Enemies From Different Teams-Rewrite

Partie vingt-quatre

Danika's POV

Watching Shelby stand at center ice, waiting to take her turn, it was quite tense. I was clutching Toria's shoulder as I watched, the game was tied and if she scores then we win. She kinda has to score, it's the last person of the shoot out to score. USA screwed up twice whereas we screwed up once if she scores. 

USA's goalie stood at his position, hitting the two goal posts by his sides. He got into position and Shelby kicked  it forward. Passing it through her feet, she passed it side to side. I didn't know what tricks she had in mind. She had speed for sure, but I didn't know how she could use that to her advantage. USA has seen her score and before their goalie was brought out on the ice, he had gotten spoken to. Maybe about her technique, I wasn't sure.

She went for it all right. She stopped passing the puck back and forth. She skated rapidly towards the goalie. Stopping abruptly a couple feet from the goalie,she shaved the ice. Stretching forward, bringing her stick up in front of her, she went to shoot. But brought the puck to the left and shot. We all jumped up and down, cheering as loud as we could. We won! We won! We actually won!

We jumped the boards, throwing most of our gear on the ground. our helmets, gloves, sticks, everything was flooding the ice. people threw stuff on the ice. Toria and I made it to Shelby first and knocked her over by accident. "Woohoo!" Some of the others yelled.

Team Canada was gathered in a huge group. Shelby in the middle with everyone embracing one another around her. Coach and Miss Brantford joined in. I was pumped up with emotions. I was tearing up because of our win, all this time, this is what it came down to and we won. We won because we stood together against those who thought we couldn't do it. We proved them wrong, and that was what made me happy. The fact that we won the World Junior Goodwill Games, it was beyond amazing.

We had split from the group as the Canadian flag was brought out on to the ice. Toria had gotten the flag handed to her and she smiled, waving it around like a fool. She came back to center ice, handing it off to Shelby. "Take your lap!" She called.

She smiled, taking the flag. I nod and looked around the rink, seeing USA at their bench. I did feel bad, come to think of it. I felt awful. I befriended them and seeing that they didn't win was awful. At the same time you loved the feeling of winning but feel bad because they didn't win. They won silver, but not gold like they had intended. 

"Let's go, boys!" Shelby called, taking Jayden's hand and leading the group of Canadian players around the ice. Coach and Miss Brantford stood side by side, he had brought her into a close embrace as they teared up with smiles. They were looking at the kids who brought victory to Canada and it was them who had helped them accomplish this. 

USA was seated on the ground or at the bench. I watched as Banks was at their end of the rink. I perked up and skated over there as my team was waving the flag around the rink as they were by our net. The crowd was going wild, banging on the glass and they were shouting and cheering. I stopped in front of Banks, looking at him. "Congratulations on the victory,"

"Thanks," I replied. "I'm sorry for everything. I mean it. I didn't mean for things to happen the way they did,"

Half of Team USA was talking to one another, didn't care because of the lost, and others were talking to the Coach or watching my team take their victory lap. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"The arguments, the tensions,"

He smiled shrugging his shoulders. "No problem, Bruiser,"

I smiled, liking the name he had used. It was my nickname on the ice, but more specifically, back home at my home rink. When I looked up, from looking back at my team, I saw him take a step closer. He leaned in and kissed me. At that point in time, I was shocked of course, seeing that that would never ever happen, but it did. The only thing I could do was is to return the favor. 

Taking a step back, and seeing his face heat up, I smiled and waved. "See you 'round, Banks,"

He nods, standing there. I turned on my heel and headed back to my team. When I arrived, I looked at Toria who was staring at Banks wide eyed like she had seen a ghost. I waved my hand in front of her face and she snapped out of it. She looked at me, and then to him, and back at me. Pointing back and forth to the both of us. "You...He... What?" She asked confused, cocking a brow.

I patted her shoulder and skated off the others as she trailed behind, almost falling on the ground. 

Shelby was still waving the flag around and by now, our team was over at USA's bench. Once the flag was done, both teams had gotten in their lines to shake hands and then the awards would be handed out later on. Russia got bronze, USA got silver, and Canada got gold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the game was over, we had the afternoon off to do what ever we wanted. Tonight Coach wanted to take the entire team out for supper, a nice one at that. In my dorm room with Toria and Shelby, we were packing our bags because we leave tomorrow back home. Most of us flights leave around the same time. There's some who don't leave for a little while after us or they leave before us. 

I couldn't stop thinking about what happened at the game. Adam Banks kissed me! I kissed him back. I didn't think I'd ever see that coming. I found him cute, he was a great guy, but it seemed all too fast. In the long run, it was worth every minute of it. Winning the game, meeting some amazing players from Team USA, and my entire team for the Games was extraordinary. I'm glad we had been recruited or else I wouldn't of known about this and I wouldn't of had another journey and memories to add to my list.

"Hey, what time is our flight tomorrow?" Shelby asked.

Toria shrugged her shoulders. "I know it's tomorrow," 

"I believe it's around ten thirty," I replied.

She nods, "Thanks,"

Victoria wasn't really packing her bags, and she does almost everything at last minute too. Usually she has everything, so I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot something. She was currently laying on her bed looking at a picture book because she doesn't read. Anyone who knows Toria, knows that she hates reading. Last year in school, she didn't even finish half the book that she was assigned to read, whereas everyone else had finished. That's my point to prove that she dislikes reading. I laugh, because it's funny, I cry because it's sad, yet still worth laughing about.

"Are they doing hockey photos?" Toria asked.

Shelby, once again, nods. I believe they were doing photos of the hockey team. Our hockey team. It was so everyone had had their own individual photo and then a group photo of our hockey team. I didn't mind much, they were quite fun, other than waiting and waiting for your turn to end. "Cool, think they'd let me have a burger in my hand,"

"No," Shelby and I called at the same time.

The three of us looked at one another, and then erupted into laughter.