~Pucker face~ Charlie Conway

Chapter Twenty: Lose to Win

Our game against Boston Athletics Academy went downhill after I scored our first goal. They hit some sort of a weak spot in our lineup, because we were off their tactics big time. I was unbelievably disoriented stepping off of the ice for the last time that game, I'd nearly played the whole thing. Exhaustion had been settling in since half time, and instead of getting dinner with everyone else, I fell asleep and woke up late the next morning.

To put it simply, we'd lost. 5-2. And then I lost something else.

My stream of communication with Charlie was randomly cut off. He wasn't speaking to me, not even looking in my direction. Things had been fine a few days after the game, we'd worked on drills together, and improving technique to make more of an advantage.

I found it suspicious that we weren't talking, but other things happened too. On my way to class the day after the game, I found him and Connie bickering in the hallway. They didn't see me, but I heard lots of their conversation.

"Charlie you don't understand. It is a good idea, okay? I'm telling you, trust me." Connie said.

"What if it's not? What if it goes the exact opposite?"

"Charlie, please."

"What are you trying to tell me?" He pressed, narrowing his eyes and his expression becoming more serious.

"Nothing. Everything will be just fine." She answered quickly, obviously flustered by his attitude, stepping back.

After a few moments of silence and some thinking, he spoke again. "I can't! I can't get her out of my head Connie! Even if she breaks my heart, she will always be up there. I've never felt like this about anyone. Not even Linda. It's weird and I hate it, but also...I don't know." His hands were gesturing frantically, flying all over the place, uncontrolled. Connie moved away once more.

"You never know if you don't try alright? Now where's the reckless and persistent Charlie I knew? You always got what you wanted. The trophies, the glory. No doubt you can get the girl." She calmly said, leaning against the lockers, "You'll do great, okay?"

I walked out at the close of Connie's argument, and they immediately noticed my presence. She rushed over to me and whisked me down the hall without a word. We were late to math.

With a final look over my shoulder, I saw Charlie glance over at me with a slight smile, which I returned. His face was slightly flushed, but it was adorable. The butterflies in my stomach wouldn't settle down. All through classes that day, I reprocessed the bit I had heard.

Was I the girl?

🏒🏒🏒

I was stuck on the conversation for two whole days. It wasn't going anywhere, and somehow making me restless. My sleep was nowhere near enough to make me last the days. I didn't think I was wrong. But how would I prove I was right?

It was time. I needed to talk to Charlie.

Correction, I had to confess to Charlie.

But I just kept psyching myself out.

He'd sit down at the hockey table during meals, and suddenly, I wouldn't be hungry anymore. At practice during drills, I'd made sure to be on the same lineup as him so we wouldn't be going against he each other. I didn't want him to see me. I didn't want to be noticed.

I was running away. Again. And my efforts were pathetic.

The moral of the story is that you can only run for so long, and you eventually get what's coming to you.