by Denise Bower
“Maybe all that stuff is why you’ve been failing at life,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t give anyone the chance to really know you. You push everyone away so you don’t feel anything. You’ve had enough disappointment in your life. Leaving people is easy because you aren’t invested, but it makes life suck.”
I sagged against the wall. How did this kid know so much? She’d only been on this earth for fourteen years. I wished I could see Carter’s face, but if I moved any closer, they would bust me.
She patted his shoulder.
“You’re a good guy, Carter. I really like you, and even though my brother complains a lot about you, I know he likes you too. He loves playing hockey with you. And I know Vika really, really likes you.” She giggled and I felt my face heat.
“So what are you telling me, kid?”
“Nothing. We were just having a conversation, an exchange of ideas,” she said. “Can we skate?”
He let loose a loud laugh. “All right, show me your stuff.”
I waited until she was on the ice to join him on the bench.
“Hey,” I said.
“How much did you hear?” he asked.
“Er, some, not all. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Do you think she’s right?” He laughed sarcastically. “Some days I feel like the world owes me for dealing me such a shitty hand. Then I meet her, and she’s had things much worse than me. She’s experienced real loss. I’ve created my own misery by blaming people. Maybe I’m trying to bring everyone down to my level of unhappiness?”
“She is amazing,” I said.
“Some days I wonder why I’m playing,” he said. “Maybe I should just walk away and let someone more deserving take my spot.”
Without thinking, I reached for his hand and squeezed. He offered me a small smile before turning his attention back to the ice. I leaned against him and sighed.
When the music finished and Shelby hit her final pose, we both clapped and whistled. She’d only been working on the program for a few days and already she skated like she owned it. She blew us kisses and grinned.
“Now let’s see your sections program, skated with the same fierceness,” I said.
She stuck her tongue out at me but did as she was told.
“You used to skate with that same fire. I’ve seen glimpses of it during a few of your games,” I said to him.
“That was so long ago. How do you remember that?”
“You aren’t the only one who remembers. You were a sweet, cocky guy who took an interest in a skinny girl who didn’t have a lot of confidence. Your attention changed me, and for that I am grateful.”
“We were so young, and life has a way of making you forget the joy.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me. Look where I am,” I said.
“Did you make the right choice?”
“A lot of people have asked me that question lately.”
“And what’s your answer?” he asked.
“I’m discovering things I didn’t know were possible.”
“You can still skate.”
“I’m not a singles skater,” I said, shaking my head. “And I’m not only talking about skating.”
He slid his fingers through my hair and tucked a few loose strands behind my ears. “Vika, you can be anything you want.”
“So can you. You know that, right?”
He reached for me, and I let him gather me in his arms.
“You guys are so sweet.” Shelby fake gagged.
“Hockey players are not sweet,” Carter said.
“Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that.” Shelby giggled.
I handed her a water bottle. “You looked great.”
“I love skating so much,” she said.
“Me too.” I jumped the boards. Shelby followed me, and Carter shouted out tricks to do. He started with simple jumps and spins but he gradually increased the difficulty. Shelby finally had to sit down and take a rest. I stayed on the ice and nailed all of the triples he asked for. They were both applauding when I hit a triple loop, double loop combination.
Carter flipped on the music and had me do several run-throughs of a program I’d been messing around with. Soon they were both yawning, and Carter’s phone was buzzing every three minutes.
“Alex is freaking out. Time to go home for lunch and a nap,” he said.
Shelby started to protest but yawned loudly before she finished the sentence.
“You also have homework, and you need to be back at the rink at four,” I reminded her.
They tried to coax me to come home, but I had paperwork that needed attention. Margo had filled my phone with demands, and I needed to speak with Johan and Doc about the health of several players.
Later that evening when I finally crawled back to my apartment, Carter was sound asleep again. I replayed his conversation with Shelby over and over, wondering what I could do to make him feel like he made the right choice by leaving his father and selecting hockey over figure skating.
I wracked my brain, when suddenly an idea blossomed, only I wasn’t going to be able to pull it off by myself. I crept out in the hall and pulled out my phone. It took a few failed attempts before I allowed the call to go through.
“Dad, I need a favor,” I said.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just need a favor.”
“Do you realize it’s after midnight?”
“Oh, um, sorry, but about the favor.”
“Okay.” I could hear the caution in his voice.
“It’s a big one.”
“Just spit it out,” he said.
“I know the Stanley Cup is in Minneapolis right now. Is there any way you could get it to Ritchfield tomorrow night for a couple of hours?”
“Is there a reason you need the Cup?”
“Of course, and if it works, you’ll probably have your winger back where he belongs.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “Vika?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m proud of you. You’re doing a good job.”
Before I could thank him, he’d hung up on me. Words I’d waited all of my life to hear had been said, but I wasn’t exactly sure why he’d said them. I didn’t know if I should feel anger, happiness, or sadness because I’d yearned so much to hear those words. As if hearing them from him validated my existence.
