Fire & Ice

twenty

Just when I felt the first tear fall onto my hands I saw two sock covered feet in front of mine. I looked up and saw Cassie standing in front of me. She didn't say anything but sat down  next to me and took my hand in hers. After taking a look at it she pressed an ice pack to my red knuckles.

            "Becca texted and told me about practice. I know you're frustrated but it will come babe, you just have to give yourself more time. And punching doors isn't going to help you out either." Cassie said and kissed my temple.

            I didn't say anything for a while, still trying to calm down from everything that happened at practice. When I had a better handle on my emotions I leaned my head against Cassies shoulder.

            "Coach might pull me from going to Boston next weekend if I didn't change my attitude." I said.

            "So next week you go into practice with a better attitude. You can still be frustrated but use it to fuel your recovery." Cassie said.

            I took what Cassie said and stored it in my brain for later. We eventually got up off the floor and moved over to the couch and that's where we stayed for most of the night. I was still pretty mad and I actually went out for a little bit just to get out of the dorm. I didn't want my mood to rub off on Cassie because none of this was her fault and she has been so great with helping me over the past few weeks. So I took a pain killer and went back to the rink. Nobody was going to be on the ice till later that night so I asked the manager if I could skate around. He said yes and I was left with the keys for the Zamboni to just cut the ice after I was done.

            Skating around by myself made me feel a bit better. Even though my side hurt and would be really sore for the next few days, I needed to burn off this frustration before I went back home. Talking about my problems aren't going to help make these feelings go away. I had a front row seat to see what this kind of frustration it could do to relationships and I didn't want that to happen to Cassie and I. So I just stayed at the rink. When I was done skating I dropped my skates back into my locker and I went back to the rink to cut the ice. As I got off the Zamboni I saw coach standing just at the entrance to the tunnel. He didn't say anything and neither did I, after the stare down he turned his back and walked down the tunnel. I dropped the keys to the Zamboni on the managers desk before walking back to the dorm.

            That weekend I didn't watch the game. It was the first time since the concussion I didn't watch one of my teams games. I was still a bit annoyed from dealing with coach from the week that I didn't want to watch the game. So instead Cassie and I went to the football game and had a nice night out. We joined a few of her friends in a tail gate for most of the day before the game started in the late afternoon. By the time we got into the gates of the football stadium we were both pleasantly drunk and were having a good time with her friends.

            As we left the stadium a little bit early Cassie and I managed to snag two more beers from a tail gate still going on for the walk back to the dorm. The mid-November air made us walk a little faster back to our dorm then I wanted to go, but we were both happy to be back in our warmer dorm room. When we got there Cassie pushed me up against the wall and pressed her lips hard into mine. It took me a bit off guard but I just followed her lead and was happy that the cut on my lip finally healed completely.

            Before this, our make out sessions wouldn't last too long. They would be just long enough to get us both riled up before usually Cassie would slow them down and then I would take a long cold shower to calm down. I was willing to wait however long Cassie needed, I would never rush her if she wasn't ready. So I was surprised at the forcefulness in Cassies kisses right now, but I wasn't going to complain. I just followed her lead.