𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨 • 𝗔. 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦

𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐸

[n a r r a t o r]

"Live from Los Angeles, welcome to the junior Goodwill Games." Lester Averman was the jester of the group he knew when to make a joke and when not too. H e knew how to make a frown lift into a smile and he loved hearing those laughs and giggles erupt when he walked into a room.

But every now and then when he would be stuck in his room crawling into the shawdows, allowing the darkness to ingest him slowly as he feels each of their teeth seep deep within his skin. He loathed that feeling and in a constant pattern His therapist, Davern Kall had instructed him to find something he found joy in, so he found hockey. And he enjoyed watching people find joy withing him. Even if he has to take a pill every morning and night only to ensure that the darkness doesn't come back. And that invisible knife claw into his stomach.

"Tonights matchup, team U.S.A. faces off against team Iceland." Averman holds his stick to his mouth as he 'interviews' Goldberg. "Cakewalk." Goldberg mutters as he shakes his head at the Iceland team.

"We have with us Greg Goldberg, goaltender for team U.S.A."

-"Greg what is it going to take to beat these fiesty Icelanders tonight?" He places the stick underneath the goalies mouth. Avermans glasses meeting with the tip of his nose as he pushes it back up to his eyeview, the stick nearly slipping in his hands. "I think it'll take a sumpreme indiviaul effort by me, Greg Goldberg. " The boy boasts.

"Let's play hockey, gentlemen." The man skates behind the goal posts, taking a blow of the whistle.

"Okay cut it."

"Hi. everybody. Welcome to today's game." The announcer beams over the stadium. "This is a very important matchup, team U.S.A. against Iceland, in what could be a preview of the championship game." Both teams huddled together as they prep and shout over the cheers behind them. "Iceland, coached by Wolf 'The Dentist' Stansson. He'll be taking on Gordon Bombay."

"Good luck. there, coach." Wolf knew him, he knew his game and the strengths his team would turn to because he liked to win, because he like knowing that he had earned it.  Bombay salutes the Wolf the smile still strong on his lips, ignoring the cold stares he'd been recieving from Fulton and Dean. "You'll sure need it." Coach Stansson snickers.

Alexis breath seemed to be stuck in her throat. Her usaul peppy and bubbly persona completley wiped from her identity as soon as her father waved at her with his classic smirk that made her blood burn in her veins and her hands sweat all at the same time. Adam who was watching this scene unfold took her hand, effectivley easing the Stansson girls nerves. Although Adam loathed her he knew what it felt like. He knew that feeling so clear that it was imprinted into his brain. Never allowming himself to grow forgetful of that feeling he'd often feel when he was ever in close range of his farther.

Alexis was never taught Icelandic, partcially because the language was quite advanced for her minimalistic brain. But it would be quite useful for Jesse Hall who looked at Gunnar Stahl in confusion when he spoke. "What does that mean?" Jesse asks as they begin the face off. "You'll find out." Gunnar kneels further to be in perfect eye level of him as the whistle blows into the air.

As soon as it started the Iceland boy nudged Jesse further away from the puck as he tried his best to cradle it between his stick. Dean came up from behind pushing the Stahl down, staring down at him in disdain. "Come on, fool. Get up." Alexis skated towards the two boys. Her hands shaking as she looked down at her two friends. Her gaze shifitng between the two as she tries many failed attempts to quite down her thoughts that still have swarmed each cell in her mind occupying each and every thought of Wolf and, well Adam.

"You ran at him unprovoked, huh?" The ref pushes the Portman off the ice. Dean lidts his elbow causing him an offical call sending him off the ice and the game entirely.

"Come on," Alexis shakes her head slowly thanking the helmet from protecting her obvious discomfort. Coach shouts at the refs as they bring him out of the rink.

Alexis chases after the puck. Her feet gliding against the shaved bits of ice and her breaths coming out more thick than usual. She feels her chest rise and her palm start to slip on her stick.

'we play to win and Stansson always win' Deltas voice echos within her as her bones stregthen underneath he rpadding and she skates faster, and faster until she can no longer feel her chest rise and fall. nudging her shoulder blade deeper into the Iceland players chest she takes over the puck passing it down to Jesse who skates up the ice but quickly getting shot down by one of the players.

He slams his fists against the ice. His jaw tensing at the sight of his teamates getting launched down and pushed against boards.

The blare shrills over the audience. ALexis cups her ears as it rings its loud reminders. "Wake up defense can't do this all myself."

"Yeah but you just sat their and watched them score instead of doing your actaul job and block it. Idiot." Alexis lightly taps his shins as she skates further away from the goalie who shouts back at her, grabbing a hand full of peoples attention. "Shut it, if you really don't want to be here join your daddy then." The Stansson girl pushes him against the metal post her gloves managing to hold his jeresey tightly. "Say some shit like that again and you're a dead man where you stand Goldberg."

"Y-yes ma'am." Alexis smiles sweetly at him tapping the right of his shoulder playfully. "That's what I like to hear."

"Hey Goldberg! If that puck was a cheeseburger you'd stop it! Does anyone have number 10s phone number?" Russ giggles over the groans and shouts of defeat. The team was getting belted and spun from the shins and knees as they all ended up at the sideline rubbing their wounds with quite winces, only to be sent back out with as bang to the head by Coach.

"Dwayne!" Adam shouts as he hits his puck on the rink. His shoulder hits the side of the Iceland player as he continues to shout across the rink for the cowboy to make his way over here. "Yee-haw!"

"Pass the puck, Dwayne!" Coach shouts immediatley directing his hands to all the open players. "Dwayne give me the puck!" Fulton screams at the boy.

"Dwayne pass it!" Fulton urges. "Look out Dwayne." And you could guess it, he met with the cold ice that me met with his face harshly.

Dean Portman had had enough watching his team loose miserably and his friends get bashed up all over the place. The fustration stinging his skin as the sweat start forming in the crevices of his arms and face. His hands repeatdly hitting each and every object he could find in the locker room. "I can't belive this! I should be out there!"

Missing big Dean Portman, it's one-nothing Iceland."

-"Iceland outhitting and outskating team U.S.A. all over the ice in the first period."

"Here's Gunnar Stahl again for Iceland." Goldberg sadly misses...... again it was obvious he needed a break, just by the way his eyes would drop and his hold on his stick would grow weaker everytime they'd skate up to him. His knees began to loosen around the straps of his pads. And hsi breaht getting heavier and heavier. "Teeam U.S.A. can't stop him. On the backhand saved by Goldberg."

"Captain Adam Banks has it for team U.S.A. he gets knocked head over heels." Adam blocked all the cheers. He blocked any possible sound that could even try to crack his focus. He played harder and he played stronger and smarter. He skated faster and his feet glided further. But then it was quickly ruined by yet another player knocking him off his game and against the ice. "Team U.S.A. still with the puck. Luis Mendoza, he can really fly."

No matter how many times Luis tried he could never stop, it was his only weakness that stopped him and his team from ever really pulling further and being better, he knew he could do it he wished he could but nothing worked, his skates did ot want to. No matyer how hard her tried.

"Mendoza across he blue line. He gets tripped, slides into the boards." U.S.A. shouts as they all stood from the bench screaming out to the refs.

"Come on ref call something."