Sleeping the night before my first game is the same as trying to go to sleep the night before Christmas. I haven’t had this feeling in such a long time. Last season, it was exhilarating but nowhere near as much as this. Maybe it’s because I haven’t played in so long. Maybe it’s also because it’s the first time Wren is going to see me play.
Since we came back from Palm Springs, I’ve been training like crazy to get back into shape for this season. The first game of the season is always the most exciting. There’s a certain type of rush in the crowd and having the first years’ experience it for the first time makes this more thrilling.
We all huddle in the tunnel, psyching ourselves up to play. Most of the team rough each other up a little; bumping their chests together and howling. Others take a moment to pray to their God to guide them through the game. Grey, Harry, Xavier, and I stand in huddle, working out the logistics of the game. We had a team meeting earlier in the sports classroom to work over tactics, while we looked at past games to plan how to work around it. How to improve.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Of course, I am. If I mess this up, they’re going to blame me because they know how far gone I have been. I have to help lead us to victory. I need to earn back some part of my respect around here.
“Don’t fuck this up, Davis,” Jake mumbles as he walks past our huddle, jabbing his hockey stick into my side. Since the fight, he’s gone back to his usual self: annoying me at any chance he can get. I ignore his relentlessness and turn back to the guys.
“As long as we play our best, that’s all that matters, right?” Harry asks, looking between us. Xavier bumps him in the shoulder playfully.
“Hilton are an easy beat,” Xavier says. “Out hustle, out work, out think, out play and out last.”
We all nod, chanting along with him. We’ve been doing these rituals for as long as I can remember. Just saying encouraging words and affirmations help us get into the get our heads into the game. It works like magic.
“Whatever it takes,” Grey shouts at the top of his lungs, this time all the guys join in with the chant.
“Whatever it takes!”
“Good afternoon, hockey fans!” Max Carhart, our student commentator announces. “Welcome to the first game of the 2022 college ice hockey season between the Hilton College Penguins and North University Bears.”
Everybody cheers and chant over the commentator as they introduce the line-up for the visitors’ team. We start to make our way out of the tunnel as they call out our names while we take our positions on the ice.
I stand in right wing, trying to focus on my breathing as we play the national anthem. I attempt to ignore the tightness in my chest and close my eyes. Big mistake. Flashes of our last game with Carter cross my mind. I can see him skating around the ice in celebration after everyone left. “We fucking did it, Davis!” he shouted, patting me on the back.
I feel the suffocation inside my helmet. I can do this. I have to do this. For Carter. I open my eyes when the national anthem is finished. I look up into the stands and I see her. Wren’s sat down, wearing my spare jersey which she stole the other night and looking absolutely devastating. She sees me and smiles wide. Kennedy sits beside her, smiling too but Scarlett frowns, not hiding her distaste for hockey. I tear my focus from them when the whistle blows.
Whatever it takes.
*
“I just can’t get over that shot. It was, like, completely legendary,” Kennedy exclaims for the hundredth time.
Wren, Scarlett, and Kennedy came over to my place after the game to hang out. Most of the team have gone to a much louder party but I knew that Wren wouldn’t want to go to that. Instead, I told Grey, Harry, and Xavier to stay here.
While we were in Palm Springs, it seems like they’ve all gotten a lot closer without us which is good. Yet, as much as they’ve hung out, Kennedy is still not over the way hockey works and how my shot wasn’t at all ‘legendary.’
I was able to get in two goals while Xaiver and Harry got one in each. Grey needs to learn how to chill more on the ice because he was in the penalty box for half of the game. We all helped each other assist along with Tyler and Bryan. It was a really good first game back.
“Calm down, Ken. You’re going to boost his ego even more,” Wren says giving me a small smile. She leans her head into my neck as I wrap my arms around her waist while she sits in my lap, wearing the shirt I got her for Christmas. Across from us, Kennedy and Scarlett give each other knowing glances.
