𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ; 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔂 𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓼

Game

    I arrive at the stadium on time with Banks. He got dressed in the locker rooms and went onto the ice to warm up before it started.

    We began to warm up on the ice and I was being too aggressive as I shot pucks into the goal. "Hey, uh, Viv? You doing okay..?" Banks side eyed the goal as I shot another one in.

    I turn to him. "No, I'm not. My deadbeat father is in town." I aggressively shot another puck and it missed the goal.

    "Oh, the one who left your mom pregnant with Elio and never came back." Banks answered his own question as I miss the goal again.

    Coach Reilly called us to the bench. "Alright, go out there and win! Win! Win! Win!" He hyped us up and we started banging out hockey sticks on the floor, chanting with him.

    I could hear district 5 copying our chant, much less enthusiastic than us, before they copied us again on the ice. I laugh as their goalie fell after being smacked too hard. The teammate who hit him began smacking him with his stick sarcastically.

    McGill took center as I took right wing. McGill got the puck, passed it to Banks, and I follow after him, knocking kids down as I go. He made the goal. I smirk as I go to the bench for a change up.

    I go in after Banks, he somehow made it before me, I trip slightly as I go sit down. "When did district 5 get a new coach?" I hear McGill say.

    I look towards district 5 and did see a man who wasn't their original coach. He seemed vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite place it.

-

    Larson got the puck and we race down towards the opposing goal. Larson passed to me and when I look up to catch it, guess who I saw.

My father.

    I have to admit that threw me off balance. Mentally and literally. I skidded across the floor and slid with a player from district 5. The puck flew and Banksie got it, making it in.

    "Hawk, get off me!" The kid said as we bumped into the wall. I look to him and he had brown skin with curly hair.

    I roll my eyes and he did the same as I got up. "Astor, get over here!" I hear Coach yell toward me. I groan and skate over. "What the hell was that out there?"

    I grit my teeth. "Sorry, Coach. I saw something I didn't like."

    "Stevens go for Astor. Astor, sit." Coach instructs me and I plop down on the bench.

-

Bombay's POV

    I watched as Reilly took Astor out the game and benched her. Something was familiar with the name, I couldn't just place it.

    The girl huffed and sat down on the bench, keeping her helmet on. Which I thought was weird as it must be hot in there.

    She kind of reminded me of Vivienne in a way. I could imagine them being friends.

-

Vivienne's POV

    Coach just did a big pep talk about having twice as many goals and he put me back in. I assisted Banksie with a goal before shooting my own, which the goalie moved out of the way for.

    Lucky for him as I imagine it was Bombay's face and shot it in. Pretty hard if I do say so myself. Larson punched my shoulder to say good shot.

    The game ends after Larson shot the last goal, bringing us up to 17-0 against them. Coach congratulated us on the win. "Good going, Banks. New Hawks record. Astor, get you head in the game. Now get outta here." He shoes us away and we go into the lockers.

    "Hey, Astor." McGill taps my shoulder before we had walked in. "You seemed off out there."

    I give a sigh. "Didn't get sleep. Elio kept me up." I lie. McGill didn't get me like Adam did. He wouldn't understand if I told him the truth.

    "Damn, kid." He jokes as we walk in. I got change into my clothes and wait for the boys to be done before we left.

    Once they were finished, we walked about town dissing on how bad district 5 was.

-

    It was the next day and the boys came by to have me rollerblade with them. We were chatting down the street when we hear some kids from district 5 in a alley way.

    Larson turns into the alley and snatches a magazine from the fat kid. "Hey, girls." He snickers at them as we turn to face them.

    The boys began to circle them and start saying some remarks. "You gonna let them call you wuss breath?" A small kid began to instigate.

    "No." The fat kid growls and ran after McGill and Larson. I stick my foot out and he trips onto a dirty mattress.

    The two teams began to taunt each other. I hear loud stomps coming from behind me. I turn just as Fulton Reed picks up Larson and McGill and he throws them onto Banks. The boys tumble down.

    Fulton looks at me next. I stick my hand out. "Yeah, no." I help the boys up and we skate out the alley. The boys were butthurt.

    "How come he didn't shove you down, Astor." McGill rolls his eyes as we begin to skate to Larson's house.

    I shrug. "I'm a lady. Boys don't need to be shoving me and stuff, unless it's on the ice."

    We made it to Larson's in about ten minutes and his dad let us in. He made us sandwiches and we hung out in the family room.

    "Is it just me or would Fulton Reed be good as an enforcer?" I say out loud. "He's big and tough. I could see it."

    Banks takes a bite from his sandwich. "You could be one too. You like to get aggressive."

    "Okay, today was different." I roll my eyes and huff, suddenly not hungry anymore.

    Larson began to interrogate. "How was this game different. We've gone against them so many times."

    I keep redirecting the conversation away, not in the mood to answer him about my dad.

    "Shut up already." I felt my temper rising.

    "Just tell us why this time was different." McGill says. I huff and slam my plate down. I got up and walked out of the house, heading back home.

    I hear footsteps behind me. "Viv, come on! They were being pests, come back!" Banks ran after me.

"Adam, go away." I tell him.

Banks sighs. "Please, I'll get them to stop." I shake my head 'no' and continue to walk. I don't hear any footsteps behind me so I figured he went back to Larson's.

I began to walk around aimlessly and suddenly felt someone pull me back when a car flew down the street getting chased by cops.

I turn around to see who it was. "Wow, okay. I was not expecting you."

"Bet you didn't." Fulton Reed says back. I glance to his hands on my shoulders still. "Oh, yeah." He removed them. "Where's your little posse."

I roll my eyes. "Back at a house somewhere. They were pissing me off."

"Could tell." He looks at my face, most likely the sudden scowl I got. "Why were they pissing you off?"

I look him up and down. "Family problems. Mostly my dad. I screwed up goals in a game 'cuz of him." I vaguely explain.

He didn't question it any further. "See ya 'round, angry ice."

"Angry ice?" I furrow my eyebrows at him as he began to walk away.

He turns his head back but continues to walk. "Your nickname." He doesn't elaborate any further and walks away.

I give a small smile as he walks away and I go home.