Shooting Star

Chapter 29

"Welcoming to the ice, Carlton's Ice Hockey Team, the Admirals!" the announcer called.

We did our regular skating warm-up around our end of the zone.

"And also, at the other end of the ice, welcoming Copperdale's very own Whales!"

There was an even amount of fans for both teams, I could see. And an equal amount of screaming for both teams.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Throughout the entire year, every single team has underestimated the Whales, who came in dead last place last season. This year, they barely made the playoffs. Now, they're in the finals.

We underestimated them as well, and we barely pulled off a win against them in early November. It was Ruby who'd scored the winning goal after they'd come back from a 5-0 defecit. Totally crushing for us, until Ruby's slapshot made its way past their goaltender.

We weren't going to let our guard down as easily this time.

Except a haunting thought came back to me. Janelle's cousin Avery played for the Whales. What number did Janelle say she wore? 15?

I glanced over at the Whales' bench and spotted number 15. Sure enough, the name on the jersey said Lexington.

Janelle might've told her all about my playing style, I thought furiously. This is so not fair.

I was seriously ready to throttle Janelle and ask her if she'd spilled my playing secrets to her cousin.

We lined up for the face-off. Of course, as the world seems to hate me most of the time, Avery would be facing off against me.

"Nice to see you made it so far, Brianna," Avery sneered. "We'll be taking that trophy, hands down."

I gritted my teeth and focused on the puck in the referee's hand.

"Don't even think about pulling Miller Magic on us," Avery sneered again. "We've been working with Robin our netminder. She's all set for your little trick."

Dammit, she knows, I thought furiously.

"And--" Avery's sentence was interrupted as the whistle blew, the puck was dropped, and in a matter of 3 seconds I had whisked the puck from her stick and took off down the ice.

But no sooner had I reached the blue line was the puck stolen from in between my legs and carried back down to our end.

Cutting a sharp edge, I raced back trying to catch the stupid Whale that had stolen it from me.

Was I seeing things? The girl who'd stolen it from me, her last name was Freemount.

The same last name Aly-G had.

And the other forward on the line, her last name was... I squinted. Williams? That's Natalie's last name, I thought, confused.

Kylie's stick snaked around Williams' legs and grabbed the puck. Alyssa and I took off for the other end of the ice.

The puck landed on the blade of my stick and as the defense came towards me, I passed back to Kylie, who fired straight at Alyssa.

Alyssa caught it calmly and did a drop-pass for me. 

I picked it up and slid it behind me to Michelle, who passed to Ruby as the Freemount girl came charging up behind her.

As Avery charged at Ruby, she directed a slapshot on net.

The shot went wide, but I picked it up and wound it around the net.

Instead of trying to jam it home, I slid it in front of the crease where Kylie was coming.

She one-timed it right past the goalie's glove.

And unfortunately, right into the post.

Dammit.

The shot ricocheted and went wide. I tried to reach for it with my stick. One of the Whales' defensemen passed to Avery.

Alyssa, reading the pass quicker than anyone could possibly imagine, intercepted it and snapped a shot on net. 

Blocked again. What else was new?

Kylie jumped on the loose puck that wound its way around the boards and fired point blank at net.

I honestly had no idea why we were being so desperate to get a shot in.

But I grabbed the loose puck after it'd been blocked by the goalie and, just as my legs went flying from under me as someone tried to trip me, I back-handed the puck into the empty net.

"GOAL!" the announcer screamed as the buzzer went off and the arena erupted into a frenzy.

I stood up shakily, my legs bruised from being smashed onto the ice. Kylie and Alyssa helped me get onto the bench.

"Nice goal, Miller," everyone called.

I grinned and almost collapsed onto the bench.

"Are you okay?" Coach Hiller asked.

I nodded. "My legs feel like jelly," I said.

 I glanced over at the Whales' bench. Number 32, the Freemount girl, had taken her helmet off and was shaking her wavy brown hair out.

Wait. Wavy brown hair? 

She turned around to talk to Avery. 

My heart dropped. A lump formed.

It can't be... Aly? No way. Maybe some distant relation of hers.

I pulled out my cell phone and texted her.

Hey gurl, what up? I'm at the tourney and there's a girl w/ same last name as u and looks just like u. who is it?

A few seconds later I got a text.

Uhh probs my cuz Betty. she plays for the copperdale whales with j's cousin avery and nat's sister emily.

That was just too weird. 

I texted back:

ok thnx. y didn't u tell me?

I had no idea what to make of the situation. Janelle and Aly-G's cousins played on the team, with Natalie's older sister Emily?

Things were getting way too weird.

Aly-G texted back.

idk, never came up. u didn't play them all season. but after they lost to u in nov, betty went on a rampage and said that the admirals had to die. it was kinda awks, i didn't know who to support u or her, so i just stayed out of it. but don't underestimate 'em, they're vicious cheaters. don't let ur guard down.

I bit my lip. Aly-G's words got me worried. thnx for the warning. I texted her.

Np, was the reply.

"I just texted my friend," I murmured to Kylie and Alyssa. "She said that her cousin plays on the team and they're dirty and vicious."

"You don't need to remind me," Alyssa said. "Avery Lexington boarded me and left me out with a concussion for a month."

"Ouch," I said. "Anyways, she said not to underestimate them and not let our guard down. I wonder why."

"Because they'll do anything to win," Coach Hiller said grimly. "The Whales have been in the finals for the past 4 years, excluding last year. But they've never won the championship. First line back on."

As we glided onto the ice, the score still 1-0, Aly-G's words rang in my head.

Don't underestimate them. They're vicious cheaters. Don't let your guard down.

Knowing their tactics, Aly-G was right, we couldn't. And although we had the upper hand, there was no guarantee we could hold it. Especially after they'd almost beaten us the last time.

My new rule regarding this team?

Never, and I mean never, underestimate a whale. 

Especially Avery Lexington.