Page 270 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

My phone rings again.

Jamie walks to the glass doors.

“Have a good night, Jayce,” he encourages. “See you at the semifinals.”

I’m left on the floor, realizing I may have set myself up in a game that will lead to my end.

Checkmate.

Semifinal Chaos

~MIKAYLA~

“We’re going to win. We’re going to win!” I try to hide my excitement, but I’m jumping up and down, Dimitri by my side.

“C’MON, VIPERS! KEEP THE DEFENSE HIGH!” Dimitri cheers.

Semifinals.

This is the most anticipated game, yet after the last hectic weeks filled with recovery, therapy sessions, fast-track rehab appointments, and various flights that took us to our last three games, where the Strattonville Vipers dominated the ice.

I don’t know what shifted in the team.

Whether it’s a sense of protectiveness for their own or the increased determination to make it to the finals, the underlying motivation is pushing our Vipers, who’ve been destroying every team since the fire incident.

Many people thought the team would pull out and try again next year, especially with the viral videos circulating across all social platforms of the incident where Maddox has me in his arms and leaps off the rail of my balcony.

Right before the entire building collapses, thanks to a gas explosion.

I’m pretty sure the other team we faced four weeks after the incident was going easy on us in the beginning, which I had to admit was laughable since the game ended 5-0, but the next two games brought the heat to the ice.

The Strattonville Vipers didn’t melt from their opponent’s scorching gameplay.

With us now facing the Saskatchewan Pincers on home turf and watching our Vipers continue to crush them with a 3-0 lead, it’s becoming clearer with each passing tick of the countdown that this semifinal game is in the bag.

We’re going to head to the finals in the heart of Toronto and face the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Scotiabank Theatre.

Despite the obvious disadvantages, the Pincers aren’t giving up. They’re bringing their A-game, doing everything to try to get a single puck in our net.

The problem is, tonight, Wolfgang’s performance is astonishing.

Actually, it’s his best performance yet.

A switch had to be flicked at some point in the last four weeks because his performance since the Fundraiser Ball incident has been commendable. The blocks, the saves, the unpredictable drops that have him in the oddest positions, saving the puck from passing his guarded sanctuary.

Since the doctor had recommended I take three weeks off the ice as the team nurse, I was only allowed to watch the games in the audience and assist behind the scenes. The best way to make myself feel useful was by teaching the Vipers various stretching techniques and further aiding them in their workout routines in the gym.

Wolfgang had admitted the stretches were really helping his flexibility. The last two weeks especially, we’ve been expanding those sessions and even did a few hot yoga classes together.

Personally, I loved it because it gave me more time with Wolfgang that I didn’t have before. It also invited the opportunity for Wolfgang to openly share anything that was troubling him that day or during the week.

With Maddox joining the sessions as an observer while his left arm and right leg swiftly recovered, it made the whole recovery process from the incident go a lot faster without the dreadful worry about our futures. By the time the semifinals arrived, Maddox was practically good as new, and I was cleared to be back on the benches to ensure any injuries sustained on the ice with my Vipers would be promptly recognized and attended to.

Coach Cyrus commemorated me yesterday, saying the incorporation of these new strategies added to the workout sessions was really helping the team.

Now, here we all are. At the semifinals.

Further proving how my desire to aid the team in a different but valuable way was paying off. I could get teary-eyed at how far we’ve come as a unit.

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