Britches Get Stitches
Page 34
I double-tapped mine to end the jam. The whistle blasted. I turned and saw Demoness reach our blockers without scoring. She stayed on the track rather than switching out with another jammer.
I’d gained four more points. The score was now 161 to 155. Richmond.
Everyone on our team was standing. So was everyone in the crowd.
I spun to a stop at the bench beside Monica. “Oh my god, that was awesome!” I screamed.
She was laughing.
“You good?” Medusa asked as we sat down.
I gave her a thumbs-up.
She gripped Monica’s shoulder. “Hooker, that was badass.”
“Thanks,” she said, panting and tilting her water bottle up to her lips.
Lucy was jamming against Demoness. The jam started, and after a struggle, Lucy made it out of the pack first. Demoness caught her in the next turn but came in too far behind for the hit. She made contact with Lucy’s back, and the referee’s whistle blasted. He signaled Demoness to the penalty box. One of Richmond’s blockers was already there as well.
The announcer jumped up behind his table. “Power Jam for Music City!”
With Demoness in the penalty box, Lucy was free to score as many points as she could.
Medusa grabbed my arm. She was looking at the clock. There was less than two minutes left in the period. “Demoness will have to start the next jam from the penalty box, but she won’t be in there for long. Britches, you have to win lead jammer, but don’t end the jam until the period clock runs out. You’ll need to hold Demoness back for about forty-five seconds to keep her from scoring.”
“How am I going to do that?”
Medusa grabbed my arm and Monica’s. “Girls, it’s time to eat the baby.”
I caught a glimpse of Maven in the stands and smiled.
Lucy scored ten points before the end of the jam, putting us in the lead by two. Music City, 163. Richmond, 161.
All we had to do was keep Demoness from scoring.
My heart was pounding against my breastbone as I rolled to the jammer line alone. Demoness was standing in the penalty box, which meant she had ten seconds or less to come back on the track.
In other words, I had ten seconds or less to claim lead jammer.
The Richmond defense was lined up in front of me when the starting whistle blasted. I skated straight for the tiniest gap in their wall and hit them with everything I had. One of the blockers stumbled forward, giving Monica an opening to sweep in and knock her out of my way. I ran on my skates through the hole.
Lead jammer!
As fast as I could, I sped back around to catch Demoness. She had already reentered the track and was trying to pass Monica. Electra Cal barreled through Richmond’s blockers as I neared the pack. Then I caught up with Demoness in turn three.
Bam! I knocked her sideways over the outside line. Then I spun around and sprinted back to the pack where my blockers were waiting.
Demoness reentered behind me, and Monica, Goldie Knocks, 5 Scar Jeneral, and Electra Cal swarmed around her. I skated away.
Medusa was screaming. “Call off the jam!”
I struck my hips twice and ended the bout.
The Music City Rising Rollers had won.
Twenty-Five
Our entire team, both on and off the playing floor, had rushed the track, colliding in the biggest and sweatiest group hug known to mankind. Monica, Lucy, and I had been in the center of it, crying in each other’s arms.
When the ceremony concluded, the Music City Rising Rollers carried the Golden Brassier back to our hotel. Everyone gathered in the hotel ballroom for an informal presentation, and Susan took the stage.
“Wow! Have you ever seen a B-team tournament that exciting?” she yelled into her microphone.
Everyone in the room cheered. Standing with my family and Monica and Derek, Jason put his arms around me from behind. I couldn’t imagine what I must’ve smelled like, but it was obvious he didn’t care. Bodhi was sitting on my feet.
“After each bout, our league votes to hand out a few player awards. Most Valuable Jammer, Most Valuable Blocker, and Most Valuable Skater Overall. We also have a tradition, if ever our Rising Rollers win the B-Cup Tournament, we award the Most Valuable Skater Overall with a position on the All-Star team for the coming season.” She looked offstage. “I’d like to invite the coach of the Rising Rollers, Medusa, up here to present those awards now. Didn’t she do an excellent job today?”
The room erupted in applause again as Medusa walked up onto the stage.