“I don’t mind it one bit,” I say proudly. I turn to Wren. “It’s not like you’ve even told me congrats since the game was over.”
Wren’s face turns red at my teasing. She has said ‘well done’. Once with a huge hug and a kiss when she ran up to me when the game ended when I was all sweaty and gross and then again when we got home, on her knees in my bedroom with my hand in her ponytail.
“It was a good game, though. It helped that they couldn’t play for shit anyway,” Grey laughs. “They looked like they only just learnt how to skate.”
Wren snorts. ‘You spent more time in the sin bin than you did on the ice,” she retorts seriously, seeming genuinely disappointed with his performance, and everyone laughs.
I look at her, unable to hide my grin and the raging hard-on. “What did you just say?”
She tilts her head. “What? About the penalties?”
“Nah,” I tut, shaking my head. “I want to hear you say it again.”
“You want me to say ‘sin bin’ again? Is this a new kink of yours, Davis?” she asks me innocently batting her eyelashes at me.
“It might be,” I admit, having to readjust my jeans. I lower my voice and groan. “Fuck me.”
“I can make that happen.” She bites softly on my ear, and I press my mouth in a line to suppress my groan. Does this girl enjoy torturing me?
“Uh, please don’t,” Scarlett cuts in grimacing.
“Yeah, please don’t. Can we move on past this? As much as I love hockey, I don’t want to talk about it all the time,” Harry says, taking a swig of his beer. “Let’s play truth or dare.”
All the girls look at each other and smile.
“Ugh,” Scarlett groans. “Been there and done that. Not the smartest idea with this bunch.”
“Why not?” Harry asks, clearly oblivious to the 2021 Christmas Incident.
“Because it brings out a lot of shit that no one needs to know about. Like how, Scarlett had relations in the business classroom and how these two can’t keep their hands off each other,” Kennedy explains with a waft of her hand in our direction.
“That is not true,” Wren retorts, sliding off my lap and trying to sit beside me but there isn’t much space so half her leg is still on my thigh anyway. She pulls her hands in between her thighs and squeezes them together. “See?”
“See what? That you can last two seconds without making out,” Kennedy says back, raising her eyebrows. “It’s got a lot worse since you came back.”
“I second that,” Scarlett announces.
“Me too,” Xavier and Grey say in unison. Grey stands up and saunters towards the kitchen, no doubt to raid my fridge. He’s going to be disappointed when he notices that Wren threw out all of our junk food. He fiddles with the speaker and changes the song to ‘Save your tears,’ by the Weeknd.
“Whatever. At Christmas, it was a dare. It’s not like we were doing it for no reason,” I say looking over to Wren who has got the biggest smile on her face.
“Exactly. At least someone agrees with me.” She points at me, wiggling her finger in my face. Instinctively, I gently bite at the end of her finger, and she laughs, sliding back into my lap.
“You two are impossible,” Scarlett grumbles, slouching back in her seat
“Okay,” Harry draws out, looking at me and Wren before turning to Kennedy. “Kennedy, truth or dare?”
“Didn’t we just say we’re not playing that?” Wren asks, bending over me to look over at Harry.
“Yeah, we are but not with you two,” Harry replies nonchalantly, returning his attention to Kennedy. Wren nods and snuggles herself deeper into me. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“If you could have three wishes, what would they be?” We all start laughing at how starkly different this question is compared to Evan’s ones at Christmas. Kennedy rolls her eyes, pushing her long curly hair over her shoulder.
“I’d wish for endless film in my camera, endless supply of ice cream and… a little person, like an assistant, that can tell me endless conspiracy theories, so I’d never run out.” Kennedy lifts her chin up and grins.
“That was a boring answer,” Harry says.
“It was a boring question,” Kennedy challenges, raising her eyebrow. Harry shakes his head with a light laugh.
“Why are they all endless?’ he asks.
“What would be the point of having wishes for them to run out?” Kennedy responds but Harry shrugs. ‘Greyson! Truth or dare?’
