No Romance (Brendan Gallagher)

Lessons

Brendan's P.O.V
We just got done with an intense practice, with the season starting coach is really trying to whip us into shape. I walk into the locker room and on my way in I grab a long white towel to wipe the beads of sweat off my face.

"Gallagher," I hear my name being said from behind me. I stop and turn to face coach Michele.

"Yes sir?" I ask as I take the towel from my face and drape it across my shoulders.

"I need you to stay here at the rink," he says bluntly, "One of the new assistant athletic trainers I told you about yesterday, Quincy, has never skated before and I need her to be comfortable on the ice for her job. I only need you to help her out for about an hour or so, are you good with this?"

Damn. I really just wanted to go home. "Sure coach, but why me?"I reply instead so I wouldn't get in trouble.

"Because when I asked her who her favorite Canadiens player was during her interview she said you," he said with a laugh while throwing back his head, "I told her you'd meet her up front right about now so you can just keep your gear on. Great practice today by the way, keep up the hard work," he says as he gives my back a pat and leaves.

Geez now i'll have to spend another hour here when I could be going out and getting food, I'm friken starving. Instead of going up front to meet this Quincy girl I head into the locker room, she's a grown woman who's capable of finding me. I know I sound harsh right now but I really just want to go home after these hard practices, and helping a girl I don't even know learn how to skate is the lowest on my list of to do's.

"Hey Gally ready to go?" Alex Galchenyuk asks me as he heads out of the locker room.

"Nah I can't go out to lunch now. I have to help the new assistant athletic trainer, Quincy, learn how to ice skate. I'll see you tomorrow for practice," I say taking a seat at my locker.

"Ha that sucks for you. Have fun with that one," Alex says as he pushes open the doors and luckily leaves the rink.

"I won't!!" I shout after him even though I'm pretty sure he won't hear me. I sit and scroll through my phone for about 5 more minutes until I decide to get up and go find Quincy because I don't want coach getting mad at me for something as simple as this. I get up and take the towel off my shoulders as I head toward the doors, I push them open with my hips and imminently spot a girl coming towards me.

"Quincy?" I try.

"Yea hey," the girl replies with a smile. I stare at her for a second too long so I quickly reply, "Sorry I didn't meet you up front we just finished," lies.

"No problem, I found you anyways. Sorry you have to stay for me," she apologizes.

"Don't worry about it, I have nothing to do anyways. Do you want to get going?" lies again.

"Yea sure," she says.

I start to walk to our equipment room which is full of skates, sticks, tape and other equipment. We have plenty of extra hockey skates she can borrow for the hour practice session today. As we turn to go down another hall and then enter the equipment room I ask her, "So you've really never skated before?"

"No I really haven't. I've never even seen snow," she replies while looking around at her surroundings.

"Where have you been your whole life??" I practically shout. Who's never seen snow or been on ice? That's insane and cruel.

"California," she answers with a laugh. Her laugh is loud but not in an annoying way, it's a deep and genuine laugh that's actually really attractive. She's not holding back being around me which I think is pretty cool and slowly I feel my irritability from having to stay here slipping away.