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Chapter One
Cameron
“Refs, you suck! Refs, you suck!” The crowd’s chant echoes across the hockey stadium as I skate over to the penalty box for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Pfft. These refs are soft.
I take a seat on the cold bench as the referee gives me a stern look before closing the gate. My best friend, Blaze, skates by me, a smirk playing on his lips. We both know that getting under the skin of our opponents is all part of the game.
And this game is far from over.
I lean back against the hard surface of the penalty box, my heart still racing from the adrenaline rush. The jeers from the crowd continue to ring in my ears, fueling a fire inside me.
We’re tied 1-1 with only five minutes left in the final period. Blaze shoots me a wink before taking his position on the ice. I can see the determination in his eyes. It’s the same fire that burns within me. I’ve played center for the Atlanta Glaciers for nearly five years. We’ve been through countless games together, victories and defeats alike, but this one feels different. This one feels like it’s ours for the taking.
As the referee drops the puck for the faceoff, my pulse quickens. The seconds tick by slowly as my team battles fiercely for possession. Blaze swoops in, stealing the puck and racing towards the goal.
I watch in anticipation, my hands gripping the edge of the bench until my knuckles turn white. Come on.
Blaze winds up for the shot, his stick connecting with the puck in a perfect arc. Time stands still as it sails through the air towards the top corner of the net.
Just when I think it’s about to go in, it ricochets off the crossbar.
Shoot!
As the puck bounces back onto the ice, just inches away from the goal line, the red and blue jerseys blur together—bodies colliding and sticks clashing in a whirlwind of chaos.
The puck slides away from Blaze’s reach and into the waiting stick of the opposing team’s star player. He streaks down the ice with lightning speed. The crowd holds its breath as he closes in on our goal with a predatory focus.
My heart pounds in my chest, every muscle in my body yearning to leap into action. But I’m trapped. And I can only sit here helplessly and watch as our rival takes the shot.
Our goalie dives to make the save, but the puck sails past his outstretched glove, burying itself in the back of the net with a sickening thud.
I slam my fist against the glass of the penalty box, a primal scream clawing its way up my throat as the opposing team takes the lead in the final minutes of the game.
Once the adrenaline-fueled chaos on the ice subsides, a heavy silence descends upon the arena. The scoreboard above flashes the grim reality: 2-1 in favor of our rivals.
And finally, my penalty is up.
With a mix of anger and determination burning inside me, I skate back onto the ice. My eyes lock with Blaze’s across the rink. We both know that it’s not over until the final buzzer sounds.
Our team regroups for one final push, a steely determination settling over us. We move as one, a well-oiled machine fueled by a common goal: victory.
As the final minute approaches, desperation sets in. We launch an all-out assault on the opposing team’s goal, throwing everything we have into one last valiant effort.
Every spectator is on their feet, their voices merging into a deafening roar that reverberates in my bones. “Let’s go, Glaciers! Let’s go, Glaciers!”
With sweat dripping down my forehead and my chest heaving from exertion, I push myself to the limit, skating faster and harder than I ever have before.
But time is not on our side—and before we know it, the final buzzer sounds. The stadium falls into a hushed stillness as the reality of our defeat sinks in.
All around me, my teammates hang their heads in disappointment. Blaze drops to his knees on the ice, his expression a mix of exhaustion and resignation. I skate over to him and offer him a hand, pulling him up to his feet.
“It’s okay, man. We’ll get ’em next time,” I say.
“I shouldn’t have missed that shot,” Blaze mutters, his voice heavy with regret. “It was all on me.”
I shake my head, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”
