Page 194 of Until We Burn
A smile breaks across my face.
The Rager.
Its thick lettering and cutthroat edges burst from a fading square frame. The name and the design capture the rage and the desire needed to break out of a mold and speak with truth and conviction.
Kai wraps his arms around my waist. I can feel him smile against my ear as he whispers, “I’m so proud of you, princess.”
I kiss his cheek. “Thank you for being here with me.”
There’s a knock at the door. I twist around and perk up at the reporters and the DHU microbiologists at the threshold.
“Are you ready for us to meet?”
For a moment, I take it all in: the newly renovated newsroom, which has been stripped of its rigid decor and stifling colors from its years with the HMG. Now, it’s bright and vibrant, with light to give space to a team of talented reporters who will produce stories worth telling.
I take a deep breath. I smile and nod, beckoning everyone in.
“I’m ready now.”
KAI
I can hear the Vancouver Phoenix fans cheering all the way from the locker room at the Rogers Arena.
Anxiety shudders through my fingers. They’re tight as overdrawnbow strings compared to the relaxed, focused guys strapping on their gear around me.
I grew up idolizing half of them and now I’m lacing up my skates beside them for my very first NHL preseason game. The fear of fucking up still has me tossing and turning in my sleep. What keeps my feet rooted to the ground is the reminder I keep repeating to myself: I worked just as hard as every guy on this team, and I’ve earned my name and number on that Vancouver Phoenix jersey just like they did.
“Hey, Kai!”
My head snaps up. Our captain, Liam Grayeyes, grins at me and nods at the door. “There’s someone waiting outside for you. Heard it’s an old tradition of yours?”
Uncle Manu waits by the hockey stick rack with his signature grin and his arms flying out for a hug. “There he is!”
I set down my helmet and hug him tight, my eyes shutting in relief. Uncle Manu claps his hand on my cheek and draws us apart. Under the bright hallway lights, his eyes shine with pride.
“You made it, Kainoa.”
“All thanks to you,tonton.” My breath staggers out, trembling and heavy as I smile nervously. “Any last piece of advice you got for me?”
“Just one.” Uncle Manu stares back at me, solemn and dignified before he taps my heart. “I want you to remember that when you’re on the ice as a Vancouver Phoenix, you’re not just playing the game anymore. You’re a hero and an inspiration to all those kids who’ll dominate the ice after you’re gone. It’s you who makes them believe that they can get out there, too. No matter who you are or where you started, never underestimate your place in the game. Got it?”
I nod. “Always.”
“Alright.” Uncle Manu smiles excitedly and pats my head. “Well! Here we go.”
He reaches for my helmet. His thumb brushes over the number seventy-eight plastered onto the shell before he places the helmet over my head. Then he takes my hockey stick from the rack and hands it to me. We clap hands. Our foreheads press together.
“Soyez fier jusqu'à la fin.”
I feel the weight of Uncle Manu’s words as I walk through the tunnel with the team. We fist bump every fan reaching out from their seat. A little boy waving a lei squeals when I fist bump him that it takes so much not to fucking lose it right then and there.
“Make some noise for the Vancouver Phoenix!”
I emerge from the tunnel and skate onto the ice. Red and orange strobe lights sweep across my jersey, lighting up the emblem of the phoenix rising from a crest of flames.
Cheers break out across the Rogers arena. I look out at the crowd. My heart swells in gratitude when I see Uncle Manu sitting front row with Ron, Aunt Edie, mama, and papa. They shout my name and wave their leis. Beside them, Luke, Wallace, Rowan, and Stella hoist up a sign that says,“Kai in his Stanley Cup era!”
Then there’s Diana.
