‹ Prequel: Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me
Status: On Hiatus
I'll Be Right Beside You
The Locker Room
Dan started things off, going through what I assumed was the norm; he welcome us all back, and introduced the rookies who would be joining us for training camp. From there he addressed some roster changes we’d be doing for pre-season and to allow for the new guys to get some ice time in with the rest of us, rather than having all-rookie lines.
Soon the guys were all talking about their summers, and then Dan moved on to some new play ideas, and after that had been talked out, he looked to me. I nodded, feeling like vomiting more than speaking, but if I didn’t do it now I might never actually do it.
“Um, Coach, can I say something?” I managed to weakly sputter out, and everyone turned to look at me.
“Of course. Listen up!” he said, catching Kris and Chris horsing around.
“Um, well, there’s no real easy way for me to tell you guys this. I feel really awful about it, but you guys are about as close to family as I’ve got out here, and you mean a lot to me, so I want you all to know before everybody else does,” I started, and Jordan, Dan and Steve all nodded encouragingly.
“DEAR GOD YOU DIDN’T SIGN WITH WASHINGTON DID YOU?” Marc burst, and everybody gasped.
“Hell no!” I retorted, which made everyone seem to relax a little.
“Well then what could be such a big deal mon ami? Are you not playing this year?”
“No, I’m, well, hoping to,” Dan nodded and I swallowed hard again. I knew I was beating around the bush, but I was having trouble getting it out.
“Shit, did you screw up your knee?” Sid asked, and I looked at him in confusion. I’d twisted it over the summer, but it hadn’t been anything serious.
“No, it’s all right. Where did you get that idea?”
“Becka said you’d hurt it this summer, I just thought maybe…” he trailed off, realizing that now the entire team was going to start pestering him about her. They all knew they were close, but some of them weren’t convinced she was actually his girlfriend.
“No, it’s all right. I just… please keep an open mind?” I nearly begged, and my teammates all nodded in confusion. Jordan managed a small smile for me, as did Steve, and I took another deep breath before looking up and into the general direction of my team.
“I’m a girl,” I said, biting my lip immediately after the words were out. You could have heard a pin drop in the room, and more than a few mouths were open.
“What?” Brooks asked, and I managed to look him in the eyes as I answered.
“I’m a girl,”
Soon the guys were all talking about their summers, and then Dan moved on to some new play ideas, and after that had been talked out, he looked to me. I nodded, feeling like vomiting more than speaking, but if I didn’t do it now I might never actually do it.
“Um, Coach, can I say something?” I managed to weakly sputter out, and everyone turned to look at me.
“Of course. Listen up!” he said, catching Kris and Chris horsing around.
“Um, well, there’s no real easy way for me to tell you guys this. I feel really awful about it, but you guys are about as close to family as I’ve got out here, and you mean a lot to me, so I want you all to know before everybody else does,” I started, and Jordan, Dan and Steve all nodded encouragingly.
“DEAR GOD YOU DIDN’T SIGN WITH WASHINGTON DID YOU?” Marc burst, and everybody gasped.
“Hell no!” I retorted, which made everyone seem to relax a little.
“Well then what could be such a big deal mon ami? Are you not playing this year?”
“No, I’m, well, hoping to,” Dan nodded and I swallowed hard again. I knew I was beating around the bush, but I was having trouble getting it out.
“Shit, did you screw up your knee?” Sid asked, and I looked at him in confusion. I’d twisted it over the summer, but it hadn’t been anything serious.
“No, it’s all right. Where did you get that idea?”
“Becka said you’d hurt it this summer, I just thought maybe…” he trailed off, realizing that now the entire team was going to start pestering him about her. They all knew they were close, but some of them weren’t convinced she was actually his girlfriend.
“No, it’s all right. I just… please keep an open mind?” I nearly begged, and my teammates all nodded in confusion. Jordan managed a small smile for me, as did Steve, and I took another deep breath before looking up and into the general direction of my team.
“I’m a girl,” I said, biting my lip immediately after the words were out. You could have heard a pin drop in the room, and more than a few mouths were open.
“What?” Brooks asked, and I managed to look him in the eyes as I answered.
“I’m a girl,”
♠ ♠ ♠
This is just part of the last chapter of Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me - but I wanted to post it here as a refresher as well as the fact that now this story can be viewed! :)