DRAMATIC HUMANS
1556 Words
Murmurs spread. “No way.” “I think the machine's busted.”
The blond recruit wandered over to inspect it himself.
The coach scratched his neck, then glanced toward Colton across the room. Colton hadn’t moved. He just gave a single nod *Continue.*
“Alright,” the coach said, writing on his clipboard with visible hesitation. “Strength... checks out.”
A ripple of disbelief moved through the recruits as I waited for the next drill, the whole atmosphere had shifted.
No one was laughing at me being a girl anymore. They were whispering because they couldn’t explain what they’d just seen.
A shorter recruit wandered over with a water bottle. “I’m Ethan.”
“Hannah.”
“You really never played organized hockey?”
“No. College? No. Private coach?”
I shook my head. “I watched games on television.”
He blinked, then burst out laughing. “I officially don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Another guy joined in just then. “So why hockey?”
“It pays,” I said simply. “I got fired from washing dishes today.”
“What’d you do?”
“Broke three plates. I may have accidentally intimidated my boss.”
“...Accidentally?”
“Mostly accidentally.” I said as I turned to face the other side and somehow, my gaze moved and landed on Colton and our gaze locked on each other.
*He’s watching us.*my wolf chuckled. Strangely, she had picked interest in him which was unlike her.
*I noticed.*
*He’s handsome.* She purred.
*I know.*
*Very handsome.* She emphasized clearly like she wanted the words to get stuck in my head.
*Indeed I know*
*Maybe you should stop knowing* She hissed.
*Not a chance.* I replied as I rolled my eyes hard.
*****
The coach blew a sharp whistle that cut through the air. “Everyone! Front of the rink!”
Conversations faded fast as the recruits gathered near the boards, some still breathing hard from the drills. I slipped into the back of the group, my palms suddenly slick with sweat. That was new for me.
The coach glanced down at his clipboard, his expression turning serious. “We had a lot of strong performances today.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “But unfortunately, we only have a few openings.”
The light mood vanished. Everyone stood a little taller. Even Ethan’s easy smile disappeared as the tension thickened around us.
“We’ll announce the players moving forward.”
A heavy silence settled over the rink. Then the whispers started, low and buzzing around me.
The coach cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back. “The players we’re inviting to continue are…” He read off several names and cheers erupted around me. Friends slapped each other on the back while others dropped their heads in disappointment.
Then he looked up suddenly and called. “Hannah.”
Silence crashed over the rink. No one moved.
I blinked. “...Me?”
“Yes.”
Before I could even take a step forward, a shout echoed across the space. “What, she's not getting selected right?” One of the rejected recruits stepped up, his face flushed with anger.
Another joined him immediately. “She’s a girl.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“She can’t play in this league. This is unacceptable”
“She shouldn’t even have been allowed to try out.”
Several voices piled on in agreement. It was as if all the resentment over being passed over had finally found somewhere to go.
The coach raised both hands, trying to settle everyone. “Calm down.”
“No!”
“It’s against the rules!”
“You’re making a joke out of the league!”
Someone pointed straight at me. “She’ll get destroyed in the first game.”
I frowned, my shoulders tensing. Destroyed? That seemed... optimistic, but given everything. The arguments kept building louder.
“I don’t care how fast she is.”
“It sets a bad precedent for hockey.”
“What happens if every woman starts showing up?”
“I’ll file a complaint.”
“So will I.”
“We’re reporting this.”
The coach tried again, but no one was listening anymore.
Their voices blurred together in the background.
I stared out at the ice beyond the glass, the excitement I’d felt earlier slipping away quietly.
Maybe they were right. No matter how hard I trained, how strong I was, or how fast I moved, the answer would always be no. Not because I wasn’t good enough, but because I wasn’t born male. Because I was a woman. It was such a strange, limiting concept.
Back home, strength decided everything. Here, people made up their minds before you even stepped onto the ice.
Then a single calm word cut through the noise.“Enough, all of you.”
It wasn’t shouted. It didn’t need to be. The entire rink fell silent at that one simple command.
Colton stepped forward, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his hoodie, his expression unreadable. His sharp gray eyes swept across all of us.
“If you’re finished…” No one answered. He continued smoothly. “Hockey is about strength.” He looked directly at me. “Speed.” His gaze shifted toward the testing area, then back to the group. “Discipline. You all watched the same evaluations I did.”
No one argued.
“You saw her strength.” Silence. “You saw her speed.” More silence. “You saw her attitude.”
Ethan folded his arms, a small grin breaking through. “…Yeah.”
Colton nodded once. “If anyone standing here honestly believes they outperformed her today…” He stepped aside slightly. “…come forward.”
Nobody moved. Not one person. His gaze traveled slowly across every face. “I’m waiting.”
A few recruits suddenly found the floor fascinating. One scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Another pretended to adjust his shoelaces. Ethan coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.
Colton’s voice stayed calm. “That’s what I thought.” He turned toward the coach. “As for league regulations… those are real.”
Finally, someone was acknowledging it. “This isn’t a decision we make alone.” His eyes settled on me again. “The committee and league officials will review today’s evaluation.”
The tension in the air eased just a fraction. “Until then…” He paused. “Hannah is not an official member of this team.”
My stomach sank. But then he kept going. “She’ll remain with us as a provisional reserve player. She’ll attend training. She’ll be evaluated. And when the committee reaches a decision… we’ll deal with it then.”
Nobody looked thrilled, but no one had a solid argument left either. He wasn’t breaking the rules, he was following the process.
The coach nodded in agreement. “I think that’s the fairest solution.”
A few reluctant murmurs followed, but even the loudest protesters stayed quiet.
Ethan walked over first and offered me a fist bump. “Looks like you’re stuck with us.”
I smiled and bumped his fist back. “Try not to cry when I beat your sprint time tomorrow.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “She’s already talking trash.”
“You started it.”
“I definitely did.”
Around us, the tension slowly started to dissolve. Some recruits came over to congratulate me while others kept their distance, still unconvinced. That was fine. Respect wasn’t handed out, it had to be earned, one practice at a time.
I bent down and picked up the hockey stick. It felt surprisingly good in my hands, natural.
My wolf stirred inside. *Bet you can’t hit that far wall.*
*We’re making progress.*
*Exactly.*
*Don’t ruin it.*
She went suspiciously quiet. That should have been my warning. Instead, I casually dropped a puck onto the floor, twisted my grip, and flicked my wrists.
**CRACK!**
The puck became a black blur, rocketing across the rink and slamming into the far wall, punching straight through the drywall in an explosion of white dust.
Silence hit again. Every head turned toward the smoking hole.
“...Oops.” My voice came out small.
My wolf burst into hysterical laughter. *Oops? That was not an oops! That was amazing!*
Colton slowly looked from the hole to me, then back to the hole. He let out a very long sigh. “Everyone who made the team… come here.”
We gathered around him as he glanced at me, face perfectly serious. “Oh… and Hannah?”
“Yes?”
He pointed toward the enormous hole in the wall. “We’re taking that out of your first paycheck.”
The recruits burst into laughter. Even the coach covered his face, shaking with amusement.
Heat rushed into my cheeks. “…Fair.”
Ethan grinned wide. “Welcome to the team… well… almost.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing at the damage. “Think they’ll notice?”
Everyone looked at the wall, then slowly back at me.
Colton raised one eyebrow. “Hannah.”
“…Yeah?”
“That wall is on the other side of the building.”
My eyes widened. “…What?”
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