Christmas Miracle
73. Christmas Miracle
🤍🖤💜 Jacob 💜🖤🤍
Coach asked us to join at ice rink this morning. Practice notice was given last evening, out of the blue. But I know he wants to grill us.
Thanks to West, our freaking caption, Team hasn’t been able to perform well enough for the coach’s satisfaction.
The hell with it.
Anyone can see we are playing terribly. It’s because of the invisible divide that happened a few days ago. Some teammates love the drama and take sides even when there is no point.
Hockey season starts after a few weeks, two matches every month until the school session ends. I am not even sure how well West’s hand is now. If he can play by that time or not. He didn’t join us for practice last week.
Coach made him sit to watch us. “Observe and suggest if the team could use better formation. Act like a captain, For God’s sake!” He had told him.
West was annoyed. He probably hoped for time off from coming to practice. Too bad. But I am glad Coach was rather calm. Nobody likes him when he is in full-on angry mode.
As I sit on a bench wearing my shin pads, Norris looks at me and says, “Soo… You and Natalie.. Fooled us real good with that girl Hanna…”
I chuckle, recalling that night full of surprises.
“Why? Are you interested in Hanna?” West asks. I see him lying on a beach, making no effort to get ready.
Yeah, why would he?
“Or do you still have a thing for Natalie?” He adds.
Norris had a thing for Natalie?
But I snap, “She is my girlfriend and I am sitting right here West.”
He chuckles and says. “Ok.. Sorry about that… I have been a dick for too long to understand the difference you see.”
Norris and I look at each other and frown. I appreciate the apology, but this is odd coming out of West’s mouth and I doubt his sincerity too.
West gets up and sits to take a stretch.
“Your girl… Millie though…” He says to Norris. “Keep an eye on her.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Norris frowns.
“I don’t know… You gotta keep your girl happy or she will poke her face around.”
I almost snort, recalling how Riley was distressed last week. He barely made an effort to keep her happy.
But he is right about Millie. Millie doesn’t seem like a loyal girl. She has hit on me numerous times and I saw her with someone else in the library a few times. Nothing compromising, but it was still questionable enough.
Norris gets annoyed and leaves the room. I am surprised. I was hoping he would defend his girlfriend.
“He knows,” West says.
“What?”
“He knows Millie’s been going out with other boys behind his back…”
“How could you say that?”
“Do you see a new punch in my face?” He asks, and I almost roll my eyes.
“He should have at least objected to my comment.” He adds.
I shrug and walk towards the rink with skates and helmet in my hands. West paces next to me. I glance at his clothes.
He won’t practice today either. I get full-on annoyed at the thought. I don’t like the half-assed efforts our team has been making to play. All because of him.
He senses my mind and says. “Doctor said I need to rest two more weeks… for my ribs to heal.”
Great! Our first match is in three weeks.
We are so doomed.
“If you didn’t get in this mess… We wouldn’t be waiting for you to get better…” I say coldly.
For a change, West looks embarrassed.
He says after a while, “Jacob… Are we good?”
I stop in my tracks and look at him sharply. “What do you think?”
“I know I was wrong to pass that comment last week.”
I chuckle dryly at him. “You were over the line and you know what? Any decent human being would defend an old friend instead of passing mean comments and nasty rumors about her.”
He frowns at me, “I never passed a fucking rumor against her.”
I shrug and say, “I don’t think I can believe you.” I try to walk away but he blocks me again and says, “Ok! Ok!. But I want to apologize. I have been trying to clean up my act.”
I am stunned again. Two apologize within five minutes.
“Since when?”
“What?”
“Since when you have been trying?”
He winces and says, “Since Friday eve.”
I chuckle. “Well, if you pass a week’s threshold. Let me know.”
I enter rink, and West sits by the side comfortably.
“What do you think you are doing West!” Coach’s voice booms across the other side.
“Go and suit up!” He snaps at him.
Fuck.
It will be a painful practice for him.
“Wear the flack jacket. You are playing today,” Coach adds in a stern voice when West gets up to walk towards the locker room.
An odd silence fell in the rick.
“This is a lesson for all of you,” Coach says, looking at our stunned faces. “Show up injured, and I will make sure you play as soon as you can. Bear the pain as your consequence.”
He speaks after a pause. “You guys think I don’t notice shit happening in this team? Play like a fucking team, or I will not think twice before throwing you out for good. Even your captain isn’t safe. Let me clarify that!”
….
By the middle of the practice session, West’s face is so pale I realize he will faint if he doesn’t stop playing. Coach is damn pissed and makes no effort to give him a break.
I grab West by the arm and steer him towards the benches without caring about his response.
To my relief, Coach doesn’t object.
“You are lucky your ribs aren’t broken. I broke mine in an accident a few years back. Coughing, sneezing, and… breathing. It was all fun.”
“Fucker saw my reports this morning. It’s not that bad. But still hurts like a bitch.”
I chuckled at him. “Probably because you behave like a little bitch all the time.”
He laughs, then winces, holding his chest.
“Right when it happened, it knocked the wind out of me really hard. But this!! It’s worse than the day I got bruised.”
“Don’t you dare cry. No one will pamper you here.” I take a jab at him.
He laughs, then winces in pain again. I leave him there to join the rest of the team again and we play surprisingly well.
….
After practice, When we walk toward the parking lot. Out of the blue, West apologizes to Norris for his comment about Millie.
It looks like a Christmas miracle happening in February.
I cannot help but snort, “You are handing apologies like candy today, ain’t you?”
We both chuckle while West tries to hold his laugh. Laughter is painful for him.
“I don’t know… Couch put my head in place today,” West admits. “They are onto me. Yesterday my counselor-”
Then he goes quiet, realizing he doesn’t want to share.
We do not pry.
“Millie has indeed been giving me a hard time...” Norris confesses, breaking the silence.
But it makes the air even more awkward.