“Thank you, Susan. First, I’ve got to say, that was one of the best damn games I’ve ever seen played. All of the Rising Rollers deserve another round of applause. Give it up, you guys!” She clapped her hands over her head.
Maven walked up beside her, carrying three glitter-encrusted rollerskate wheels, each hanging from a long loop of ribbon. Two of them were teal. One was shiny gold.
“And now I’d like to present the award for Most Valuable Blocker,” Medusa said. “Number one-hundred dollars, Dr. Hooker!”
I screamed and hugged my best friend. She was covering her red face as she walked on stage. Maven put one of the teal skates around her neck.
“And the award for Most Valuable Jammer…Britches Get Stitches!” Medusa yelled.
Jason kissed my cheek. My nieces and my brother hugged me. My dad gave me a high five. My mother blew me a kiss.
I handed Jason Bodhi’s leash and walked on stage. Maven put the other teal skate around my neck. She laughed as she did it. “Eat the baby, Britches?”
“All thanks to you!”
“Congratulations.”
Monica and I held hands as Medusa continued.
“Normally, we would have three separate winners. But tonight, one of these fine skaters unanimously claimed the award for Most Valuable Skater Overall. We have watched this newbie bust her ever-loving-ass—sometimes, literally—to improve her skills, to support her league, and now, so I hear, to help teach the next generation of Music City Rollers on our juniors’ team. Let’s hear it again for…Dr. Hooker!”
Monica gasped and gripped my hand. “It’s supposed to be you!”
“No, Monica.” I hugged her neck so tightly I worried her head might pop off. “It’s supposed to be you.”
We all dispersed after that, and my crew headed to the bar-slash-restaurant in the lobby. Jason and Garrett pushed together the biggest tables they could find, and we all gathered around them. We were short on chairs, so I happily volunteered to sit on Jason’s lap.
After receiving our first round of drinks, I clinked a silver knife against the side of my glass and stood. “May I have your attention for a second?”
All my friends and family stopped talking and looked up at me.
“As most of you know, the past year has been—kids, cover your ears—absolute hell for me. So many of you have been there for me in ways I can’t even begin to show my gratitude for.”
“We love you, Britches!” Olivia shouted.
“I love you too.” I held my drink in the air. “Now, I don’t know if it’s because I’m newly single, or because Lucy and West just got engaged—congratulations, you guys—but I’m feeling very romantic tonight.”
Everyone “Ooo”d and looked at Jason.
He blushed and covered his face.
“I have a very important question to ask someone so very special to me.” I gazed at Jason. He looked excited, nervous…maybe nauseated.
Then I turned toward Monica. I put my drink down on the table, and I got down on one knee.
Taking her hand and looking lovingly into her eyes, I smiled. “Dr. Monica Hooker, will you be my derby wife?”
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The Soul Summoner Series
Book 0 - The Detective
Book 1 - The Soul Summoner
Book 2 - The Siren
Book 3 - The Angel of Death
Book 4 - The Taken
Book 5 - The Sacrifice
Book 6 - The Regular Guy
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2015 Watty Award Winner for Best New Adult Romance
Journey Durant's father warned her that someday she’d have to lie in the bed she made. But she didn’t believe him until her ex is released from prison and he threatens to bring her troubled past home with him.
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The Young Adult Prequel to The Bed She Made
At sixteen, Journey Durant hasn’t yet experienced her first anything. No first boyfriend. No first date. No first kiss. But that’s all about to change. Two boys at West Emerson High are vying for her attention: the MVP quarterback and the school’s reigning bad boy.
About the Author
Bestselling author Elicia Hyder played women’s flat track roller derby with the Nashville Rollergirls under the skater name “eL’s Bells.” After a black eye, a broken finger, a severely pulled groin, and two knee injuries, Elicia hung up her skates to focus on a safer hobby—writing.
She has fictionalized her experience in the Music City Rollers series. She also writes the bestselling series, The Soul Summoner.
Elicia still lives in Music City with her superhero husband, five (loud) children, and two co-dependent dogs.
www.eliciahyder.com
elicia@eliciahyder.com