Chapter Five

Emma's P.O.V

So apparently my coach isn't going to be able to make it to any of our practices this week, and I have to share the rink with he hockey team all week as well.

I'm sitting on the bench tying my skates and I can here them hitting the pucks around for warmup.

"Okay boys you all need to get your shit together, the game is this Saturday were running out of time!" their coach yells.

I connect my phone to my headphones and pull up my playlist. I put my phone down on the bench and walk out onto my side of the rink.

I do a few small laps and some warm-ups. I then get ready for my spiral, I skate forward then bring up my left leg so it's behind me and pointed towards the sky and tilts forward.

I lean down a little more and drag my fingers across the ice as I go then slowly lean back up bringing my leg down.

I do a cross over then go for the spiral, I only get around about two times before I'm tackled to the ground and a heavy body is laying on top of me.

One of the players, number fifteen to be exact is laying on top of me not moving. I use all the strength I have to kind of lift him up and roll out from under him.

I sit up and notice he's not moving, "Hey dude" nothing. I poke my finger through the face mask part of his helmet and touch his cheek.

He still doesn't move, I stand up and look over seeing his teammates and coach looking at us.

I pull my headphones down to my neck and give him a little kick. "He's out," I call over my shoulder.

All you hear is a bunch of skates coming at us fast. "What'd you do!" one of his teammates yells at me, "Me, I didn't do anything! He like tackled me to the ground!" how could this be my fault?

"Drew? Drew come on wake up," the coach says taking his helmet off and smacking his face a little. Number fifteen who I now know is Drew groans a little then opens his eyes, "The puck was flying over here, I tried to keep it from hitting her," he says and throws his arm in my direction.

"So you tackled her?" the coach asks setting Drew up a little, "I didn't mean to, then I tripped and I think hit head...?" I think he got the last part of his sentence a little mixed up. Their trainer comes onto the ice with a first aid bag, he pulls out a little flash light and shines it in his eyes.

"He's got a concussion, he needs to go to the hospital and get checked out." he says putting his flashlight back in his bag and stands up. "What about this weekend?" the coach asks, "I highly doubt he'll be able to play, I'll take him to the hospital" he says and helps Drew stand up.

As he gets him off the ice the team glares at me, "Great, now because of you we can't play this week" Leo from yesterday says. "How is this my fault? And don't ya'll have a backup player?", "If you weren't here he wouldn't have tried to keep you from getting hit, and Don's suspended so no we don't have a backup" he says glaring.

They turn and head back to their side, "What if I could get you someone?" I call out. The coach turns, "You know someone who plays?", "We'll he hasn't played in a little over a year but when he did he was good, never missed a shot."

"What position did he play?" the coach asks coming over to me, "He's played all of them over the years, but he was a left wing when he quit playing," I say recalling all the games I went to.

"Call him, now" the coach says then goes back over to his team, I get of the ice and grab my phone dialing up Matthew as I walk out to the hall. Come on Matthew answer, its the last ring and he finally answers.

"Hey what's up?", "What are you doing right now?" I cross my fingers hoping he'll say he's doing nothing. "Nothing," "Great! Okay I need you to come to the rink and bring your hockey gear," "Why...?" he asks after a few seconds of silence.

"The team here has a game this weekend and one of their players got a concussion that I guess was my fault and their backup is suspended so if they don't get someone to play then their out for the week."

"So you want me to fill in?", "Yes Matthew! I have to share the rink with these dudes and I would rather they not try and shoot pucks at my head!", "Okay, I'll be there in like fifteen minuets," he says and I hear some shuffling in the background.

"Okay, great see you then," I say and hang up, I head back out to the rink and see the team all droopy like. "You call him!?" the coach yells across the rink when he sees me coming back through the hall doorway.

"Yeah, he'll be here in fifteen," I say heading back to the rink to try and practice some more. Matthew had been playing hockey since he was seven, his dad always pushed him so he'd be great. I guess it worked out because he was pretty great, but then his team started making fun of him, saying he was gay and like completely harrassed him because of it.

They all had to shower together, it was a giant wall in the locker room that had a bunch of shower heads. There were no stalls no curtains in between, so they all made claims that he was trying to touch them in the shower. Then one time when he was the only one showering they turned up the heat on the water and he got a bunch of burns, he now has a big burn scar across his chest.

I do a few jumps and spins, landing them which is great because I've already kind of embarrassed myself enough today. "That him?" the coach asks coming up to me and pointing behind me, I turn towards the doorway and see Matthew standing there looking at the ice.

"Yeah," I nod to the coach, "Okay boys I'll be back!" he yells and goes put the seating area to where Matthew is.

"He any good?" someone says behind me, I turn and the whole team is like literally directly behind me. "Like I told your coach, he never missed a shot." I see them thinking, "Is he already on a team?" Zach the captain also the guy who shoved Leo away from me the other night asks.

"No, he hasn't played in a little over a year," I turn back and both Matthew and the coach are gone. "Why, did he get kicked off?" again Zach asks, "No he was on a team full of dicks and that's all I'm saying," I say and skate backwards away from them.

The coach and Matthew come back out and Matthews in his gear and got his stick in his hand, "Okay boys, this is Matthew we're gonna see what he can do and if he's good he'll fill in for Drew Saturday." the coach says and all of the team but Zach and the goalie go into the box and sit to watch.

I go over to the bench where my phone is and watch, the goalie shoots a puck out and Zach goes for it but Matthew zips in front of him and steals the puck. He fakes a left shot and Zach goes for it but he shoots the puck to the right and straight past the goalie into the net.

This happens again about five more times before the coach calls quit, "Matthew can you be here the next few days for practice?" the coach asks from where he stands in the box. "Yeah," Matthew says taking his helmet off and wiping the sweat off his face with his arm.

"Okay, be here on the ice tomorrow at four thirty P.M. sharp got it," coach says pointing at Matthew. "Got it," he says nodding, "Okay boys, hit the showers then head outta here," the coach says nodding in the direction of the exit.

The team leaves the box and heads to exit the rink and goes up the ramp to the hall entrance, Matthew comes over and sit's next to me on the bench. "You excited to be out on the ice again?" I ask nudging him, "Yeah, I really missed it. And my da will be real happy," he sighs.

"You seem not yourself, you alright?" I ask as he rests his elbows on his knees and puts his head down looking at the ground. "The showers in the locker room, they're like the ones back at my old rink," he sighs bouncing his foot a little, "You got this okay, you can do it" I say placing my hand on his back.

"I think I'm just gonna wait here till they leave before I go shower," he says his leg bouncing faster. "Okay," I say and bring my hand back into my lap, I hear a bunch of talking out in the hall.

"I think they're leaving," I say and he looks over his shoulder, "Thanks' for having me come back to this, I truly missed it," Matthew says nodding to the rink then hugging me. "No problem, like I said I don't need them shooting pucks at my head while I'm out there," we pull away and he stands up.

"Okay, I'm gonna go shower now," he says picking up his helmet, gloves, and stick, he heads off to the boys locker room and I head off to the girls to get my stuff.

I'm excited to see Matthew playing again, I know he missed it.

---

I like to think Leo has a lot of just built up anger all the time and uses hockey to take it out so when Emma "get's in the way" of that he starts taking his anger out on her.