Page 25 of Hot As Ice

Becca and I go get drinks and snacks, Becca chattering about the game and saying things I don’t really understand while we wait in line to order.

“Greenwood has a great offense. Axel Bauer is one of the best shooters in the league. I think he’s currently number three in the rankings, if I’m not mistaken.”

“How do you know all this stuff?”

“The internet.”

When I give her a confused look, she adds, “I Google player stats when I’m bored.”

“Perfectly normal thing to do.”

“Shut up,” she says, laughing.

The second period starts as soon as we take our seats, and the energy has definitely shifted. Maybe it’s because they’re tied, but the two teams seem especially bloodthirsty and aggressive now. And the crowd is only egging them on.

“Boy,” I say. “Hockey is really violent.”

Becca cackles. “I love that you’re only catching on now.”

I always knew hockey was a violent sport but seeing it in front of my eyes is a totally different experience. I jump every time a player is thrown against the plexiglass partition that runs around the rink.

“Are they really allowed to do that?” I ask Becca after a particularly vicious throw.

“Yes and no,” she says. “If it’s really bad, they get a penalty for roughing and have to sit in the penalty box for two or sometimes five minutes.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, and while they’re sitting there, their team is down one player and the other team has the advantage. It’s called a power play.”

“I see.”

Becca grins. “Before you know it, you’re gonna know hockey like the back of your hand.”

I’m not sure that’s true. The game moves impossibly fast. Half the time I don’t even know where the puck is. I rely on the crowd’s reactions to let me know what’s going on.

“Ooh, Hunter and Axel are going at it,” Becca says, her eyes wide.

I look to where she’s pointing. Hunter and a Greenwood player clash with their hockey sticks, and Hunter takes off suddenly.

“He’s got the puck!” Becca screams. “He’s gonna score.” She jumps to her feet and I follow suit. Hunter is racing down the ice, but that same Greenwood player is right behind him Becca starts jumping up and down as Hunter gets closer and closer to the goal. It feels like everyone in the stands is holding their breath and then a huge cheer erupts.

“Did he score?” I ask, feeling dumb.

Becca is screaming her head off, so I start screaming along with her.

Hunter lifts his hockey stick in the air as his teammates rush to congratulate him. But if I thought the game was violent before, it reaches a new level of aggression after Hunter’s goal. Several players from both teams end up in the penalty box a few times. Both coaches are red in the face yelling at their players, and both team’s fans only seem to be getting rowdier and rowdier. At one point, I press my hands to my ears, trying to block out all the noise.

“Overstimulated?” Becca asks, and I nod. “You’ll get used to it.”

Near the end of the game, when there’s only a couple of minutes left, Hunter gets thrown into the boards by the same Greenwood player who’s been on him the whole game. Becca says it’s Axel Bauer, and that they’ve been huge rivals for years.

I nod, realizing it’s got to be the same guy from the bar a few nights ago.

My whole body is tense as Hunter and Axel square off on the ice, circling each other, but just when I think they will lunge and start punching, the buzzer goes off.

“Game over,” Becca says. “We won!”

The final score is 3-2, and as the crowd cheers, I finally relax my muscles and exhale. That was intense. I’m relieved it’s over.