Page 26 of Playoff

Even though it might kill me.

EIGHT

Blake

Game two is brutal.

It’s almost like the Blizzard felt sorry for us in game one but now they’re in it to win it. We can’t do much of anything right as a team. I score the first—and only—goal of the night in the second period, and it’s downhill from there. We lose 4-1, and the joviality from game one is gone.

The flight home is over five hours long, so a group of us gather in the back of the plane to play poker. I’m more of a blackjack guy, but I figure this is a good way to bond with everyone.

Bristol and Rowan join in, along with Coach Vanek, Chandler, Connor, Evan, and Bodi. Another group is playing their own game up toward the front of the plane, so it’s cozy back here.

“All right, I’ve got the pennies.” Coach opens a large velvet bag and dumps pennies on one of the tray tables. “Split ’em evenly.”

“We play for pennies?” I ask, laughing.

“We’re on a team plane, on a team trip—no official gambling. So I bring the pennies and split them between all of us. Once you’re out of pennies, you’re done for the night. Next time someone else will bring the pennies.”

“The guy scoring all the goals,” Chandler says, nodding at me. “You bring 500 pennies for the next trip.”

“I’m on it.”

“Okay, let’s see what you’ve got.” Coach starts shuffling two decks of cards while we split up the pennies.

For some reason, I can’t picture Rowan playing poker. I don’t know why. She seems more of a slot machine girl, but that’s probably a little misogynistic. If I’m honest, I don’t really know her as an adult.

We talked until almost three in the morning the other night, so I got a sense of who she is, but it’s not the same as knowing her intimately. Not like when we were kids. It did feel good to clear the air, though. To talk and laugh and move past the awkwardness.

That part is nice.

Getting a smile from her when we got on the bus earlier.

Having a short conversation about her shoulder before we boarded the plane.

Normal stuff.

Thank fuck.

Now I can focus on hockey.

Because I’m determined to help us win game three.

“Oh, look at the pair of deuces over there,” Coach says to Connor, laughing. “You’re killing it.”

“You don’t know what my down cards are,” Connor says, wiggling his eyebrows.

I’ve got a pair of aces so far, but only one is showing. The other is face down and I hope I’ve got a poker face to hide my hand.

“And we have a pair of aces!” Coach says, adding a second ace to my first, even though it’s technically my third. “Bet’s to you.”

“I’ll raise you losers a penny,” I say, tossing two into the pile.

“Who are you calling a loser?” Bristol asks in an icy tone, tossing two more pennies into the pile.

“And we’ve got a battle,” Coach says, laughing.

“I hate poker,” Rowan says, closing her cards and turning them all upside down, indicating she’s out. “Why do you guys always make me play?”

---