Don't Make Me Spell It Out For You

Chapter Eight

Well we won the next game as well (7-4). And then we lost the next game (4-1). Coach decided Nemo would be back in net for the last game. I told him I was fine with that.

We won the last game and Coach gave us a five minute lecture on how we needed to win in our stadium too and not in just their’s. Apparently we weren’t going to make their stadium our second one. Darn. I really wanted to be a Vancouver Blackhawk.

We boarded the plane for San Jose and we all decided Nemo would play the first game and I would play the second game.

I had Andrew as my plane buddy and I slept most of the way there.

The first game came and went with a win and I was a little excited to play the Sharks.

“You ready Baby V?” Hjalmarsson laughed as he passed me by in the dressing room.

He had caught me doing my usual warm up, already dressed and ready to go. I was still amazed that being a girl and a goaltender, that I was always the first to finish dressing.

I was waving my stick around, loosening up my muscles and just having fun. Usually, it ended up with me getting into a “sword” fight with Burish. “Damn straight! Let’s do this!”

Kopy passed by and ruffled my hair. “You are such a weird girl, you know that?”

“I think I’m a perfectly acceptable and normal young woman,” I answered with straight face.

“I thought that too when we first met you,” Hossa said, checking the tape job on his stick. “That opinion changed pretty recently.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You all are just jealous.”

“Oh of course,” Andrew came over, his arm on my head, leaning on me like I was his arm rest. “I’m jealous I can’t be an arm rest for some amazingly great hockey player and incredibly good looking guy.”

I laughed and Coach ordered us onto the ice. It was time to win.

~~~~~

And win we did. 4-2 win against those fishy little sharkies and I was floating on Cloud 9.

“Body slam!” Burish shouted.

“Oh no,” Kris shook his head. “This will not end up well. Skates off first!” he ordered us. He knew he couldn’t stop us.

We ripped off our skates, but not the rest of our gear. We stood on each sides of the dressing room and ran at each other full force.

It was a freaking great body slam, except for the part where Burish is taller and heavier than me and that I went flying backwards.

At least someone caught me. And then we fell backwards too. I was laughing so hard, I had tears running down my cheeks.

“My first man slam!” I cheered.

“You’re a girl,” Andrew reminded me from underneath me.

I turned my head so I was looking down at him and grinned. “What else am I supposed to call it?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but then shut it again.

“Win,” I said simply.

He shook his head. “I’ll think of something.”

“It can’t be years later,” I joked.

“Shut up Steeger’s mini me.”

~~~~~

“Rock, paper, scissor it?” I finally came to that conclusion.

Nemo groaned. “How old are you? Five?”

“She looks about seven,” Seabs said as he skated by. We were back in the UC for the next two games of the Sharks vs. Blackhawks playoffs.

“Yeah, give her some credit,” Burish said. “Two years can make or break a kid like her.”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my alter goal tender ego. “Coach says we have to make a choice by the time he comes back. I see him walking back right now!” I panicked.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I just don’t see why you won’t pick and move on with life!”

“You’re not picking either!”

“Rock. Paper. Scissors–”

“Wait!” I shouted, taking back my hand. “Just one round or best out of three?”

Nemo just stared at me. “One Rose. One round will do.”

“Don’t give me that look!” I squealed as we played the game to decide our fate of our team. “I was curious to see if I should try harder on this game or the next.”

“It’s all chance!” he laughed.

“Ha I win!” I declared fist pumping excitedly.

“So. . .” he started. “Does that mean you choose or do I?”

I let my shoulders drop. “I don’t know!”

Coach came up and looked between us. “Please tell me you two have finally decided.”

We shared an awkward glance and just didn’t say anything.

Coach rubbed his temples. “Boys! Get over here!”

They all gathered and he passed around slips of paper. “Write down who should play in tonight’s game and who should play the next game.”

“Really?” Andrew stared at us. “This is what you two have been arguing about for the past hour?!”

“Yeah,” we both said slowly.

They all rolled their eyes, but nonetheless wrote down their answers and handed them to Coach.

