the choice • charlie conway

chapter twenty seven

charlie

This could be the most important game of my career.

Well, maybe the second most important. If I ranked this second, it would only be behind the gold medal game at the Goodwill Games. That game was crazy.

I haven't seen Sadie much since she's been home, but that's partly my fault. I've been so busy preparing for this game, and I haven't been free. Besides, Orion's been making practice a living hell. I know he wants this as bad as we do, but I'm afraid I won't even be able to skate later with how much my legs hurt.

Today needs to be perfect. I'm up bright and early at five a.m., sprinting into the bathroom before Adam or Guy could get there. I brush my teeth, splash some water on my face, and try to make my hair look somewhat decent. Afterwards, I put on my suit and grab all of my homework that's scattered across my desk, shoving it into my backpack as quickly as I can.

Not a bad start to the day if you're asking me.

Adam is ready a few minutes later, but Guy is still sound asleep. How this kid didn't wake up to my insanely loud alarm baffles me. I should take a picture of this and send it to Sadie as proof that I'm not the one who "sleeps like the dead".

Adam and I snicker at each other before looking at Guy. His hair is all over the place, his lips are slightly parted, his cheeks are flushed, and he's cuddling his pillow like it's Connie. Believe me, he looks ridiculous right now.

I can't help myself and take a quick picture, sending it to the group chat just for fun. As I'm doing this, Adam goes over and gently shakes him. He doesn't move at all. Adam shakes him again, and Guy still doesn't move. After shaking him a third time with no result, I walk over, yank the pillow that he was sleeping on from under him, and whack him over the head with it. "Wake up idiot. We have to leave in ten."

Guy glares at me from his bed, obviously annoyed that I woke him up. "Screw you Conway, I was sleeping."

"What's more important dude, sleep or this game?" I counter.

He sits there and contemplates it for a second before huffing dramatically and standing up. "I'm mad at you Charlie. That hurt."

"Don't be a sissy." I retort, and I hear Adam attempting to not laugh from behind me. "I didn't even hit you that hard."

Instead of responding, he rolls his eyes at me and disappears into the bathroom. I turn and look back at Adam, who bursts out laughing.

"Dude," he's able to say through his laughs. "You hit him so hard, I almost blew it right then and there."

Guy comes out a few minutes later, all dressed and still looking like he wants to kill me. Maybe I really did hit him harder than I thought. I didn't realize pillows hurt that bad.

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Every single nerve in my body is on overdrive. I have been dreaming of this game for almost my entire life. I never ever thought that I would be good enough to play in school, let alone be in a state final game.

The bus ride to the UM arena is very tense. It's obvious that a lot is riding on this game. No one wants the streak to end, and I don't want to be the captain who is responsible for that.

Ironically enough, we're playing the Blake Bears. I feel like I've come full circle. My first ever JV game to my final varsity game... of this season at least.

It's also so funny to me that we always end up playing the same school that the girls soccer team plays. I don't know if that's on purpose or purely coincidental, but I've always found it funny.