Free Falling
Chapter 1
Well, tomorrow is a new day, I guess, I thought to myself as I left the locker room after our team’s loss. I was disappointed that we hadn’t beaten the league leaders, though I had scored our only goal of the night. I was starting to get upset, and I threw a pad against the wall in anger. “Kara, calm down,” My friend Melinda said, putting a hand on my arm. I took a deep breath in; let it out slowly. I calmed down after doing this a few times. I smiled at Melinda.
“I’m all right now, Mel,” I said. She smiled.
“
Good, now finish changing,” She ordered.
“Yes ma’am,” I said, saluting her. She laughed as we finished changing before the other girls even got into the locker room. We left quickly since the Red Wings were supposed to be playing in the Joe in about an hour. Some of the guys were already starting to get there, notably Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. I stared as the walked into the Joe past us. “Wait,” I said, catching Mel’s arm and dragging her back in.
“What?” She said in a hushed voice. I pointed as the guys went toward the locker room. I tried to warn them, but Mel clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me back. They tried to walk in, but jumped back when our teammates started screaming. Mel burst into laughter. Henrik glanced back and walked toward us.
“You knew they were in there?” Henrik asked, raising an eyebrow. Mel nodded, and I tried to get her to let go of me by licking her hand.
“Ewww! Gross, Kara!” She cried, jumping back.
“Ha! It never fails!” I said triumphantly. Henrik stared at us like we were crazy. “I tried to warn you guys, but she wouldn’t let me,” I explained.
“I wanted to see how they’d react!” Mel said, bursting into laughter again. I smacked her in the back of the head.
“I’m sorry,” I said to him. He smiled.
“No harm, no foul,” He said. I found myself smiling back. “Are you going to the game tonight?” He asked.
“I wish, but we don’t have tickets,” I responded. His face fell. “We did manage to get tickets for the Winter Classic, however,” I added quickly. His face lit up instantly.
“I’ll have to look for you guys then,” He said. “But right now, I have to get ready for tonight,” He laughed.
“Okay then. I guess we’ll see you at the Winter Classic,” I said, waving. He smiled and waved back.
||Two weeks later...||
I was very excited. Two hours from now, I’d get to see Henrik again! I was practically running around the hotel room looking for my Zetterberg jersey. “Calm down, Kara,” Mel said. “Deep breaths. Check the closet,” She suggested. I did, and there it was, hanging up.
“I love you, Mel,” I said, hugging her. “Except when you do things like that!” I yelled, pointing at her Kane jersey.
“I have to show my Kaner a little love,” She retorted. I rolled my eyes as we left for Wrigley Field. It was packed, but at least we had seats near the ice. We were quiet as the game started, and about thirty seconds into the game the Red Wings scored. I jumped up and cheered loudly along with the other Detroit fans. Henrik had scored. As he skated past, he caught my eye and winked at me. I smiled and waved. ‘See you after the game!’ He mouthed on his way past. I nodded and watched the rest of the game, excited to be able to see him again.
“I’m all right now, Mel,” I said. She smiled.
“
Good, now finish changing,” She ordered.
“Yes ma’am,” I said, saluting her. She laughed as we finished changing before the other girls even got into the locker room. We left quickly since the Red Wings were supposed to be playing in the Joe in about an hour. Some of the guys were already starting to get there, notably Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. I stared as the walked into the Joe past us. “Wait,” I said, catching Mel’s arm and dragging her back in.
“What?” She said in a hushed voice. I pointed as the guys went toward the locker room. I tried to warn them, but Mel clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me back. They tried to walk in, but jumped back when our teammates started screaming. Mel burst into laughter. Henrik glanced back and walked toward us.
“You knew they were in there?” Henrik asked, raising an eyebrow. Mel nodded, and I tried to get her to let go of me by licking her hand.
“Ewww! Gross, Kara!” She cried, jumping back.
“Ha! It never fails!” I said triumphantly. Henrik stared at us like we were crazy. “I tried to warn you guys, but she wouldn’t let me,” I explained.
“I wanted to see how they’d react!” Mel said, bursting into laughter again. I smacked her in the back of the head.
“I’m sorry,” I said to him. He smiled.
“No harm, no foul,” He said. I found myself smiling back. “Are you going to the game tonight?” He asked.
“I wish, but we don’t have tickets,” I responded. His face fell. “We did manage to get tickets for the Winter Classic, however,” I added quickly. His face lit up instantly.
“I’ll have to look for you guys then,” He said. “But right now, I have to get ready for tonight,” He laughed.
“Okay then. I guess we’ll see you at the Winter Classic,” I said, waving. He smiled and waved back.
||Two weeks later...||
I was very excited. Two hours from now, I’d get to see Henrik again! I was practically running around the hotel room looking for my Zetterberg jersey. “Calm down, Kara,” Mel said. “Deep breaths. Check the closet,” She suggested. I did, and there it was, hanging up.
“I love you, Mel,” I said, hugging her. “Except when you do things like that!” I yelled, pointing at her Kane jersey.
“I have to show my Kaner a little love,” She retorted. I rolled my eyes as we left for Wrigley Field. It was packed, but at least we had seats near the ice. We were quiet as the game started, and about thirty seconds into the game the Red Wings scored. I jumped up and cheered loudly along with the other Detroit fans. Henrik had scored. As he skated past, he caught my eye and winked at me. I smiled and waved. ‘See you after the game!’ He mouthed on his way past. I nodded and watched the rest of the game, excited to be able to see him again.