Page 87 of One Shot

“I know. Thank you for defending me. I love you,” she shouts with teary eyes.

“I love you. And I love your jersey.”

She laughs and mouths “me too.”

I scramble to the bench before Coach can yell at me. Kovek’s penalty is over, and the game is still a tie. We have two minutes left of the second period. It seems like we are going to go into the third tied. We can easily get a win off a tie. But then, Harris gets the puck and scores again.

Fuck.

We can still get a win, but it won’t be as easy. We need to dominate the third period.

I splash cold water on my face in the locker room as Coach comes over to me.

“Donato, try not to get another damn penalty this last period?” he grumbles.

“Going to try my best, Coach!”

I do mean it. I want to win this game. Not for the team anymore, but for Laur.

The team seems worn out. We’ve been playing hard but so has East.

“Exhaustion can wait twenty more minutes boys. Let’s win this game,” I roar before we exit the locker room.

The third period is uneventful. East must be worn out too. I say a silent prayer, we need at least one goal, come on please let us win this game for her.

Tyler answers that prayer with a shot to the top left of the net, using Nick’s advice.

“YES! We are tied with seven minutes left. We can do this, Wyverns,” I shout as we celebrate Tyler’s goal.

The next four minutes are the most intense of the game. Both teams have newfound energy with the game tied and bragging rights at stake, but for me there is much more at stake than that. Lauren deserves to see this win.

I force myself to stay levelheaded. I look to find Laur again. She gives me a thumbs up and nods in encouragement. With two minutes left, Connor passes me the puck. I have a shot in sight, but I get slammed hard against the boards. It’s Kovek, of course.

“She used to wear my jersey,” he sneers at me. My hands curl instinctively into fists.

He must have seen Laur with my last name on her back. The refs are calling it a clean hit, no penalty. I’m shaken but keep fighting for the puck.

“Actually, that’s a lie. She’s always been a Wyvern,” I smugly reply as I take control of the puck and pass it up the ice.

No one is there so it’s up to me to skate to keep control of the puck. Kovek starts for it too, heated and riled up from my reply.

Nick’s notebook was right. He is not a fast skater; meanwhile I always have been, and I’ve been putting in the time to improve evenmore. I easily get to the puck before him. Connor is wide open close to the net. I pass it to him. He shoots.

The shot’s deflected by East’s goalie. I get the rebound and take a chance with a slapshot. It’s not into one of the corners of the net, but I wasn’t positioned right for that. A ting of panic goes through me, thinking it’s not going to go in.

The goalie dives for the puck but misses it by an inch.

It slides into the net and over the goal line.

Wyverns win. We beat East.

I almost fall to my knees in gratitude. All the heaviness I’ve carried the past few games lifts.

The entire team is on the ice celebrating. It feels like we just won a championship game. The refs usher us off the ice. Something about “being good sportsmen,” but none of us care, not even Coach Andres. I find Laur at the end of the ice by the locker room and pull her into my arms.

“Congrats, Captain! You did it!” Laur squeals.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I cup her face in my hands.