lover... [c. bedard]

41. first game jitters

real life
(unedited)

Bella was shitting herself at the moment.

All due to the fact that she would be playing in her first NHL game, ever. Vancouver was playing Seattle Kraken. Bella had no idea what to expect. She was playing peak-a-boo with the twins, because baby laughs were the cutest thing to her. Sadly Connor had a game today, in Toronto, and Jack and Luke were playing in Boston.

Ellen and Jim had spent the previous night at the house, and they would be helping Maya with the twins during the game. It was the first game of the season and Maya wanted to be there. The other WAGs were excited to see her and the girls, and to help them out but knew to give her some space and support.

They decided Bella and Quinn would go in one car and everyone else would go in the other. Since it was a home game they needed to be at the rink early, and dressed up. Bella wore black pants, a white button up shirt and a black blazer. Her hair was half up half down and it was also straightened.

The siblings walked into the rink and passed the media team. They took pictures of the players walking in, and Bella got into the locker room. She had changed into a t shirt and shorts to go out for warm ups.

          After warming up and messing with the soccer ball she went to get ready for the game. The closer it got to game time the more nervous she got. She wanted to play good and felt like she had to prove to everyone that she was better than the rest. She needed to be perfect.

          She had just put tape on her socks, and stood to get her shoulder pads. Quinn was seated next to her. To the right was no one as she was at the end of the bench. Quinn could feel the nerves coming off his sister and smiled at her anxious state.

          "You're going to be fine." Quinn said tying his skates.

          "What?"

          "You'll be fine. You're gonna play good." Quinn said.

          "I'm going to go out for my rookie laps and forget what i'm doing and stand there, embarrassed." Bella said making Quinn laugh, and a few other guys chuckle.

          "Do I need to draw out what to do for you?"

          "It would be appreciated." Bella told her brother. He walked to the whiteboard and drew for Bella what to do. It helped but now she had more questions.

          "What face do I make? Do I smile? Or stone cold, straight face?"

          "Whatever you want. Most people go straight face."

          "Okay, Quinn. The answer to my question would be, 'Straight faced'. Thank you." Bella told Quinn.

          It was time for warm ups.

          Bella walked next to Quinn. The two rounded the corner before the team got there, and a little early so Quinn could calm Bella down.

          "Bella, you be fine. I swear. You knock the pucks over, take one, shoot. Loop around, pick up another one, then shoot. Then we'll be out. You go it."

          "Quinn. Shut up."

          "What? I'm trying to help."

          "Well, you suck at that. It's not working."

          "Okay, fuck you then. Fall." Bella gasped at that comment. She knew he was kidding and so was she.

          "There won't be that many people at warm ups anyway."

          "Right." Bella said. She heard them call her name, and looked at Quinn.

          "Knock 'em dead." Quinn said pushing her forward and she stepped on the bench, and to the ice, locking over some pucks. She grabbed one and made her was to the net, shooting it top shelf.

          She curled at the bottom of the circle, coming back up the opposite wall of the bench, and got another puck. She put that one bar down. When she curled back up the bench side wall the rest of her team came out for warm ups. She ended up calming down once the others were with her.

          "See, told you, you'd be fine." Quinn said as he skated up from behind her to skate next to her.

          "Yeah, after I had a mini heart attack. Quinn, that was literally my puck." Bella told Quinn as he took the puck she was going for.

          "Boo hoo."

          Warm ups went well, and both teams went back to the locker room. They talked for a few minutes before it was time for the starting lineup.

          "Demko, Hughes, Hronek, Pettersson, Hughes, Mikheyev." Coach said standing and everyone clapped once after each name. Bella heard her name and looked at her coach with slightly widened eyes.

          The team cheered for her, happy that she was starting her first game, and she was glad to have her brother on the ice with her. They stood on the blue line, and both national anthems were sung.

          Bella went up to take the face off, the ref congratulate her, and she thanked him. Her blew the whistle signaling the play would start, and Bella leaned down. She won the face off back to Quinn, and he played it up to Pettersson.

          Bella first shift was good. The first went well, Vancouver was up 1-0. Quinn scored. Bella passed to him. Her teammates were happier she got her first point, and that Quinn scored. But they were happier for her.

          The second had been going well-ish. Vancouver scored two more, but Seattle also scored a goal. There was about ten minutes in the second left and Bella was out to take a face off with her line. She won it back to Hronek. She curled around to behind the net, and the puck went over to Quinn.

          Bella came up the wall, getting the pass from Quinn. She curled around the top of the circle, made a move to fake, getting the winger to fall for it. She pulled the puck through her legs to walk around him, and shot the puck to the right of the next person defending her. He had been screening his own goalie, and Bella shot the put bar down.

          She had her first NHL goal.

          Before she registered it, the teammates on the ice hugged her. They all raised their arms and crashed into Bella making her laugh.

          "Let's go, Bella!" Pettersson said. Quinn hit the top of her head with his glove and she skated to the bench to go through the line for fist bumps.

          The team cheered for her and when she was on the bench, they all at least said something to her. Her coach hit her head hard enough she could feel it but not hard enough to hurt and told her good job.

          "Nice fucking shot." Quinn told her and Bella smiled.

          Vancouver ended up winning 8-1. Bella had dinner with Quinn, Maya, the twins, and her parents. They all kept on congratulating her for her goal and talked about the game. They also informed the girl about her brothers games, and Connor's game.

          To Bella it was a good start. The one game was her getting comfortable, now that she was, she didn't fell as afraid to do things, like make a move around people. This was only the beginning for her.

a/n

OUR GIRLS FIRST GAME, ASSIST, GOAL, AND MULTI-POINT GAME ALL IN ONE. IM PROUD!!!!!

she's about to cook!!

also did you guys see Alex's first goal for the kings?? SO GOOD I WAS SO HAPPY

have a great day🫶🫶🫶