From Trailer to Ice

Chapter 3

                He got onto the ice first and held out one hand for me. I grabbed it before stepping onto the ice. I slipped and started to fall backwards but Tyson grabbed my other hand and kept me up. “I don’t think I can do this.” I whispered embarrassed. “Max, you just stepped on the ice. Give it a chance.” He requested. “I’m Seventeen; I’m too old to just be learning how to skate.” I told him. “You can start when you’re seventy and it won’t make a difference, you can learn to skate if you try hard enough.” He responded.

                About thirty minutes had passed of Tyson holding onto me as I tried to skate and I was embarrassed through the whole thing. “Let’s go!” Caroline screamed. Everyone got off of the ice and it was just Tyson and I. “We should go.” I told him. “I could tell you were self-conscious and felt like a fool out on the ice with other people around but it’s just you and me now.” He answered.

“Tyson you don’t have to stay with me and try to teach me how to skate.”

“I have nothing else to do.”

“You could go and have fun with everyone else instead of trying to teach a hopeless cause.”

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Put yourself down like that.”

“I don’t know. I just kind of do.” I explained.

                Tyson and I skated for about an hour and he let me go several times when I was doing well. But a second later I fell flat on my face or butt. We were finally kicked out because figure skaters needed the rink to practice. We were in the car talking and laughing about how bad of a skater I was. “I wonder if it would be easier teaching Helen Keller how to skate.” He laughed. “Why did you just compare me to Helen Keller?” I questioned jokingly. “Because she couldn’t see the ice or hear that she was going to be ice skating so it would all turn to hell.” He mocked.

                We shoved each other playfully as we walked through the front door into the house. “Hey Matt,” I said walking up to Matt Duchene, “Can I use your truck? Or you could drive me where I need to go, or whatever. I just need it to haul a few things, I’ll pay you.”

 “I can drive you, so I can help you.”

 “Why do you think I’d need help?”

 “Whatever you need is probably big and heavy.”

 “I can handle it.”

“You? I doubt it. You have no muscle!”

“Fine… You can come…” I sighed. He smiled and ran out the front door. I ran up to my vacant room and grabbed some money I was saving to try to get an apartment. I came back downstairs and walked up to Tyson and Gabriel. Luckily they were talking to each other so it would be easier for me to talk to Gabe with Tyson around. “Do you guys want to come with?” I inquired. “Sure.” Gabe and Tyson both replied at the same time.

I got into the driver’s seat of the truck and started it. The engine roared to life as Jason Aldean started to play. “I love him!” I said with excitement. “Really? That’s awesome!” Duchene answered. We drove to Home Depot singing along to Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. “Do you like Florida Georgia Line?” I questioned. “Of course I do!” Matt shouted.

We arrived at Home Depot and I got out of the car. All of the boys followed as I went back and got everything I needed to rebuild the barn in the back. I threw them into the metal cart that had orange on it and I walked to where they kept wood. Tyson, Matt, and Gabe helped me load the cart. “What are you planning on doing with this?” Tyson inquired. “I’m planning on rebuilding the barn out in the back.” I replied.

When we got back to the house I strapped a small open trailer to the back of an ATV and put the things I got into it. I got onto the ATV as Tyson came up to me. “Need any more help?” He asked. “No, but if you want you can ride with me to the barn.” I answered. He smiled, his eyes light up, and he got onto the ATV sitting behind me. He didn’t know where to put his hands to hold on so I grabbed them and put them on my hips.

“I feel like a girl.” He laughed. “Wait, you aren’t a girl?” I joked. “Very funny, Max.” He told me. I started the ATV and we drove to the barn. I got off and walked inside of the worn down barn knowing that it could collapse at any minute. “You sure you want to go in there?” Tyson questioned with a nervous tone. “I’ll be fine!” I shouted back to him.

The barn had large metal troffs for the horses that lived there before. I grabbed one and dragged it out of the barn and went back in for another. “Can I help?” Tyson asked. “We can’t have an NHL player injured if something goes wrong when you help me.” I replied.

“But the season doesn’t start for a few months.”

“Tyson, just don’t. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You worry about me?” He inquired getting off of the ATV and walking to the entrance of the barn. “Roy would kill me if I got one of his players injured.” I explained dragging another troff outside. I put the troff next to the other and pushed Tyson away from the barn. “Don’t get close to it.” I demanded.

I went back into the barn making sure Tyson wasn’t close to it. I grabbed the third out of four troffs and started to drag it outside. My hand snagged a piece of sharp metal and sliced it open. Blood poured out as I gasped. I quickly let go of the troff and grabbed my bleeding hand. “Fuck” I said louder than intended.