‹ Prequel: Never Meant to Be
Status: Whenever I can
Ghosts of Our Past
Chapter Nine
July 7th, 2027
Thursday
Evangeline’s House, Jefferson, ME
7:00 A.M.
Trenton’s summer hockey program started on Thursday and Evangeline planned on seeing Nathan there and then the two would separate and go sit on opposite sides of the rink. Evangeline dragged Trenton out of bed at 7:00 to get his gear together and they headed out at around 8:00. It was an hour and a half drive and the game started at 11:30. The teams they would be facing throughout the summer would be from New England, today they would be playing against a team from New Hampshire. Trenton fell asleep in the backseat while Lucille was buried in a book. Evangeline heard her cell phone vibrate and answered it, holding it between her shoulder and face.
“Hey,”
“Hey it’s Nathan, what’s the name of the rink he’s playing at?”
“Portland Ice Arena,” she said looking to make sure that neither Trenton nor Lucille was paying attention to her conversation.
“Alright where should we meet up?”
“The main lobby,” Evangeline saw the city approaching and got off the highway to take the road to the ice arena. When she pulled into the parking lot she looked for the black BMW she knew Nathan drove. It wasn’t in the parking lot and she got out of the car and opened the door on the side Trenton was sitting. She gently shook him and said
“Trenton we’re here,” he opened his eyes and looked around. He sat up and stretched while Lucille got out on the other side.
“What time is it?” asked Trenton.
“10:30, the coach is going to give you guys a half an hour to warm up before getting your gear on.” Trenton got out of the car and opened the back to get his hockey bag. Evangeline followed him inside, told him good luck and then watched him walk off to the locker room. Lucille saw that they were selling giant cookies at the food store and told her mom she’d be right back. Evangeline looked around for Nathan in the crowd but couldn’t find him. She took out her phone to check and see if he had texted her and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see him looking down at her.
“I made it,” he said smiling. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips overjoyed to see him again. He saw the locket still around her neck and said happily
“You’re still wearing it,”
“I’m not gonna take it off,” He kissed her again and said
“I better get out of here so no one sees me; I’ll see you at the end of the game.” He walked off into the crowd. Lucille returned a minute late. Evangeline laughed at the sight of her eating the cookie that was about the size of her face.
“Where are we sitting?” asked Lucille.
“Somewhere down front,” she said taking out their tickets. When they got inside to the arena Evangeline found their seats five rows up from the ice. She looked around on the opposite side for Nathan and quickly found him sitting in the second row.
Trenton walked into the locker room and saw a few of his friends out on the floor stretching out.
“Hey Trenton,” said his friend Ben. Ben had played on his select team and they had both been on the first line. There were never any official captains but the coach addressed both Trenton and Ben as the leaders of the team.
“Hey what time did you get here?” Trenton set his bag down and went to join Ben on the floor to stretch out.
“Not long before you did,” said Ben. Trenton and Ben had been assigned the same positions on the summer team that they had been on their regular season select team. Trenton was a right winger while Ben was the center. As Trenton was stretching out his legs Ben said
“I overheard some people talking about how there’s going to be an NHL scout here today to watch the game.”
“Really?” said Trenton surprised.
“Ya,” said Ben. “One of us could be scouted today,” Trenton thought about what playing on the NHL could be like. Most kids who played hockey had NHL dreams. He’d thought about it from time to time but it was never a big dream or goal of his. He played hockey because he enjoyed it, he had never strived to make it a career. Once they were done stretching they got into their gear.
When they were done they sat in full gear on the benches, waiting for their coach to come in. He was never nervous before games but today he felt a little worried. Did he really care that there was an NHL scout watching?
Evangeline felt a burst of excitement as she saw the team come out of the locker rooms. She spotted Trenton by his jersey. The name Beauregard went across the back and his number was 81. The team took shoots at the net, warming up. The team from New Hampshire came out and circled around on the other end. The teams took their positions for the face off. Evangeline watched Trenton intently. It was still 0-0 by the middle of the 2nd period. She watched Trenton come back out on the ice for his shift. His team won on the face off. Evangeline watched Ben pass the puck to Trenton and he took it down the ice on a break away. The crowd roared with anticipation as he got closer. She watched as he did a quick maneuver around the goalie and put it into the net. He raised his hands in the air in victory and his linemates joined him in a group hug.
