The Puck Bunny

Seventeen

FRASER

Once the class had finished, I stood and went to make my way back to Pioneer. But Will stopped me.

"Fraser, can I chat to you quickly?" I nodded and waited behind. Once the lecture hall was empty, Will looked to me.

"I know you're here for a hockey scholarship, but I'm really glad you're majoring in music. You're talented, man"

"Seriously? Thanks man" I didn't often share my music with others, and definitely didn't get complimented on it.

"In saying that, I have seen you play hockey. You're also phenomenal at that. I'm really excited to see where college takes you"

"I appreciate that. Seriously, I never thought I'd even get to college"

"Well, I wish you nothing but the best. Although can I offer one piece of advice?"

"Shoot"

"Don't skip any more classes" He said with a wink. My eyes went wide, wondering how he'd known.

"Professor Colby is a good, and old, friend of mine. He noticed you were in my class next and mentioned you tardiness in an email. I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and believe you were having a rough morning. But from here on out, make an effort okay? You could be really amazing here" He said. I nodded.

"I will. Promise" He nodded once with a smile and I took it as my dismissal, making my way back to Pioneer Hall.

The dining hall was filling with students for lunch, my nose scrunching up at the thought. I made my way to some random place on campus. One day I'll brave the dining hall, but today was not the one.

I don't know why I was nervous about meeting Tyler later in the rink. I mean, I knew I was good at hockey. I was MVP for my high school team both my junior and senior year after all. But these guys already knew each other and had already played together, and I didn't want to come in and fuck it all up.

I took my mind off the looming meeting at the rink and sat myself at my keyboard to try work on some music.

Most of my songs these days were about my mom. She had died when I was 12 and for the next two years that followed, I was mad. I was mad that she wasn't around anymore. I was mad that she had died while pregnant with my baby brother or sister, who I would never get to know. And I was mad that she'd done this to my dad. He was sad for about the same time as I was mad.

Then one night when I was fourteen and the cops brought me home, we both realised nothing was bringing her back and we had to change.

That day our relationship strengthened in an incredible way. My dad helped me find joy in hockey again and I started leaving my rage on the ice. Soon it was almost impossible for opposing teams to get through the defence, let alone past the goalie to score a goal.

And then my dad went to sell the piano one day. It had been hers, my mom's. She used to play all the time when I was growing up, and she'd taught me a few things. I told my dad he couldn't sell it. He could sell anything of hers, but this was the one thing I wanted to keep. He and I fought that day, our first fight since I got arrested two years prior, and I eventually sat down at the piano and began to play. My dad was in tears. Hell, I was in tears. He agreed and the two of us moved the piano to my bedroom so I could play it whenever. I poured myself into music from that day on and one day my dad's new girlfriend – Denise – bought me a guitar. I was gobsmacked. She'd always beaten around the bush with me, but on that day she was quite frank about the fact that my dad and her were going to get married and the guitar was a gift so I would accept it. I laughed, telling Denise that she was alright, and he was going to need someone when I left at the end of my senior year.