Beck: Walking into my review now, see you later.

I can't stop the stupid grin on my face as I stare at her text I got 20 minutes ago. My parents don't come to games and besides my teammates or the puck bunnies I don't spend much time with anyone else. Francesca is the first person I have ever invited to a game who actually showed up. In high school before I played juniors and switched to homeschooling my friends would always say they were going to come to games but rarely ever did. After a few rounds of disappointment I cut my circle to just my teammates because then I wouldn't be disappointed. Even when Maddie and I were hooking up and I knew she went to most games I never asked if she would be at a game because I didn't want to relive the disappointment. But I know Francesca won't disappoint me, I am not sure how but I know deep down she would move mountains before even slightly disappointing someone.

"Your little pixie fairy coming tonight?"

Bray likes Francesca, even if he is less of a fan of her roommate. She kicked his ass at beer pong over the weekend and the door incident was completely forgotten. While I will never step on the dance floor before she left the other night Bray made her promise that next party she would dance with him which absolutely made her night.

"Yeah, she will be late but she is coming." Bray gives me a look I can't read before returning to his pre game ritual.

Tonight isn't a real game since it is against the national junior team, so guys like me and Bray will spend a majority of our night on the bench giving some of the newer or weaker players some live action practice time. Putting the two of us on the ice with literal high school kids would be cruel, especially since the only people that really attend tonight's game are the kids parents and a few scouts and hardcore fans who want to see the young blood. My parents didn't come to my game when I was on the team, basically the only parents that weren't there but my grandpa did. It was the last game of mine he ever watched and still one I look back on fondly.

"Ryder," Coach barks from his office across the hall. I jump up and jog to his office not wanting to make the coach man wait. He hates waiting and after sprints yesterday I will do anything to keep him happy.

"Sir?"

"This is the roster for tonight's game, since you will be on the bench most of the game I want you taking notes. A few kids haven't committed to a college yet so focus on them. Also after the game find the kids committed to us and make sure they stay committed to us. Got me?"

"Yes sir," I tell him while I grab the list and head back into the locker room to finish getting ready.

When the puck drops I am not on the ice which feels weird but my teammates make me proud. Guys who usually don't get to shine are having their moment and I feel like a proud parent watching them. Almost as proud as I feel watching the junior team guys that I have met and practiced with, who look up to me and now are one step closer to their NHL dream too.

Mid way through the second, a bang behind me has the pen and clipboard I'm holding clattering to the floor. I spin around to find a grinning Francesca extremely proud of herself. I want to be mad but the relief that she actually showed spreads through me instead. The best part? Despite none of her friends coming, she came alone just because I asked.

"How's the game? Why are you taking notes?"

"It is the national junior team. They're all about 16 to 18 years old so Coach keeps some of the better players out to keep it fair."

"You're playing against children?"

"Don't say it like that," I scold. It sounds weird like that. In reality a majority of our team is only a couple years older than these kids and they're some of the best, if not the best, in the country. It isn't an even match up but it is not like we are throttling a bunch of 2nd graders on the ice.

"Who is that guy, he is good." Francesca points at one of our commits, a 17 year old center. He is dubbed by most as my future replacement. Most people don't think I will return for my senior year so when he begins next fall, he is supposed to be our new star, we will see about that.

I explain things to Francesca while I take notes and she sits behind me in the stands, separated by the plexiglass, listening and asking questions occasionally. We have drawn a bit of a crowd as we talked, nosey parents wanting to know what I think of their kid have scooted closer but neither of us directly talk to them.

At the end of the seconds we return to the locker room for a short intermission and I grab my hockey hat from the hook. Of course once again she shows up without hockey gear, it is like I am a joke to her. But at least it is something to tease her about, my favorite activity off the ice.

When we return the first thing I do is throw the hat over to Francesca who inspects it like it is diseased. "Are you trying to give me your male pattern baldness? Is it contagious?"

Bray gives me a look like 'wow she is giving you a taste of your own medicine' before turning around to watch the game. I ignore him and respond to her instead. "You keep embarrassing me. I am coming to practice tomorrow with a collection of hockey stuff so you stop showing up and talking to me while wearing that lame shit."

"Hey, don't call my jacket lame! I got it at nationals when I won last year." She looks so proud as she talks about her accomplishment and hugs the jacket closer to her body. I can't even tease her because the only hats in my collection that I don't wear are from my first two frozen four wins and one from the draft. They're sacred and sit in a protected case forever.

"Whatever, just stop showing up here without hockey stuff and I won't have to keep treating you like a little charity case."

I expect her to argue more but instead she adjusts her ponytail and puts the hat on. It is a little big on her head and she has to wear it weird so it doesn't cover her eyes. "Better Carson?"

"Much better butt."

Coach shoots me a look as I call her butt but doesn't comment. I think at this point he has been coaching for so long he has accepted it is better to just leave some things unanswered. I go on in the third for a little bit. I don't score because we are already leading 3-1 but I have fun which is not something I get to say often. Not that hockey isn't fun anymore but the stakes are usually higher than they are tonight.