The game seemed to go on and on as the two teams stayed neck and neck. It was 3-3 by the ending of the 2nd period.
“I’m going to get a drink,” said Lucille. She got up and went over to the vending machine and got a bottle of water. As she was waiting for it to come down she heard someone say Trenton’s name. She turned around to see two men, both in suits talking. The older one said
“Player 81, I believe his name is Trenton Beauregard. He’s phenomenal! He’s definitely on my list to keep a close eye on. I’ll have my decision made by the end on which players I’m going to take to NHL training.” Lucille felt excited and ran back to her seat.
“Mom! Guess what I just heard!” she said with a huge grin.
“What?”
“I heard a man, I think he’s a hockey scout or something, he said that Trenton was an amazing player and he’s seriously considering him!” Evangeline sat up in excitement and said
“What else did he say?!”
“He said he’s going to chose by the end on who he’s going to take to NHL training,” Evangeline smiled and said
“I knew he was good enough to make it! He never cared; just you wait until the end of the game!” She felt extremely proud of her son. Jumpy with excitement the two girls watched the game continue on. The third period ended with the score still being tied at 3-3. Overtime started right away and Evangeline could see the aggressive drive in Trenton’s eyes as they got into position for the face off. Checking a player into the boards he stole the puck away and headed off to the net. He took a risky slap shot and the crowd held its breath as the puck flew across the ice. The goalie put his stick down a second to late and the puck went into the net. The entire arena roared as Trenton jumped into a victory hug with his whole team. Evangeline looked across the rink to see Nathan standing up clapping and cheering his son on.
Trenton felt amazing as he heard the cheers around him and the heavy bodies of his teammates hit him in a group hug. Finally the group broke apart and headed back to the locker room. Trenton went right to the showers after he got his gear off.
“Nice job Trent!” yelled Ben as he walked into the showers. He got congratulatory claps in the back as walked in. After he soaped off and ran some shampoo through his hair he went and got dressed into his clothes. As he was getting all of his gear back into his bag his coach said
“Beauregard I have someone who wants to see you,” An older man in a suit walked in behind his coach. The man was smiling at him and said
“I need to talk to you about your hockey skills Mr. Beauregard.”
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.
Thursday
Evangeline’s House, Jefferson, ME
7:00 A.M.
Trenton’s summer hockey program started on Thursday and Evangeline planned on seeing Nathan there and then the two would separate and go sit on opposite sides of the rink. Evangeline dragged Trenton out of bed at 7:00 to get his gear together and they headed out at around 8:00. It was an hour and a half drive and the game started at 11:30. The teams they would be facing throughout the summer would be from New England, today they would be playing against a team from New Hampshire. Trenton fell asleep in the backseat while Lucille was buried in a book. Evangeline heard her cell phone vibrate and answered it, holding it between her shoulder and face.
“Hey,”
“Hey it’s Nathan, what’s the name of the rink he’s playing at?”
“Portland Ice Arena,” she said looking to make sure that neither Trenton nor Lucille was paying attention to her conversation.
“Alright where should we meet up?”
“The main lobby,” Evangeline saw the city approaching and got off the highway to take the road to the ice arena. When she pulled into the parking lot she looked for the black BMW she knew Nathan drove. It wasn’t in the parking lot and she got out of the car and opened the door on the side Trenton was sitting. She gently shook him and said
“Trenton we’re here,” he opened his eyes and looked around. He sat up and stretched while Lucille got out on the other side.
“What time is it?” asked Trenton.
“10:30, the coach is going to give you guys a half an hour to warm up before getting your gear on.” Trenton got out of the car and opened the back to get his hockey bag. Evangeline followed him inside, told him good luck and then watched him walk off to the locker room. Lucille saw that they were selling giant cookies at the food store and told her mom she’d be right back. Evangeline looked around for Nathan in the crowd but couldn’t find him. She took out her phone to check and see if he had texted her and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see him looking down at her.
“I made it,” he said smiling. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips overjoyed to see him again. He saw the locket still around her neck and said happily
“You’re still wearing it,”
“I’m not gonna take it off,” He kissed her again and said
“I better get out of here so no one sees me; I’ll see you at the end of the game.” He walked off into the crowd. Lucille returned a minute late. Evangeline laughed at the sight of her eating the cookie that was about the size of her face.
