Dream On (Jonathan Toews)

Chapter Eleven| Change

Jonathan

I pull my game jersey on for the first time in what feels like forever. We had our first game of the season at the Staples Center against the Kings and we were all pretty giddy. "You ready Cap" Sharpy chirps from next to me. "I was ready months ago" I joke and he rolls his eyes. "You know, I have a good feeling about this team" he says looking around the room of guys either so focused it looked painful, or they were Andrew Shaw. But he was right. There were the veterans here putting in work and the new guys doing great too. "I would have to agree with you buddy. I got a good feeling" I say patting his leg. We all get up and take the ice for the first game of the season. They were so kind to give us the defending Stanley cup champions as the first game of this shortened season but we didn't mind any, we had plenty to prove.

I stick handle in the corner as the guys take shots at the net and Crow stretches in the corner. Man it felt great to be competing again. I look over to the bench where Mary Kate stood besides everyone in her work outfit. I look at her eyes as she watched everyone so precisely. I can tell she missed playing and I actually had a plan. Tryouts for the woman's Olympic team was coming up, and although she would be for team USA, I would still root for her. Just maybe in a disguise.

The game starts and we get a early lead. The guys were playing great and playing together. I couldn't help but have a proud moment of what this team did with such little time together. "Looking good boys" Coach Q yells as the line passes in front of the bench. They come in for a change and my line hops on the ice. We enter the offensive zone at top speed as I head the net. I watch as the defense cycles the puck along the blue line and Hossa and Sadd go to their respective wings. I try to create traffic at the front and a screen when needed. Hoss throws one at the net and I collect the rebound before chipping it into the net. As the goal light shines I throw my hands in the air and wait for my teammates to find me. I pat everyone's heads and give them a good job. As we head to the bench I couldn't help but smile to myself. I missed this feeling, being on the ice and seeing everyone giving it their best. There really is no sport like hockey, and there really is no team like mine.

"Way to win big boys" I yell walking into the visitors locker room. We take this one easily 5-2 and we're feeling pretty good. Of course there's stuff to work on but I couldn't be disappointed with the result. Everyone goes to their stall and I grab the belt from mine. "Alright, time to see who the first belt of the year goes to" I announce raising it above my head as everyone lets out a holler. "I'd say everyone was great, but this thing goes to Hammer" I announce as he comes to retrieve the belt. I take a shower and pack my things up before heading back to the hotel with the boys.

I sit in my room and continue to read the Guerrilla Warfare book and take what Mary Kate said into consideration. That stuff was really in here but I skipped over like half of the message and had to go back to reread some of it. I always knew school wasn't going to be the thing I ride to success, but I was no slacker either. I have read and analyzed thousands of things over my life and I couldn't imagine what I've missed. This was really bothering me so I decide to go knock on her door. "Oh, hey Jonny. What's up" she asks opening her door just enough so I could see her. She was wearing a sports bra and workout Capri leggings and I honestly forgot why I came over. It looked like she was doing workouts in her room. "Hey, um... can I ask you something" I ask and she laughs as I try to regain my focus, but man she had such a nice body. "Of course, come on in" she says and I let myself in. Her hotel room was super nice, it was all neat and smelled like her. "Would you like a drink? I have red and blue Gatorade or water" she says looking through the fridge. "Water is fine" I say and she tosses one to me. "So, what can I do you for" she asks. "How do you catch things that people like myself have such a hard time seeing" I ask as she lets out a sigh. "You remember how I said I had to change" she asks and I nod. "There's a saying, 'change the conception of yourself and you will change the world you live in'. For the longest time I was one of the people who wasn't their own person. My eyes were shut, I didn't think for myself, I believed in what everyone else did. But I was tired of constantly being one of those people. So I started seeing things through my own eyes and thinking my own thoughts. All the things we will ever need to know are told to us, but we're never quiet enough to hear them. I don't know, this kind of stuff jumps out at me and I enjoy sharing my knowledge. Not everyone is willing to give up a lot to know these things. I know if I still had my family I would be so sheltered I wouldn't have to know them" she informs me. That actually makes sense. "You know, I think the world of you" I say earning a smile. I would do anything to make her smile. "That means a lot coming from a guy such as you. You're not too bad yourself" she says with a wink. I look at the time and see it was getting late and we had to fly out to Phoenix to face the Yotes early the next day. "Thanks for talking with me. You're a lot better company than Kaner" I say before giving her a kiss. Honest to god could have left with nothing but that and I would have been fine. I move the hair out of her face and kiss her lips one last time to get me through the night. "Goodnight, Jonathan" she says as I walk out. "Goodnight, Mary Kate"