Page 13 of Untouchable Player

When I get back to the locker room, I have three missed calls from my dad which I do not want to return, but I’ll be in for a world of trouble if I ignore him.

I wait until I’m out of earshot and call him back.

“I was in practise, sorry,” I get in before he can freak out on me for not answering.

“How did it go?”

“Good,” I lie.

“Think you’ll make the play-offs this year?”

“We’ve got a good chance.”

I tell myself that wasn’t a sigh I heard.

“Your mom wants to know if you’re coming home for your sister’s birthday.”

“Yeah, course, it’s…”

“You don’t know when your sister’s birthday is?”

I bite my tongue and force a smile, even though he can’t see me, “no of course I do, I’ll be there. What’s she doing?”

“She wants one of those birthday parties at the hockey game, but the season doesn’t start until next month.”

“Sucks to have your birthday in September.”

Dad grunts.

“So what’s she gonna do instead?”

“We’ll just take her to the rink and then to that arcade she likes after with the Wendy’s.”

“Cool.”

He’s quiet for a minute and I think maybe his phone died or something.

“Jesse, you need to play the best hockey of your life this season.”

“I…”

“Don’t talk, just listen to me. This is your last chance to get picked up by a scout. You missed the draft, but you can still make it into the NHL as a free agent…”

“Dad,”

“No, listen to me…”

“Dad, I don’t know....”

“This is your problem,” he says, “you’re lazy. You don’t want to do whatever it takes.”

“I’m not lazy dad, I’m just not good enough.”

“You won’t get anywhere with that attitude…”

“Coach has told me, if I pursue hockey, I’m gonna end up broke and fucking up my body for nothing.”

“If you don’t play hockey, what are you gonna do? What are your grades like?”

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