Don't Worry About Me • Guy Germaine

chapter one - how it started

lyndon williams

tuesday, june 11th

As I felt the ball hit right into my glove I jumped in the air to celebrate as the pitcher, my best friend Sierra, ran towards me with her arms open wide. We had just won the championship for our softball league. I have never been more happy in my life.

After I got back to my family and they had congratulated my team on our win my coach came up to me. Not just him. He and another man came up to me with a briefcase.

"Hello! I'm Don Tibbles! I represent Hendricks Hockey Apparel." He said to my family happily.

My coach smiled at him then back at me, "He wants you to play hockey! For Team USA! I'll let you guys talk."

He walked away.

"I don't play hockey though? I'm a catcher." I told him. Me and my brother exchanged glances. Before Don could speak again my brother did.

"She has also never set foot on the ice?  All she can do it is catch a ball." Dylan said in a serious tone.

The Tibbles man quickly responded. "That is exactly why my company wants her to play hockey! She would make an excellent goalie for the Junior Goodwill Games!"

I looked up at my parents with confusion. I had never played hockey and a thought never ran through my head about it. The only time it did was when I was thinking about hockey boys. As I was looking up at my parents Don spoke again.

"To get straight to the point. My company wants her to be a goalie for Team USA for the games. We would fly her to Minnesota to introduce her to her team. She would play with the Ducks-"

"Who are the Ducks?"

Don responded quickly, he was really good at that.

"The Ducks are a Junior hockey team that won their PeeWee championship last year. Coached by Gordon Bombay. For the past couple of months he played in the Minors until he got he knee busted, but! As I was saying earlier. We would fly you out on Monday and you'd meet the team. Then Tuesday you'd be in California to play. Obviously you'd practice but this would be something I need an answer on!"

I could feel Dylan looking at me and my parents turned me around. They all had expressions sorta saying this would be my choice. I could tell my dad wanted to say something but Tibbles spoke up.

"I just want you to know that Lyndon is a very important person that we are trying to get for a goalie. We want to have her and Julie 'The Cat' Gaffney! Oh boy you should see her. They would get along great" He said eagerly.

"Who would get along great?" I heard someone speak up.

It was Sierra. I would leave her for the summer. Just to play a sport I have never played before. I wanted her to know what he was offering, but I also knew she'd be crushed. I'd be leaving her. My team. I've been playing with them since I was 7. Wow.

"Hi! I'm Don Tibbles! You must be friends with Miss Williams, I work with Hendricks Hockey Apparel. We want her to be a goalie on our USA hockey team for the Junior Goodwill Games!" He spoke to break the tension.

"But she doesn't play hockey, she's a catcher." Sierra pursed.

"The best one in all of Wisconsin!" He responded.