All the years of skating, the medals, the accomplishments with Viktor, and my dad finally tells me he’s proud of me over the phone. I would never understand my father.
It took him forty-five minutes to work his magic. The Cup would arrive late tomorrow evening. Now all I had to do was keep it a secret.
The day started normal enough with me racing around my apartment, searching for anything clean. Carter raised an eyebrow and tossed me one of his hoodies. I yanked it over my head. It wasn’t until we were in the weight room that I realized his number was embroidered on the front and also on the back. The guys were merciless in their teasing, and Johan eyed me suspiciously.
“I felt sorry for her,” Carter said. “She showed up in a T-shirt, shivering and complaining about being cold.”
“I need to wash clothes,” I mumbled.
As soon as the guys were on the ice, I went in search of Hank. I found him sitting in the backroom doing an inventory of the sticks.
“Vika, what can I do for you?”
I took a huge breath and sat on a stool, staring at him.
“Are we having a staring contest?” He fixed his gaze on me.
“Can you keep a secret? I mean a big, gigantic, no-one-can-know secret?”
“Um, yes?”
I stood and kicked the door shut. “I need you to come back to the arena at ten-thirty tonight.”
“Okay, I can do that. Why am I doing it?”
“Stanley Cup,” I whispered.
“What!” he shouted.
“Shhhhh,” I hissed.
“Really?”
I nodded.
“Whatever you need,” he said. “But you should go see Margo. She will skin you alive if you don’t tell her.”
“Right, okay.”
After giving all the details to Hank, I trudged upstairs to tell Margo. Her office was filled with people milling around and asking her a thousand questions about tickets and upcoming games. I sighed and stayed in the corner until she had cleared everyone out.
She eyed me curiously as I stalked around the room, checking to make sure the coast was clear. I finally gave up and wrote everything down, explicitly telling her not to make a sound when she read the next slip.
When she flipped the paper over, I held my breath, but she didn’t even crack a smile. She only nodded and asked me what time this was all taking place.
I spent the rest of the day jittery and ready to explode. Skating didn’t go well. I was too anxious and kept falling on simple jumps. I snapped at the kids and yelled at the hockey with little or no reason. Sawyer could tell something was up but kept his mouth shut. He’d find out soon enough.
Later that evening, Carter asked if I would come to the arena with him. I had to lie and tell him my hip was too sore from the multiple spills I’d taken this afternoon. He looked confused until I showed him the blossoming dark purple bruise.
“Holy shit,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t play hockey?”
“Get out of here.”
After he left, I sat on the couch and watched the clock tick. About forty minutes later, I left my apartment, only to run into Shelby.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked.
“I asked you first.” She pursed her lips, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to lie to her.
“I have to run back to the arena,” I said.
“You told Murph your hip hurt.”
“Are you spying on me?”
“No, are you skating again?”
“Uh, no,” I said.
“Can I come with you? And before you say anything, tomorrow is Saturday. I don’t have school.”
“I’m really not skating tonight.”
Her face fell and she gave me her best pout, sticking her lip out and folding her arms over her chest.
“Fine. I suppose you can ride with me if you want, but no questions.”
She zipped her lips closed and quietly shut the door to her apartment.
“Where’s Alex?” I asked.
“He won’t wake up. He fell asleep during dinner, and I had to call Sawyer to help me get him to bed.”
She followed me out into the blustery night and apparently unzipped her lips and fired a million questions at me. I finally threatened to leave her at home. It effectively shut her up.
The snow had piled up so much that we had to clear off the car, then scrape the windows. By the time we arrived at the arena, the snow was coming down in buckets and I was almost late.
“This better be good,” Shelby complained.
“You wanted to come along,” I said as we bounded through the unshoveled parking lot.
We had to kick the snow away from the door so we could open it.
“Stay here and watch for a couple of guys carrying a big black trunk. If they arrive before I’m back, call me immediately,” I said.
“Okay.”
“And be quiet.”
I glanced at my phone to check the time, hoping Carter would still be on the ice. As I neared the rink, I could hear pucks banging off the boards and hitting the crossbar of the net. I was happy with the noise. It meant I had a little time to get everything set up. Carter usually skated for a while after he’d filled the net with pucks.
Hank was waiting for me in front of the locker room.
“Is it happening?” he asked.
“Do you doubt me?”
“I never doubt you,” he said, grinning at me. “I set up the table in the room and dimmed the lights.”
My phone buzzed as Shelby’s text came through.
“They’re here,” I said.
Hank squealed and took off running down the hall. I figured I could stand here and say a prayer to keep Carter on the ice until we were ready. I shook my head and leaned against the wall, hoping this crazy scheme would work and help Carter find the answers he was so desperately searching for.
When I looked down the hall again, I saw Shelby marching ahead of two guys toting a large black trunk, followed by Hank, who seemed to be skipping behind them.
