Thin Ice

𝟐𝟎

LUKAS POV

Today's practice went really well, surprisingly.

Ever since the game against the Timber Bears, everyone hasn't mentally been in it. They think they can lay back and relax now that we've finally beat them but they're forgetting that we still have the championship.

I guess Coach got that through their heads today though. He sat all of us down and lectured us for half of practice, which was for an hour and a half.

After the hour or so was finished, everyone suddenly got pumped back up again.

Thank God for Coach Detz

I like to think I'm a good team captain but sometimes, they just don't want to listen to me since I'm not Detz because I've been saying the exact same things Detz said during the lecture.

I don't know what my team wants to do after high school but for me, I want to play in college and to do so, I need a scholarship. The scouts are expected to be coming to our championship game but they can only come if we make it to the championships. That's why I need my team to work together and listen to each other.

That's Alex and I's dream - to play in the NHL.

First step is to get into the University of Denver and play for them - win every single championship and then eventually, I'll get recruited for the NHL and then I'll be able to die peacefully.

"Lukas," Alex shouts from across the locker room.

My head turns to his direction. "Yeah?" I shout back while he throws a towel in my direction.

"You ready for this dance Saturday?" he questions with a cheeky smirk.

"Of course, I've actually been dying to go," I reply snarky, rolling my eyes. I grab the towel and wipe the ice off my blades.

"I bet you are, especially since you're going to be hanging out one on one with Jules the whole night," he spits out with a wink.

"Shut the fuck up," I pause throwing the towel back at him, it making contact with the back of his head. "We're going to be around the group most of the time anyways," I mention.

"That's what you say now," he shrugs. "Until suddenly, I'm asking around where the two of y'all went," he adds.

"Dude chill, you know it's not like that," I pause. "Knowing us, we're just going to be arguing the whole time," I mention. It's most likely the truth - we can never be peaceful around each other.

"Whatever you say," he pesters. He grabs the towel from behind his neck and wraps it up into his bag.

I slide the guards onto my skates and slip them into my hockey bag.

"Do you know who's closing tonight?" I ask.

"Probably Kyler," he quickly answers.

"That's always your guess," I state.

"He's always here," he pauses. "Most of the time I'm right," he finishes. He zips up his back and sets himself down next to me.

"True, I swear that guy never gets a day off," I add on.

Alex and I talk for a while before he ends up having to leave. I still have to clean up the locker room and return the keys to the front desk before I can go home. 

As I begin to tidy up the floor and return everyone's items to their lockers, the door opens from behind me.

"Oh I didn't know you were still here," the voice I recognize as Kent spits out. He walks over to his locker and begins to take off his gear.

"I'm always the last one out," I reply short and blunt. I make sure to shoot him a glare as him being here means I have to wait even longer before I can go home.

"That must get exhausting," he says lowly.

"You don't even know," I reply, hanging up a fallen jersey.

Silence fills the room between us, awkward silence. You can feel my anger towards him and I'm sure he can feel it as well.

"Where were you during practice?" I finally question. I didn't see him for a quarter of practice and then he randomly appeared again.

He stops untying his skates for a second and then returns to unlacing. "I was there," he mumbles.

"I know you were there but you weren't there the whole time," I pause. "That's why I'm asking where you were," I state. The jersey slips off the hanger again and I switch it out for an unslick one.

"I went to the bathroom," he murmurs. His skate plops down onto the ground before him.

My eyes automatically dart towards him. "How long does it take to piss?" I spit out.

"Isn't that a little personal to ask?" he quickly answers, tugging his other skate off.

"It isn't personal if it isn't even the truth," I pause. "Listen - I know you're making up an excuse, just tell me where you actually were and I won't be mad at you," I lie through my teeth. Ditching practice is one of my biggest pet peeves, for him to even have the audacity to ditch surprises me - he's usually been good up until now.

"Fine," he lets up. "I was talking to Ana," he admits.

My eyebrow cocks. "Who the fuck is Ana?" I quickly fire back.

"Juliana?" he states loud and proud, as if the nickname he came up with is the best thing ever created.

"Dude, no one calls her that," I admit. "If you call her that to her face, she'll slap you," I finish. I genuinely try to hold back a laugh at how bad that nickname is.

Ana sounds like a name for a middle aged woman.

"Oh, I thought it sounded cute," he admits truthfully.

I cover my mouth to keep me from laughing in his face. I quickly turn around and continue cleaning up.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence and broken hangers, I'm done cleaning the place up.

"Are you finally ready to get out of here?" I impatiently question him.

He scrambles around before finally zipping up his bag.

"I'm ready now," he answers.

"Took you long enough," I mutter, locking the door behind us.

"What'd you say?" he cluelessly questions.

"Nothing," I quickly answer with a smile. "Just talking to myself," I state.

He nods and walks out of the rink.

Dumbass.

~

How do we feel about the nickname Ana ?

Do y'all think Kent was cute and creative for it or do you agree with Lukas ?

Don't forget to comment y'all ;)