Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

I turn as Coach skates toward me, his face red with anger because, like usual, I didn’t follow the play.

“I made it.”

“Well, no shit, but that wasn’t the play. West was open, completely open; you had to go through two defensemen to get it in. Yeah, you got it, but this isn’t a one-man show. Go by the plays, or get off my fucking ice.”

I hate when he gets like this.

“But I made it, and it isn’t a one-man show if I’m winning for the team.”

“Do you think some NHL team is going to k

eep you if you can’t go by the plays?”

I think about that for a moment and then say, “I can go by the plays, but when I see an opening, I’m gonna shoot.”

“There was no opening!”

I point at him with my gloved hand. “Um…actually, there was. I made it.”

It surprises me that Moss’s face becomes redder, but what doesn’t surprise me is when he yells, “Laps! GO!”

I let out an aggravated sigh before skating off and doing my first of many laps.

Man, I love hockey. Even the laps.

Practice doesn’t get any better after that. Coach is on me, and in a way, I understand where he’s coming from – but at the same time, I fucking made it!

With a shake of my head, I dip under the hot water of my shower, and my body instantly relaxes as the scalding water runs over my tired muscles. With the season starting in a couple weeks, Coach has us practicing every single day except Sunday. And let me just say, a five o’clock practice isn’t a joke. Especially when it is three hours long, and most the time, a lot of us have to go straight to class right afterward.

It sucks.

Since it’s Saturday, Coach actually allowed us to sleep in. Practice was at one in the afternoon, but it didn’t matter how late or early it was, I am still tired. All I want to do is fall into my bed and die, and that was sad because it’s a Saturday. But even if I wanted to go out, I know I couldn’t. I have homework, and if I want to keep my scholarship, I can’t blow it off. I could always get someone to do it for me, but it kind of scares me that at any time I could get hurt and my career would be over. Then what would I do? I need to make sure I study and am ready for anything at all times. I figure if I do get hurt that I wouldn’t want to leave hockey. So I’m going to UB for sports medicine, even if my father wants me to go into law like him. I don’t want to be a lawyer. My dad is a workaholic, and I refuse to be like that.

Moving soap along my body, I close my eyes, going back under the water as the showers fill up. Since I have so much homework to do, I rush through my shower before going into the locker room to change. Even though the guys all like to socialize with each other during our showers, I don’t. I mean, I live with these knuckleheads, why the hell would I want to talk to them while I’m washing my balls?

Reaching for my jeans, I pull them up before throwing on a tee and my Bullies sweatshirt. Shutting my locker and making sure it’s secure, I make my way out into the harsh sunlight. After my eyes adjust, I look around and regret not riding my bike over to practice. It is such a pretty, sunny day, I figured the walk would do me good, but now I just want to go home. Letting out a breath, I start toward the Bullies’ house. That’s another cool thing about Bellevue, one of the board members was a huge hockey guy, and he had a house built for the Bullies team. We’re a fraternity and it’s pretty awesome.

Really, all of UB is awesome. It is only my sophomore year, but I’m convinced that this is the best private college in the US. We have everything a college kid needs. We have a food court with all the top fast-food chains in America, along with spots for those kids who don’t eat meat. We have a little shopping mall, bookstores, and even a campus grocery store. The classrooms at UB really don’t feel like classrooms. They are open, with big windows lining the walls and state-of-the-art technology throughout the whole campus. The sport facilities are top-of-the-line with everything an athlete would need. I don’t know how the dorms are since I never lived in one, but for the fraternities and sororities, housing is downright awesome. It’s like we’re in our own little world; the only thing missing is a club on campus, but thankfully, there are a bunch of college clubs within walking distance from the Bullies’ house.

“Hey, Jude.”

I look up from checking my Facebook on my phone to see a group of girls waving at me. They are some of the Bullies’ dancers, Amy, Rachael, and Maddie. I have slept with Maddie and Rachael, but Amy is untouchable since she’s basically engaged to Shane Patrick, the Bullies’ goalie. I flash them a lady-killing smile and am about to go over there to chat when my phone starts to go off with the familiar tone signaling that it’s my mom. Looking down at my phone, I smile when I see my mom’s face squished against the screen of my phone. I love taking pictures of people doing that. It makes it look they’re trapped in my phone, and I always get a good laugh out of it.

Hitting talk, I say, “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, baby, bad time?”

“Nope, I just got out of practice, heading across campus to do homework,” I say as I start walking again, despite the protests of Rachael, who is still yelling my name.

I wiggle my phone at her and continued to walk as my mom says, “Ah, the life of a college kid.”

I smile. “It’s a good life.”

“I bet. Anyway, I was calling to see if you wanted to come to dinner tomorrow. Dad comes home tonight from Boston, and I think it would be good for Lucy.”

Lucy is going through a lot right now. The divorce is finally done with, but now Rick, the bastard, still gets to see Angie once a week and it is killing Lucy. She doesn’t want him anywhere near them, but it was court-ordered. Because of this, Lucy doesn’t really go much of anywhere anymore. She really doesn’t talk to anyone either, which is weird. She always used to call me – we’re only three years apart and I love my sister, she’s awesome – but lately she doesn’t. I’m always worried about her, but there isn’t anything I can do to help her but be there. I said I’d get the guys and we’d go kick Rick’s ass, but she wouldn’t let me. It was probably a good thing, since I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my scholarship.

I know with my dad coming in town, and because of Lucy, I can’t say no even if I wanted to. Which I do. I want to sleep all day tomorrow and do laundry, maybe go to get a rubdown for my back, but my family means more than that.