The Penalty Box

Chapter 43

They would later say that Lightning was one of the best things to happen to Raleigh hockey. They would say that the fight we had was beyond compare. We were rare, and they were right.

"Go left, I'm right behind you," Conrad said feeding me the puck.

The clock was counting down the seconds. There was no way I was going into overtime, I was going to finish this, right here right now. We had set up the perfect shot, there was no way we couldn't make it happen.

Take the shot Cal. His glove side is weak, go top shelf and he won't be able to stop it.

Without a second thought I ripped it just in time for the buzzer to sound. The shot was good, we'd won.

The team emptied our bench before I had time to brace myself. Conrad practically tackled me before anyone else got to us. The whole rink, well most of it, was cheering like they never had before. All the younger teams were there and rushed the ice. Both of my little brothers were the ones to lead the charge.

I watched as Conrad grabbed Bran and throw him up in the air. The ice was soon full of lighting players, and jerseys. This was the first, and the last time, Lighting made it to nationals.

I grabbed Jared and Charlie and pulled them in for a hug. Brandon soon wormed his way in, and in guessing Charlie grabbed Con's jersey, because we were all together. All the Smith children for once weren't separated by anything. We were all one family.

They would say we were lucky. They would say we were rare.

I looked to the jersey hanging on the wall. We were lucky because we'd had him, even if our time was cut short... Josh was what made us great.

After the celebration was over, and we got our championship banner. The entire team lined up in center ice, we had a tribute to pay.

Together, all in sync, we all tapped our chests and pointed up. We'd kept part of our promise, not it was time to come through on the rest.

"For Joshua."

                                ....
I stepped out of the locker room and dropped my bag next to the boards. The rink was empty now, everyone else had already gone out to the restaurant for our celebratory dinner. But I needed more time, I needed to start saying goodbye. The problem was... I didn't know where to start.

Coach had told us that the rink would close as soon as the season was over. My second home would be gone by summer.

"Callahan? I figured you'd left with the boys," Coach said walking out of his office.

"I just- I needed five more minutes. To say goodbye, you know? I mean, once we go off to Natties... that's it. No more Lightning."

"Don't stay too late kid, you'll miss dinner," he said giving me a pat on the back.

I waited until he was back in his office with the door shut, and then I opened up the door to the ice. I just needed to be out there one more time. As I walked further on to the ice I could almost hear Josh yelling at me to skate harder and faster.

I could remember every time we stepped foot on this ice together. Sure not all of them were good, but we did it as a family. It took us a while to get to that point, but we got there.

It didn't seem right that this was all going to be over in two weeks. The Lightning Hockey Organization would become a myth before too long. Just a collection of memories from better times. We would fade from memory.

I was seven when I scored my first goal. It was off a power play pass from Josh. The two of us went crazy after that. Soon we were on the same line for good, and we started tearing it up a few years later. Then I went a little crazy, and he was the one to pull me back. My knight in stinky hockey gear.

I got into my first fight at fourteen. A kid elbowed Josh in the head to naturally I swung. I got suspended for three games for that one, not my finest moment.

I first realized that I loved Coty Bruner while I was sitting on the bench. We were losing horribly, but somehow he was still smiling and having the best time. He knew that winning wasn't everything, he was carefree then. That's when I knew, when I saw that stupid smile.

I met my brother Conrad here, and it was here that I realized he wasn't a total jerk. It was here I made a life for myself, here I gained so many friends and family. On this ice, in the locker room, in the pro shop... I had a life here. I loved a thousand lives here.

I only wish the entire team was still here to live them with me.

They would say we were one in a million. They would say we were unreal, and unmatched. They would say that Lighting was forever.