Page 23 of Puck It!

Jax looks up before he passes me in the stands, curling that delicious smile before shooting me a wink. My heart shaped hands go up, widening his smile before he pulls his gaze away and steps onto the ice and skates off.

They do a few laps around the freshly cleaned ice by the Zamboni, one of my favorite times to get out there. It’s like glass, so smooth.

I hear Stacie’s whispering question, avoiding my mother, "So, she knows?"

I nod and whisper back, "Long story, tell ya later."

"I’ll be at the club tonight."

I look over at her and giggle, "I bet you will." She likes to come hang out and pick up a guy or two.

The guys huddle at the team box, getting ready for the first of many plays. Dakota in the net, ruffing up the ice a little more than he already has. We may want smooth, but he wants ruff ice.

The guys, Jax, Sully, Brayden, Dax, Quinn all first players tonight. Dax and Brayden I’ve known a long time too, but they don’t hang out with the guys that much.

Jax faces off with the opposing team as the ref holds the puck above the ice, before he drops it. The sound of sticks slapping together echoes, and the puck glides across the ice in force back to Sully, from Jax slapping it between his legs from the face off.

Sully takes the puck around Dakota’s net, the guys lining up for their play, before they start it. Working as a team, Sully takes the puck so far before he passes it to Brayden, heading toward the opposing net.

Jax front and center of the net, waiting for his pass, roughing a little with the opposing defenseman, which makes me giggle. I did always enjoy a good hockey fight.

Brayden slaps the puck to Quinn, before it’s passed to Jax in a quick slap, another quick slap from Jax’s stick, sending the puck to the upper right corner of the net, hitting against the back of the net.

GOAL!

The sirens go off announcing the goal, the lights strobe, and the crowd goes wild as the guys celebrate on the ice with their team hug, before Jax and Sully do their special handshake, whatever you want to call it.

Jax was always Mr. personality on the ice. Loves the fights, loves celebration secret/special handshakes, the pumping up, that’s why he’s Captain, he’s fucking crazy. But he keeps these guys lively like they need to be.

He looks over my way, pointing his stick at me, and I giggle with my smile, but then, I realize, people may catch onto that. I don’t care what people think, I just have had enough judgement in my life, I don’t want anymore. Getting out of here is a new start around people that don’t know me, the real me.

The plays continue, a lot of up and down the ice now that a goal has been scored and the opposing team is pissed. I’ve noticed Jax taking a lot of bull shit he doesn’t normally take, actually they all have, knowing what is watching. Fighting is not always looked down upon, it is part of it, they get taught how to fight properly in skates. But it’s not always what a scout wants to see, they want to see them actually play and not spend the game in the penalty box.

The first period buzzer goes off ending it with us winning by one. What a rough first period.

Stacie and I fall into conversation, my mother joining, just ignoring the tension between us. She’ll get the fuck over it. I am who I am, like me or not, I am me.

The intermission is short lived, before the guys make their way back onto the ice. A quick skate around to warm up, before they prepare for second period to begin.

The face off happens, and the opposing team gets the puck this time, taking it down the ice towards Dakota, making a shot on him, but he blocks it perfectly, like he has the last 8 shots they have taken on him. I will say, my brother is wicked good.

Jax skates up to Dakota with the play now over. His hand rests on the top of Dakota’s helmet as he holds the front of their helmets together. Always showing goalie appreciation, sharing a word before seeing them both nod, and Jax skates off.

Another face off is had, and the plays continue. The tension between the defensemen on the other team and Jax only gets more heated, and roughing gets more aggressive, and I know, from watching these guys play. Jax is only going to handle so much more of it before he snaps.

Brayden makes a shot, but the opposing goalie blocks it, on his game tonight as well.

Another faceoff and this time, Jax is not fucking playing. His stick slaps against the puck hard and Sully is on the receiving end. Jax dodges his faceoff player from checking him. Sully passes it to Quinn, to Brayden, back to Jax.

Jax swings hard, bending his stick as it slaps the ice, sending the puck into the back of the net.

GOAL!

That player that’s been fucking with him shoves Jax, and well; Game the fuck on.

They agree it’s happening before the sticks go down followed by gloves and the punches begin. Holding each other by the chest pads with one hand as their other lays the punches until they both go down on the ice and the refs break it up.

Jax rips from the grip of the ref, before he rips his helmet off, looking madder than fuck as he skates to the penalty box. I giggle, finding it funny. These guys get so worked up, I mean it is a game, I know a lot is a stake but they really trash talk.

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