Look for Me in Rainbows
I Wouldn't Be So Smiley About That
Patrick walked into the ice rink in Buffalo, New York. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. Not because he was Patrick Kane, number one draft pick in 2007 with two Stanley Cups. It was because last night photos of him partying in Wisconsin had been leaked. “Fuck them.” He thought. At least he knew how to have fun.
He sat outside the rink and watched a girl skate. She was in hockey pads and a Chicago Flames practice jersey. The Flames were a women’s team that played out by where Patrick lived in Chicago. He watched as she skated and shot the puck over and over again. She was good. She stopped skating and suddenly started violently coughing. Her coach backed off and let her be. She stood coughing and gasping for a few more moments. When it stopped, her coach approached her.
“How about we call it a day?” He said. The girl sighed and nodded.
After her coach skated off, she slammed her stick on the ice. “Goddamnit!” She shouted. She knew she could play better. She had never played worse than she had been playing recently. She just didn’t have the stamina anymore. She had to keep playing though. If she admitted she had to stop, she would be admitting defeat, and she could never handle that defeat.
.....................................................................
Maggie groaned as she lowered herself into the ice bath that the team’s trainer has prepared for her. “Feels colder today, Jimmy.” She said.
“Its the exact temperature as every other day, Mags” He answered. He was going through drawers making sure everything was in its place. “I’ll be right back. If you hear the timer while I’m gone, just get out and stop it. I’ll be back to tape your knee.”
Someone walked into the training room. It wasn’t Jimmy. He looked down at Maggie. She recognized his face, but couldn’t think of his name. “Is Jimmy in?” He asked.
“He just stepped out.” Maggie answered. “But he’ll be back in a few minutes.” The boy was wearing basketball shorts and a red blackhawks Under Armour shirt. Maggie stole a few glances at him. He had curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She still couldn’t think of his name. She was trying to think of it when her timer went off. The boy jumped a little. He wasn’t expecting it.
Maggie stood up in the tub and turned off the timer. The boy was watching her and she knew it. He noticed her red sports bra had “Flames” printed in white across the front. It matched her red spandex. She turned around and grabbed her towel and got out of the tub. She wrapped herself up. “You play for the flames?” He asked.
“Yeah.” She answered.
“I live and play hockey in Chicago too.”
“I’m Maggie.” She said. “You were watching me practice.”
“Yeah.” He said. “I’m Patrick.”
“Kane?”
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“I wouldn’t be so smiley about that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The partying photos, being drunk, getting arrested. I wouldn’t be to happy about being Patrick Kane right now.” She said.
Any other person saying this, Patrick would have been at their throat, but he couldn’t be mad at Maggie. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t think of anything. All he could do was sit and stare at her. Before he got the chance to come back at her, Jimmy walked back into the room.
“Gimme a sec to tape her knee, then I’ll help you out.” Said Jimmy. Patrick nodded.
Jimmy walked over to Maggie and started taping her knee. She had sprained it in the offseason. Patrick watched her. There was something about her. She was a fighter, but not only on the ice, he sensed. There something that she didn’t let on. Something that held her back. Something she wouldn’t talk about.
He sat outside the rink and watched a girl skate. She was in hockey pads and a Chicago Flames practice jersey. The Flames were a women’s team that played out by where Patrick lived in Chicago. He watched as she skated and shot the puck over and over again. She was good. She stopped skating and suddenly started violently coughing. Her coach backed off and let her be. She stood coughing and gasping for a few more moments. When it stopped, her coach approached her.
“How about we call it a day?” He said. The girl sighed and nodded.
After her coach skated off, she slammed her stick on the ice. “Goddamnit!” She shouted. She knew she could play better. She had never played worse than she had been playing recently. She just didn’t have the stamina anymore. She had to keep playing though. If she admitted she had to stop, she would be admitting defeat, and she could never handle that defeat.
.....................................................................
Maggie groaned as she lowered herself into the ice bath that the team’s trainer has prepared for her. “Feels colder today, Jimmy.” She said.
“Its the exact temperature as every other day, Mags” He answered. He was going through drawers making sure everything was in its place. “I’ll be right back. If you hear the timer while I’m gone, just get out and stop it. I’ll be back to tape your knee.”
Someone walked into the training room. It wasn’t Jimmy. He looked down at Maggie. She recognized his face, but couldn’t think of his name. “Is Jimmy in?” He asked.
“He just stepped out.” Maggie answered. “But he’ll be back in a few minutes.” The boy was wearing basketball shorts and a red blackhawks Under Armour shirt. Maggie stole a few glances at him. He had curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She still couldn’t think of his name. She was trying to think of it when her timer went off. The boy jumped a little. He wasn’t expecting it.
Maggie stood up in the tub and turned off the timer. The boy was watching her and she knew it. He noticed her red sports bra had “Flames” printed in white across the front. It matched her red spandex. She turned around and grabbed her towel and got out of the tub. She wrapped herself up. “You play for the flames?” He asked.
“Yeah.” She answered.
“I live and play hockey in Chicago too.”
“I’m Maggie.” She said. “You were watching me practice.”
“Yeah.” He said. “I’m Patrick.”
“Kane?”
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“I wouldn’t be so smiley about that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The partying photos, being drunk, getting arrested. I wouldn’t be to happy about being Patrick Kane right now.” She said.
Any other person saying this, Patrick would have been at their throat, but he couldn’t be mad at Maggie. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t think of anything. All he could do was sit and stare at her. Before he got the chance to come back at her, Jimmy walked back into the room.
“Gimme a sec to tape her knee, then I’ll help you out.” Said Jimmy. Patrick nodded.
Jimmy walked over to Maggie and started taping her knee. She had sprained it in the offseason. Patrick watched her. There was something about her. She was a fighter, but not only on the ice, he sensed. There something that she didn’t let on. Something that held her back. Something she wouldn’t talk about.