My Name Is... Olivia

Chapter 11

"C'mon, Tyler!" Tuukka yelled beside me. He was benched for the game tonight from an irritated muscle in his left arm. Although Tuukka insisted he was alright, Coach Julien didn't want to stress his arm. So Tuukka gave up on his plead and respectively sat out for this game. Out of the seven players scratched for this game, Tuukka was the only one kind enough to sit beside me while I did my job... to some degree.

I always managed do some of my job when I was alone and not distracted. I usually was able to write down some major points during the game; but other times, I tend to forget that I have a job and watched the game instead. And Tuukka was here which distracted me much more than usual.

It was the middle of the third period; the Bruins were leading the Lightning only by a point. However, the Lightning had about a million chances to score. Whenever the puck got close enough to be under review to see if it went over the line or not, Tuukka cringed.

"Adam," he hissed through his teeth. "Get the fucking puck out of the fucking zone. Do your fucking job."

I poked Tuukka with my pen, which took him out of the intensity of the game momentarily. "I think I've found what you could do after you retire from playing hockey. You could commentate a hockey station for viewers thirteen and up."

Tuukka shook his head. "It wouldn't be thirteen and up," he said. "It would be sixteen and up."

"You'd swear that much?"

Tuukka smiled at me. "There would be a lot more than swearing."

I laughed and looked back out to the ice. Noting some things that could be improved, I began to jot them down on the semi-blank page in front of me.

"The defenders, Adam McQuaid and Dougie Hamilton are passing the puck with each other," Tuukka announced. "Oh there's a little fight going on in the corner, nothing to worry about however. Now to Adam, to Dougie, back to Adam, back to Dougie, back to- wait no, he passed it to Lucic."

I laughed again.

"Lucic can't shoot so he passes it back to Dougie. A forward is charging up to Dougie, Dougie passes it back to Adam and..." The arena gasped in horror. "Fucking shit."

I blinked and wondered if I dared to look up at the ice. I stared to raise my head but Tuukka pressed my head down to the table. "Tuukka, let me see what happened," I begged.

"No," Tuukka said. "I'm not doing that to you."

"To me?" I questioned.

"You don't want to see this, Olivia. Trust me, you don't."

"Was it Dougie?"

"You can't brace yourself for what's happening."

"I don't give a shit!" I yelled at Tuukka. I don't care if he wanted to "protect me" or whatever he was implying. I wanted to see what was happening. "Let me see!"

"No," Tuukka boomed in a strict voice.

"Am I going to keep my head against this table for the entire game?" I inquired.

"Only until he's gone from the ice."

"Is it Dougie?" I repeated.

"I'm not telling you," he said.

"For fuck's sake, Tuukka," Johnny swore. "Let her see."

Tuukka exhaled deeply. "If you begin crying, don't tell me I didn't warn you."