The Slap Shots

Chapter 1

Matt uses all of his muscles in his arms and legs to reach for the top of the trunk door and then slam it down shut.

I watch him do  it, forcing myself to not let tears sting my eyes, but as he turns around and smiles shyly I can feel the water prickling at my lashes.

"When are you leaving ?" I ask him my voice shaky. He smiles and walks closer to me brushing his fingers against his mothers black minivan.

"Tomorrow at noon." He announces to me. I shake my head so vigorously that I shake the tears and the sadness out of me.

It's hard to think that my best friend, the one person that has been around since I came home as a baby is now moving away to the next town over and will not come back.

"You can't fucking leave dude." I say, the sadness coming out a different way. He laughs a little and then he turns towards the end of the driveway and walks away. I jog to catch up to him.

"I know, I don't want to. I don't wanna leave The Slap Shots, and..." He pauses and catches his breath in his throat.

"Luce." At that I wrap my arm around his shoulders and lead him to Slap Shots headquarters.

"I know man. You love her that's gonna be hard." And it's going to be hard for me too. My best friend is leaving.

"Anyways. You got time for a Slap Shot meeting ?" I ask him as we approach the centre of the neighbourhood where the old abandoned church is found.

"But I'm not a Slap Shot anymore." He says, faking a sad smile.

"What are you talking about ? Once a Slap Shot always a Slap Shot." I smack him on the back and we emerge from the huge towering hill that hides the church from my house and Matt's.

We start walking down the hill and I pull out my phone.

I write out a quick message to Isaac: Coming down the hill. HIDE I press send and look at Matt who is taking in everything that surrounds him.

His last night in Clarkeville, his last night at SS Headquarters. His last night walking these streets, his last night with the Slap Shots, his last night with me...

We reach the parking lot and I notice that Matt stops in the middle staring at the old church.

It hasn't gotten too dark yet, but the sun is setting giving the church an orange and pink glow.

It's red bricks look more crimson and the white door looks closer to gray.

The arms of vines that snake up to the black roof, look more livelier than ever and the black picket fence that closes off the play area at the side of the church is rusty and falling apart.

The mosaic windows shine brightly with the remaining sun rays while the normal glass pane windows are covered with curtains on the inside.

Matt, Xavier, Hunter, Hayden, Flynn, Isaac and I, found this beauty last year when we went scouring the neighbourhood for a place that could hold our team of sixteen for our practices. At first we were only attracted to the parking lot, it's spacious gray pavement, that looked as if it was newly and freshly placed was really the perfect place for all of the Slap Shots practices. After walking around and testing it out with a little three on three, Isaac had announced that the church itself was abandoned. Back then it looked less haunted and more forgotten.

"I found a key!" Isaac had yelled right in the middle of our scrimmage. He ran to us and gave the key to Matt who walked over to the back door.

"If this works..." He had said looking back at us his eyes hopeful but scared at the same time.