Something To Believe In [Dean Portman] ✓

𝗈 𝗇 𝖾

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘

❝ i'm dyin' to get away ❞

•••

IT was a Wednesday and Sophie and Kenny were walking into their local ice rink. Kenny had figure skating practice and about half an hour after that was Sophie's hockey practice. Sophie was a member of the San Francisco Saber Cats, a youth hockey team in her city. The two were laughing as they headed to their locker room when their coaches made their way over to them.

"Hi Jennifer. Morning Will," Kenny smiled.

"Good morning coach," Sophie greeted as she adjusted the strap of her bag.

The two coaches smiled at the pair before looking at each other.

"What would you say if we told you we have an opportunity of a lifetime?" Will, Kenny's coach, asked as he held two large, yellow envelopes.

Sophie's coach smiled at Sophie as she stared wide eyed at her.

"You want us in your wedding?" Sophie gasped as she turned to Kenny who was also smiling.

"What? I mean of course we do but that's not what we were talking about," Jennifer laughed. "How would you like to be a part of Team USA for the Junior Goodwill Games?"

Sophie stared at the two coaches as her hands made grabbing motions at Kenny's arm. The girl was smiling and slightly bouncing on her toes.

"Both of us? For what?" Kenny wrapped his arm around Sophie.

The two coaches shared a look before turning back to the two teens.

"Okay so I know that you haven't trained in hockey much Ken but they want you both to join the hockey team," Jennifer explained to the two.

Kenny gave Sophie a nervous look. He hadn't had much of an interest in hockey until he met Sophie and even then he didn't really play much at all.

"Kenny we would get to be on the same team! I can teach you all my little tricks. This will be so fun!" Sophie smiled brightly at the shorter boy.

"I'm doing this for you," Kenny said before cracking a grin.

Sophie laughed in delight before literally jumping onto the boy. He caught her and laughed along with her as they spun around for a few minutes before he set her down. 

"We're actually going to be on Team USA," smiled Sophie as she threw her air out. 

The two coaches decided that they should help Kenny practice more hokcey skills so they told the two to go change. As they threw on their padding, Sophie turned to look at her best friend. 

"Hey Ken." 

"Yeah Soph," the boy smiled but didn't look up from throwing on the jersey he wore the few times he worked on hockey with the girl. 

"Do you actually want to play or are you only doing it for me?" Sophie bit her bottom lip as she slipped on her own jersey before tapping her fingers on her locker door. 

"I want to do this. I mean it seems pretty fun and I wouldn't be able to survive without you. I mean you are my ride to practice," Kenny joked. 

"I love you," Sophie smiled. 

"I love you too."

Sophie watched as Kenny was his practice that had now been dedicated to him learning more about hockey and techniques for games. As he skated around Sophie admired how graceful he was on the ice. I was able to get past Will and Jennifer easily enough as well as pass the puck.  They eventually brought Sophie in to help Kenny get a better idea of playing on a team. 

"Okay so the way that it will work is you will fly to Minnesota. That's where you will meet the rest of your new team members and have a couple days of practice. After that you will get on a plane to LA," Jennifer explained to the two after their practices.

"Did you say Minnesota?"

The other three looked at Sophie.