On Thin Ice Book Two of: On The Ice

Ch. 5 Second Period

We were bound to beat Finland, we had too, we would. The second period was starting, we all nervously walked out. I felt like I was about to throw up, I had a huge lump in my throat.

"You okay?" Luke Bedard asked me, he put a hand on my shoulder I tensed up at his touch. I wasn't expecting him, I wasn't expecting to tense up at just his touch. If it was Jase I would have been at ease, I don't know what it was but Jase always calmed me down.

"Yep, I'm fine." I lied, I felt like I couldn't be honest with him just yet. Luke nodded his head like he understood, he walked ahead of me.

"I know you're not fine." Jase walked up behind me, just perfect timing Jase I thought to myself. When I stared into his eyes I got lost, I know it's a corny thing to say, but it was the truth. If Jase wasn't a player he'd be the perfect boyfriend, he was older, just a little bit colder, I could take the weight off his shoulders.

"Hello?" He questioned me, waving his hand in front of my face, I quickly snapped out of my trance, I then realized what I had been thinking, nonsense is what it was, crazy even.

"Uh sorry, got a lot on my mind. You were saying?" I asked for him to continue on about whatever it was he was saying. Jase laughed a little whilst shaking his head.

"I said I know you're not fine." He said, my face fell. Why was he always up in my business? And why was he always right, every single time.

"Like I said, I got a lot on my mind, that's it." I promised him, I walked out onto the bench, Jase following closely behind me.

***

Of course I just had to fall for the most homebody girl in the world. Not complaining, I have a reputation, a record for being a player. Ask any girl in school and they would tell you that I'm a player, and yet they still would want me. But not Alessandra oh no, she couldn't care less about who I was or what I did. She simply didn't care for a guy, and I gotta respect her for that, most of the guys in our school are assholes, including myself.

***

I was on the ice when I saw Alessandra Russo walk out, her little pet Jase Anderson, following closely behind her. I was so sick of him, but yet somehow Alessandra didn't realize he was some stuck up, rich boy with daddy's money.

"That asshole." I whispered to myself, I rolled my eyes. Nothing was going to stand in my way of getting to Alessandra Russo, not even Jase Anderson.

***

Jase sat down with me, I swear I got déjà vu from when we played for the Hawks. Then I felt it again. My heart skipped a beat, my stomach filled with butterflies, It almost made me smile.

"When we got onto the ice, I'll take the puck and you wait over there." Jase explained, he point to the left side of the crease for the goal. I was a Lefty I had to take advantage of it. I nodded my head as Jase explained it all, I played the play in my head, easy goal I thought to myself.

"Alright sounds good enough." I admitted, can't believe I was agreeing with Jase Anderson, him out of all people, crazy I know. If I was being truthful I missed Jase, truly I did. I didn't hate him not even a little bit, not at all.

"Russo, Anderson get in there!" Yelled Coach Smith, we followed his orders, we jumped over the boards, and raced to our positions. Luke passed the puck to Jase, he raced down the ice. I stood there in fear at the horrific scene I had just witnessed.

"Jase!" I yelled, as two of Finland's players body checked him, in the front of him and the back. He fell to the ground, he laid there face up motionless, I didn't know what to do nor what to think. Was he okay? A million questions were running through my mind all at once.

"Jase!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I skated over as fast as I could, I kneeled down, I took his helmet off. his sweaty blonde hair falling perfectly over his face. He looked over to me, he looked unsure of where he was, but he definitely was sure of me.

"Hey princess." He weakly smiled, I laughed as I moved his hair out of his face. He looked confused, the others come over to me and Jase. We were all just kneeled together in a little group around Jase, the refs finally came over.

"You alright there son?" Asked one of the refs, I had the sudden urge to shout 'does he look alright to you?' But I held my tongue. Jase slowly shook his head no.

"Alright you two grab him." Ordered the ref, he pointed at me and Luke Bedard, we slowly picked Jase up and helped him off the ice.

"I'll be okay princess." He insured me with a wink, he went down to the locker room. I felt myself smiling, no, no I didn't even like Jase as a friend. I had too much on my mind, I skated over to the bench.

"Russo you're shift isn't even over! What are you doing?!" He stopped yelling at me when he saw the way I looked. The look of someone with too many things on their mind all at once, with no break in between. I sat there thinking of anything and everything all at once.

"Russo go take a break, we'll be fine out here, but we need you to be fine." Explained Coach Smith, I nodded my head. I got up off the bench.

"It looks like Russo is taking a break. She is one of the best players on Team Canada, they need her head in the game." Explained Benny to the people on TV.

"Now Ben... we must remember she has only just turned 17 years old, she's still a girl, and a young one at that." I walked down to the locker room, there Jase Anderson sat in a daze.

"I'm fine princess, you didn't have to come down here." Jase shook it off like it was nothing, I wasn't even down here for him. I had too much on my mind, not only him getting hurt but much more. I rolled my eyes at his carelessness I tried to find some patience.

"I have too much on my mind, that is why I'm here." I explained, Jase's face softened, he seemed so much more careful now. He lifted one of his arms up, I walked over and took a seat. He wrapped his arm around me tightly, I laid my head on his shoulder, he put his head on top of mine.

"Like what?" He asked, his voice soft, and smooth like silk.

"This whole situation, I mean it's amazing and I'm very grateful but it's stressful. I don't know what to do with myself out there, it's like I just freeze." I expected Jase to say something sassy like he usually would, but maybe he got hit so hard he said something smart.

"You're nervous, it's a huge championship. I can't blame you." I was honestly glad Jase was here, he always knew the right thing to say, his timing not so much, we had to work on that one.

"Everything will be okay, you'll be okay, you'll did great I'm sure of it." He smiled softly at me, just like how I remembered.

***

I was sitting here injured, with Alessandra Russo under my arm. She was very stressed about this whole championship thing, I could barely stand it when she's like this. I hate it when she's stressed, she does stupid things. Like sit here with me under my arm in the locker room.

"You think so?" Alessandra asked, I knew so. I knew she'd be alright, she's a strong girl.

"I know so." I promised her, I heard the sound of the buzzer signal coming from down the hall. The second period has finished now.