Page 8

HAYDEN

We’re midway through the first game of training camp and I’m already change.

Not physically—although it has sunk in that this camp is going to be rigorous as hell.

It’s the mental exhaustion that’s already taking a toll, though.

I can’t quite find my rhythm on the ice, and the whole experience is a bit unsettling for me.

“Come on, Parker, pick up the pace!” Xavier shouts to me as I manage to take possession of the puck from Logan Valdez. Theo and Xavier are near me, ready for support as the opposing team tries to topple my footing.

“You’re not gonna have that for long at this speed, Parker!” Logan taunts as he tries to body-check me rather aggressively. The guy’s smaller than I am, but he sure does have a lot of gusto. I don’t even know how I manage to keep the puck with how aggressive he’s being.

We’re up against the team containing Julian and Ansel, and while they have also mixed up their roles on the team, I still can’t get past them.

They simply know me too well as an offensive player.

Julian’s currently the goalie, and out of the three times I’ve gotten the puck, not one of them have passed through his defense.

I didn’t know Julian had any proficiency at playing goalie, so I’m quite surprised to be honest. But leave it to Julian of all people to be good at literally everything.

“You can do better than that, Hayden!” Julian cheers me on after successfully rebounding the puck I’ve just shot, with Ansel taking the lead and skating back to our defensive zone.

“Stop coddling me, Dad. ” I manage to choke out a joke even though I’m running out of breath trying to keep up with Ansel.

“Stop talking to your former captain and listen to your current captain!” Xavier yells as he glides across the ice. Even though he’s busy trying to keep up with Ansel’s speed, he manages to startle me with just how his voice is. I still haven’t gotten used to it.

Theo, on the other hand, shoots me a very quick glance. It’s the kind of look that lets me know that he’s making fun of me in his head, but I try not to let it rattle me. Sure, he’s the one who initiated a truce. But I shouldn’t expect anything more than that from him.

By the time I get it together and move my feet, I’m way behind. So behind, in fact, that Ansel has already taken his shot before I can even get back in our zone. And to my surprise, Ansel’s shot is wildly accurate and flies right past Declan.

“Ah, damn it! When did you get so good at this?” Declan grills Ansel as he gets back in position. Ansel replies by doing a little dance, effectively making fun of Declan in a playful way. At least those two are having a good time.

“Fuck,” I swear under my breath, disappointed at myself.

The play stops and Ansel skates over to me with a slightly concerned look on his face. “You okay?” he asks. “It’s not like you to be this slow.” Ansel is my best friend, but even though I know he means well, this interaction is just rubbing me the wrong way.

“I’ve just gotta warm up, I guess.” I grit my teeth, not wanting to snap at Ansel.

He’s still my teammate and my roommate, and the one I’m really mad at is myself anyway.

Although I’m not exactly elated at the fact that I don’t feel any support coming from my teammates.

It feels like I’m out here on my own and I just need a second.

One second, I swear to myself, and I can get in the right headspace to keep up.

Not to mention, I wish Theo would back me up properly instead of just hovering all around me. I didn’t even see him attempt to get the puck back after Julian blocked it. Like what the fuck is that?

It’s fine. I mean, it’s not fine if we want to win.

But if we don’t want to win, then yeah, I guess it’s fine.

So I skate back into my position, trying not to let the lack of team chemistry get the best of me.

I can’t help but steal a few looks at the other rinks around us, though.

My other teammates seem to be enjoying their new teams. I can see Dom and Jared vibing with their new teammates.

Hell, even the weird matchup of Nathan and Marcus seem to be hitting it off.

Those two are the last two people from Somerset and Wildwood that I would expect to be all buddy-buddy, and yet—no matter which rink I look at—I seem to be the only one miserable around here.

“Got your head in the game, Parker?” Xavier checks in with me as the refs are about to restart the play.

“Yeah,” I answer snappily, not wanting to talk any further.

Theo audibly snorts and the fact that he’s joining the pile-on fills me with a rage that I can barely contain. “You haven’t scored a single point this entire game. Honestly, man, you didn’t even change positions and I’m the one outperforming you,” he says, swinging around his stick like an idiot.

“Hey, that’s not fair. Hayden’s had a long day,” Declan says in an effort to defend me. I didn’t even know he was listening. But I put my hand up to stop him from speaking up for me any further.

“You’re not the only one who was stuck on a bus for eight hours,” Theo says dismissively, finally putting his stick down in front of him. He leans against it as if it’s a fence.“Just say you’re trash and we can all move on.”

That’s it. The fuse I’ve been keeping in check for so long this entire match—no, this entire day —has just gone off. Slowly, I skate towards my enemy, seething with anger.

“Hayden, whoa. Hey, calm down.” Declan calls out as he tries to skate as fast as he can towards me to stop me, but he’s not quite used to all the goalie equipment attached to him, so he’s stumbling along the ice a bit.

Xavier tries to get in between me and Theo as I approach him. “Come on, Parker, it’s just a stupid practice game. There’s no need to?—”

I push Xavier aside rather roughly, but he manages to follow by my side.

Pretty soon, Declan’s at my side as well, and I’ve already made quite a commotion that even Julian and Ansel are starting to make their way over to me.

The refs are whistling for us to get back in position, but the shrill tone of the whistle only serves to aggravate me even more.

Standing a few feet away from me now is Theo. He’s still wearing that smug look on his face and leaning against his hockey stick as I size him up.

“Fuck you and your stupid truce,” I spit, swinging my stick upwards in a blaze of fury.

As I do, I can feel nothing but my heartbeat as Theo’s ocean eyes morph from pompous to indifference.

Countless voices around me are trying to yell at me to stop, but my stick is already swinging downwards, breaking as it makes impact on Theo's hockey stick.

A brittle crack echoes throughout my ear as his hockey stick flies in the air and lands on the ice split in two, sliding along with the piece of mine that broke off.

Silence lingers in the air. I’m not sure if it’s because my ears are ringing too much and I can only hear my own heartbeat, but I can’t hear anyone else. I’m just staring directly at Theo’s eyes, refusing to back down.

Before I know it, Julian has me by the jersey and is pulling me to the benches, his usually calm but strict demeanor now angry and disappointed.

“I ask you to do one thing. Keep a cool head and not make a scene, and you can’t even do that.

” He scolds me in the sharpest tone I’ve ever heard him use, shoving me off the ice so hard that I almost trip and fall.

“Shower and cool off, Hayden. You’re not coming back on the ice today,” Julian barks, not giving me a chance to speak.

Following his suit, Xavier also drags Theo off the ice with the same force, but to Theo’s dismay, he actually trips and falls onto his ass.

“Get your fucking mouth in check, Theo, or you’re gonna regret it.

” Xavier reprimands his fellow Wolverine, but his voice is a lot more unforgiving than Julian’s.

I watch the two captains skate back into the ice and apologize to the refs on our behalf.

After that, Xavier subs us in with players from the other colleges, not giving us much thought anymore.

This is the first time I’ve ever been kicked off the ice, but strangely, I don’t feel guilty. I can’t even stand being next to Theo right now, so I walk back to the locker room, not paying any mind to him as he trails behind.