Frozen in Ice

Chapter 3

Luke's POV

The next thing that I had to do was find a job. Hockey can be expensive and Mom told me once the costs started racking up she told me that if I wanted to continue playing then I had to pay for it. I happened to walk past this small restaurant that had a job wanted sign on the front so I headed in.

The manager led me into the office and had a quick look over my CV before looking me up and down.

"So you have been working for three years," she asked.

I nodded and she continued to think for a minute.

"We haven't had anyone apply for the job and we really need someone. When can you work?" she asked.

"I play for hockey so late shifts work better for me."

"Would eight til one shifts work?" she asked and I nodded again.

"Well then you can start learning now if that works?" she asked.

I nodded a final time and headed back out of the office with her. She finally introduced herself as Lilly when we started to talk to the other waiters.

"These are all our waiters at the moment so this is Luke and he is new. This is Lisa, Max, Jessie and Olivia," Lilly said.

I nodded and smiled at all of them. It didn't take me long to learn the ropes of the job because I've had many other similar jobs and there isn't too much to learn. Lilly must have been busy while I was learning because she already had a schedule for me.

I had a quick glance over it and it all looked fine. I tucked it into my pocket and realised that once again that I didn't have anywhere better to be so I just hung around. I would stand in the kitchen and occasionally do something useful but most of the time I was getting to know everyone else.

I felt comfortable around them and they made sure to let me in. They all seemed really nice and Lilly seemed like a really good manager. She told me that any day that I couldn't make my shifts to call her and it would be fine.

I ended up hanging around in the kitchen for a couple of hours before I decided that I should leave. Olivia had just finished her shift so I headed out with her while the other three continued work.

"So are you from Minnesota?" she asked.

"No, I'm from Denver," I told her.

"So you moved from Denver to Minnesota to Pittsburgh?" she asked.

"I'm not going to bother you with the details but this is my seventh town in three years."

She looked at me and I just shrugged.

We talked for a couple of minutes before we reached her car and I said goodbye to her. They all seemed nice and I headed home as well. I unlocked our apartment and found silence inside. It seems like the whole time that we have been in Pittsburgh I have barely talked to Mom. We haven't been home at the same times.

She had left a note on the fridge telling me that there was leftover pasta in the fridge that I could heat up for dinner. It didn't look that appetising but it was easy so I ate it. I curled up in bed not long later and drifted off to sleep thinking about hockey.

We had our first practice the next day and it meant that I had to bring my hockey bag again. Mom wasn't awake when I got up and I didn't want to wake her. I wasn't sure what time she got home last night but it was defiantly after I had fallen asleep.

I left Mom a note telling her about my new job before headed out myself. It wasn't a very long walk to school and headed to my locker. Justin was already standing there and he had a bright smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"We get to start hockey today," he smiled.

I nodded and we headed to our class. I took my seat next to Brynn and she turned away from me. I just rolled my eyes. I really don't know what problem she has with me and I didn't bother asking her. She was in a couple of my other classes and she wasn't welcoming in any of them either.

I felt more comfortable after school and once training started. Once again I was the first one out on the ice and Coach called us all together. He started telling us about a drill that we were going to be running and for the first time I met the captain.

Mark Walters was a senior and captain of the hockey team. Unfortunately he was also a centre so it meant that if I wanted to play first line centre then I would have to out play him. I pushed that out of my mind and focused on my skating.

I felt comfortable as we continued running through drills. Coach was writing notes as we worked because he didn't know all of us yet. Towards the end of practice we started a game and he started mucking around with lines.

The first time I was on the ice I was facing off against Mark. It was fun to be out playing on the ice even if it was just a mock game and it didn't really matter. Every time that I was on the ice I was playing with different people and I was on the wing a couple of times.

I don't mind playing wing because it means that I'm on the ice but I feel more comfortable playing centre. It is the position that I have always been playing. Coach dismissed us and I didn't feel like hanging around much longer so I followed everyone else into the locker room.

A lot of the team was the same from last year and I felt a little left out. Justin was really nice and we talked as we changed out of our gear. I headed out at the same time as Mark and he started to talk to me.

"I don't care who the fuck you are or where the fuck you've come from but this is my team and I'm the first line centre," he growled.

I was a little shocked because I didn't realise that he was threatened by me.

"I'm not interesting in fighting with you. I just want to play," he protested.

"It better stay like that or there will be consequences," he snapped.

"What are you going to do? Hit me."

He didn't say anything else and turned before heading into the parking lot. I stood there for a moment longer before starting my walk home. Maybe I skated better than I thought if Mark was that threaten by me.

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The Wise One