The Hockey Boy

Chapter 13

TY

December 1

"Good game, babe," said Jake as he pulled me into a hug after my hockey game.

"Thanks, Jake," I replied with a smile as he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"You know, I was pretty scared when you and Coon Rapids were tied with one minute left to play, but I knew you'd somehow come through," Jake said.

"Yeah, I was pretty happy when I scored the winning goal, but I couldn't have done it without Cal's awesome assist," I explained.

"Nah, I think it was all you."

"Well, it wasn't. Hockey is a team sport, just like basketball is."

"I guess you do have a point there," Jake agreed. "Hey, do you want to go out for pizza with me to celebrate?"

"Yeah, I'd love that," I smiled. Jake was seriously the most perfect boy I had ever met. He didn't care that I played hockey on the boys team or that I'd take pizza over salad any day. He accepted me for who I was. "Let me go get showered and changed. I hope you don't mind that I'll be wearing sweats."

Jake laughed, "You look beautiful no matter what you're wearing."

"Yeah, right," I laughed. "I'll see you in a little while." I turned away from Jake and headed down the hallway that lead to the girls locker room. I turned around the final corner that lead to the entrance of the locker room when I stopped dead in my tracks. "What are you doing here?" I screeched.

***

Easton

November 1

The game was over, the outcome 4-3 Blaine over Coon Rapids. I walked out into the arena's lobby to wait for Ty. For a few minutes, I glanced around, looking for Ty, when finally, I spotted her. I started walking towards her, but what happened next made me stop dead in my tracks.

Oh, I had spotted Ty all right, but she was in the arms of a tall, blond, Zac Efron twin. For a second, I led myself to believe that maybe this dude was just a friend of hers, but when he leaned down and kissed her, I knew that he was definitely her boyfriend. Then I remembered that he was the guy she was with the other night at the restaurant.

I got a hot feeling in my chest, rage consuming me. I took a few deep breaths and was about to confront Ty when I stopped myself. I'll just cut her off outside of the locker room. I'll save her the trouble of public embarrassment, I thought. Then I took off in the direction of the girls locker room.

Just a few minutes later I heard footsteps coming from the direction of the hockey arena. I saw Ty walk around the corner when she stopped dead in her tracks. "What are you doing here?" she screeched.

"Oh, I was just out for a stroll in your school," I said sarcastically.

"Seriously, why are you here? Why do you keep coming to my games?" she interrogated.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" I countered.

"It was none of your business," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Um, I never would've kissed you if I had known you had a boyfriend. I'm not that kind of guy," I said, glaring at her.

"Jake wasn't my boyfriend when you kissed me," she said stiffly.

"Oh really, then why were you on a date with him at the restaurant the other night?" I questioned.

"That was our first date."

"Oh, so after one date you decided to be boyfriend/girlfriend. I see how it is. Thanks for telling me," I said, turning to leave. "Just for the record, if you were going to date anyone, it should've been that friend of yours, Cal.

"How dare you," Ty said in a low voice.

"What?" I said in an annoyed voice.

"How dare you act like you own me. How dare you act like it's your business to know who I date and who I don't. Well guess what, pretty boy, I never was yours, and I never will be. Quit coming to my games. Quit texting me. Quit following me around. I don't even know you, let alone like you! Get away and stay away. I'm happy with my life right now, and you're not in it. Leave me alone, Easton West. Just leave me alone," she said as she headed towards the locker room.

"Ty, wait-" I started.

"No, not again, Easton. Looks like you don't always get what you want," she smirked, and with that, she was gone. Forever.

I leaned back against the wall and slid down to the ground. I held my head in my hands and muttered, "You really screwed this one up, West. You really screwed up."

***

Ty

November 1

"Frick, frick, frick, frick, frick!" I screamed as I stomped into the locker room. I threw my hockey helmet to one side and my stick to the other. "Aaaaaggghhhh!"

I went up to one of the concrete walls of the locker room and punched it, hard. "Frick!" I yelled as I shook my still-gloved hand. "I was happy! I finally found a boyfriend! My life was perfect and you had to go and ruin it! Ugh!" I screamed. I took a few deep breaths and calmed down a bit. I walked over to my locker, took off my jersey, and went to take a cold shower.

Once I got out of the shower, I changed into some sweatpants and a hoodie. I grabbed my phone and saw that Jake was calling me. I answered the phone, "Hey, babe. What do you need?"

"Are you almost ready?" he asked.

"Yep, I'm walking out of the locker room right now," I said as I grabbed my duffel bag and locked my locker.

"Great," he replied as I walked out the door. He was standing right outside of the locker room. "Because I'm standing right outside here," he smiled as he and I put down our phones at the same time.

"Are you hungry, because I'm starving," I commented. Then I remembered who had been outside of the locker room just a few minutes earlier. "Hey, random question, but did you see anyone outside of the locker room when you came over here?"

"No, why?" Jake replied confusedly.

"Oh, I was just wondering," I replied trying to play it off like it was nothing.

"Are you sure? Is there someone bothering you?" Jake said as he stopped walking.

"Well, there was this one guy, but I think I handled it. He won't be bothering me anytime soon."

"Are you absolutely sure? If I need to kick someone's ass for the sake of your safety, I'll do it," Jake said seriously.

"Jake, calm down. It's nothing, I promise," I assured him. "Let's just go get some pizza."

"Okay, sounds good. I'm starving, too."

As I sat there in a booth with Jake, I forgot all about Easton. Jake made me forget my problems, made me relax. Easton made me freak out, like he was just another stressor in my life. Jake was the one for me, I was sure of that.