Thin Ice

Chapter Eleven

Devin:

I skate smoothly to one side of the rink, not even thinking about the people shouting around me. My body's in the game, but my mind isn't. All my mind is thinking about is Cassie. When she told me she didn't want to skate anymore, I wasn't sure what to think at first. There are times when I don't want to play hockey anymore, but that's only because of the people. I love the sport itself.

"Devin!" My eyes snap up to Alan, passing me the puck. It slides across the ice, a black dot standing out in the middle of a white sheet of ice. It bounces off my hockey stick, and I start skating to the goal. People are around me, yelling things, shoving each other. Cold air catches in my nose, but my eyes are bouncing from the puck to the goal. I wonder if Cassie likes to cook, maybe she could make and design a whole line of ice-themed desserts?

"Devin! I'm open!" I hear, but I'm in my own world. I'm coming up to the goal, I line up my shot, I look at Kaleb, the goalie, and shoot. The puck flies over Kaleb's shoulder into the goal, and my eyebrows raise in surprise. I don't get any time to celebrate though because someone rams into my shoulder, knocking me down onto the hard ice.

All my thoughts dissipate when I look up from the ground with Casey standing over me. A surge of panic clouds my brain, but I try to push it away, "Dude, we're literally on the same team," I say, trying to push out my words. That's what my therapist, Dr. Robins, told me when I went to my appointment a few days ago. I told him that ignoring my teammates wasn't enough, so he said to try as hard as I can to channel my "Cassie energy". Of course, I told him about everything. Well, not everything. I didn't tell him it was fake, but I told him about Cassie, how we met, how amazing she is, how I, even though I didn't want to admit it, like her a lot. I told him a bit of a different story though. I told him I met her because she overheard one of my mates talking badly about me and stood up for me even though she had no idea who I was. Dr. Robins told me that he liked her too.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," Casey laughs before looking around at the others. Coach had set up a practice game for us. Half of us against the other half. I thought maybe he wouldn't run into me since we were put on the same half, but I guess I thought wrong. Coach walks back into the rink, only to pass by and go into his office. I press my lips together because now I'm mad. Mad that the one time Casey was obviously out for me, Coach was somewhere else. My eyebrows turn downcast as I glare at Casey, and he seems surprised when I stand up quickly. I'm so close to him that he has to skate a few inches back so I don't run into him.

I celebrate that win on the inside before responding, "What? Are you expecting me to break down? Spread my disease? Get out of my way," My voice shakes on the last part, but right now I'm Cassie. I'm unafraid. I'm confident. I don't get bossed around.

Casey's eyebrows raise, and he rips off his helmet, "Oh-ho-ho! Look who's the tough guy now? Has your girlfriend been trying to cure you?" I roll my eyes, and skate around him. I'm just trying to get away at this point because I'm not sure I can be Cassie for that much longer. "And now you're running? What was her name? Cassie? I guess, she wasn't a good teacher. Or maybe she's been teaching you other things?" I spin around to face Casey, and his smirk pushes me over the edge.

I'm not even channeling my inner Cassie when I skate smoothly over, "Don't ever talk about my girlfriend like that."
"Or what? You'll go crying to her, and she'll threaten to eat my eye again? What was up with that anywa-," I shove Casey back with both hands, and his skates fall out from under him. He lands hard on his back, and a solid thump rings out. All the other guys in the arena make "oohing" noises, and Casey scrambles to get back up. I plant my skates as his cheeks start to redden. "You wanna go?" He asks, and throws his helmet onto the ice. I pull mine off, and drop it.