The Puck Drops

Chapter 1 - Jackson

I am moving back to Syracuse, NY to the one place I didn't think I would be returning too. I had grown up in Syracuse and once I was drafted in the NHL I left and didn't really look back at the same town. Now I was headed back to Syracuse because I was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization over the summer and they moved me down to their AHL team to play as one of their forwards. I was drafted by the LA Kings right out of college which was great because I was a rookie going directly into the NHL and I was ready to show everyone that the rookie had skills to be in the NHL. I had some hard times during my first year and didn't get to have a lot of playing time and the Kings sought to go in a different direction when I didn't produce like they thought I would.

I got the phone call a few weeks ago from my agent that the trade was made, and I started packing up my apartment. I had most of my items packed up now and would only being traveling with the few suitcases I had with the essential items that I needed. The rest of my items were being shipped to my brothers' apartment until I found a place on my own. I had the hockey team ship them out a few days ago so I didn't have a bed, or any big furniture left. I was leaving tomorrow so it didn't matter. I made sure to have all my suitcases and hockey equipment sitting by the door for me to be able to leave early in the morning and not have to search for everything being tired.

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I was now landing in the small New York airport, and seeing it now everything looks the same. I didn't have a car when I lived in LA but landing here I was wondering if this would be different and I would need a car to get around. I got off the plane and made my way through the airport carrying my backpack and another duffle bag as I walked towards the baggage claim. I had two suitcases I needed to grab along with my hockey bag. As I stood in front of the baggage claim they had carts for people with a lot of luggage I grabbed one before someone else took it. I put my duffle bag and backpack onto the cart and made my way to stand in front of the conveyer belt as it started making noise to alert that people's items would start to come out soon.

After a few minutes of collecting my suitcases I walked down to the cab line to wait my turn to grab a car out of here. It didn't take long to get a cab and load my items up. Once I was in the car I gave the driver my brothers' address to their apartment and looked out the window as we drove through the city towards the downtown apartment buildings. My brothers moved in together when my youngest brother Greg graduated high school two years ago. Greg moved in to help Mike with the rent and to have a nice place to live when he went to college. As we pulled up to the apartment complex, I paid the drive and grabbed all my items. I slowly made my way into the building and onto the elevator and went up to the fifth floor. I didn't tell Mike or Greg that I would be in town today and was hoping my little surprise wouldn't ruin anything. I dragged my stuff of the elevator and placed it in front of the door. I gave two knocks on the door and waited for someone to answer. As I waited, I could hear my brothers inside arguing over something. I gave a little smirk and shook my head just thinking of our childhood years. The door started to open, and I stood in the frame staring at my brother waiting for him to say something.

"Jackson?"

I just nodded my head and pushed him to the side to walk into the apartment.

"I didn't know you were coming back today. You could have told us."

I sat down on the couch as he shut the door and made his way over to me.

"Yea I wanted to surprise the two of you. Where is Mike?"

I was looking around to see where he was, but it didn't seem like he was around, even though I heard him before I came into the apartment.

"He is in his room. He has a shift at the bar soon. He just got off his shift at the coffee shop."