Chapter 2

The sweat was running in my eyes. I looked down at the ice surface and tried to shake it off, it had been a very long two and a half periods. With so many scouts from the world juniors watching the game, the flyers were playing their hardest; but we were better. Proudly enough I had gotten my second hat trick of the play-offs, not to mention 3 assists on the goals by Carrol and Mattie. We were up 8-3 and with only ten minutes left in the game, the thugs were taking the ice. Coach Richards wanted to bench me, but there was no way I was going to sit out willingly. Being 16 I wasn't sure how much time I was going to have left to play competitive hockey in a decent league (most of the talent would be moving on in the next year or so).

"Simone watch #17. He's a brick wall and he's had his eye on you the past couple shifts. I'll try to keep him back but just keep your head up and stay outta the corners alright?" Consti skated into position, as I lined up for the faceoff.

The puck dropped and I had it a full second before the kid infront of me even made a move. I passed it off to Marty who hit it off behind Jonsey (our goalie). Carrol was there to pick the puck up before any of the Flyers could intercept it; he started bringing it out, and just like that we were moving.

I was being blanketed, but it didn't matter. When I was being covered it just meant Mattie and Carrol had more room to manouver, which they did fluently. Within seconds we were coming in hard at the Flyers goalie, Mattie had the puck but stopped short of the net, passing it back to Carrol who feigned a shot. I grabbed the puck from him and flew into the doorstep. Damn! Lucky glove save...

One of the Flyers defence got a lucky turnover due to a poorly placed linechange. I was too far out, the only one left who was able to stop any shots, looks like I'd be taking a double shift... again. I pushed my stick lamely back and forth against the ice, trying half-heartedly to stop a pass. Fatigue was burning my legs as the Flyer's center feigned right, I knew where he was going, I turned and barreled left taking the puck back down the ice. Jackson missed an easy pass from me and turned the puck back over; I skated back down towards Jonsey... damn I was tired. I turned my head to see where Jackson was heading, and then I couldn't breath.

My hands were on my chest and I was lying on the ice. My ribs didn't hurt but I couldn't make my lungs fill with air. I finally drew in a breath but I still couldn't place the burn: my whole body was aching. Mattie was ontop of me then and something sounded like a fight breaking out somewhere... yes... I could hear Consti yelling. Mattie pulled off my neck protector and his hands felt cold on my face, he was stairing down below my face... like he was afraid to touch my neck. Carrol was above me, looking into my eyes, his lips moving rapidly...

I wonder if he knows that he's not making any sound? I thought. My body felt separated from my head. Maybe he is and I just can't hear him... I stared at his lips, trying to make sense of everything....

"... and Jesus H. Christ so help me GOD if he's not banned!! That was deliberate, without a doubt... he knew what he was doing... if Consti hadn't already... well it doesn't matter anyway cause I'm gonna find that Turner kid and when I do... Carlie why aren't you saying anything?! Carlie come on... can you get up?" Carrol was tugging on my arm "Carlie can you get up?"

"What if her necks broken?" Mattie whispered, something was awkward about his voice... it made me not want to look at him, so I kept my eyes on Carrol.

"It's not..." I pushed out with as much force as I could. Lying on the ice felt good, I felt like I had more energy: felt like I'd had a cat nap. "I didn't even see him hit me." I pushed myself up onto my elbows, I hadn't realized how many people were around me. They had me covered in a semi-circle, apparently the whole team had decicded to come out. Consti was there behind everyone I could hear him yelling at the ref about 'lack of justice'.

"He didn't hit you... well he did but not with his body. He was right there infront of the net, and instead of trying to score he dropped back and took a slapshot at your head... hit you in the neck... are you sure you should be sitting up Carlie? They've got a stretcher to take you in the ambulance." Coach Richards looked warn and tired, I hadn't really appreciated just how old he was until this moment...

"I don't need a stretcher and I don't need a... wait... what?! Did you say ambulance? I'm not going in an ambulance! There's like seven minutes left, and I'm perfectly fine thank you." I said pulling my arm out of Matties grip. I tettered back to my feet and cheers errupted.

I definetly had more energy, the adrenaline was pumping fast. I pulled off my glove and tenderly touched my neck as I skated back to the bench: there was already a giant painful lump on the right side. I slid in next to Marty. I had to turn my whole body to look at him, my neck couldn't move on it's own: he had the start of a black eye and there was blood on his jersey.
"You look worse" he laughed, noticeing my apprasial.
"Shut up Marty"
"Alright"
The rest of the team was beginning to file off the ice.
"You took that hit like a champ by the way"
"Mmmhmmm"
"Really though, I'm impressed... I-"
"I thought you were going to..."
"... Shutting up" he smiled, putting his eyes back on the ice.

