Thin Ice
“Man, there’s gonna be some hell raised here tonight, baby. Yeah!”
“Dag, dude, how can you not be nervous at a time like this?”
“Shoot, once we win tonight, I’m gonna be off to Michagen and make me a Wolverine.”
“For reals, dawg. Once them scouts check out my mad goalie skills, I’ll be stoning Bure and Karyia before you guys graduate from college. And that, my friends, is true!”
Danny Hughes laced up his skates as the rest of the team tried to psych themselves up for tonight. Danny, their captain, wanted to show his energy tonight, to set a good example for the rest of the team when he was dying inside. His girlfriend Kristy had broken up with him a few days ago, but for no apparent reason at all. However, she still wanted to go to the game and, being the nice person he is, Danny let her, hoping she might be there to support him. He did not want to let that affect his game today, however. He had heard from his coach that many scouts, college and pro, were checking this game out. This was Danny’s big chance to make it big and did not want something else destroy that.
“Hey cap,” one of the players said. “I think its ‘bout time that we got ourselves a pep talk from you. Plus, coach wants ya to. Haha”
“Yeah, ha ha, very funny,” he replied. “But yeah, you’re right. I’ll be there in a while.”
“’Kay, cool.” He went off to tell the coach while Danny put his jersey on. Right below the “C” for his captaincy was a small patch of a toy truck from his cousin’s blanket. He sewed that on a few weeks after his cousin Michael had died. Danny was unable to think of anything else for the longest time since that tragic day. When he had met Kristy, however, he was able to vent out all that pain to her, which helped strengthen their friendship to the point where they could tell each other anything. It was her that gave him the idea to play every game for him. It was her that helped him lead the team to their first tournament in years. It was her and Michael that he was playing for.
As Danny finished up his pep talk and their “Boo-yah!” cheer, it was time they headed for the ice. Everyone followed the #13 onto the ice, where family, friends, and scouts, were waiting for them. They had set the trophy right in the announcement booth, where everyone could see its shiny self from any corner of the rink. Danny had already seen it a few times before, and he started to dream that someday, he might be able to carry the ultimate hockey trophy. Man, Danny. Pull yourself together, he thought. Take one step at a time. The future all depends on now, the present. . . At that moment, his eyes unglued from the brass figure on the trophy into the stands. There, behind the fanatic parents and talent scouts was Kristy, hand in hand with another guy. Danny’s emotions flared up inside him as he stared this new guy down. He forgot all about the game, the scouts, everything that brought him here.
“Hey, you okay kid?” asked the referee.
“What?” Danny asked.
“I asked, ‘you okay?’”
“Yeah, man,” Danny answered back, eyes still fixed on the guy. “I’m just fine. Let’s get this shit started.”
Danny skated to the center of the rink and finally took his eyes off Kristy’s new date. His blood was boiling inside him as he waited for the puck to hit the ice. All thoughts his future were gone as he just wanted the other team to touch the puck, so he could blast himself right into them.
The game blazed by as no team was able to score after two periods, despite Danny’s opponents getting four power-plays when he couldn’t wait for the other team to touch the puck or he unleashed too much hell. He had gotten a few more penalties but by then, the other team did not want to go without a fight, as Danny was able to draw them into taking a penalty as well. The beginning of the third period began with a 4-on-3 power play for Danny’s team, as he was able to bring two other people down with him. As he skated over to the box to serve the rest of his penalty, Kristy was there waiting for him, alone.
“Hey there. What’s up?”
“Why do you care?”
“Ah-ha, I knew that you were upset that we broke up”
“Um, we?” Danny stressed.
“Come on, can’t you just drop it?”
“Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No, but I. . .”
“You know what, Kris? I don’t really want to hear it. The period’s starting, so you should just go up those steps over there into the arms of your new guy. I’ll see you later.”
Danny no longer paid any attention to Kristy, despite her efforts. Dang, girl. Just leave me the hell alone, he said to himself. I wanted us to be together, but you thought that was too much. Danny stepped out of the penalty box along with the other two from the other team. They had been staring at Danny and talking to each other in the box. Danny, however, didn’t seem to care. In some way, he actually wanted them to plan to hurt him. It was a basic thing his first hockey coach taught him: If you’re ever hurting in a game, just find a way to hurt yourself somewhere else. It’s better to have one huge pain instead of two nagging ones. He then skated towards them and landed one big hit just as they both stepped out of the box. The play was in the other end, so the ref did not call anything. Danny’s team got the puck back and passed it right up to him. He sprinted his way to the goal, with the two guys out of the box chasing after him. C’mon, do your worst, fellas, he thought to himself as he was deciding what side to go. In a swing of a stick, Danny was knocked of his train of thought and was down to one knee, still going fast to the goal. However, that slowed him down enough for the other to go in front of him. Danny looked back at the ref and sure enough, the guy was going to get two minutes for slashing. Now I can concentrate back on hockey, win this tournament, and shove it in the face of Kristy and her new boyfriend he thought. The moment Danny turned his head back around, the guy in from of him turned sharply and launched every pound of his 180 pound frame he had into the lower body of Danny. Without losing most of his speed, Danny flew towards the net, stick and puck gone. In an instant, Danny’s neck was on the cold steel and the next, was on the cold ice, lying in a puddle of what he thought his heart had none left.
“Oh my gawd! Someone call an ambulance!”
“What the hell was that for, you punks!”
“Dude, we didn’t mean to…”
“Danny, Danny. Snap out of it.”
That last voice, Danny knew. It was Kristy’s angelic voice. She was somehow able to sneak onto the ice where Danny’s cold body lay. He was unable to see her face but knew she was crying. How he wanted to lift his hand up and wipe them away, but he was not able to feel them. He wanted to look down and see if anyone would be holding them down, but he could not open his eyes, let alone lift his head. Then, he stood up somewhat easily, but as he looked down, he saw everyone below him, crowded around something. He looked around and he saw the ice start to crack from everyone on the ice.
“Hey guys! Get off the rink! It’s gonna crack!” he yelled, but got no response from anyone.
“Hey yo! Can’t you guys fricken hear me?” he yelled again, but more loudly. Danny then had enough of it and tried to push everyone off the ice but couldn’t. Frustrated, he decided to see what everyone was looking at. He walked around the side and with his foot in the now-ruby-red ice look down. There he was, on the ice, looking up at himself for the first time. Kristy was next to him, crying, begging for him to come back.
“Danny! Come back! I’m so sorry! Please don’t leave me!”
No, of course not. I’ll never leave you. The crack in the ice started its way to his body, then to the crowd, then to Kristy’s. NO! Don’t make me leave. The rink split in half, his body on one side, still being held by Kristy, and the team, coaches, and parents were on the other side. NO! Come back!, he pleaded. I’m so sorry too, Kristy. The ice began to split between his body and her. I’m so sorry, he cried. Danny fell to his knees as the rink split for the last time. They all drifted away into the distance, leaving Danny. The rink was empty. He was alone.
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