❝ once and for all there'll be blood on the wall if they doubt us ❞

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Sophie was let out of the penalty box right as Adam was put on the ice, the pair switching out with their teammates. The girl knew that Adam was nervous to play after not being on the ice for a few games but she also knew that he was more capable than he was aware of.

As Adam was maneuvering the puck around the ice, Sophie helped keep Iceland players off of him with the help of their teammates. However, one of the Iceland players bumped into Adam, causing him to start to fall.

A different player whacked the blonde in the arm with his stick, the entirety of the USA team on the bench jumping up in protest. Sophie did not care that she had just come out of the penalty box or that she could be thrown out of the game for good during the first quarter.

She skated towards the guy and shoved him away from Adam, Averman grabbing onto her shoulders to keep her from doing anything else. As soon as she took her attention off of the Iceland players, Sophie was stopped in front of Adam and helped him up off the ground with his good arm.

“Hey ref, why don’t you call something? He almost took his arm off!” Bombay shouted from the bench, just as infuriated as the team.

The Iceland player who had hit Banks was sent to the box for two minutes, not that he was complaining. He seemed to be proud of his penalty which disgusted Sophie.

“Get in the box you big goon!” Kenny told the player as he skated past the penalty box.

“Are you alright? How bad is it?” Sophie questioned as she helped Adam back towards the bench.

The pair were going to sit out for a while, Adam to check out his wrist and Sophie to cool her temper. She felt it was far, knowing that if an Iceland player so much as breathed in her direction at the moment, she would try and start a fight.

“I’m okay,” Adam assured the girl and their coach as he sat on the bench next to Bombay. “They just hit the pad. Really.”

The team members on the bench all consoled Adam, trying to lift his spirits. Sophie sat next to him, sighing as she watched their teammates on the ice. They seemed more determined now.

Maybe it had something to do with being done with Iceland treating them like they were less than them. Maybe it had something to do with wanting to get back at them for hurting Adam. Maybe it was both or something, Sophie wasn’t sure. She was sure however, that she was thankful for it.

It was short lived when Dwayne was tripped by an Iceland player as he tried to show off. Luis sped off trying to stop the player who retrieved the puck but was unsuccessful as he tripped the both of them, causing Iceland to score as they went into the net. Iceland was now three to nothing and Sophie was slowly losing hope.

Bombay switched out players so that Jesse could lead the Flying V and Stanson switched out his players as well. Sophie felt the urge to flip him off but Julie grabbed her wrist as if she could read her thoughts.

“Let it go, Soph,” she muttered as he watched their team get ready.

Jesse led the Flying V with a few other players until the Iceland players knocked them all to the ground. It quickly became four to nothing and Sophie groaned, her forehead resting on Julie’s shoulder. The blonde gently patted the brunette’s head before resting her head against hers.

“Tell me about it,” Julie joked with little enthusiasm as the second quarter started.

A leather jacket in the crowd to the left of her caught Sophie’s eye, along with a flannel, pink sweatshirt and red suspenders. Reggie and his band waved at Sophie with bright smiles, brightening her mood more than expected. She waved back at them, her nervousness melting slightly knowing that not only were Jennifer and Will here to support her and Kenny but also Reggie and the boys.

Next to her, Fulton and Dean were getting ready to go on the ice at the same time for the first time in the game. Sophie fist bumped her brother before Dean kissed her quickly getting cheers from Julie and Russ right before the Bash Brothers went onto the ice. The duo was knocking down Iceland players left and right, the Team USA kids on the bench cheering every single time.

Kenny got the puck from Goldberg who just saved it, spinning around them as if he had the puck. However, Fulton now had the puck as he teased the two Iceland players in front of him before passing it to Kenny. The shorter boy easily scored the puck into the goal, Sophie jumping into the air.

Jennifer and Will cheered the loudest besides Sophie, Kenny smiling proudly at the three. Sophie felt her eyes water, feeling prouder of her best friend than she ever had.

The Iceland goalie went after Kenny, the Team USA boy throwing his stick down. He pulled his gloves off quickly before tugging the Iceland players jersey over his head as he tripped to the ice.

Correction. Now Sophie was the proudest she had ever been of her best friend.

She heard James and the boys cheering for the boy, yelling about how he taught him that.

“Go Kenny!” Sophie yelled as she clapped for the boy as he threw punches at the goalie. “I love you!”

Kenny looked over his shoulder at his best friend giving her a wave as he was led to the penalty box. Once the door to the box was closed, Dena and Fulton went up to it and banged on the glass. They were hyping Kenny up who returned the energy, a bright smile across his face.

Reggie, Alex, Bobby, and Luke were cheering for the boys as they began hyping up the crowd for Kenny. Jennifer and Will wouldn’t admit it to anyone other than themselves but they were so proud of the boy for standing up for himself. He had come a long way from the last time they had seen him and Sophie.

“Let’s play hockey!” Bombay called out to the Bash Brothers but they didn’t seem to hear him.

“Yes, let’s hear it for the three bash brothers entertaining the crowd!” Goldberg called out, making Sophie laugh.

Fulton and Dean skated past their team’s bench, high fiving all of them before hitting each Iceland player on the head. Dean stopped quickly to kiss Sophie again causing her face to flush, even more so when Adam turned to tease her.

“Shut it blondie,” Sophie glared playfully.

The two defense players were sent to the penalty box causing Sophie to laugh. They had it coming but she worried about what was to happen now that three of their players were in the penalty box.

Connie was sent onto the ice, the other two girls cheering for her as she skated away from the bench. After a few seconds she was checked into the wall by an Iceland player causing Sophie to stand from her spot. It looked like a really hard hit and the Iceland boy was laughing as he skated away from the girl.

Iceland had the puck and shot at the Team USA goal but missed by a couple of feet, the puck getting stuck behind the goal. Connie went to get it out but it was very stuck. Bombay and the others called for her to get out of there when they saw the Iceland player who was skating towards her.

Dwayne grabbed his rope that for some reason was sitting next to him (Sophie wasn’t going to question it at the moment) and hopped onto the ice. They all called for him to come back to the bench but he was committed as he went to save Connie. The southern boy roped up the Iceland player as he was inches away from Connie.

“Where I come from, we treat ladies with respect,” he sternly spoke to the Iceland players, the rope still over him.

“Thank you, Dwayne, but I’m no lady. I’m a duck!”

The girl punched the Iceland player to the ground as the ref pulled Dwayne towards the penalty box. The Iceland player stood from the ice to go after Connie but he tripped over the rope and fell back to the ice.

“Alright guys no one else is allowed to get a penalty for the rest of the half,” Sophie announced in a slightly joking manner. “We can’t afford anyone else to go in.”

“She’s right guys,” Charlie said as he looked around at all of the players on the bench.

“Well at least the half is over,” Russ laughed as the announcer announced the score.