by David Skuy
He balled his fists and bit down on his lip. The rage flowed through him. He was such an idiot.
“What about that Cash guy?” Megan said. “What happened to him?”
“Nothing. He’s the golden boy, the first-round superstar. He does whatever he wants. Gold is in love with him. Like a total idiot, I go after him. How stupid can I be? I completely blew it. I was so close! I was getting ice time on the third line with two veterans. I could’ve made it. This could have been our chance, Maddy.”
Maddy looked like she was about to say something, but Megan spoke first. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. This is really bad, way worse than when I got cut from the Huskies. Now I have a reputation for being a troublemaker. Another strike against me.”
“I’m sorry, Bryan,” Megan said. “I know how much this meant to you. For it to end like this …”
“C’mon,” Maddy said. “This is where the Rocket gets his revenge and goes on to smoke the Axmen.”
“This isn’t a Disney movie,” Rocket said. “I won’t find another OHL team this season.”
“Then next year,” Maddy said.
“I need to think about it. This is so messed.” He let himself laugh. He needed to. “Hey, I don’t want to spend the rest of the day being depressed. Let’s forget about it for now. I’ll worry tomorrow.” He shook his arms and body. “Done. Flushed. It’s over. Move on. The Axmen are dead to me. No point thinking about it.”
The girls remained oddly silent.
“It’s probably time for me to focus on school and … I don’t know … a normal life. Do you know the odds of making the NHL? It’s like 3,000 to 1. Even if you make an OHL team, the odds are huge. Am I that good, a fifteenth-rounder with a bad rep?”
They didn’t answer.
“Is it too late to call the guys and tell them not to come?” he asked.
“Yup,” Megan said. “They’re already on the bus.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Perfect. Just unreal.”
They turned the corner onto the main street. “There’s Jimmy’s. I’m having the three biggest banquet burgers of my life. Hopefully I’ll explode and this will be all over.”
“That sounds messy,” Maddy said. “Could you at least blow up when we’re not around?”
“I second that. It’d take forever to get the Bryan bits out of my hair,” Megan said.
Rocket hadn’t noticed before, but Megan’s hair was different, thicker somehow, curlier. It looked nice.
“Okay, I promise not to explode anywhere near you. I’ll go off by myself in a corner. I’ll be the boy crying.”
“You’re always the boy crying,” Maddy said.
“Stop trying to cheer me up.”
Megan was texting. “I’ll let the guys know to meet us here.”
“I think I see Kyle and Nathan on the patio.” Rocket opened the gate and walked over to the corner. “Hey, guys. Don’t tell me you ate already.”
“Only breakfast and a post-breakfast snack,” Kyle said.
“And a pre-lunch nibble,” Nathan added.
“Kyle, Nathan, this is Maddy. She’s like my sister. And this is Megan … a friend.”
Kyle and Nathan gave him a look.
“Hi, sister-like Maddy. Hi, friend-Megan,” Kyle said.
“Maybe I didn’t nail the intro,” Rocket said.
“I live with Rocket and his mom,” Maddy said. “So we kind of think of ourselves as related, but we’re not.”
“That must be a relief for you,” Kyle said.
Everyone burst out laughing, Rocket most of all. Nathan was the first to stop.
“Kyle filled me in, Rocket,” he said. “That was so wrong. I wish Kyle wasn’t playing for them. It’ll be the worst dressing room ever.”
“Have a seat, ladies,” Kyle said. “Welcome to Jimmy’s. If you don’t have the fries, you’ll hate yourself forever. We can have wings, but we’ll have to order the baby chicken fingers with sweet sauce for Rocket.”
“I’m not good with spicy,” Rocket said to Megan.
“Has Rocket told you about the fight?” Nathan asked the girls.
“Some fight,” Rocket said. “I gave him a push.”
“It wasn’t the softest push I’ve ever seen.” Kyle grinned.
“He told us a bit,” Megan said.
“Can we not talk about it?” Rocket pleaded. “At least not until I stuff home a banquet burger?”
