~Pucker face~ Charlie Conway

Chapter sixteen: When Pigs Fly

"TEN MORE"

Coach Orion had been yelling at us for hours. It was about time we ended practice, but there hadn't been a single day in the past week we'd gotten back for dinner on time. Today, he was really in a mood because we'd had a scrimmage with Varsity yesterday, and obviously lost. We were worn out, skating back and forth across the long way of the rink dozens of times. Every time we reached the end, we were met with the call to do more. More, more, more. I was psyched about becoming a better player, but that didn't mean the preparation felt good.

"This is miserable." I said out loud, as I reached one side.

"Tell me about it." Julie said.

"Really." Connie answered, "How you holding up boys?"

"Never bet-"

Ken started to speak but tripped and fell causing a pile-up between us all. One after the other, our bodies gave in, the exhaustion creating a lump of kids on the ice.

"This sort of feels nice..." Russ commented while he lay flat-back on the white surface.

"I would take this over five more shuttle drills any day." Guy added.

We all continued to mutter complaints as Coach Orion began his outrage once again. I knew he could keep shouting, but what would he do? Pick us up one by one, tell us to get our asses back to drills? He wouldn't. After a bit more of the whole team not giving a shit, he told us to get changed and go home. It was a moment to rejoice until he made a final comment.

"We'll continue this tomorrow."

Of course there had to be more. I have learned that somehow, whatever it may be, things here never end.

🏒🏒🏒

I had been back on the JV team for about two weeks, and we were working just as hard as Varsity, maybe even harder. Dinner's kept getting better just because your body would be so deprived of nutrients by the end of everything. That's the good, but the next morning, you always feel like utter trash. The hard chairs they make us sit in during class don't help either.

We were eating that night when I suddenly felt like I'd forgotten something. There was an absence somewhere in my brain. It could've been anything, really. I was just so tired, forgetting things was a constant when I wasn't functioning at full. But then, when I figured out what I was missing, I nearly spit out my food. It wasn't anything minor, rather a nightmare.

I had a huge chemistry test and had completely forgotten about it. I wasn't doing good at the school/sport balancing act. My studying hours had rounded up to zero.

"You alright there Sloane?" Dwayne asked, while pouring gravy over his mashed potatoes.

"The chemistry test? It slipped my mind. It's tomorrow right?"

"Oh yeah!" Connie exclaimed, seeming way too excited for something more than half our grade.

"I'll be at the library if anyone needs me." I said, heading out as quickly as possible.

If there was anything I could do now, it was study my ass off. Cramming is often said as something that doesn't work, but you never know if you don't try? The worst I could do is show up tomorrow with nothing to give. If anything, I could act sick, really be studying and then take it at a later date. I dropped by my dorm to pick up everything I needed and then unlocked the library to find a desk.

I volunteered there to put away books sometimes, so I had a spare. Nobody would mind if a light just so happened to stay on overnight, right? I hoped people would just ignore it.