The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟷𝟶|

Kohl Warren

Me and the rest of the guys are lounging in the living room, half-heartedly watching some Bollywood movie on the TV. None of us are really paying attention, except for Rocky, who seems to be weirdly invested in the plot.

Every time one of the sisters in the movie gets slapped, he claps his hands and praises whoever slapped them. I swear I saw one girl get slapped more than ten times in five minutes.

"I knew I recognized her," Ant says, lazily stretching out on the couch. He grabs the remote, switches over to YouTube, and clicks on a random video.

"Who?" We all chime in at once, our curiosity piqued.

Ant points to the TV screen, which has now switched to a hockey game. Suddenly, the room comes alive with excitement, except for Rocky, who lets out an audible groan.

I glance down at the screen and see that it's a game between Boston and Minnesota, but it's a hockey match that I've never seen before. That's odd, considering I usually catch all the games.

"Why haven't I seen this one before?" Owen asks, sitting up and squinting at the screen, mirroring my own thoughts.

I've seen most of all the hockey games, so why haven't I seen this one. I've even re-watched a lot of them because they were that good.

"It's women's hockey," Ant remarks, causing me, Tim, and Owen to collectively lose interest.

No offense, but women's hockey just doesn't do it for us. It's like they are fighting in the UFC rather than playing hockey. We all watched a women's game once together, and it ended with three girls with broken bones.

"And here comes Leia Welsh," the announcer declares from the TV, catching us all off guard. "A rookie for the Boston women's hockey team,"

Wait, Leia Welsh? She was in the NWHL? Why is she here then, taking classes and coaching a college team?

"Isn't that our assistant coach?" Tim questions, leaning in closer to the TV. Intrigued, I join him, along with Owen.

"She looked familiar," Ant says as he turns up the volume.

We all watch in awe as Leia skates across the ice, showcasing her skills. It's a whole new side to her that we never knew existed. And suddenly, the room is filled with a newfound sense of respect and admiration for her.

Who knew there was so much more to Leia that meets the eye? I guess I wouldn't have known, since all I've done was try to get in her pants.

"Which one is she?" Tim asks.

"She's jersey number three," Owen replies confidently.

"No, she's jersey number eleven. Look at that height, it's definitely her."

I shake my head. "She's number twenty-four," I point to the bottom of the screen that displays Leia's stats and her jersey number, twenty-four.

As the first quarter passes, Leia remains on the bench the whole time. Surprisingly, we're all still glued to the game, finding it oddly captivating. Well, except for Rocky, who keeps bombarding us with questions about what's happening on the ice.

"Look, she's going in," Tim announces excitedly.

Sure enough, Leia skates onto the ice, but not without some nudging from a girl on the opposing team. I furrow my eyebrows at the sight.

The game continues, and Leia's performance on the ice catches everyone's attention. Despite my nonchalant attitude, even I find myself getting drawn into the excitement of the match.

Who would have thought that watching a women's hockey game could be this entertaining?

As Leia effortlessly glides towards the goal, weaving through defenders with ease, I can't help but feel a surge of admiration for her skills. She even pulls off a sneaky move that sends a player crashing into the barricade, eliciting a chorus of cheers from us.

"She's going to score!" Tim shouts excitedly, prompting all of us to rise to our feet in anticipation. And when she finally manages to slip the puck past the goalie, the stadium erupts in cheers. It's clear to everyone that Leia is the standout player on the ice, showcasing her talent in every move she makes.

But just as we start to relax and enjoy the game, we spot the same girl from earlier charging towards Leia from behind. Only this time, Leia is caught off guard and takes a hard hit that sends her tumbling to the ice.

"What the hell?" Ant mutters under his breath, his usual cool demeanor replaced with a hint of surprise.

As the TV screen fills with the sounds of Leia's screams of pain, we fall into a tense silence, unsure of what's happening.

And in that moment, I can't shake the feeling of anger and frustration, as if this is all unfolding right before my eyes, even though it's a recording from two years ago.

Leia is left crying in pain on the ice, tossing her helmet in frustration, the reality of the situation hits us all like a ton of bricks.

The only thought that registers in my head – call Seth.

"There seems to be an injury, the game will come to a pause," the TV blares with the announcer's voice.

Leia's screams echo through the screen as the paramedics carefully remove her skates, a scene that makes my blood boil.

Leia's teammates seem unfazed by her injury. Their lack of concern irritates me, especially when I think about how we always looked out for each other on my team.

Coach Johnson would have skated over to us in a heartbeat to make sure we were okay. But here, Leia is left to suffer alone, with no one batting an eye, not even her Coach. "The game will continue, as they determined there was no foul play," the announcer declares, sending a surge of anger through me.

"Bullshit there was no foul play," Rocky interjects, his voice dripping with disdain.

Rocky knows nothing about hockey but even someone who doesn't watch hockey can see that was a foul. It should have sent the other girl off the ice, but they are letting it slide?

"So that's why she doesn't play anymore. But why is she suddenly the assistant coach?" Tim questions, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

"It's all about reputation. Principal Turner wants our school to gain some recognition, and he's using Leia to achieve that," Owen hypothesizes, causing us all to ponder the situation.

If Leia is no longer playing, how does that help WB gain a reputation?

As I sink back into the couch, a sense of unease washes over me. Something about that whole game feels off, and I can't shake the feeling that there's more to Leia's injury.

I couldn't care less why she's our coach, but the fact remains that she is. And honestly, I couldn't care less about her being our coach.

Sure, I may have wanted to get in her pants at one point, but that ship has sailed. Even though that kiss keeps playing on repeat in my mind like a broken record. No, I don't mix hockey with pleasure.

Hockey is my life, and I'm not about to jeopardize that for a quick fuck. So, I guess we're stuck listening to her now. We can't exactly go crying to the principal about it. But that game we watched still doesn't sit right with me. Something about the way everyone acted just wasn't normal. But maybe I'm just overthinking it.

(How do we feel about this chapter?) —>
....