nod to them. "Basically. Even though it is a bit cliché."
A small
voice speaks up seeming to be afraid to contradict me. "What about Varsity/JV
rivalry?"
I harrumph and turn around
facing the others, in particular the juniors and seniors. "We're going to give
up this stupid Varsity/JV rivalry, aren't we? We're going to help each other
instead of ignore or insult, aren't we?"
They cower before my gaze. The braver nod. I smile, it looks a bit evil at the moment. "Good." I don't expect it to be that easy but they'll come around eventually. I will see to it.
I linger as everyone leaves. Soon I am the only one left. I look out over the ice and sigh. I have a huge job ahead of me. Not only do I have to see to my own happiness, I have to see to the happiness of forty-seven others. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.
"You just made our jobs a whole lot easier."
I look over, it's Coach Stevens. I let out my breath. "Yeah, I tend to do this a lot. The last time I did I was forced on to a new challenge." I look at him sadly, half pleadingly. "I don't want to be torn away again, but I also can't stand not to help people in need."
His hand squeezes my shoulder and his eyes turn hard. "You'll not be taken away from here. I'll make sure of that."
He pats my shoulder and leaves. I look after him, a smile slowly spreads over my face. It might not be so bad here after all.
The End.
A/N-Before any one says, "End!! End!! This can't be the end!!" I would just like to say in my defense that I will be writing a sequel. Do you think I would be so cruel to just stop? Well, I am but I have more to say. So stay calm, everything will be okay. And don't forget to review.!!