Page 160 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
“Me, too.” I sighed, still rubbing my scar. “I don’t want to get into it. Our breakup had nothing to do with cheating, lying, or him not getting signed. I don’t want him back.”
“Okay.” He frowned at my head.
“Get down to the ice,” Coach Dodd called from the doorway. He was one of the assistant coaches who helped with us EBUGs. He didn’t travel with the team, so he ran our practices when everyone else was away.
We put guards on our skates, took the elevator down, and made our way to the ice.
The three of us warmed up, and by then we had an audience. Constantine was in the stands. Dean was there, too, and gave me a silly grin, Jonas with him.
Excitement built inside me.
“Ready for us, Coach?” Grif Graf stood there with Nia, geared up and ready for practice.
“Yep. Some people think that the EBUGs need more time fielding pucks from the forwards.” Coach Kirov gave me a look. It’s something I’d brought up.
“Ladybug, you’re first. Grif Graf is going to shoot pucks at you,” Coach directed. “Don’t go easy on her. Pretend she’s Double D.”
“Yes, Coach.” Grif nodded.
I adjusted my mask and got ready. Grif Graf fired puck after puck at me. Like Coach instructed, he didn’t hold back.
He also shothard,which was why I’d asked Coach Kirov for this. The PHL forwards shot harder than collegiate ones. GrifGraf was the best forward in the PHL right now and one of the hardest hitters.
I leapt, slid, and full butterflied, as both Coach Kirov and Coach Dodd pointed out all my flaws, using me as a teaching tool. I didn’t listen too hard, since I had to focus on the puck. Maybe someone recorded it.
Sweat dripped down my back. It was hard work and Dean would have an easier time stopping most of these, due to his size. Each time I let a puck in, Arden smirked or made a noise or comment.
However, this wasGrif Graf.I didn’t letthatmany pucks in. If I were getting tacos for every blocked shot, I’d be good for weeks.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Coach Kirov directed. “Good job, Ladybug. Someone has been working hard all summer. Thanks, Grif Graf. Ty, you’re up with Nia.”
I plopped down by my things and got my sticker-covered water bottle out of my bag. Shit, that was a good workout. Coach Dodd caught my eye and grinned. He was older, with white hair, and reminded me of my Gramps.
“Good job. I recorded everything for you, so you’d have Coach’s notes,” Dean told me. “Jonas is recording Ty. He needs to get serious if he wants the Boaters to sign him.”
“Thanks. I’d like to do that more. I think you and Grif Graf are so good partially because you have each other to work off of,” I told him honestly.
Dean thought for a moment. “Huh. Possibly. You need to work on control and holding back. You play every game, every practice, like you’re playing for your life. Smarter, not harder. Your joints will thank you in a decade.”
I gave him a skeptical look. “Dean, I’m a beta. I’malwaysplaying for my life.”
Ty let in more pucks than me, though he wasn’t bad. Arden was next, facing off against Grif Graf. I had to admit, she was good–and smooth. She still let in more pucks than me.
Not that I was counting.
“Gwen, when did you get good?” Ty joined us, hair sweaty, a perplexed look on his face.
“Why do you UNYC asshats think I sucked my way to two national collegiate titles? Yeah, I know, beta sports parity laws and shit, but that’s not why NYIT took me.” I rolled my eyes.
While we were on good terms, and used to hang out a lot back when Austin would bring me to things, I always considered him more Austin’s friend than mine.
Clark texted me and I texted him back, grinning.
Coach called me back up and repeated the exercise, only now Jonas was acting as defense, while Grif Graf shot pucks at me. Dimitri had arrived to help as well. We all took our turns. Finally, she dismissed us and reminded us we had more orientation tomorrow.
“All EBUGs, mandatory meeting in the dining room. It will be short. There are snacks,” I told everyone. “Double D, I need you, too.”
Dean gave me a mock salute, “Aye Aye, Captain Ladybug.”
