Page 111 of Puck'n Bully
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Hayden
An electrifying atmosphere greets me inside the arena on game night against the Golden Gators from Long Island University. The buzz of hundreds of fans settles into my bones, making my muscles twitch in anticipation.
We cannot afford to lose this game. We must win against the Gators to keep our place in the championship. My teammates and I are ready to take them down tonight.
I glide across the ice, doing warmups alongside my teammates.
We’ve spent all our free time practicing and training for this game. Glancing toward the other forwards, I see sheer determination in their gazes. They’re ready to win this game.
I skate past the goal line and high-five Logan.
He has recovered from his injuries and is back in action. With him on the team, I have no doubt we’ll this game.
I skate by the boards and suddenly, my gaze falls on someone among the fans in blue and gold.
There he is, my mind whispers as I gaze toward Liam.
Dead center in the bleachers, wrapped in an oversized Knights hoodie, Liam holds up a crooked banner that reads:#7 on the ICE but #1 in my HEART
There’s a huge, messy heart at the bottom with my name scrawled across it. Even through the distance, I can see Liam’s cheeks blushing red as he happily waves at me like a maniac.
I laugh under my breath.
Gods, my boyfriend is a total sweetheart!
I’ve had plenty of fans cheer for me over the years but nothing’s ever made me feel so warm and happy as Liam’s poster. Seeing him jumping and waving the banner makes me feel like I can fly!
The sharp screech of a ref’s whistle brings me back to the present moment.
I follow my teammates and get into position.
My gaze fixes on the puck as the referee holds it in his hand, ready to drop it.
The moment the puck touches the ice, it’s go time.
I push forward, fast and relentless, until my stick has the puck in control.
Taking the first face-off, I pass the puck cleanly to Henderson, the left winger of the Knights.
He skates past me at blinding speed, maneuvering around the two defensemen from the Gators, and drives the puck toward the net like he has a vendetta against their goalie. He takes a shot and scores a goal!
A huge roar breaks out from our fans.
I take a moment to breathe while my gaze searches for Liam in the crowd.
It’s a few seconds before I locate him in the sea of blue and gold. This time, he’s holding up another banner that reads:The Knights are Roaring! Go Thunder!
“Looks like your boyfriend’s turned into a massive fan,” Mitchikov says, skating past me and chuckling hard behind his helmet.
“I’m surprised he’s not on the ice with us,” Henderson comments, grinning up at Liam. “He was there at every practice session last week.”
“Let’s make it worth his time,” I tell my teammates, signaling them to go back to their positions. “Let’s win this!”
“Go, Knights!” Mitchikov’s voice thunders over the buzz of the fans as he skates toward the boards to block the forwards from the Gators’ team.
As the game progresses, I realize the Gators are a good team. They’re all big guys with fast feet and sharp elbows, but they also seem a little disoriented. I have a feeling they have a lot of new members on their crew this season which has made coordination difficult and patchy.
