happier ~ evan morrow

one.

the new hockey team.

It was after school, and Kathleen was walking down town to her hockey practice with Bombay. She arrived at the place a bit early, and sat in the food area where Winnie usually was.

Kathleen knew that the Duck tryouts were today, and she thought about going, but decided against it, knowing everyone would make fun of her. She was scrolling through Instagram when she saw a video a girl in her grade posted.

'Alex Morrow's meltdown after son, Evan Morrow, gets cut from the Ducks!'

Kathleen 's eyes widened at the name. Evan Morrow. She hated and loved him. Kathleen had the biggest crush on Evan, for forever, and he'd always avoided her. She would try to sit by him at lunch, but he just move away. She tried to play with him at recess, but he just ran away. Even when they did Valentines in third grade, she gave him an extra lollipop which he gave to Trevor.

Finally in the sixth grade, she mustered up the courage to ask Evan to the dance. It was at lunch, and she went up and asked him. He laughed, and asked her if she was being serious. The whole lunch room was quiet, and heard him say "no you weirdo, just go away."

It crushed her. She wasn't at school the next day, and refused to go the dance. She was even more upset when she found out that he had went to the dance with Sofi Hanson-Bhatt who was Kathleen's best friend since second grade.

Sofi claimed that her and Evan just went as friends, but she ended the friendship then and there.

Kathleen laughed, and liked the video which caught the attention of Gordon Bombay who was walking in.

"Whatcha' laughing at kid?" He asked Kathleen as he tied up his skates. Kathleen put her phone down on the table as she tied back her hair. "Some kid's mom flipped out since her son got cut from the Ducks."

Gordon laughed as he shook his head. He had as much hatred for the Ducks as Kathleen did. They were winning hungry animals. "Typical Ducks."

"Now, c'mon kid! Let's get this over with before people start coming in. I don't want them to know that I actually don't hate hockey." He tells Kathleen as he started heading out to the rink, as she trailed behind him.

This lesson contained of stick tricks, and goalie practice. Kathleen could pretty much play every position since she has had so much practice. She does the best on offense though.

The lesson ended, and Kathleen said goodbye to Gordon as she started to make her way home. She passed the construction workers that she had passed every day for the past two years now.

"Hey Mr. Fulton!" Kathleen waved at the construction worker with a beard. She had met him for the first time when he had accidentally shot a rock her way. He had apologized over and over again, and took her out for ice cream.

"Hey Kathleen!" He yelled back and she giggled as she continued her adventure home. When she finally made it home, her father asked how lessons were.

Kathleen made it about a couple of months before her father started wondering where she was going after school. She tried to lied, but it didn't work. He was a little opposed at first, but then was okay with it since she wasn't getting slammed into the boards.

"It was good, we worked on some goalie stuff today." Kathleen tells her dad who was watching a hockey game on tv. Kathleen took out her school folder, and started on some work. Since she didn't have many friends, she just hanged by herself after school.

The next day at school was perfect for Kathleen. She got to watch as Evan got kicked off the Ducks table. She laughed to herself as she stuffed a curly fry in her mouth.

She usually shared her table with one more boy, Nick Ganz. They hardly ever talked except for when he interviewed her on his podcast after big Duck games on what she thought of the game.

She looked over to him when she saw another tray be placed down at the table. It was Evan Morrow. Kathleen quickly stiffened as she kept her eyes strictly on her plate.

"Oh, Kathleen?" Nick called her. She looked up, confused on what he was going to ask or say. She then saw Evan make some kind of 'stop' hand motion. Nick nodded. "Do you mind of Evan sits here?"

She knew that was not what he was going to ask, but since it had something to do with Evan Morrow, she could care less. "I don't mind."

Then she got some sort of notification on her phone, well everyone did. She looked at it, and saw it was something about a new team, and practice tomorrow. That must've been what Evan didn't want her knowing.

Evan watched Kathleen as she read the message. He had hoped she wasn't about to jump to join the team, but instead she just sat her phone down like everyone else. He was so confused. Was he that such of a joke now that even the girl who obsessed over him doesn't care?

Lunch was almost over, and Kathleen pulled her hockey bag and put it in the seat next to her. Nick and Evan took notice to the stuff.

"You play hockey, Kathleen?" Nick asked. She looked back up at both of them, and shrugged. "Kind of."

"Oh, what team do you play for?" Nick presses. Kathleen sat near Nick everyday, and never noticed her hockey stuff until now.

"I just get lessons, I'm not on a team." She tells them, and quickly gets up to go to her next class before they can ask anymore questions.

Kathleen headed to the ice center quickly after school, so she could try to avoid Nick pestering. During study hall she decided to fully read the text that Nick sent. She read that they needed a coach, a rink, and players.

She walked into the rink, and saw that there were a few people skating, and then a Zamboni on the side of the rink. She scrunched up her face as she walked towards the rink.

"Coach Bombay?" The middle aged man pops up from the Zamboni. It seems as if he was trying to get that old thing to work all day. "Oh, Kathleen... just sit over there, I'll be there in a moment."

As Kathleen was scrolling through her phone as a lady walked calling for the manager. Kathleen looked up from her phone to get a glimpse of the lady, and immediately realized who she was. Alex Morrow.

She started talking to him about her Whitney Houston routine when she was in eighth grade. Kathleen looked at Bombay who seemed just as confused as she was.

"Cool, we met, take care now. Kathleen come on." He says to her as she picks up her stuff, and starts following after her. Alex Morrow started heading after them also. When she mentioned that she needed ice, Kathleen knew exactly what she was here for.

"My son just got fired from his hockey team by a very mean coach." She tells him, and he looks at Kathleen. She nodded knowing that he was wondering if she was the mom who threw a fit about her son not making the team. "Let me guess... The Ducks?"

After Bombay picked up the cake, and Alex started going on about the team they ended up in Bombay's office where Kathleen has only been five times before. Alex was going on about a city surplus, and Kathleen was just scrolling through her phone. She saw that Nick posted something about the team on his story. Kathleen shot her head up when Bombay said, "I'm sure we could find some wiggle room on the 'no hockey' thing."