Page 7 of Hitting the Goal Line
Ultimately, we end up losing and the lose just adds on to my mood.
First my dad, then the game. I just want to go home, play video games, and not think about hockey for a very long time. And I will be able to do that, since we didn’t win which means that that the hockey season is now over.
Maybe I should listen to my brother and give Football a try. Maybe then that would make my dad come to one of my games.
“Hold up, mijo,” Coach Martinez says to me as I make my way out of the locker room.
I give him a nod and hold back as my other teammates leave and I wait for Coach to head out.
“You did good, kid,” Coach tells me as we walk down the hallway that leads out to the ice, both of us with hockey bags in hand.
I shrug. “I let two pucks get past me and we lost.”
“Yeah, but you blocked eighty percent of the shots tonight. It’s better than the last time you played goalie.” He is trying to cheer me up.
This is the thing that I like about Coach, he always sees the best out of every player and he doesn’t just yell out what we are doing wrong all the time.
“I guess. I can I just play one position next season?” I ask, giving him the same look that Sophia gives him when she wants him to take us for ice cream.
Coach laughs and messes up my hair. “No, good try with the eyes, though. I see my kid is rubbing off on you. Speaking of my kid, are you coming home with us or are you heading home with your mom?”
Ever since me and Sophia met when we were five, we’ve been attached at the hip. Those are my mom’s words not mine. It’s not really a lie, we bonded the day and every day after that we would wait for each other before we got on the ice. Our moms ended up setting up play dates to get us together outside of the rink and now we don’t even go a day without seeing each other. We even go to the same school and have sleepovers all the time. So me going home with Coach isn’t weird.
I shake my head. “I’m going with my mom. She said we were going to have dinner with my dad, but since he didn’t come to my game, I don’t know if that is still going to happen.”
Coach gives me a nod, staying quiet when I mention my dad.
My dad is definitely a sore subject for a lot of people. My mom, Coach Martinez, my brother. I’ve even heard Coach Martinez talk to his wife, Maya, a few times about how he doesn’t really like my dad and he doesn’t understand why he can promise me something and not follow through. I’ve heard more than a few words come out of coach’s mouth when it comes to my dad. Since I’m not supposed to be hearing those conversations, I don’t say anything about them. I just keep my mouth shut.
“Well, if you come over this weekend, we’ll make sure that you get pizza with pineapple on it.” Coach tells me, a smile on his face as he tries to make me feel better. It does a little.
“I’ll hold you to it, Coach,” I say as we both walk through the doors that lead to the ice.
When we make it to the stands, I see my mom and siblings standing there with Sophia.
“Honey, you did so good,” my mom says, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, mom,” I say, because if I argue with her, she just going continue to tell me the opposite.
The six of us all start walking out of the arena, and as we do, Sophia comes to walk next to me.
“You sucked today,” my best friend tells me and I can’t help but to laugh.
Only Sophia is going to tell me how it is.
“I did. I told your dad not to put me at goalie ever again,” I say rolling my eyes at her.
“Yeah, he’s not going to listen,” she says as we make it to our parents’ cars. “See you tomorrow at school?” she says, as if I ever miss a day of school.
I give her a nod. “Yeah, I’ll be the one with your breakfast sandwich,” I say, since my mom always sends me with two breakfasts. One for me, and one for Sophia.
“I’ll be there with your lunch,” she says before throwing me a wave and getting into her dad’s truck.
I slide into the back of my mom’s car and help my sister buckle her seatbelt, while Hunter gets in the driver seat since he got his driver’s license last month.
The car ride is silent, well it is for me. Jainie is watching some video on her tablet and mom is too busy yelling at my brother at everything he is doing wrong the whole way home.
I spend the car ride just thinking about the game and if there are ways that I can get my dad to go to one of them.
