Breaking All The Ice

Stranger Things 😳

*Amelia*

I had just finished changing out of my skates and packing them in my gym bag when Coach Adams came knocking.

"Hey, come on out, kid. I got something I want to run by you."

He sounded excited about whatever he wanted to talk about so I pulled off scrunchie from my hair to release the bun that my red curls had been in and hurried on out.

Must be important.

"Let's talk about it outside Coach. I don't want to stay here another minute."

He nodded in agreement, and I followed him until we reached my car.

"So, do you have any idea why Stacy looks like the cat that caught its prey, or do I have to guess?"

He had a knowing sad look on his face.

He knew all about our rivalry and what happened between Stacy and me when we were younger.

I didn't keep anything from him.

He's been my coach since I was 13 years old. It's been 7 years, and he's seen me through some of my toughest times.

He was one of the most important people in my life.

I looked around the lot to make sure no one was around, and that Stacy was still inside.

The lot was pretty much empty aside from a few cars, including ours, and of course, Stacy would be inside for a few hours of training.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and handed it to Adams. I had it in the email that was sent to Stacy.

I crossed my arms across my chest as I waited for his reaction.

His blue eyes turned cold. His mouth formed a tight line and the frown on his face seemed to get deeper by the second.

I studied his face as it transitioned from angry to pissed.

I never noticed before, but Coach was actually pretty handsome and didn't look a day over 30.

He looked like Clark Kent from the TV series Smallville but slightly older.

He had these piercing blue eyes that reminded me of Bradley Cooper. He was in good shape too.

I wonder why he hasn't settled down yet. I wonder if he ever even goes out on dates.

I never put too much thought into it before now. I never thought it was my business either.

I still don't, so I think I'll keep quiet on the issue.

He took a deep breath seeming to calm himself down. I could tell he was finished reading.

"There's more. Just swipe to the right and press play."

I was whispering at this point. He was angry enough for the both of us and I was still trying to hide my hurt.

He didn't even finish the video. He just handed my phone back and walked to the passenger side of my car.

"Unlock the doors and get inside now."

I unlocked the doors and threw my gym bag in the trunk of the car before I got into the driver's side.

He was already in the car and by the looks of it, he was trying to keep his anger in check.

"Just give me 30 seconds, and I'm going to say something, but I want you to keep an open mind."

I just remained silent and waited. I watched his hands flex a couple of times before he finally calmed down enough to speak.

"So I made a few calls today hoping to cash in on a few favors. I know what this time of year does to you and what happens when you aren't on the ice to help regulate your emotions."

I looked down at my hands as I tried to figure out where this conversation was going.

He knew I hated talking about what happened a few years back. That's why I refused to go to therapy.

"Don't do that, Mel; just let me finish first."

He grabbed my hand and squeezed lightly. I looked up and nodded for him to continue.

"Just.. Don't ask any questions until I'm finished."

He waited to see if I would object, but I knew better enough to hear him out.

"My..... brother owes me for....something important. Which doesn't matter right now so don't ask. I know I never told you about him, and before you ask, it's none of your business."

He gave me a look that told me not to argue or ask questions, so I made a motion of zipping my lips and tossing the imaginary key.

He rolled his eyes in response but carried on.

"He happens to be a coach for a university hockey team. I didn't go into too many details but he knows I would never ask him for anything unless it was important. He agreed to let you play on his team for a while under a few conditions."

My eyes widened in surprise.

What the hell!

I had more than a couple hundred questions for him. The first one was, how the hell did he pull that off?!

I got ready to open my mouth, but he put up a hand to stop me.

He had a small smirk on his face knowing it took all my might to hold it in.

I closed my mouth again and leaned back with a huff into my seat.

"Listen kiddo. Like I was saying, it comes with conditions and there are a few things you should know. The first is that it's an all-boys team. I know you could hold your own and kick some ass, so that won't be a problem.

"The second is that it's in a city 6 hours away and we have to be there by Monday for practice. Which means you need to give me an answer tonight because I plan on leaving tomorrow morning to get settled in."

I was speechless. Totally in shock trying to process this information.

Wait a minute he said there would be conditions. I wonder what those are.

As if he could read my mind he went on.

"Now to the conditions. Obviously, he can't have a girl on the team, so you'd have to keep that a secret. Only the 3 of us will know. I'm sure you could figure out on your own what would happen if you were caught.

"With that being said, no fraternizing with the guys. And before you get ready to sass me, it's something that must be said. It's something my brother insisted on me drilling into your head... and since you are the closest thing to a daughter I

have, I completely agree with him. Stay to yourself. Keep your head low and your mouth shut as much as possible. Those are his words, not mine."

He held his hands up in defense and chuckled.

"I love you and we are doing this to protect you and my brother Liam, so again, I agree. We're going to be staying with him and his son Trenten for the duration of our time there. He's also on the team so you'll get to meet him first. He's the team captain. He usually stays to himself, according to Liam, so he won't be an issue.

"Liam wants to go shopping for your gear and some clothes while you're there as soon as we arrive. I know you are an adult but remember to follow all his rules when we get there. I may let you get away with murder off the ice but Liam can be a real asshole if you get on his bad side."

He let out an exhale and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Then he turned to gauge my reaction.

"So kiddo, what do you say?"