The Penalty Box

Chapter 29

"Okay guys," Mason said looking around the huddle," We have five more minutes, lets make it good."

I couldn't bring myself to look over at Cooter. We broke the huddle and skated to our places on the ice. I glanced back at the clock and a lump formed in my throat.

Five more minutes.

The five minutes went quickly. We were still tied, and there was no over time. I had one chance to take the shot and win. I looked, no one else had a clear shot, it was all me. I went to take the shot, I watched as the puck went flying. The shot went wide and the buzzer went off. I watched as the other team jumped of their bench and started to celly, they'd won their last game of the season.

I didn't want to turn and face the team, I'd failed. For some reason, tears threatened to fall. It took all I had to fight to hold them back. All I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and never come out.

"Cal,c'mon it's over," Mason said putting a hand on my shoulder," Callahan that wasn't your fault, we were all shooting wide today."

I shook my head, just a few more inches to the right and it would've been in. A few more inches and the last five minutes would've have been for nothing.

"Callahan we have to go," Mason said again tugging on my arm.

I had no choice but to go with him. His arm was wrapped around me, guiding me towards the rest of the team. All of their heads were hung low, and it wasn't all because we'd lost, I knew that.

"Thank you guys for a good season. You all played as hard as you could, and that's all that matters," Coach started," Although the season could've ended a bit better, it's all right. We have the banquet next week, I look forward to seeing all of you there," he started walking away when he seemed to remember something," And congratulations Cooter. Make us proud in Wyoming."

I stood there and watched as the boys went to it the locker room, leaving me standing in the hall. I finally found my way to my locker room. Thirty minutes later I had showered, but didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't even care about missing the shot now, it was more about the fact that Cooter and I had basically broken up, and the season was over meaning a good majority of us would be moving on.

I grabbed my gear and walked over to the far corner of the rink, where the lost and found was. No one ever really came back here, and it was hidden for the most part. I dropped my bag and sat down on it. I grabbed my phone and texted my mom, letting her know it was okay to leave. And that I was just going to go for a drive later to clear my head.

I tried my best to ignore the texts from Cooter, trying to tell me how sorry I was. But I couldn't. It seemed like he was everywhere, and yet no where.

I laughed as tears started to fall. I couldn't stop them. I wasn't really sad or anything, I was more of a mix of every emotion I had. I wanted to punch something, but closest thing I could hit was a cinderblock wall and I was a whole lot smarter than that.

"Hey have you-" The boy in front of me stopped and looked at me," Let me guess Callahan."

I looked up at him. I could see the family resemblance. The eyes, the hair, the nose. He was my brother, through and through.

"Conrad I take it," I said whipping under my eyes.

"Yeah..." He replied," Hey are you okay?"

I laughed again," Like you even care."

He walked towards me and dropped his bag next to mine and sat down. I watched as he pushed his long hair out of his eyes and thought about what to say," Look, we don't have to hate each other just because our dad couldn't keep it in his pants. It's not our fault, we couldn't help it."

"I keep telling myself that. But I stopped believing it a long time ago," I mumbled," You're the bastard kid that my dad chose over his family, I should hate you but I can't. Mostly because I was part of the family he chose over you for eight years."

He laughed and nodded," I know the feeling. We can skip the part where you cuss me out, I already got that from Charlie last week. He's one protective big brother. I wish I would've had that."

"Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it a bad. But I love him all the same," I told him," He takes a little getting used to but he's really just a big teddy bear."

The two of us talked for over an hour. We talked about where he'd lived, and what teams he'd played for. What position he played. He was surprisingly a lot like me, and almost disliked our dad as much as me. For the kid that if grown up hating, he wasn't too bad. In fact he was kind of cool.

"We should do this again," I said," After all there's only four months in between us. And we have sixteen years to make up for."

"Deal," he laughed," I know it's not my place, but you need me to take care of that boyfriend of yours? Or ex-boyfriend maybe?"

"We'll see."

A/N

And we're about half way through my friends. Well sadly being saying bye bye to Cooter in the next few chapters. But I promise you'll learn to love Conrad, I have big plans my friends big plans.

also if you guys read these. Penguins or Sharks?? Gotta know.

Kisses-M