𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑, 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 [𝟏] ✓

9| I Respected You...

      ANOTHER goal was scored by the other team as the district 5 team groaned. Goldberg had fallen and acted hurt and he was yelling nastily at the referee. November watched from the bench beside Guy. The two exchanges glances and sighed.

"Goldberg," Bombay sighed as Goldberg walked up to the box at the end of the second period, "you don't fall when they're shooting at you"

Nova rolled her eyes as Goldberg made a sassy remark. She was beyond her limits of annoyed- even more than when they played the hawks. Nova got into the ice playing defence as the 'oreo line' was up. Charlie was beside her and he frowned. he didn't like playing defence and it was clearly visible.

The referee blew his whistle and the game commenced. Nova wasn't in the mood as she repeatedly watched her team fall and get demolished by the other team.

She would skate around attempting to gain the puck but it was a rare moment where she would get a shot at net. At a point, Nova watched as Charlie got held up against the boards by a players twice his size while trying to fight for the puck. Eventually, the ref blew his whistle and reset the play to face-off.

"Charlie!" she heard Bombay call out as the ref blew his whistle and Charlie skated over to Coach Bombay. She watched as Bombay demonstrated something while covering one of his eyes. Charlie then skate back with a glum expression.

Nova was going to skate over to him and but the referee blew his whistle again and the play started up. The jets had the puck and it went over behind District 5's net. Charlie had gone for the puck before the two players had pinned him up against the boards again. Nova slammed her stick to the ground three times, signalling for a pass.

"come on Charlie!" she heard Coach Bombay holler

Charlie had a calm and frustrated look on his face before he kicked the puck with his skate. Nova quickly took it and skated down the ice before she was slammed into the boards. The rest of the game was a blur for her...

"we can't even win when we cheat!" Terry had remarked as the team walked into the locker room. Nova sat down on the bench in front of her locker and placed her head in her hands.

"stupid Cake-Eater tricks!" Jesse grumbled

"that was embarrassing" Connie said as she had gone to her locker that sat beside Nova's.

"CHARLIE!" she heard Bombay yell, causing her to jump. She saw Connie, Guy and Averman by her with scared expressions on their faces as they snapped their attention over to Charlie and the Coach.

"what the hell is the matter with you!?" Bombay fumed, "when I tell you to do something, you do it! You got it?!"

Charlie looked down and stayed silent.

"look at me!" Coach snapped as Charlie lifted his head, "you got it?"

"You can't make me cheat" Charlie huffed out quietly before smashing his stick, helmet, and gloves on the ground and storming out. Nova exchanged glances with Guy, Connie and Averman knowing all too well what they were thinking at that moment.

The four snapped their attention towards the door once Mr Hall, Jesse and Terry's dad, walked in. "Jesse, Terry, lets go."

Jesse stood up along with his brother and scowled at Bombay before walking out the locker room.

"this is what I gave up my overtime to pay for?" Mr Hall said, "To see my kids taking falls?"

The entire room went silent for a minute. Guy was leaning up against the wall beside the door and looked down at his untied skates while Connie and Averman sat on the ground, lent up against the wall while staring Bombay down. Nova, on the other hand, had aimlessly clenched her fists into balls as she lent up against her locker door. she stared down at the ground as she heard Mr Hall scoff and walk out the locker room. She lightly shook her head and quickly stood up, throwing her gloves, stick and helmet into her locker in the process. She walked up and stood in front of Bombay. The entire team stared at her as she shook her head disappointingly at him.

"and to think," Nova scoffed, "I respected you.."

And with that, November Collins stormed out of the locker room with Connie quickly following behind her. Averman and Guy stood up to go follow the two as they knew all too well where they were going.

"where are you guys going?" Bombay asked the two before they walked out.

"to go find Charlie, of course" Averman retorted bitterly, "no thanks to you"

Bombay sighed as Guy quickly pulled Averman along with him out of the dressing room.

Charlie sat with his head in his hands over at the empty stands while watching the ice get polished. Nova jogged around the rink until spotting him and taking a seat beside him while catching her breath. His hair was messy and his eyes were slightly red- not from crying but irritation. He had this habit of rubbing his eyes or other parts of his face when he was angry. It did seem unusual but it used to be much worse.

"Hey," Nova said as she looked over at Charlie while Connie caught up and sat behind the two. "you all good?"

Charlie stayed silent.

"Come on, Charlie. Talk to us" Connie said. By then, Guy and Averman had found the two and took seats on each side of Connie.

"I hate him," Charlie said quietly, "He such a jerk"

"Hate is a strong word, Charles-"

"You can't blame him" Averman interrupted Nova bluntly

Charlie shook his head and continued on, "He doesn't even care. He's supposed to be coaching us, not making us look stupid. He thinks we're so bad that we have to cheat?! I'm not doing it. I'm done. I'm not playing hockey- not for him."

Nova glanced over at Averman, Guy and Connie. Averman looked as if he was agreeing with Charlie while Guy was thinking hard. Connie had an unreadable expression.

"Look Charlie," Connie said, "We all don't like him but come on, You love hockey. it's in your blood. you can't just stop because of him. Don't let him win."

"This isn't a game, Connie," Averman added, "No matter what happens, we're the ones who lose..."

"yeah," Guy spoke quietly, "because we're district 5. We're the bad ones who are easy to beat... I bet we could be better if someone cared enough to coach us"

Nova twiddled her thumbs and looked down at her shoes. It was just then that it had hit her- these guys, her best friend since she was six, were so unfortunate. Nova had money and she lived in a nice house but she never got along with those girls from her school. They all envy her and tease or judge her for being athletic and being a 'geek' or 'nerd'. The only other friend she really had in Edina was a girl named Danielle who played on her soccer team. Nova realised that Guy, Connie, Charlie, Averman, the team, didn't have much and barely complained about it. although, sometimes they would, they were such amazing people. She realised that they weren't stuck up like most people at her school. They had families who supported them and went to their sports events. The ones who would always believe in them.

Nova could feel her stomach drop as her thoughts filled her mind. She always thought her greatest fear was failure and not being good enough... but it wasn't. Her biggest fear was not being good enough for people to stay.. That eventually, Everyone in her life would leave her.

She thought, as her friends talked. She thought about how she rarely saw her parents anymore... she thought and nearly felt tears come out. She hated when people saw her weak... Especially her friends. That is when Nova knew, They're all she's got. She has them because of hockey... and now, Hockey-Coach Bombay- may be the cause they drift apart...