Cross-Checking My Heart

Chapter 3

"Haley, I'm so glad to see you here! I wasn't sure if you would come or not, but I'm very pleased you did," coach said.

I smiled, coach and I had always gotten along, but that may have more to do with the fact that he was Sarah's father and my neices' grandpa more than my personality.

"Thanks, sir. Aaron actually told me about the practice, so you should be grateful to him otherwise I would have missed it." In all honesty, I think I would still have made the team but getting in these practices helped.

"Oh coach, is it alright if we don't tell the guys about my gender just yet, I know Aaron knows but can we see if he will play along?"

"Play along with what," Aaron said sneaking up on me.

" Haley wants to hide the fact that she is a girl from the other players for a while. Just so that they treat her the same as they would any other player," coach explained to him.

Aaron looked kind of worried but agreed anyway. I thanked coach and went to put on my gear when Aaron said to me, "Just prove yourself today and please don't make me keep this up for long. I don't like lying to my team. "

Hopefully it won't take but one practice to prove myself.
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I could hear some hushed wipers about the 'new guy' as I stepped onto the ice.

One guy skated over and was about to say something but was cut off when coach walked in and told us to start running drills.

Throughout practice I caught a few guys looking at me with curious glances, and I almost thought my ponytail had fallen out of my helmet when three guys including Aaron skated up.

"So you must be Jack West's brother. he always mentioned his sibling that played hockey but we didn't know that he had been being modest about your talent. You are so good you could go to the NHL already," the tall guy said.

"Dude slow down , you're going to freak him out. Anyway I'm Tyler, but everyone calls me Ty and that big oaf is Charlie. Oh and apparently you already know Aaron," The second guy, apparently Ty, told me.

I tried you respond but couldn't get any words out before coach piped up.

"Alright team, gather around. We have some new faces around, so I was thinking of doing some introductions. Jennings why don't you start and we will work our way around and finish with West here." I looked over to find coach smirking, know his team had no idea what was about to hit them.

I found out that pretty much everyone knew each other except me and five freshman.

By the time they got to me everyone was smiling and I hoped nobody would get mad at me for deceiving them.

" Hey guys, I'm Haley," I said as I pulled my helmet off and let my hair fall around my sholders, "and yes, I am Jack West's sister." I looked around to see mostly shocked faces with a few dumb-founded faces as well as one smiling Aaron Jennings.

"Dude, did you know that she was a girl," Charlie asked Aaron.

"Ya, I knew"

"Anyone have a problem with Haley being on the team," coach asked in a very intimidating voice I had only heard him use a few times. It felt nice to know that he would protect me not only off the ice but as well as on it.

A chorus of 'no's were mumbled around the rink, but it surprised me when one guy spoke up.

"Coach, you can't be serious. A girl can't play with us. She will be creamed out there. If she stays, then I'll leave because my father won't put up with this. I promise you that."

"Carter, go ahead and run to your daddy, but the rest of this team will treat her as apart of the team because she is just as good as most of us, if not better than some," Aaron said giving him a pointed look when he said 'better than some'.

"Aaron, I don't need you to defend me I can take care of this," I said with confidence.

"Sweetheart, you are nowhere near as good as me so don't start think that you're all that just because one guy has the hots for ya and sticks up for ya," Carter snarled at me.

I knew I couldn't back down so instead I said, "Carter, I don't know you so I'm going to say this in a way you might be able to understand. You don't know me so don't pretend you do. Jack was my coach since I was six, I know every trick in the book, I am also very close to several NHL players, coaches, and recruiters. I can make things happen for you by saying one sentence or I can trash you and you will never become anything in the world of professional hockey. Also, I have played with a three time State Champion all male hockey team and was voted MVP twice! So you can continue to think that I am just some dumb girl that doesn't know anything about hockey or that I won't be able to hold my own on the ice but do me a favor and look me up on the internet first! Then think what you want. I don't give a shit about what one player thinks, because I have dealt with so many of you, I can't keep track! Also if you want I can play you one-on-one right now to prove how good I am," I practically yelled at him.

"Alright let's do it but coach will be the ref."

"Let's go."