This Season

The Beginning

And there he was, Vincenzo Muller Galaretto. Messy eyebrows, reddened lips, from the blood running through his mouth, and wearing a crash helmet that matched perfectly with his team's uniform, the Chicago BlackOwl, in black and pastel yellow, which oddly made his pale skin and blue eyes more attractive. His smile had something that reminded her of a specific end of March never experienced. His straight, coppery golden brown hair, aroused desire she had never felt.

While she, the young adult, Cecilia Taylor Ellis, was sitting in the bleachers watching everything, along with her boyfriend, basketball player Kendrick Jones, who was on the phone talking to his agent. They were at the game to support a friend of the couple, Joshua Moore, who had just returned to activity after his medical leave.

The songwriter, Cecilia, had an extravagant beauty. Wavy hair, super light brown eyes, her skin a perfect dark tone, and every time she smiled you could see her super noticeable dimples in her not too thick pink lips, making it impossible not to fall in love. She had the autumn energy, a little unstable, but a festival of feelings. The girl represented that good feeling of sunset and the cool breeze of dawn, this is what Vincenzo could deduce from his quick exchange of glances with the girl when he was hit by the stick of the opposing team's player.

What was supposed to hit the metal puck, ended up hitting his cheekbones, which made him fall directly to the ground covered with ice. The opponent had committed the action intentionally, but the referee just ignored the fact that it deserved a foul and continued the game. Unfortunately, because he was in extreme pain, his coach decided to take him out of the rink, and after insisting a lot and visualizing the situation, the contrarian of Vincenzo's rival team was also taken out, but he was taken to the penalty box, unlike Galaretto, who was taken to the hospital by his manager, Adam Franklin.

When he arrives at the care center, some people cheer him on in a deafening shout. But minutes after he enters, the murmurs starts when they notice that by some crazy coincidence, Kendrick entering the place on a stretcher, accompanied by Cecilia.

~

While Galaretto was being examined, Jones was in surgery. Nobody knew why, when and where, since apparently it all happened after the couple had left the game. But all the headlines were coming towards Vincenzo, since it was THE GAME of the day in the country. His doctor was doing an X-ray of his head due to the impact, but everything was fine as expected.

Ellis was outside Kendrick's room, at the food court, just thinking about everything. A place she didn't even like, yet it was there.

Vincenzo was waiting to be discharged, when suddenly a flashback of that moment plays in his mind. However, before he could think it all through, he hears a knock on the door of his hospital room, it was Adam.

"'Sup, champ! How you feeling?" He said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Not too bad, actually." He smiled at the man in front of him.

"Great! I came here to tell you that all your tests went well and you'll be able to go home later tonight. And of course, one more piece of good news... THE BLACKOWLS WON AGAIN!"

"Unbelievable, man... I was supposed to be there to make 'em win." Galaretto says in a playful tone and makes them both laugh. "I am truly happy, these guys will literally kill me one day just of how much pride i feel for them!"

After many jokes, Adam takes Vincenzo home and leaves him resting in his mansion surrounded by trophies and medals.

Without even remembering what he was supposed to be thinking, he logs on to his Twitter to see the comments of the internauts about the game. Something he loved to do.
And remembering the incident that occurred earlier and the girl with the wavy hair, he decides to look for some fan portal or even her own profile. And then, after many fruitless searches, Vincenzo decides to give up. Without even knowing her name, he decides to just try to forget about 'the love at first sight that made his heart beat faster than ever'.

~

Galaretto until he was five years old lived in a small province in Italy called Catania. An ancient port city on the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean. His family before he was born did not have very good wealth. They had always supported themselves through the grocery store that his great-grandfather had opened in the busiest part of the region.

As soon as he was born, the business began to grow bigger and bigger. And not long after the boy had turned five, his father was asked to transfer the renowned Vortice di Varietà to some country in the continent of America. So, as Mr. Galaretto were no fools, they chose the famous United States of America and turned that little business into something international.
At the age of 10, Vincenzo had already officially become an American, with citizenship and everything. He spoke English in the streets, at school and with friends, and Italian at home with family and relatives.

His interest in hockey began in a rather peculiar and heavy way, as the man himself says. While growing up, the suicide of his father and the estrangement from his mother, he felt the need to fill that emptiness inside of him. Trying everything possible for his age, at the age of 8, the boy started to take boxing lessons. Without understanding the boy's decision to fight, Miss Galaretto just let the boy's life flow in its own way.

One day, when insulted by one of his nonsense teachers, Vincenzo, only 9 years old, runs from the classroom to the high school ice rink and spots a stick. Several thoughts came to his mind at that moment.

But it was not his feelings.

It was not something he wanted to be feeling.

Such anguish for such a young child was not fair.

So he picks up the object that for him was something unknown and starts to hit the floor with all his possible strength to take out the anger, rage and sadness that was stored in that little heart for so long.

The principal, passing by the corridor looking for the source of the noise, seeing that recognizable profile in such a harmful behavior just thinks of immediately calling the individual's mother, who doesn't take long to arrive.

This being the case, his mom takes him to various psychologists around the state, with only one finally helping him. The doctor, being a sports fanatic, had some decorations on the subject around her office, which completely aroused the little one's curiosity and also made him recognize the object used to vent his anger. Seeing his interest, the woman suggests that Mrs. Galaretto take Vincenzo for a trial hockey lesson, which makes him burst with joy, and which totally works.

The player, now a professional, tells this story in interviews and to new friends whenever he has the opportunity. And despite having had this stressful episode, Vin may be the most calm and loving person someone could ever have the opportunity to meet. Shy, but always cheerful around everyone.

Someone indescribable.