The Slap Shots

Chapter 3

When Hayden first slapped my arm and pointed to the girl who was standing at the bottom of the hill I grew completely dumbstruck.

Maybe it was the sun and the way it hit her black hair that was blowing in the sun.

Or maybe it was the way that she was bent over tying her shoelaces, and giving us an amazing view of her bum.

Either way, when she ran back up the hill I went back to concentrating on the players in front of me who sucked beyond belief.

None of them would be good enough to replace Matt.

Until she came back. She roller skated down the hill her hair behind her shining in the sun once again. She skated right to the parking lot and then stopped right next to Flynn's net.

Everyone stopped moving we all just stared at her.

Then she executed the play perfectly and showed us the most amazing slap shot.

I knew right then and there that she was the player to replace Matt.

"But she's a girl, Freddie." Isaac had said squeezing my shoulder.

I knew that of course. She was a girl... a hot girl... who could play hockey.

"So ? We can break one lousy rule!" I said still starring at her as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"That's just it Fred. It's not a lousy rule. It's in the top three most important rules! We can't let her play." At that I turned around and faced him, fury in my eyes.

"We will find a way to let her play. I don't care about some stupid rule. We need her. She's gonna help us win the tournament!" I said.

So now here I am, a few minutes after I talked to her about joining our team walking down the hill towards Matt's house.

Or Em's house.

She swings open the door.

"Dad I'm home!" She says. On the word 'home' she winces and walks through the kitchen.

I follow her but stop straight in my tracks when I notice a magnet on the fridge.

It's the magnet that me and Matt had painted when we were younger. I walk over to it and grab it from the fridge slipping it in my pocket before Em notices.

Suddenly, a tall man with dark hair dressed in gym shorts and t-shirt comes barrelling down the stairs.

He's broad, his shoulders almost touching the walls of the narrow staircase.

He's clean shaven. He has a long and square jaw.

When he sees us, he stops.

When he sees that were wearing uniforms he smiles.

"Emerson, where in the world did you find an entire hockey team of boys ?" He asks.

"At the church at the bottom of the hill." She answers back. She heads for the fridge, swings the door open and sighs as she realizes that it's empty.

"They volunteered to help us move our stuff." She looks straight at me and winks.

"Wow. Perfect. Well boys, grab a box. The room is written on the boxes, so the living room is down there and the bath-"

"Sir, sorry to interrupt but actually we know this house inside and out. Our friend Matt used to live here." I say. He smiles nicely and then smiles at Em.

"Well perfect. Go ahead!" Em's dad says.

All of the boys retreat back outside and start picking boxes and walking them inside. I stay behind and watch Em as she bends over and ties her hair in a sleek ponytail.