On Thin Ice (editing again)

Chapter 16- The First Kiss After the First Kiss

Blaze bent down for the face off, staring intensely at the player in front of her. The initial shock of her being a girl had worn off on the team they were playing against, and now it was just survival. They weren't holding back, and frankly, neither was she. She was taking hard hits, and dishing some out, too. 

Blaze won the face off, passing the puck to Jake, a forward on her team. Blaze was increasing her skating pace to keep up with the guys around her who had been playing since they could walk. She maneuvered around the ice, watching the game unfold before her as she strategically placed herself in it. She intercepted a pass and followed it through to her team's side of the ice. When she went to take a shot, she was checked and her wrist bent in a way that wasn't familiar, at an angle she wasn't sure was possible. 

She had fallen directly on her wrist when she got checked and just the force of the hit made her bones creak. When she got up, Razor helped her over to the bench where the coach looked at it more closely. Blaze could bend it and all her fingers moved, but she elected not to, since she was in a considerable amount of pain. The coach got her a bag of ice from their athletic trainer and a wrist brace, keeping it in place so she wouldn't hurt it any more. She took her helmet off and loosened her skates, she knew she was done for the game. There was no way she could keep playing on a sprained wrist. 

She took her hair out of its low ponytail and rolled her neck, trying to loosen up her muscles. She unknowingly was getting some side stares from the players on the other team. She never got used to the fact that she was the only girl in their league, and that came as a shock to some. 

When the game had ended, Blaze's team winning by one, Razor caught up to her as the guys headed to their locker room and Blaze branched off to change in the women's locker room. 

"Hey. How are you feeling? How's your first hockey injury?" He nudged Blaze with his elbow. She couldn't help but smile.

"Eh, I guess I feel okay. My wrist hurts, of course."

"But it's more than that. What's going on?"

It scared Blaze how he saw right through her and he knew when she was lying or not telling him the entire truth. He had figured Blaze out, and she thought no one could.

"I just don't like the guys staring at me all the time. I just wish that my gender didn't effect how the players see me."

"Yeah, I can understand that. I don't know if that's ever going to go away. But, you're showing them that you can kick ass out there and play your butt off, and that's the most important thing."

They stopped walking when we reached their separate locker rooms. Blaze was glad, because she could feel that the conversation they were having eventually would have led to them talking about what was happening between them.

"Hey. Meet me out by my car when you're done changing." Razor spoke with a smirk. 

"Yeah, okay." Blaze smiled, accepting his invitation without thinking. She was finally letting it come naturally, rather than rejecting her feelings. It was still new and still scary, but that was a bit of the fun, she thought. 

The locker room was a bit lonely, as Blaze was the only girl to ever inhabit it. It did have its perks, being alone. She was able to just wind down after the game in quiet meditation, but she couldn't deny that it was lonely without any other girls to be friends with and talk with. She took off her jersey and padding, stuffing it in her locker and changing from her sweaty thermal under layer into slip on Vans, black leggings and a loose striped black and white sweater. She carried her backpack on her shoulder, full of her school things and she brushed her hair back as she walked out of the rink.

Razor was leaning against the hood of his car, waiting for Blaze to walk out. She had parked next to him in her hand-me-down Mustang that had become her baby, her prized possession, and she looked at him.

"Did you have something to say?" Blaze asked him coyly, knowing that something was up.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I did." He said as he took a step towards Blaze, wrapping his arms around my torso. I always had to look up to talk to him so I was in the perfect position, and he kissed me.

He found the opportune moment and he seized it. It had been their first kiss since the first kiss, but this time it felt different to them. This time, it was real. 

Blaze couldn't place her feelings, if the kiss was better or meant something more, but it was enjoyable. She liked how spontaneous it was, but it took her a second to realize what was going on. Blaze closed her eyes and relaxed, leaning into the kiss. Some describe the feeling as fireworks, but this was something else. Blaze was pretty sure she'd call it happiness.

"If any of the guys make you uncomfortable, have them come talk to me. Okay? I'll make sure they don't do it again." He gruffly said, still holding Blaze close to him.

That struck something inside of Blaze. It was weird, that feeling. She liked how protective he was just then, and in that moment there was only one thing she wanted- him to never stop holding her. He was radiating heat, and she gently played with the hairs at the nape of his neck.

After a few seconds, Blaze pressed her lips to his again. Sometime later, she found herself sitting in the back of his Jeep with him. They had migrated there and made out for about ten minutes until there was a sharp knock at the window of his Jeep, causing them to jump away from each other in surprise.

He rolled down the window so he could talk to Jake, who was the one who knocked on the window. Blaze looked away and scratched her head before attempting to fix her hair, trying to gather herself and pretend that she wasn't just all over Razor. There was nothing that could make it more awkward than it already was, though. 

"Play nice, you meddling kids." Jake smirked at them.

"Haha, you're so funny, Jake," Razor responded sarcastically.

"I know I am, aren't I? Anyway, bye Razor. Goodnight, Blaze," He taunted, and Blaze cringed. It was awkward and unnecessary for everyone, but Jake just wanted to mess with them and interrupt. He genuinely thought it was funny. 

Once Jake was gone, Blaze turned to Razor and they both tried to laugh it off- to no avail. They just decided to pretend that the situation with Jake didn't just happen, which was fine with the both of them.

"I should probably go home now." Blaze spoke, her hand on the door handle.

"I wish you didn't have to go, you know. See you at school tomorrow, and good game." He complimented. Blaze thanked him and hopped in her car that was parked next to his, and she was on her way home. 

Back at home, Blaze couldn't stop smiling. Her cheeks were still rosy, and she bit her lip, still feeling his lips on hers even after the time that had passed. Blaze wrapped herself in a blanket, grabbed a snack and began to study, but she found it hard, as her mind was wandering in one direction; towards Razor. Thoughts of him were floating around in her head, and she couldn't control it. Blaze realized that she liked him more than she ever thought she would, and that was a good thing.

After a little while, she began to doze off, the exhaustion from the game kicking in. About a half an hour later, though, she woke up, yawned and got her bearings. She closed her notes and textbook, pulling out her phone and looking at the notifications she missed while she was asleep.

Nothing was important so she shut it off and looked at the clock. It was half past midnight and Blaze was so ready for real sleep. She shoved her books back in her bag haphazardly and she curled up underneath the covers on her bed, letting sleep finally take her. She slept well thinking of the night, and Razor did the same.