Painkillers | Icebreaker

Chapter 5: Bellamy

Friday. 12:00 pm. Why are we always doing stuff on my day off? Come on! It's not even for skating or anything useful, it's for 'team bonding'. Brady thought it would help us get along but I don't know, my Mom and Dad taught me two things from the age of five. Number One, I was born to be a skater and if I can't do that then I'm basically... well nothing. Number Two, Hockey Players are the enemy. They're distractions, they ruin the rink, they're reckless, and they're dangerous, they ruin your future, etc.

I think this all started after Cynthia, my older sister who ran away with a Hockey Player and started a family instead of going to her olympics qualifier. So now I'm Cynthia 2.0, the one they won't let make a mistake. I didn't have a choice to skate or not, it was just something I did. You should have seen the look on their faces when I got my scholarship to UCMH, it was one of the first times they were ever proud of me, just me, not comparing me to Cynthia.

"Bellamy, we are going to be late. If I can't stick to my planner I can at least keep us on time for this," Stassie says, pulling me into the awards room.

As we walk in we see tables in a circle with one chair on each side. We walk over and sit down with the other skaters as Stassie waves at a Hockey Player. What is she thinking, it's her senior year she can't get distracted by Hockey players. She's at the finish line.

Faulkner the Hockey coach stands on the stage and looks to Coach Brady for guidance until Brady finally gives in and speaks, "I'm sure all of you have heard of speed dating. My skaters, you're going to each sit at a table. Hockey team, you will move from one table every five minutes"

"A reminder: this is not real dating. The goal is to get to know each other better. Discuss your aspirations, your hobbies, your dog's name, I don't care, but keep it respectful. Hughes, Hudson, Carter, and Johal, to be clear, I'm talking to you four" Faulkner says

The boys pretend to be shocked and the rest of their teammates laugh.

"This is a joke. We're not kids" Aaron says rolling his eyes

"It might be fun. Some of them are nice" Stassie

"Yeah they're nice Stassie but don't forget, they are still Hockey Players" I say looking into the crowd of Hockey players until I see the goofy smile I saw when I skated to Taylor Swift.

'If I could only listen to my own advice' I think as I make my way to my seat with my bag.

⛸️⛸️⛸️

My first date sits down and I recognize him from the photos Lola showed me of the new guy she was talking to.

"You're Lola's guy aren't you?" I say hoping I got it right

"Lola talks about me?" He says with an excited smile.

"Of course she does, Robbie right?" I say reaching out my hand.

He shakes it, "Yes Robbie, you're Bellamy right?"

"How did you know?" I said confused

"I have my sources" He said mysteriously.

"And I have mine..." I said hoping to trade information

"Fine, I'll tell you but you got to tell me about Lola first" Robbie says

I nod my head in agreement and we talk back and forth about Lola until the bell rings.

As he starts to leave, "Wait you never told me"

"Sorry Bells, another time?" He said already at another table when a man with a bleached blond buzzcut sat down.

I looked at his tattoos on his arms and as I reached his eyes he winked at me and then reached out a hand, "Jaiden Johal, but you can call me JJ"