Page 115 of Triple Pucked
Shay told me that I’m lucky because I get to spend the drives to away games quietly sitting in the back seats with Cody, Robyn, and Noah, eating the sandwiches and cakes that I have made for the journey and working on my laptop.
On the other hand, D’Angelo and he are surrounded by the overexcited antics and pranks of Grayson and Lucas, Atlas who firmly relegated Shay to the back of the bus citing rules on hockey seniority, and Zach who chooses the worst superhero movies for them all to watch.
Today, Shay told me with a groan that Zach put onBatman & Robin, while acting out the lines with scarily accurate impressions.
“Zach kindly offered to let me choose the movie last month,” Shay complained with a laugh. “I thoughtAhockalypsewould be awesome. In the movie, a hockey team wins the championship, only for a zombie apocalypse to ruin the celebration. Unfortunately, neither D’Angelo nor any of the others appreciated my brilliance. My movie privileges on the bus have now been revoked indefinitely.”
Fair.
I lean closer to the glass.
Concentrate, Shay.
My brother is acting spooked. He has for the entire game.
The rest of the team have been rallying around Shay and trying to hide that he’s the weak spot. Unfortunately, it’s been too obvious, and the Caps have been using it.
The Caps’ gameplay has been offensive and physical.
Shay has become increasingly sloppy.
D’Angelo is skating toward him now. Yet Shay isn’t in a good position.
Atlas scoops up the puck. He should be able to pass it to either his captain or Shay for a shot on goal but neither is maneuvering into a promising position. Atlas bravely presses on toward the goal unsupported by himself.
The audience cheer on the Caps.
It’s deafening,
Overwhelming.
Too much.
I hunch my shoulders, taking a steadying breath.
Atlas is brutally checked by the Cap’s right defenseman. He’s knocked back. Surrounded by the rival team and alone, the puck is stolen from him.
I hiss in frustration at the same time that Robyn does.
I glance over at the stands, where Fleet is standing next to coach. Fleet is looking grim faced, but coach is shouting, pointing wildly at D’Angelo.
I wince.
Robyn lays her hand on my arm. “They still have time.”
“Six minutes,” I say, mechanically. “D’Angelo should focus on the game and not my brother.”
“He’s never going to do that.”
I cock my head, studying the way that D’Angelo has pulled Shay in close, as if to shield him from both the audience and the cameras, as he whispers to him.
Most people will think that D’Angelo is kicking his teammate’s ass, as coach wants him to.
But I know better.
D’Angelo will be bringing him back from whatever dark place he’s fallen into.
I’m slowly coming to believe that Robyn is right and that Shay has finally found himself a man who truly will put him first.
