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“Alright, listen up,” he says, slapping his clipboard against the whiteboard. “Dallas is hungry. They’re coming off two losses and they’ll be skating pissed.”

He circles two names on the game sheet.

“We shut them down by playing smart on transitions and keeping the D tight. Jones, expect more minutes. You’re defending your zone with control and confidence.”

I nod, keeping it simple. “Yes, Coach.”

“We’ll run reps after this, then hit the ice at noon. No passengers. Got it?”

“Got it,” we echo.

Coach steps aside and Nina, our sports psychologist, stands next. She’s all business with calm eyes, tight ponytail, and a clipboard that could double as a shield.

“Quick reset strategy today,” she says. “I want everyone to grab a card.”

We each take one from the stack she passes around.

Mine says ‘Block’.

Fitting.

“Use it however you want,” she explains. “Mid-game, during a shift, when you feel things slipping. Mental reset is everything. We don’t wait for chaos. We get ahead of it.”

I nod, slipping mine into my gear bag.

Nina’s eyes linger on me a second too long.

Yeah. She knows I’m preoccupied today. Not enough to call me out. But enough.

The meeting breaks. Guys file out, heading toward the locker room or grabbing snacks before the skate.

James tosses a towel at Mikey. “You still owe me twenty bucks from that beer pong disaster last weekend.”

“That was a setup. The cups were too close together.”

“You elbowed two into your own lap.”

Parker laughs. “You boys ever do anything quietly?”

“Not when there’s money and pride involved,” Ethan says.

Connor nudges me. “So, really, who’s the girl?”

I open my locker. “Just a neighbor.”

“Does your ‘neighbor’ know you stare like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“She’s... familiar. That’s all.”

James whistles. “Familiar like a hookup? Or familiar like ‘Oops, I went out with her sister in high school’?”

"Not a hookup." Then my silence does the talking.

“Oh shit.” Ethan’s eyes go wide. “You dated her sister, for real?”

“Senior year,” I say flatly, pulling on my thermal layer.

Connor nearly chokes on his water. “This gets better by the second.”