Between the Pipes

Chapter 14

Sarah and Danni went to a pub across the street for a bite to eat and then headed back to the arena to catch the warm-up. Sarah would've been happy waiting until the anthems had been sung, but Danni had other plans.

As they walked into the arena with the rest of the bustling crowd, Danni put her arm around Sarah's shoulders. "This is better. You can get used to the arena before the action, without the threat of something bad happening."

"Something bad happens the minute I walk in here," Sarah grumbled. She rubbed a quarter in her pocket, focusing on the ribbed edge and raised imprint. Every time her mind wandered to the risks in a rink, she told herself to stop thinking about it, mentally changed the subject, and rubbed the coin.

Danni chatted about the jerseys the teams were going to wear, the players who were chosen to play, and the players who weren't chosen but should've been. Sarah thought Danni was being uncharacteristically chatty, but from the surreptitious glances thrown her way, she realized that Danni was trying to distract her. Sarah swallowed down the nausea and tried to stay focused on the conversation.

"I had seats behind the benches, but I traded them to sit behind the glass in the end zone," Danni said. "I thought you might feel safer."

Sarah nodded, not really listening. Stay upright. Breathe. Look at all the happy fans. She rubbed the quarter and followed Danni up a ramp into the rink.

"The format has changed over the years, but this year the teams will play three twenty-minute games," Danni said when they sat down.

Sarah tuned in. "Only twenty minutes each?"

Danni smiled. "Yes. The winners of the first two games play in the final."

"And that's only twenty minutes, too?" Sarah flipped the quarter over in her pocket. Twenty minutes might be doable.

"Yes."

The players came out onto the ice for a warm-up skate. Sarah's stomach churned. They were only five rows up, and the players whizzed past the net as they circled the ice. When they started shooting on the goalie, Danni touched Sarah's arm. "You okay? You look a bit pale."

Sarah nodded without speaking. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. She was behind sturdy Plexiglas and had netting overhead. It was okay. She was safe. The poor fans along the sides of the rink were sitting ducks, but she was protected.

The players skated for five minutes and then shot pucks at the goalie. Sarah's dinner threatened to come back up. She picked out Mike and watched him move. After a few minutes, the players skated off the ice.

Sarah turned to Danni. "Maybe I'll just head to the washroom to freshen up." And maybe throw up.

"Do you want me to come with you?

"I think I can manage."

She stumbled down the ramp against the stream of people heading to their seats and found the ladies' room. Soft music played in the background away from the din of the crowd. Sarah wondered how long she could hang out there before Danni came to get her.

She heard the players' names being announced on the overhead speakers and made her way back to her seat. The crowd was on its feet, clapping and cheering. She reached Danni as Mike skated out. The roar of the crowd became deafening. Sarah looked around, in awe of the reception he received.

Danni squeezed her arm. "Impressive, eh?"

Sarah nodded silently. It was crazy. He was obviously a fan favourite.