“Good call, young man,” Kyle said. “You need some bacon grease in your system.”
“I don’t know what I need,” Rocket said. Whatever he’d found funny about today suddenly vanished. “This is bad. I keep trying to be positive, to believe that I can get past this, but it’s like what you said, Nathan. It’s probably time to accept the facts. Hockey doesn’t want me.”
“I don’t know if I agree,” Nathan said. “You’re the real deal. I’m not you. I can deal with that. It wasn’t meant to be for me, but I don’t think that’s true for you.”
“No way you’re quitting,” Kyle said. “That would be even worse than Cash getting away with another fake injury.”
“Did he do this before?” Maddy asked.
Kyle clapped Nathan on the back. “This is victim number one. Cash ran into Nathan and acted like he’d been attacked by a pack of wild gorillas.” Kyle put both hands out on the table. “Stop. Don’t make a sound. I want to enjoy that image for a while. Hmm, wild gorillas attacking Cash …” A dreamy look crossed his face.
“Are you guys going to eat something … else?” Caroline was standing there, holding a pad of paper and a pen.
“We need a banquet burger for my slightly depressed friend, who isn’t going to give up playing hockey,” Kyle said. “What do the rest of you want?”
“Can I see a menu?” Megan asked.
Kyle and Nathan began laughing.
“You can’t use a menu at Jimmy’s. You got to feel it,” Kyle said. “What hits you: burgers, wings, pizza, turkey club, ribs?”
“What about the fries?” Maddy asked.
“Fries are automatic. They come no matter what,” Nathan said.
“How are the suicide wings?” Megan said.
“Am I the only wuss here?” Rocket asked, and then he put a hand across Maddy’s mouth. “Don’t answer that, please.”
“We’ll go with two pounds of suicide, and maybe a few hot wings as an appetizer,” Nathan said. “And two baskets of fries, along with a plate of deep-fried cheese strings.”
“I’ll have the large salad with a baked chicken breast and some whole wheat bread,” Kyle said.
They all turned to him.
“Sorry. I have a game tonight.”
They all started laughing again. Even Rocket.
CHAPTER 23
“Okay, enough fooling around. Let’s get serious.” Kyle held a suicide chicken wing out to Rocket. “You aren’t afraid of a teeny-weeny chicken wing, are you? It isn’t going to bite you.”
Devin was laughing away. Rocket was happy to see him having a good time, but less glad about the wing. They were all getting in on it. It was weird — even though most of them had just met, it felt like they’d been friends for years.
“Can’t we just agree that I’m a total baby and leave it at that?” Rocket said.
“I can agree that Bryan’s a baby,” Maddy said.
“Thanks, Mads. Always there for me, as usual,” Rocket said.
“I think you’re a baby, too,” Megan said.
“Me, too.”
“I’m good with that.”
“I’ll make it unanimous,” Kyle said. “But this isn’t just any wing. It’s The Wing.”
“Ooooh,” the others crooned.
“You eat this wing to show that you’re not afraid of anything — especially Gold and Cash. To show that you’re going to battle through this and get back to the OHL. To show the Axmen that they messed up big time!” Kyle said.
“All hail The Wing,” Nathan s
aid, bowing to it.
Rocket took the wing from Kyle. “You were sort of holding it with your fingers.”
“Ten-second rule.”
“You were holding it for, like, a minute.”
“Sixty-second rule.”
Rocket took a deep breath.
“Rocket, no one’s saying you have to knock your head against a brick wall forever,” Maddy said. “One more year, give yourself one more kick at it, and then you’ll know. If it doesn’t work out, then no regrets. Do you want to second-guess yourself for the rest of your life?”
As usual, Maddy had known what he was thinking.
Rocket bit into The Wing.
His friends let out a cheer.
“Brutal,” he gasped, trying to chew it.
“Go Bryan Go!” Maddy chanted.
“Water,” Rocket cried.
“No cheating. Eat The Wing,” Kyle said. “No aids.”
