Page 184 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
But I didn’t move that way, I moved the other way. I wasn’t about to be fooled by Windy’s fake shot.
Austin had taught him that.
I’d taught Austin.
Cheers erupted as I caught it. No goals for assholes. Not today. Not ever.
“You fucking cheating bitch,” Windy spat, looking like he was about to punch me.
“Don’t touch the fucking goalie.” Alfie got in front of me and growled at him.
“Whatever.” He skated off as his coach called for line changes.
I patted the goalpost.Good post.
UNYC had been playing rough and dirty. Knoblick had already been carted off for stitches.
Alfie shook his head. “Next time, just whack him with your stick.”
“Are you going to sit in the box for me?” It was tempting. Goalies couldn’t sit in the penalty box, so a player had to sit their penalty if they received one.
“Absolutely,” Alfie replied, then skated off as he was called in. Actually, any of the defenders would.
He and Schmitty were replaced with Boondock and Freight Train. Those two were a team, like they’d been a defensive pair since they were twelve and no one felt like they needed to separate them–including NYIT who’d recruited them both. They hoped to go pro together.
“Go, Ladybug,” Clark shouted, holding up agiantsign. While I knew Clark was coming, I hadn’t expected most of the Knights and a good number of the Maimers to show up. It was sweet.
Dean even had a sign with my name on one side and Ty’s on the others. Mercy’s was covered in glitter.
We were in the third period and tied 2-2. I was revved and ready to go, mostly because I drank my usual concoction of energy drink, hydrogel, and vitamin water before the game. Isang as I danced around, waiting for the action to come back to me.
Oooh, Tenzin was here? He’d said he’d be late. I waved.
Giggles shot the puck at Ty, who shot it back, and it bounced off her helmet and into the net before Ty could blink. She looked absolutely baffled as everyone cheered.
“You scored,” I shouted at her.
Giggles did a little dance as her song played, and she waved to her parents in the stands. Aww, they got to see her very first collegiate goal. Someone was going to get their helmet stolen.
I did a little dance in the net, since one of our firsties just scored on Ty withher face. I wasn’t letting Ty live that down.
Now I owed Giggles one personal lasagna.
If Dean could bribe me with tacos, I could bribe the forwards with my homemade lasagna. We had to win this game. No question.
The line changed again. As Giggles returned to the bench, Windy body checked her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. He did the, “oops, I didn’t see the bitty beta, I’m such a big alpha,”bit.
The ref bought it. Ugh. Howdarethe refs buy that fuckery.
A few guys painted burgundy and gold–and nothing else–jumped onto the ice from the area the cheerleaders entered from and ran across it as most of the arena chanted, “streak the ref, streak the ref.”
Streaking the ref when they disagreed with a call was a tradition. The naked guys were rounded up, but not before putting a show on the ice that rivaled our mascot and cheerleaders. Many people in the crowd were amused, but some were confused.
Wait until Maze scored three goals in one game and someone released the chickens.
The medic came over to Giggles. Shit. I patted the goal post again.Please let her be okay.
Windy came down the ice. I skated to the side of the net in anticipation. Boondock stole the puck and skated behind the net, Windy chasing him, not caring if he ran right into me. I clocked him with a shoulder to the head and he went flying.
