The Lonely Hour

Chapter 18: Oh Captain

The door creaked open seconds after I had knocked. Behind it stood a restless looking Patrick. Dark, dark circles were visible under his dull blue eyes, the first I've ever seen them like that. His blonde curls were all astray leading me to believe a beanie had been containing them earlier.

"Come in" He says with a tired smile, maybe this wasn't the right time to be visiting him.

He points me over the living room which is sunken down two steps. I take the two steps down and sit with my ankles crossed on his leather couch. I could tell from a quick look around he lived in this house but he didn't live in. There were no pictures of family anywhere, no memorabilia, nothing but his pristine furniture.

"Can I offer you a glass of wine?" He questions, he looked in desperate need of one.

"I think it's better if we don't drink" I admit

"Good" he forces a smile as he sits on the glass coffee table occupying the space in front of the couch.

"Jonathan, very nice guy" I smile sarcastically

"Uh yea" he blushes I'm embarrassment than tugs at the curls on his neck. "Let's just say you would have never met him if I wasn't serious about this"

"About what Patrick? Your crush on a broke college girl?" I degrade my self for maybe if he thinks less of me he'll realize I'm not worth the time.

"I don't know how to explain it to you because I'm having trouble explaining it to myself" He takes a second to close his eyes before he opens them slowly again. "Just a chance, that's it"

"One chance" I whisper. I whisper as if I almost don't want it to come out, as if I don't want to give him a chance. But a small voice inside me, somewhere deep inside me, tells me he deserves the chance.

"Thank god" he sighs in relief "Thank god" he mumbles with a smile.

--

"Game day! Game day!" I belch out as I drag my hockey bag into the locker room. The girls were all here, focused as they each taped their stickers precisely. Everyone's hair was pulled down low, Rebecca's in her normal braid.

By the look of it you wouldn't be able to tell it was our first game of the season. First games always brought jitters, a nervousness that was visible in the locker room. But not this season, this season we all had the same goal. After being humiliated and ripped of a national title that was just minutes away the focus of this team was much more prominent.

"You ready to do this?" Rebecca questions as she leans in while I unpack my gear in my stall.

"Of course"

I sit down in my stall and begin putting on my gear, each piece at a time. I wouldn't say I was superstition but I had a way of doing things before a game and I don't like changing it.

After I had gotten all my gear on I looked up around the locker room to see all the girls dawning their jerses. I turned to around to grab mine off the hanger but there was nothing there. As I was about to ask where mine was with the familiar number of 21, coach walked in.

"Alright listen up!" She shouts, before games she was all serious, you didn't dare joke with her before a game. "I have a big announcement" She than turns and looks at me which makes me incredibly nervousness. "Ella you have won extrodinary player of the year since your freshman year and have lead the team in points for three years in a row" She than pauses and makes eye contact with me and it's than I realize that the whole locker room as eyes on me.

My cheeks begin to burn as she continues to talk "You have shown extraordinary leadership...I feel, as long as the whole locker room, there is no better person to captain this team back to nationals"

I feel my heart beat, I can hear it pounding in my ears. Everyone's eyes were glued on me but than I notice Rebecca appear behind her holding a baby blue jersey with my last name. "Ella, you're our captain" She smiles at it actually feels like a dream as I watch Rebecca turn the jersey over to reveal a large C on the chest.

With the biggest smile on my face I stand up and accept it from her. I pull it over my head and and chest pads causing the whole locker room to burst into cheers.

"Lets get this win! We're going to go back to nationals" I scream.

Out on the ice the game was a physical one right from the opening faceoff. My line came out flying and we dominated the whole first period but there was no score.

After two physically draining periods the team sat quietly in the locker room, no one dared say a word. But Jessie, a defensman on the team came into the locker room "I don't know how true this is but apparently Patrick Kane is out there in the stands"

My eyes jolt up at her and my heart begins to beat faster. He had come to my game? He was here?

Rebecca looked over at me with a devious look on her face, did she know something? A couple whispers between the girls broke out as the fangirled of the idea of an NHL player watching their game.

I wasn't suppose to see Patrick till later tonight for his one chance so I didn't know why he would be here. I pushed my thoughts about him to the back of my mind and focused on the last period of hockey.

As we took the bench for the third, everyone was in whispers about how Patrick Kane was up in the stands. I glanced quickly in annoyance to see if the rumors were true, and they were. He was siting there next to an unfamiliar face. I could see his blue eyes from the bench and the golden locks. The man next to him, the man next to him wore a dark grey suit and large glasses. In his hand he held a clipboard and in the other a pen.

He looked important.

"Stop talking about him" I snap at the team. Rebecca's eyes widen, that was the first time I've ever done anything like that. "We have a game to win, do not let him distract you" I say to cover up my anger.

Most of the third period went by and we were still scoreless. I couldn't be more annoyed as the girls continued to whisper about Patrick. With all the anger from the distraction and scoreless game I attempted to exert it with a check which ended bad.

As I went in for the check the girls elbow came up and caught my head, knocking off the helmet. I lost my balance and fell to the ice, I didn't hit my head though.

I laid their for a second not feeling anything, my body was in total shock. I got up and shook of the ice, Rebecca skated me over to the bench as I regained balance.

"Are you alright?" Coach asked

"Im fucking fine" I spit "What kind of dirty play was that?" I'm now raging. To make it worse the trainer comes out and demands I come to the locker room.

"Why?" I yell

"Because you hit your head, we need to make sure you don't have a concussion"

"I'm fine!" I argue but they force me back anyway, that was all I had for the game.

AUTHORS NOTE

hey my loves! Double update because I do not know when I will be able to update again. I'm leaving for two weeks to another country & I don't know exactly when I'll have wifi :( I'll try to update over there if I can but I hope this long chapter holds you guys over ❤