Practice makes perfect, and when you're fighting to be the best in your sport that is especially true. Ryder and Francesca are no exception. They are dedicated to their sport and refuse to let anything distracted. But when a scheduling conflict forc...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
My brain stopped processing things about the same time the paramedics dropped down around Ryder on the ice and my friends attempted to cover my view of the scene . Both teams were sent to the locker rooms and somewhere along the way my team moved from the stands to join the hockey team waiting for an update. I am curled up in Ryder's locker wrapped in his jacket. Silent tears are still running down my face as Luna rubs my back and Bray holds my hand. It has been 10 minutes and Coach still isn't back with an update.
"I bet Coach got lost," Bray says, trying to explain why it has been so long.
"Yeah," I mumble as I pull the jacket tighter around me. It smells like Ryders deodorant, all clean and fresh. We had a whole conversation once about it because I said he is probably an Axe deodorant guy and he was extremely offended.
Silence settles over the room again as we all stare at the door, waiting. The only sound in the room is someone's leg anxiously bouncing. More tears fall as I think about spring break when Ryder put his hand on my leg to make the bouncing stop.
Finally the door opens and Coach walks in with only one of the assistant coaches. "He is awake. Mike called me from the ambulance and he is awake and talking. Fucking kid is always a chatter box."
Bray bites his lip but a choked sob still manages to escape. Even Coach has a few tears running down his face that he attempts to hide from everyone. "We have about 10 minutes before the game is going to resume. We are finishing this fucking strong. Preston you are back in so get dressed. For everyone else do not drop to their level. Both Defenders have been removed from the game, so keep it clean."
Bray lets go of my hand and stands up. "As Ryder would say, dirty players play dirty because they aren't good enough to play clean. We are good so let's play this game the way he would want us all to."
Everyone claps and cheers and slowly the energy comes back to the room. We do our best to hype up the team before they have to go back out. Well not we, because I am still sitting in the little locker numb to everything that has transpired in the last 30ish minutes, but my team tries.
As the refs come to tell the guys to return to the ice they all file out with a look of determination. They may have never told Ryder they love him but their looks say it all. I don't make a move to leave even as my friends begin to walk back to the stands.
"Francesca?" Coach calls my name as I toy with the sleeve of the jacket. "Mike texted me and said he can have visitors, why don't you go."
I look up at him in shock. I can go see him? I nod my head not trusting myself to speak. Coach hands me a post-it note with the address of the hospital and Mike's number scribbled on it. Luna is still glued to my side and she thanks him for me before helping me up.
"Wait," I tell her as she begins to lead me out. Tristian is waiting at the door with his keys already in hand.
I run back to Ryder's locker and grab his hat along with his phone, everything else the team can grab later. I walk out with his jacket still on as Tristian and Luna lead me as quickly as they can to the car.
