The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟼𝟼|

Leia Welsh

The arena is massive, even for someone like me who used to play hockey professionally. The stands stretch out, almost reaching to the point of filling thousands of people.

Well, maybe not thousands, but there's definitely a good amount. Close to the high hundreds, at least.

"Wow," Ari gasps in amazement as Athena passes her a cherry slushy.

I can't believe it - there's even a food court here. My jaw practically hits the floor.

"I didn't get you one because I figured you'd be in the penalty box, and I didn't think you'd want one," Athena explains as she sips on her blueberry slushie, which matches her vibrant hair.

I nod in understanding. "True, but I'll snag one once we win," I declare with a nonchalant shrug.

"So, uh, where are we supposed to sit?" Athena inquires, her eyes scanning the vast expanse of the arena.

"Wherever the hell you want," I reply with a smirk.

"Just steer clear of the enemy's turf." Athena's devilish grin fades at my words as she groans.

Leaving them to choose their seats, I make my way to the box. As I approach, my eyes widen in awe - it's absolutely breathtaking. The ice glistens, flawless and unblemished.

The roof above is crafted from glass, allowing natural light to filter in and illuminate the rink.

This is definitely the finals, no doubt about it.

"If only our ice rink looked like this," Coach Johnson bellows with a mouthful of popcorn and candy as he squeezes past me into the box, making me raise an eyebrow at his blatant disregard for the rules.

"You do know you can't have those in here, right?" I quip, earning a loud groan from Coach Johnson as he begrudgingly shuffles past me again to take a seat beside Ari and Athena, who are seated in the front rows right in front of a bored Rocky.

"Now introducing Shepherd University with their impressive 5-0 streak," The announcer's voice booms throughout the arena, the cheers from their side of the rink are deafening.

The team skates onto the ice in perfect unison, clad in their school colors of yellow and white, causing the entire section of their fans to erupt into cheers and chants.

"And now we introduce Willowbrook University, the team with a score of 4-0," The announcer says again, and cheers erupt on our side of the arena, but they aren't as loud as the ones on Shepard's side.

I try to scream at the top of my lungs, "Wooo!"

Soon, Ari, Rocky, and Athena join in, and even Coach Johnson starts cheering. The rest of our section erupts, making our side louder in an instant, which brings a smile to my face.

I watch as Warren skates into the rink, holding his hockey stick up high, and my heart flutters.

Then Ant skates out, slapping his head, making me wonder if he's trying to stay awake. The rest of the guys follow suit, and finally, Tim skates out, flipping off the other team's fans, causing me to shake my head. Tim always knows how to make an entrance.

Kateb sits beside me, staring at Tim with a shocked expression before bursting out laughing and shaking his head.

"Tim is something else," Kateb mumbles, and I sigh, nodding in agreement.

The puck is placed in the center of the ice, and the entire arena falls silent. I can feel the tension in the air as I nervously bite my lip, waiting for the whistle to blow. To my surprise, Warren doesn't make his usual move to grab the puck at the start of the game.