Krabbe Cakes

Chapter 1

I lost a best friend the first day I passed out.

      I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the day of our first hockey tournament.

      The whole team spent the whole morning together. We listened to pump up songs; who doesn't love 'We Are the Champions'? Like the 15 year olds we were, we were overconfident and cocky. We – I – had never felt more invincible on that day. Little did I know just how untrue that was.

      Coach... I think his name was Teddy... kept yelling at us to drink our water. Drink your water until your pee is clear. Clear as day. Crystal clear. Remember how he thought that we would burn all of the water off as energy? I mean, I'm not doctor but my mom thought it was a little bit preposterous.

      She even used those exact words. Preposterous. That word is preposterous.

      LOL.

      It was the first day I got to be your left winger to your forward. Coach Teddy had finally agreed to get me off of defense. I mean, I was the best defense we had but Coach also said that the best offense was the greatest offense and I wanted to be the best.

      And who better to be the best with than you. Everyone knows we are the dream team. Always have and always will. No matter what.

      I think the best part of the day was knowing that at the end of the day, you and I would be throwing and attending our very first party. With alcohol.

      Remember the time we snuck a beer out of my dad's case and drank it in your tree house. We had never felt so badass. 15 years old and already drinking men. Yet I had never tasted a more foul drink in my entire life. I swear it tasted like piss. Not that I've ever tried it.

      Anyway, back to the party. Sadie was throwing it for the whole team, considering her then boyfriend was the captain. I can hardly recall his name either... something Seymour I think. Sadie would know.

      The whole team couldn't wait really. Win this game, get drunk, get laid. Or at least our dim-witted adolescent brains were saying to ourselves. Myself notwithstanding.

      That is until the game started. I just knew something wasn't right. I felt sluggish and off balance and occasionally I was seeing doubles. But, of course I wasn't going to just cede up my first ever shot at left wing though.

      I don't know if you sensed what was wrong with me too, but you asked me if I was okay. I like to imagine that it was our brotherly bond that clued you in onto how I felt but who knows.

      Now, Connie, don't get a big head right about now. I'm not going to declare my undying, romantic love for you. No, I love you like a brother. If you were hoping for anything more, you aren't going to find it here.

      Anyway, with the sound of the first whistle, the puck dropped. As always you won the draw and the puck went right into Seymour's (who was playing defense this game) stick. If I were someone more gifted like Don Cherry or Ron MacLean, I could have narrated the entire play for you.

      We made it through the first period. Not without our fair share of bumps and bruises. A lot of penalty minutes and the occasional swearing and exchanging of fists went on in throughout the first period. Either way, I don't know for certain what the score was; we were winning is all I know.

      It was in the second period that I started to feel faint. Refusing to say anything, we played on. We all know the show must go on.