Five minutes later, he tallied them up. “Well, it seems we have our next two games set,” he said. “Nemo you’re dressing up for tonight. Baby V, you get Game Four. There. Geez. Goal tenders these days,” he said and skated away demanding that the special teams better move their special butts out onto the ice.

~~~~~

We won the third game in overtime (3-2). I was jittery and excited to play the fourth game. If we won it, then we would have swept them and move on to the Final.

Holy crap, did I have a lot to live up to.

“Relax,” Andrew stopped my bouncing leg for the fourth time in the car alone. Before we got in, it was at least five times while eating.

“I am,” I said.

“Sweets, your other leg is bouncing,” he whispered into my ear.

I blushed a little. “Sorry.”

He rubbed his thumb on my knee and I felt the goose bumps cover my arms. I tried not to blush as much. I mean, he was just touching my leg.

We got there and I literally jumped into the gear, just wanting to get on the ice. I was just that excited.

Nemo came by and looked at me. “Did you have coffee? That stuff can’t be good for a girl like you.”

“No, she’s purely on energy,” Andrew said. “She really wants this win.”

“Then go get it Baby V,” he ruffled my hair.

~~~~~

I was grinning from ear to ear when they all skated up to me, congratulating me on the win. Actually that last sentence sounded way too tame. They nearly tackled me to the ice, screaming how Chicago had the two best goaltenders and the league.

“Good job Baby V,” Tazer smiled once they all got off me.

“Thanks Tazer. You guys were amazing on their end of the ice.”

He laughed and skated away while Nemo and Kopy skated up. Kopy hit my mask like ten times before chuckling and telling me I did awesome and Nemo just shook his head at me. “I have to admit,” he started. “We’re special.”

“Why’s that?” I asked as we exited the ice.

“We’re both rookies in the NHL and we’re going to the Final round.”

I stared at him. “Holy shit.”

“What?”

“You’re right.”

He laughed as we both started to change. “Aren’t I always?”

I was stripped down to my red cami and black shorts when the music blasted through. We were all dancing and singing along and I knew I never wanted to leave this team. They were my best friends. They were my family.

~~~~~

“So, we’re figuring this out now,” Nemo said as we sat in the aisles of the airplane. We were heading back to Chicago for the first two games against the Flyers. “We’re going to figure out all seven games right now so that way we don’t have to vote.”

I laid down on my back, fiddling with Andrew’s Ipod. Mine had died and I had stolen it from his bag. He still hadn’t realized that it was missing. “I only want to play two games,” I told him off the bat.

“Why? You’re doing amazing.”

“I’ve only played like seven games against your fifty hundred million. I want only two games at the absolute most.”

“You’ll play the first two then.”

I laughed. “Just get me over with?”

“I want you to play in the UC,” he said.

I looked up. “Nemo! Don’t! You’re the goaltender too! I’m just your back up.”

He laughed. “I like playing in other stadiums,” he admitted. “I like to hear the crowds boo us. It makes me nervous but I like it when we win against them in their own stadium. That sounds so mean now that I’ve said it out loud,” he said.

“Well okay. But seriously, if you want the second game, don’t be afraid to take it.”

He ruffled my hair. “Of course. Come a few days, when you’re dressed and ready to go, I will push you out of the way and stick my tongue at you before walking on to claim victory.”

I laughed and I was scrolling through songs when it was snatched out of my hand. “Hey! I was looking at that!”

“It’s my Ipod!” the owner exclaimed.

“So?” I questioned him, staring up at him from on my back.

He sighed. “Where’s your Ipod?”

“Dead.”

“And Steeger’s is where. . . ?”

“In his ears.”

Andrew sighed again. “You are obnoxious, you know that?”

I only grinned. “I know. I like your music by the way. Some good rock on there. A few techno and even a country song.”

He rolled his eyes. “Anything else musical analyst?”

I pretended to think about it. “Nope, I’m good. You’re free to go.”

“Thanks,” he dragged out the word sarcastically. “Because I needed your approval to leave.”

“Well you’re still here aren’t you?”

Nemo laughed. “She got you there.”

“I’m leaving,” Andrew said and walked away laughing.

“So,” Burish dropped in with Sharpie. There goes the peace and quiet.

“Yes?”

“Are you and Andrew. . . together?” Burish asked.

“No,” I playfully shoved him away, trying to stop the blush that had crept onto my cheeks. What kind of question was that?! “We’re just friends.”

“And you want to stay friends for forever and ever?” he kept pressing.

“Well yeah,” I furrowed my brow. “We’re like best friends.”

Sharp smiled. “Whatever you say Baby V. Whatever you say.”

What in the hell were they trying to say to me?
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