Rocket figured he just needed to get it done. He pulled the rest of the meat off with one bite and somehow choked it down.
Megan slid some lemon slices over. “Lemons are better than water,” she said. “The juice helps neutralize the alkaline spices.”
Rocket wouldn’t question Megan on science. He bit into a slice.
“So good,” Rocket said. The burn melted away. “I never thought I’d love the taste of a plain lemon.”
Kyle patted Rocket on the back. “I’m proud of you, bro, even though I still think you’re a baby.”
“Me, too,” Maddy said. Then her face lit up and she raised her hand. “There’s André.”
André waved back and came over with Bird and Nigel.
“Hi, guys,” Rocket said, feeling awkward. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” He was going to have to tell the whole story again.
“Let’s get another table,” Kyle said, getting up. “I’m Kyle, by the way.”
Rocket introduced everyone else as they pulled a table and some chairs over.
“So, give us the bad news first,” Bird said. “Then you can cheer us up with the good news.”
“Did you get hurt?” André said to Rocket. “Don’t tell me you can’t play tonight. We already bought the tickets.” He pulled them out of his pocket and fanned them like a hand of cards.
“The bad news is, well … It’s a long story.” Rocket put his hands on his thighs and laughed. The whole thing was still hard to believe. “There’s this guy named Aaron Cashman and …”
For the next fifteen minutes, he told them the story. “And now I’m sitting at Jimmy’s, a suicide wing burning a hole in my stomach, with awesome old friends and awesome new ones. So things aren’t that bad. I’m not quitting, not yet anyway, so I guess that’s the good news.”
“That’s the craziest story I’ve ever heard,” Nigel said. “This Cash guy must be a king-sized jerk.”
“He’s not that big, but he’s got the jerk part down pat,” Nathan said.
Just then, Jimmy walked up to the table, laughing. “I think some of you know this man,” he said.
Rocket was shocked to see Coach Alvo standing there. Even more surprising, Alvo greeted them with a big smile — it was strange to see him without his usual scowl.
“Greetings, everyone. Kyle, Nathan, Bryan, good to see you,” Alvo said.
“Hi, Coach,” the three of them said at once.
“I wonder if I might have a word with you, Bryan. Maybe back in the restaurant?” Alvo said.
“Sure, Coach.” Rocket followed Alvo inside, casting a quick glance back at his friends. They seemed as surprised as he was.
“What can I get ya?” Jimmy asked Alvo as they sat down.
“Just an ice water please.”
“Bryan?” Jimmy asked.
“I’m fine … Water maybe.”
Jimmy went to the bar.
“I imagine you’re wondering what’s going on,” Alvo said.
“A little.”
Alvo grunted. “Maybe more than a little?”
“I guess.” Rocket didn’t know what to think.
“I can’t imagine how difficult today has been for you. Not that this makes it any better, but it’s been one of the more difficult days of my adult life as well. A couple of years ago the Axmen were sold to a new ownership group, and they brought in Jamie Gold. He’d convinced the owners he was up on the new statistical revolution and he could produce a winner. I pointed out that Axton was already a winner.” Alvo made a sour face and waved his hand. “Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that since Gold became our GM, we’ve missed the playoffs two years in a row.”
“Here are your two waters,” Jimmy said, placing them on the table. He went off to serve another customer.
Rocket looked at Alvo. “Did you say the Axmen have owners, as in more than one?”
“Gold likes to think he’s in charge,” Alvo said. “The reality is he only owns a very small percentage of the team. The Axmen have three other owners, and they control things.”
Alvo leaned his elbows on the table. “So that’s why I’m here. I’d like you to come back to the Axmen. I first saw you play, believe it or not, back in bantam. I was there to scout some AAA players, and you were playing the game before. I think you were in AA?”
“I was with the Bowmont Blues,” Rocket said.