“Where are we sitting?” asked Lucille.
“Somewhere down front,” she said taking out their tickets. When they got inside to the arena Evangeline found their seats five rows up from the ice. She looked around on the opposite side for Nathan and quickly found him sitting in the second row.
Trenton walked into the locker room and saw a few of his friends out on the floor stretching out.
“Hey Trenton,” said his friend Ben. Ben had played on his select team and they had both been on the first line. There were never any official captains but the coach addressed both Trenton and Ben as the leaders of the team.
“Hey what time did you get here?” Trenton set his bag down and went to join Ben on the floor to stretch out.
“Not long before you did,” said Ben. Trenton and Ben had been assigned the same positions on the summer team that they had been on their regular season select team. Trenton was a right winger while Ben was the center. As Trenton was stretching out his legs Ben said
“I overheard some people talking about how there’s going to be an NHL scout here today to watch the game.”
“Really?” said Trenton surprised.
“Ya,” said Ben. “One of us could be scouted today,” Trenton thought about what playing on the NHL could be like. Most kids who played hockey had NHL dreams. He’d thought about it from time to time but it was never a big dream or goal of his. He played hockey because he enjoyed it, he had never strived to make it a career. Once they were done stretching they got into their gear.
When they were done they sat in full gear on the benches, waiting for their coach to come in. He was never nervous before games but today he felt a little worried. Did he really care that there was an NHL scout watching?
Evangeline felt a burst of excitement as she saw the team come out of the locker rooms. She spotted Trenton by his jersey. The name Beauregard went across the back and his number was 81. The team took shoots at the net, warming up. The team from New Hampshire came out and circled around on the other end. The teams took their positions for the face off. Evangeline watched Trenton intently. It was still 0-0 by the middle of the 2nd period. She watched Trenton come back out on the ice for his shift. His team won on the face off. Evangeline watched Ben pass the puck to Trenton and he took it down the ice on a break away. The crowd roared with anticipation as he got closer. She watched as he did a quick maneuver around the goalie and put it into the net. He raised his hands in the air in victory and his linemates joined him in a group hug.
The game seemed to go on and on as the two teams stayed neck and neck. It was 3-3 by the ending of the 2nd period.
“I’m going to get a drink,” said Lucille. She got up and went over to the vending machine and got a bottle of water. As she was waiting for it to come down she heard someone say Trenton’s name. She turned around to see two men, both in suits talking. The older one said
“Player 81, I believe his name is Trenton Beauregard. He’s phenomenal! He’s definitely on my list to keep a close eye on. I’ll have my decision made by the end on which players I’m going to take to NHL training.” Lucille felt excited and ran back to her seat.
“Mom! Guess what I just heard!” she said with a huge grin.
“What?”
“I heard a man, I think he’s a hockey scout or something, he said that Trenton was an amazing player and he’s seriously considering him!” Evangeline sat up in excitement and said
“What else did he say?!”
“He said he’s going to chose by the end on who he’s going to take to NHL training,” Evangeline smiled and said
“I knew he was good enough to make it! He never cared; just you wait until the end of the game!” She felt extremely proud of her son. Jumpy with excitement the two girls watched the game continue on. The third period ended with the score still being tied at 3-3. Overtime started right away and Evangeline could see the aggressive drive in Trenton’s eyes as they got into position for the face off. Checking a player into the boards he stole the puck away and headed off to the net. He took a risky slap shot and the crowd held its breath as the puck flew across the ice. The goalie put his stick down a second to late and the puck went into the net. The entire arena roared as Trenton jumped into a victory hug with his whole team. Evangeline looked across the rink to see Nathan standing up clapping and cheering his son on.
Trenton felt amazing as he heard the cheers around him and the heavy bodies of his teammates hit him in a group hug. Finally the group broke apart and headed back to the locker room. Trenton went right to the showers after he got his gear off.
“Nice job Trent!” yelled Ben as he walked into the showers. He got congratulatory claps in the back as walked in. After he soaped off and ran some shampoo through his hair he went and got dressed into his clothes. As he was getting all of his gear back into his bag his coach said
“Beauregard I have someone who wants to see you,” An older man in a suit walked in behind his coach. The man was smiling at him and said
“I need to talk to you about your hockey skills Mr. Beauregard.”
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.