Olympic Fire [Miracle on Ice]

CHAPTER 4 : The Tryouts

~JACK'S POV~

Still shocked and mad from the encounter with a girl who I appear to be stuck here with for at least a week, I walk down the corridor when I see one of the familiar guys looking at the panel.

"Jimmy Craig."

"Hey, Jack."

"What's up, ya sieve?"

"How's going?"

"Good," I stop next to Jimmy and look at the roster when he speaks up: "Any reason why Joey Mullen's not here?"

"Yeah, about 30,000 of them," my arms cross on my chest as I respond "all sitting on his New York bank account."
Tall brown-haired goalie seems honestly surprised at the amount of money: "30,000 dollars? He got a $30,000 signing bonus?"

"Seems like it. Pretty crazy, isn't it?"
"Crazy indeed."

"How's it lookin'?"

With a grin on his face, he answers while on his way to the locker room: "A lot of guys from Minnesota and Boston?"

I huff and smile a bit. Someone has to have a great sense of humor or a wish to see a bloodbath, what these tryouts will probably turn out to be. Oh, and let's not forget a chick playing as well.

"Yeah, like that's gonna work."

Later, in the locker room, I pull on my pants and reach for a shoulder pad when someone pats my shoulder.

"Yes?" I turn around and see a guy wearing Bowling Green jersey. He stretches his arm: " You are Jack O'Callahan, right? One of the most fearsome guys at the BU?"
"Well...I am the one to drop the gloves, yeah. And you are Kenneth Morrow, right? The star defenseman of Bowling Green? I've heard of you."

"Yeah, that's me. Do you know any of these guys?"
"Guys from Boston. And I know names of few of the Minnesota players."
"Ah, the great rivalry?"

Chuckling, I pull on my shoulder pads and BU jersey over it: "Yeah. I am telling you, this is gonna get interesting."

After few moments of silence, I ask him: "What about you? Anyone familiar?"

"Yeah, I know few of the guys. So, do you know what the coach is like?"

"Seen him on Minnesotan's bench. Seems like a dude who yells a lot. And a person who wants nothing but respect. We'll see how this will work out, how will he handle what Bostonians have for Minnesotans."

~KIMBERLY'S POV~

Right after the sign-in, I was taken away from the rest of the boys to a separate locker room. I lean my stick on the wall and slide my bag all the way across the floor to my stall. Exactly when I am about to change into my gear, someone knocks on the door: "Miss Mayfield, may I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure thing."

The door open and reveal one of the coaches: "I am Craig Patrick, Herb's assistant coach and I would like the check whether everything's okay?"
"Yes, sir, everything is fine. I would like to thank you for giving me a separate locker room."

"It was a no problem, but I am afraid if you make the team, you'll have to share the locker room with the guys. In case there will be no free locker rooms, of course."
"I understand, sir."
"Please, call me Coach Patrick, don't call me sir."
"Okay, si- Coach Patrick."

"And one more thing, Herb ordered me to ask you whether you are serious about the tryouts?"

"Yes, I am serious. I would like to prove myself."
"Alright then. See you after the tryouts."
And with that he leaves, leaving me to get changed. About fifteen minutes later I am already on the ice and I've never been more nervous in my entire life. Not only I barely know anyone, but I am also the only girl.