After the game, I tell Francesca to meet me outside the locker room which she does along with a mob of parents who want me and the team and the coaches to tell them how their child is the next great. The team is talented but I am not here to kiss asses.

"Thank you for coming tonight, Beck," I tell her sincerely while watching for the juniors kids to come out so I can do the schmoozing Coach asked me to do.

"Yeah of course, it was fun. Don't tell anyone this or I will deny it and kill you in your sleep then bury you under the ice but I kind of, sort of, missed watching hockey. I know my family isn't here but I know they're watching the games on TV so being here watching the same game they are makes me feel like we aren't so far away."

"New York is pretty far, not really a weekend trip home place."

"No, it isn't," she laughs but I can see the sadness. She is homesick, a feeling I can't relate to so I change the subject.

"So, after the feathers should I be sleeping with one eye open?"

She laughs, something more sinister than her previous laughs at my corny jokes and teasing. She knows what is coming next but she will never tell me. My mind begins to reel. No one but her came to tonight's game and the house is completely empty, it would be the perfect time to strike.

"Beck? Come on, I helped you clean."

"Night night Ryder. Have a good night." She gives me a little wave and a wink before sauntering out of the arena while I stand frozen in place, white as a ghost. My teammates are not far away also watching her in equal parts lust and panic. Even though our house is potentially being attacked at the moment they still have time to comment how hot she is.

"Fuck," I curse before walking over to talk to the young commits, especially Luke. He definitely has potential to take my spot but he is cocky, too cocky for someone who has yet to prove himself in my opinion.

My opinions about him holds true and as I leave the arena with the rest of the team, all of us dreading going home, I tell some of the younger guys my issues with him. He spent most of our talk putting down my stats while boasting about his. Even coach had an uneasy look on his face when he jumped into the conversation. If we can humble him, Luke will be an asset to us but right now he is nothing but trouble.

The drive back to the house is quiet. Since it wasn't a real game we carpooled and took 3 cars instead of our usual 9. When we pull up to the house we survey the outside. It looks normal and the cars left here look untouched which is good.

We stay together as we walk from our little parking lot through the back gate toward the door. I somehow end up in front, everyone else hiding behind me like a bunch of chicken shits. Chickens. Stupid fucking chickens are the reason we are in this mess. I still can't figure out how they got so many feathers in such short notice but god was it a lot of feathers.

As I am about to walk up the backstairs something cold hits my face. Suddenly, from both sides people pop out hurling snowball after snowball at us. We have nowhere to go or hide as the cold snow continues to rain down on us so I do the only thing I can think of and fight back.

I begin packing little snowballs and throwing them as fast as I can but it seems the figure skaters have been using their time wisely to stockpile an ungodly amount of snowballs. I hear a giggle as someone dumps snow down the back of my jacket.

I reach back for the source of the up close attack already knowing it is Francesca. "What happens to neutral," I yell as I lift her up and begin to stalk off while she tries to break free.

"I am not part of the prank war, I am just attacking you," she defends, still laughing. "Ryder put me down!"

"Sure thing princess," I smile. Before she can register what is going on I am tossing her in a huge pile of snow that was created from shoveling off our back deck and the ice rink we build in the backyard.

"Ryder," she screeches.

"You said to put you down, I put you down."

Feeling bad as she shivers violently, I reach for her hand and pull her out, pulling her close to me even though I am shivering as well from the cold snow that still drips down my back. I am about to offer that we go inside and let our teams continue their battle when things take a turn.

"Fuck you," Bray screams as he shoves Parker to the ground.

Parker reacts quickly, jumping up and tacking Bray. Parker is smaller than Bray but he still manages to take him down and the two begin swinging at each other. As Francesca and I sprint over I can tell a few punches have landed because the snow beneath them is turning red.

Me, Tristian, and a few other guys rip them apart and the figure skaters try to stand between them to create a wall. "What the fuck are you two doing?" Francesca yells turning on the two of them in pure fury.

"This is a prank war not an actual war. Do you both want to lose your spots? Get kicked off the teams?" I'm equally as pissed as she is right now.

The two at least have the decency to look guilty. "He hit me with a rock," Bray defends his actions.

"I didn't hit you with shit," Parker fires back. Again the screaming and cursing between the two begins while they both fight to get loose to throw more punches. Both are beaten and bloody enough for the night so I let out a loud whistle to cut them off.

"Enough. I don't fucking care. Bray go inside and get out of my face." Bray actually looks shocked as I yell at him. I have never snapped at my best friend before but he has been targeting Parker since the party with no explanation why.

"Parker get in the car. Everyone else get home immediately." Parker looks just as stunned by Francesca's reprimand as Bray was of mine. This is the first time as team captains we have had to step into this prank war and from the shocked looks on everyone's faces, they didn't think we'd become a united force ever.

Both our teams quickly scatter as we stand like two disapproving parents in the middle of the yard making sure everyone does what they're supposed to. Once we are alone we both sigh in frustration. "I better go, Tristian is my ride. See you tomorrow Ryder."

"Bye Beck, see you at practice tomorrow."