“Hi,” I said when the odd parade stopped in front of me. “We’d like to set it up in here.”
“You must be Victoria Campbell,” one of the men said. “I haven’t seen you since I was on the ice when your dad put you in the bowl.”
“Thank you so much for doing this.”
“I owed your dad,” he said.
Hank pushed his way past everyone and ushered the guys and the Cup into the room. They set the case down with a loud clunk. Both men slipped on white gloves and unlatched the case. A silence fell over the room, and suddenly, we were in the presence of the Stanley Cup. Shelby gasped and Hank had to grip the edge of the table.
We all turned when the door swung open. “Doll, how could you just leave a message on my phone…. Oh my, it’s true.” Sawyer fanned his face and stopped in his tracks. Alex banged into him and started swearing and shouting about inconsiderate people.
“Alex,” I said.
He looked up, caught sight of the Cup, and immediately dropped to his knees.
“Jesus,” he said.
“Okay, you all need to get out of here before Carter gets off the ice. You can look at it later,” I snapped.
“I want to touch it so bad,” Alex whined.
“You can’t, so get out of here, and don’t let Carter see you,” I ordered.
They tromped out of the room, mumbling about bad friends and keeping secrets.
“We’ll be in the video room,” Hank said. “Margo had food sent over for everyone.”
“Can no one keep a secret?”
“Something like this is hard to keep quiet. I’m seriously surprised there isn’t a line out the door,” he said as he backed away.
And then I was in the darkened room alone with the Cup. I didn’t remember sitting in the bowl. I’d only been three years old, but I’d seen the pictures so many times it seemed familiar. I ran my finger around the lip of the bowl a few times before I put both hands on the sides, feeling the cool metal and the engravings of the names.
The door opened and I held my breath before slowly turning around. “Hi,” I said to Carter.
“Vika,” he said, not looking up. “I didn’t think you were skating tonight.”
“Who said anything about skating?”
“So, why are you…?” His eyes glazed over and his mouth fell open. “Holy shit.”
“I am sorry for listening to your private conversation with Shelby, but I thought this might remind you why you play the game.” I dug into my pocket and pulled out my silver medal, gently placing it next to the cup. “This was part of the reason I skated. The other is in here,” I said and placed my hand over my heart.
“Vika,” he whispered.
“Don’t say anything,” I murmured. “This is your time. I’ll leave you alone.”
He touched my cheek and nodded. Before the door shut, I peeked at him and watched as he took a knee in front of the Cup. Unlike me, he couldn’t touch it: a superstition that current professional players took very seriously.
Once in the hall, I heard people on the ice. I jogged down the tunnel, where I found Alex, Hank, Sawyer, and Shelby racing around, laughing and shouting at each other.
“Vika!” Sawyer shouted. “You should join us.”
“My skates—”
“Are right there,” Shelby said, pointing at my bag sitting on the bench.
I bit my lip, wondering if I should return to the locker room to check on Carter, but with a litt
le more persuasion, I found myself skating laps.
“Do a jump,” Shelby said.
I rolled my eyes and did a waltz jump. She frowned at me and did an axel.
“Your turn,” she said as she sprayed me with snow.
“Is that a challenge?”
She put her hands on her hips and nodded.
“Challenge accepted.” I launched into a double axel, landing perfectly.
Shelby went next and did a series of jumps.
“You’re getting better,” I said and copied her.
She picked up speed and launched into a perfect triple toe. Without thinking, I did the same thing, except I added another triple.
“Holy shit,” Sawyer shouted. Shelby had stopped skating and was staring at me, along with Hank and Alex.
“What?”
“How long have you had a triple-triple?” Sawyer asked.
“I don’t know? A few days or so.”
“Can you do others?”
I shrugged because skating had been going very well for me since I’d returned to the ice. If I broke everything down, it was because I was doing it for fun without putting pressure on my shoulders to win, to be perfect. Without the added weight, it was easy to land the jumps.
The conversation ended when the entire Ravens team overran the arena.
“Is it true?” Cam shouted from the bench.
I winked at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about?”
He shot a scowl at me. “Is the Cup here?”
“Cup of what?” Sawyer asked.
“Oh, fuck you all,” Cam said.
“It’s in the locker room,” Carter said. He still had his equipment on and wore a stunned look on his face.
He was almost knocked over by his stampeding team.
“I better go make sure they don’t destroy the room,” Hank said. “Thanks again, Vika, for making this happen.”
“I didn’t do anything but call my dad.”
“It’s getting late,” Sawyer said, pointing at Shelby. “You have early morning ice.”
“Can you take her home?” Alex asked as he vaulted over the boards and followed his team. “I wanna see it again.”
“I’ll take the kid home,” Sawyer said.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said to Sawyer. “I have to stay until the Cup leaves.”
“Take your time, doll.” He gave me a quick squeeze and left the ice with Shelby.