Long Live

“This is the article where I first met Emma. We were nine years old and all we wanted to do was skate.” Sidney said pulling out the article that was turned yellow in its protective sheet.

Sidney Crosby was waiting at his local hockey rink for the interviewer to come for this thing to be over with. He didn’t want to do another interview with someone who wanted to know how he felt about being such a start at a young age. Sidney saw a well dressed man with a notepad in hand and a little girl in toll.

“Sidney Crosby I would like you to met Emma Hill. I’ll be interviewing you two.” The man said kindly taking a seat in front as Emma took a sit next to Sidney. He heard much about a girl from the news. She was said to be the greatest female hockey player that Canada and the world has ever seen.

The interview went on and Emma looked bored. It looked as if Emma didn’t want to be there at the moment. She kept looking past the guy and down at the ice. The questions he was asking were the ones both of the kids answered every time. What was it like to be a star at such a young age? How often do you practice? Do you get teased? For both of the kids the answers were the same, they were going through the same things.

“You wanna play?” The girl asked after the interview guy had left. Sidney looked around to see his parents standing at the top of the stairs waiting for him. When he looked around some more he didn’t see the little girl’s parents. Sidney ran up to his parents with a hopefully look in his eyes, he could never pass up a chance to play hockey. His parents just nodded their head, it wasn’t like you could tell the kid no.

“Sure!” Sidney said walking down the stairs with Emma. For some reason when he was around her got nervous. Sure this was his first time with her but he thought she was pretty. Sidney had only thought his mom and sister were pretty before. Well he had to think that they were pretty, Sidney didn’t have to think she was pretty to be nice. He actually thought she was pretty.
“Loser buys ice cream?” Emma asked looking directly into Sidney’s eyes. They were the same height. Sidney just nodded his head and the games began. He had seen Emma play on T.V but it was nothing compared to seeing her play in real life. It was watching a complete player who knew how to defend and how to score goals. He could see why Canada had been so obsessive about this girl she was amazing.

The game was pretty even between these two players. It had started off for the two to pass time but it had quickly turned into a competition. Sidney didn’t want to lose this game to especially to a girl. Whenever Emma would push herself that much harder it seemed like Sidney did the same as well. “Time to go home Sidney!” His mother yelled causing Sidney to get distracted for a split second. This split second gave Emma the chance to beat Sidney, Emma had won.

“I won, I won!” Emma shouted happily skating around in circles around Sidney. Losing was something that Sidney was good at, aka he took his lost hard. Even though it was just an unofficial game he still took this hard. While Sidney sulked while taking his skate off Emma couldn’t help but smile like she won the Stanley Cup or something.

Sidney kept his end of the deal and took Emma for ice cream. Sometime during the game her parents had arrived. In the ice cream parlor Emma had smashed her face up on the glass. From the way she acted Sidney guessed she loved ice cream. He bought her a cone of Cookies & Cream ice cream. He didn’t get ice cream knowing that it was fattening. He figured that since he was a professional hockey player in training it was a sacrifice that he needed to make.

“I’m going to remember this moment for forever.” Emma said to Sidney licking her ice cream. He saw the disapproving looks from her parents but she simply didn’t care.

“Why?” Sidney asked wondering what was so special about this moment.

“Because I beat the Sidney Crosby.” She replied giggling. Sidney didn’t know if he should feel like she complimented him or not.

“That’s because I let you win! You’re on next time Hill.” He said as Emma’s dad took Emma’s unfinished ice cream and threw it away. He could see the frustrated tears form on the rim of her eyes.

“That’s enough ice cream sweetie, how do you expect to win by eating fat?” Her father asked looking down at his daughter. Sidney didn’t know how to react to all of this, his parents always thought his food sacrifices were crazy not needed.

“I have to go Sidney, but don’t worry I’ll beat you next time as well.” Emma solemnly said following her parents. Maybe at the end of the sentence she got a little excited but overall Sidney could tell that she was sad.

The Wonder Kids
Sidney Crosby (age 9) and Emma Hill (age 9) are the biggest up and coming hockey stars of their generation. That would probably be their only similarity other than the fact is that their the same height. Sidney Crosby is referred to as the workhorse of the two saying he would spend hours shooting pucks in his parents dryer. Emma Hill is the one graced with the natural skill out of the two. Sure at times she works hard but Emma wants nothing more than to play hockey and play with her Barbie Dolls. Nothing could be any more different then night and day for these two but they will go through life with the same pressures. The pressure to perform at Canada’s exception of them. Only time will tell if Emma’s nonchalant attitude will get her further than Sidney’s work ethic. Or will they both crack under the extreme pressuring heading their way? But for right now they are just your average nine-year-olds worrying about when’s the next time they can get on the ice.

“After that it was pretty much friendly competition between us. No matter what we were doing we had to be number one. We even argued who loved each other more.” Sidney said reading over the article one last time.

“Who won that argument? You know, the one about who loved who more.” Lauren asked softly looking at her father. She had never seen her father look this vulnerable over something; not even hockey.

“She won that one.” Sidney said moving onto the next memorabilia in the box; a tiara.