Figuring it Out

F I V E | T O P S H E L F

Top Shelf: The upper area of the goal, just below the crossbar and above the goaltender's shoulders. Results in a beautiful spectacle if the player is successful in scoring.

"Okay boys, we all remember they kicked us out of the second round of the playoffs last year but that doesn't matter now. What matters now is winning this game, here and now. We have home ice advantage and need to utilize it." Coach Reed said, trying to pump up the boys.

Xavier nodded and chimed in as the coach finished, "It's our game boys, let's win it!"

There were cheers from all the players before they rushed out of the tunnel one by one. Xavier's blood was pumping, as his veins roared with adrenaline. He could hear the home crowd cheering them on as they stepped onto the ice. It was a crisp white sheet, clearly ready for a game. The smell of buttered popcorn filled his nostril, but he tuned out all the noise and distraction.

He stood in a line with his teammates facing the Erie Otter's ready to finally get his revenge. Nothing would be sweeter than stealing the win from the 2017 Memorial Cup champions.

Xavier took the opening draw and he made sure to remove everything else from his mind and only focus on hockey. The puck was dropped, and Xavier maneuvered it between his feet to Ajax, his right wing. The hockey game had officially begun.

The game was not going as well as they had hoped. It was tied 3-3 with six minutes left into the third period. It had been a frustrating game filled with malice and penalties. It was clear to anyone who was watching that both teams still had bad blood from the playoffs last year.

"Shoot the fucking puck Reese." Coach Reed yelled from the bench.

Xavier watched as Reese tried passing it to a teammate instead, but it was blocked by a stick and led to a turnover. Xavier saw an Erie Otter's player rushing past him as he shot the puck towards Gordon, their goalie. Thankfully he blocked it.

Xavier felt a hand on his shoulder and the coach bent down to whisper to him, "I'm counting on you kid. The left defense is weaker than the right so try going for that side on your next shift."

He nodded understanding the message. When it came time to change lines, Xavier leaped out of the bench and tapped his stick so that Ajax could pass it to him. However, Ajax passed it to one of their defense instead. He saw an incoming player, so he shouted, "Give me the damn puck."

The puck was on Xavier's stick mere seconds later. Focusing his energy on the three players before him, Xavier dangled away from them and easily zipped through their defense. He saw an opening between the crossbar and goalie, so he slapped the puck in that direction. Buzzers went off seconds later and he could feel the hugs from his teammates.

"Yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about." Ajax said with a grin.

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"You coming to the club?" Reese asked him.

The press had just left the locker room which meant the atmosphere was much more relaxed. There was a tendency for the players to tense up when the media was around. Although they did ask basic questions for the most part, Xavier also knew that scouts, and pro-hockey teams vetted the draft picks to see if they were clean and a bad reputation with the media could be quite harmful.

Xavier shook his head indicating a no to Reese's answer. His sister had repeatedly texted him to remind Xavier of the dinner they were having at his parents' place. She had also mentioned she was bringing a friend and, so she had requested him to dress adequately to make sure that he didn't scare of her friend. That meant that Xavier could not simply show up sweaty, and would need to head home and take a shower first.

He would rather be hanging at the club with the boys, but he also knew that his parents would be very disappointed if he missed this dinner. His mother had requested that he come visit her. Xavier would have gone earlier but the team had a short road trip and had only returned a day ago. Exhausted, he had been unable to carve out time and visit his family.

He quickly said his goodbyes and made his way out of the dressing room and towards the back of the venue. The bodyguard who stood at the entrance nodded to him and he returned the nod. His truck was parked at the corner of the venue and he quickly placed his equipment into his bag trying his best not to wrinkle his suit. The drive to his apartment was short. It was very close to the arena which was one of the reasons that Xavier had rented out the place.

Most of his teammates lived together with other people from the team but Xavier preferred having his own place. It was small one-bedroom apartment, but Brea had decorated well enough giving it a nice homey feel.

Quickly taking off his suit, Xavier jumped into the shower to get himself cleaned. He changed into a dress shirt and khakis before putting on a black cashmere sweater over it for a more relaxed look. He gelled his black hair slightly before spraying himself with cologne. He was ready within twenty minutes and he texted Brea to let her know that he was on his way.

He was standing in front of his family house thirty minutes later. Traffic had been pretty bad which is why it had taken him longer than usual. Xavier had a key to let himself in but every since he moved out, he felt weird using it unless he had a very valid reason. So, he opted to ring the doorbell. Seconds later, his Dad opened the door.

"Hey Dad," Xavier said before he was engulfed in a hug.

His father was in his early fifties and loved hugs. He was the one who had gotten Xavier interested into hockey and had supported him through his journey. His father helped him through tough times, whether it was hockey, school work, or even girls. Xavier saw him mother coming right behind him, and he reached out to give her a hug.

"Hijo, it's good to have you back."

Xavier snorted. "You guys are acting like you haven't seen me in months. I only live twenty minutes away from you guys. You could visit sometimes you know..."

His mother slapped his arm lightly. "I haven't seen you in nearly a week. I do not think my reaction is uncalled for."

Xavier smiled. "It's good to be back and eat your cooking Mama." He heard two voices in the kitchen, but he could only recognize one of them, Brea. He was assuming the other was Brea's friend, whose name he did not know.

"Shall we eat then?" he asked his Mom and Dad.

His mother gently led him towards a dining table where a feast lay in front of them.

"It's good to have you back, Xavier." Brea said slapping him on the back.

Xavier winced at the impact but pretended that it had not affected him. He had bruises forming already from the game tonight.

"This is my friend Rosaura." Brea continued saying something, but Xavier ignored her. He looked up to see a pair of stunning onyx eyes. It was the girl from the practice rink. The ice-dancer. He never got to see her in close vicinity, but Xavier could now see she had freckles.

Embarrassingly enough, the is the first thing that came out of his mouth was utterly stupid, "you have freckles."

He felt Brea nudge his ribcage. "That is not the first thing you say to a house guest!" she chided him.

Xavier apologize, and Rosaura took it in stride. She smiled at his softly before extending her hand to grip his.

"It's nice to properly meet you."

Xavier snorted.

"Since the introductions are made, let's get started on dinner now, shall we?" His father suggested taking a seat.

Xavier agreed and sat down hoping he wouldn't make a bigger fool of himself than he already had. 

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The main characters will finally get the chance to interact! What did you guys think of the chapter? Is anyone else excited for the Olympic Winter Games starting soon?