Grey leans in the doorway of the kitchen, giving Kennedy that look that he does when he’s trying to flirt without really flirting. ‘Truth.’
Kennedy pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking for a moment before saying, ‘What is one thing I don’t know about you?’
‘How much time I spend thinking about you,’ Grey drawls. All the girls gag. Hell, I do too. ‘I’m kidding, Ken, jheez. Anyway, it turns out Evan is not the only child prodigy. I play piano, too.’
Scarlett’s eyes widen. ‘Evan plays piano?’
Grey nods. ‘Yeah, he was born into like me. But, he takes it a lot more seriously. I do it to impress the ladies.’ Grey winks at Wren and she snorts.
‘Thank you, Grey, for that pocket of information about Evan that I can now use against him,’ Scarlett replies, beaming. I swear those two will kill each other one day.
‘My pleasure,’ Grey replies before shifting his attention to me. ‘Davis. Truth or dare?’
Wren looks up at me, her green eyes dancing with mischief. ‘Dare,’ I say, turning back to Grey. He quickly chugs the bottle of water that has materialised in his hands.
‘Pick a vegetable,’ he demands.
‘What?’
‘Just pick one,’ he retorts.
‘Uh, celery?’
‘Ooh, bad choice, Davis,’ Grey tuts. He goes into the fridge, rifling around for said vegetable before he holds up a celery stick. He throws it to me and I catch it with one hand. ‘Since your beautiful girlfriend, here, threw out all your good food, you can brush your teeth with that and see if she’ll kiss you. And if Wren is as-‘
‘Careful,’ I warn, ‘how you finish that sentence, Grey.’
He shakes his head laughing. ‘Just brush your damn teeth, Davis.’
I do as he says, feeling disgusting as the green stick rubs against my teeth. The girls look at me in horror and Wren laughs, finding joy in my pain.
‘You are not kissing me with that mouth, Miles,’ Wren demands, holding her finger in my face at a distance. I make a pouty face at her and she grimaces.
‘Baby, you’re forgetting that theres a million different ways I can get you off without my mouth. But trust me, you’ll be begging to kiss me by the time I’m done with you,’ I whisper for only her to hear. The second I move my face away from hers, her cheeks inflame.
The game continues around us as Kennedy asks Harry, “Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” Harry replies, leaning forward to look at her better.
“Awh, I was kinda hoping you’d say truth,” Kennedy sulks, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Why?”
“So, then I could as if you were single or not.” Everyone, except those two, exchange glances, smiles creeping up our faces. I knew there was something going on with those two.
“Smooth, Ken,” Wen mutters under her breath when Scarlett looks at her with wide eyes. I look over to Harry whose mouth has almost dropped to the floor.
“He’s single,” I say. “Very.”
“This feels like a perfect opportunity to play seven minutes in heaven,” Xavier suggests, trying to stifle his laugh. “Should we spin a bottle? I’m not playing, obviously. I’m quite happy with my balls the way they are.”
“We don’t need a bottle,” Kennedy says happily as she stands up. She waltz’s over to Harry and grabs his hand, as he blinks up at her, pulling him somewhere that I don’t want to know.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Scarlett asks quietly. “I’m in real protective older sister mode.”
“He’s a good guy. He’s a little much but he’s okay,” I say, reassuring her.
“You better be right,” Scarlett says, pinning me with a Kubrick stare. “Or I’ll kill you.”
I raise my hands in surrender as Wren smiles and stands up in front of me. She turns around to Scarlett, her ass in my face.
“Leave him alone. Kennedy can handle herself. She completely flamed a guy at Coachella last year without our help.”
“I forgot about that,” Scarlett laughs.
“What’s this Coachella story?” Grey shouts from the kitchen.
“That a story for another time,” she shouts back before she pulls me up from my seat. “I want to see if what you said is really true.”
Everyone groans as she drags me up the stairs to my bedroom.