The game went on as usual. We had another great shot on net via Domi (third line center), and a few solid hits. There were three minutes left in the game and I still hadn't played.
"Come on Richards, I need to go back out there" I said slidding down the bench to where he was standing
"No, no way. You could have just been killed Carlie, if that had of hit your windpipe..."
"But it didn't."
"It could have."
"You have to put me back out there or I'm done... they'll never respect me."
"They don't respect you now..." He stopped and looked down at me. Meeting my eyes for the first time. "I'm sorry- Carlie I, I didn't mean -"
"Yah you did. It's ok. It's true. But that's my point. Anyone else in this league... if they get an inch, they can stretch it a mile. I get an inch, and I get slapped in the face. If I wanted people to like me I'd go do ballet... if I don't go back out there and show them that I'm not afraid of them, I'll never be able to play in this leauge again, they'll think I can be intimidated."
"Carlie..."
"No listen, seriously. I'm better then them, they know that. I could go back out there and score again but it doesn't matter. I'm the best in the league, scoring goals won't show them anything. Put me on defence, let me finish some hits, knock them down. You know.. You HAVE to know what's going to happen to me if I don't go out there..."
"Fine, next line change... Damnit! I forgot Constis' gone... alright, go out with Marty. JOHNSON, next change go out with Carrol and Mattie!."

Skating past the Flyer's bench I could tell they were surprised. There was a collective intake of air as I passed, I didn't know if it was because they thought I wouldn't have the 'balls' to come back out, or because they didn't think I'd be able to stand. I lined up by their defence, he looked puzzled... then he looked around, like this was some kind of joke and at any minute people were going to start laughing.

From a scoring point, the last two minutes were nothing. From where I stood as a player and as a competitor, they were everything. I had four major hits, each one forcing a Flyer down. Not to mention the amount of contact I made in general. I played it like offence, I was everywhere. Everytime someone touched the puck I was on them, rubbing them out, hacking, doing everything I could do to make them know I was there. Mattie and Carrol backed off, never fighting for the puck, allowing me ample opportunity to state my message... I'm still here.

After the Game

I was iceing my neck. The lack of adrenaline was making me really feel my neck for the first time, I could already tell it was going to be a long, long night. Carrol, Mattie, Consti and Marty had all been approached, they were laughing and going over game sheets with scouts. Along with a few other guys from the team, it seemed like the World Juniors would be coming straight out of the burgh this year. I grabbed my bag and started for the door, Mattie caught my eye and I gave him the most honest smile I could manage; he smiled back, it looked apologetic. Great! That's all I needed, this could be the best day in my friends lives so far and they were going to ruin it by feeling sorry for me.

I took the back way out of the dressing room, I didn't really feel like walking past all the proud families. I walked out the back door into the parking lot. The cold air felt so good, I took a deep breath. I threw my bag into the back of Consti's truck and climbed into the cab. I was flipping through his ipod looking for some non-rap-songs when someone knocked on my window.
"HOLY SHIT!" I jumped and looked out, exasperated at the man beside my door. I rolled the window down "Man, you just scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry! I tried to grab you before you got out here... I was in the dressing room and I was going to come talk to you but, you were gone before I had a chance... no one knew where you went..." He looked awkward, like was nervous.

"Ummm yah well, I went out the back way, I didn't want to be a downer... you know?" He looked confused. Man I was stupid, he had no idea who I was... of course he wouldn't know. "Just like, the scouts and... yah..." I stopped talking. My neck was throbbing painfully and I just wanted to be alone. "Look, everyone's back in the dressing room... I'm just waiting for my friends. They might be awhile, you'd do better to just go back and wait for them there..."

"Ahh, well I've already talked to some of your teammates, I came out here to talk to you actually"
Hmmm I wasn't aware World Juniors required character references.
"Oh, right. Well, what do you want?" God my neck was soar!
"How's your neck?"
"Fine... no that's a lie. It's actually really painful, but I'll survive"
He laughed "I'm sure you will. You don't think it's going to effect your play do you?"
"Well, I guess as long as it doesn't get so big it throws of my balance..."
"Let's hope not then. My name's Rick Milligan by the way, I'm the head scout for the World Juniors and I'm in charge of getting a team together for next year. Think you'd be interested in trying out?"

I can only imagine what my face must have looked like, but whatever it was, it seemed to scare him away "Not that you have to, and you don't have to decide now, camp doesn't start for a few more months, we were just, out looking now so..."
"Yes..."
"I'm sorry?"
"Yes!!!" I screamed "Are you serious?! OH MY FRIGGIN GOD THAT'S AWESOME! Shut up!"
"Ummm"
"SHUT UP!"
"....."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I don't mean like.. shut up... I mean... Wow! Can we do that over?"
He started to laugh. "Carlie Simone, would you like to try out for the World Juniors?"
"Yes, yes I would..."