Alvo laughed. “I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, you caught my eye, and I’ve followed you ever since. Gold can’t see past size and fighting.” He shook his head. “He has no idea how much hockey has changed. Anyway, before the draft I made a big deal of wanting to make the last pick, like it was a joke. I figured if you went before, then it would be great for you. If you didn’t, then it would be my lucky day. I was thrilled when you were available. You have the potential to be that exceptional player who makes a real difference.”
“That’s … nice of you to say,” Rocket said, a little overcome. “Size is still a problem, maybe …”
“We’ll know in a couple of years,” Alvo said. “You never know with kids. Some grow in their twenties. All I know is you can help this hockey club. With Bossy and Fryer on the wings, you three make a dynamic line. I’ve always thought Bossy had more to his game than fighting. Gold wouldn’t let him develop. Same with Fryer.”
“What about Mr. Gold? Does he want me back?”
Alvo smiled grimly. “Like I said, Mr. Gold is not as powerful as he thinks. He interfered one too many times, and we’ve lost one too many games. After practice I made a phone call to the owners. I told them either Gold goes or I walk. Five minutes later, Gold was fired. Felt like a thousand pounds lifted off my shoulders, like I was free again.”
Rocket took a sip of water.
“And the first thing I want to do as a free man is get a certain Bryan Rockwood back in the lineup.”
“Wow. I mean, this is … This is a weird day. What will the guys thinks, though? And Cash?”
Alvo put on his hat. “That’s my job. I’ll do the coaching. You keep playing the way you’ve been so far.”
“That’s amazing. Thanks! This is awesome. I was just talking to my friends about finding a Junior A team and trying to make it back to the OHL next season, and …” He stopped. “Sorry, I know I haven’t made the team yet.”
“Keep playing like you have been, and you won’t have any problem in that regard,” Alvo said. “I’ve got you pencilled in as my third-line centre. Don’t worry about Cash, or his linemates. If they give you a hard time, come see me and I’ll stop it.”
“I think Bossy, Fryer and some of the other vets will take care of that, Coach.” Rocket grinned.
“Glad to hear it,” Alvo said. “You’ve got a game tonight. I hope you didn’t eat too many wings.”
“I only had one,” Rocket said.
No need for him to know about the banquet burger.
“Good to hear. Just don’t tell me what else you ate,” Alvo said.
Rocket had to laugh.
“Game’s at eight. Be there at six. We have a
pregame skate at seven,” Alvo said.
“This is … Wow! I don’t know what to say.”
Alvo held his hand out. Rocket shook it warmly, despite the twinge of pain.
“Glad to have you back,” Alvo said as he got up. “Do your friends need tickets tonight?”
“I think they already have them.”
“I’ll see you later, then.”
At the mention of his friends, Rocket thought of Nathan. “Coach, could I ask you about something? Did Gold cut Nathan because he ran into Cash? Because Nathan didn’t mean to. Honest. Cash had his head down.”
“I cut Nathan,” Alvo said. “It wasn’t Gold. I felt terrible about the fight. Gold lost it and ordered Bossy out there. Bossy was over the boards before I could stop him.”
Alvo sat back down. “As for Nathan, I’ve known him for years — his father and I go way back. Nathan is a good player, but he doesn’t have the tools. He might catch on with a Junior A team, or maybe even the right OHL team, but it won’t go beyond that. He doesn’t have the foot speed, and he doesn’t have the size to offset that. He has that shot, and he can score, but he won’t at the higher levels, at least not in my opinion. He was helped in camp by a great centre who set him up, and Kyle created a lot of opportunities for him, too.”
Alvo took a sip of water, then continued. “There comes a time for most players when they have to accept their NHL dreams are over. I’ve been an OHL coach for almost twenty years. I’ve seen a lot of boys realize they won’t make it; it’s one of the hardest parts of this job. The prize is huge — it’s impossible for some people to accept. But I think Nathan will be okay.”
Rocket thought of Strohler.
“Thanks, Coach. It’s none of my business, I know. I just wanted to ask.”
“I appreciate a friend looking out for his buddy. See you later.” Alvo grinned getting up again. “And I hope that wing doesn’t slow you down.”