Practice makes perfect, and when you're fighting to be the best in your sport that is especially true. Ryder and Francesca are no exception. They are dedicated to their sport and refuse to let anything distracted. But when a scheduling conflict forc...
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By the time the little interruption leaves and I return to skating finally, I only have 20 minutes left. My goal this year is to be the fastest on the team but the new freshman has been giving me a run for my money. I am not worried about him taking my spot, I am leading the team in goals, but I am competitive even against my own teammates.
"Kid once again I am so sorry," Josh apologizes as I step off the ice and sit on the bench at the end of my ice time.
"Josh it is all good, we are adults and we will figure out how to share the ice." Either that or end up killing each other, but I don't say that part out loud. I doubt she will Tonya Harding me and take out my knees, thought she did look pretty pissed off when she left.
"Listen, I am going to refund you both for the time you paid for since it was our mistake."
"No way man, keep the money. You already have it and it will just be a hassle trying to refund it."
"No way me and Barb both agree you two can't pay for shared ice time, you aren't even going to get a good practice time out of it."
"How about this, I get free hot chocolate for the semester and we call it even?"
"Sounds like a shit trade to me kid," he says, shaking his head at my soft ball offer.
In reality it probably is but I can't take money from two people who are basically like parents to me. Josh and Barb have always taken care of me, made sure I had ice time and even gave me a job my freshman year to help me pay for extra ice time. I can't take money from them, not when I know this place is barely staying afloat and they have a ton of things that need to be repaired. In an ideal world when I get my first NHL check I will cut Josh and Barb a fat check to help them out around here. It is the least I could do after everything they have done for me.
"To you, but to me it sounds like a total win," I laugh, slipping my boots on.
"If you're sure," Josh hesitates, still not sold.
"100% sure, just give the ice princess back her half."
Josh laughs and a sweet voice from behind me pipes up, "Who is the ice princess?"
"Francesca," Josh tells Barb who walks over to her husband. He pulls her into a hug and rubs her arms to warm her up.
"She is a sweet girl," Barb defends. I scoff but make no other comment. Sweet? She said she was trying to kill me, what about that screams sweet? While I gather the rest of my stuff Josh fills Barb in on our discussion. She is also not thrilled with me not taking my money back but I convince them both that the hot chocolate trade is fair and they finally give in. We talk for a few more minutes mostly about hockey and then I walk out to my car.
Mentally I kick myself a little as I start my car. I don't pay tuition thanks to my scholarship but I still have to pay to live and for my car. My parents help me out by paying for those things, it isn't an issue for them financially, but it comes with strings attached. When my dad hands me a check it always comes with the I expect a boat one day or my mom telling me she wants some expensive house. My parents have given me a good life but rarely the things they do are for me. Everything is a bragging right to them, to show their other snobby friends they're better. If I would have gotten my money back I would have been able to cover my car for the rest of the year and my dad wouldn't have been able to threaten me with it whenever I wasn't the perfect son.
