The Penalty Box

Chapter 47

"Hey! Listen up!" I said standing up from the table," I think we all need to toast our fearless coach."

"Speech!" Jonesy coached.

"Cmon coach!" Kyler encouraged.

I smiled and we all started chanting for a speech. Coach Cartwright had never been one for big sentimental speeches, but if there was ever a time for one, it was now. We'd come all this way, and tomorrow it'd all be over. Carolina Lightning would cease to exist, well to all but those who were a part of it.

We'd all keep it going for as long as we could, Lightning was our childhood. No matter what anyone would say, the Lightning years would always be the best of our lives. Because for a few short years, compared to the life we'd all live, we were a family. We came together and did something none of us could've imagined.

I was going to miss my family that I made here.

"When they asked me to coach a group of eight year olds I thought they were crazy," Coach stated," But here we are ten years later. Most of us are still here, with a few new faces of course. I've been coaching most of you all since before you could even hit. We've been through a lot together as a team, a lot more than anyone ever should. But we made it, you all kept your promise. Now I don't know how this is all going to end tomorrow, but I can tell you that I'm damn proud of every single one of you. Every time I thought you were spent, you had more to give. You kept fighting until the job was done. I expect nothing less tomorrow. If Lightning ends tomorrow, we're going to make sure that it ends right."

"To the black and yellow," I said raising my glass.

"To the black and yellow."

They'd say we were limitless. They'd say we kept everyone guessing, they never knew what we were going to do next. They'd say we were forever.

*****

I held my breath. I could hear the crowd outside, I could hear them chanting. I could hear the boys next door screaming and yelling. Pulling my jersey on, I grabbed my stick and helmet and walked into the boy's locker room. The music and cheers greeted me, they were so incredibly ready for this. The vibe was insane, just the energy alone was crazy. They were ready to go demolish, while I was ready to go barf. In that moment, I wasn't so sure if I could play this game. This was it.

This was the last time we'd be together in a locker room like this. After this we'd graduate and all go our separate ways. Some of us were going to stay local, others were going all across the country. We'd get together again I'm sure, but it wouldn't be the same. It would never be just like this again. We could never be this Lightning.

They say lighting only strikes once. Yet they'd say that Lightning struck more than once with us. We struck again and again, till there was nothing left in our path.

Coach walked in a couple of seconds later and motioned for me to do my thing. We'd listened to hundreds of locker room speeches from Coach Cartwright, but instead of giving his last one, he was allowing me.

I looked around the room at my team, my family.

"You don't need some big motivational speech. You don't need next level, Miracle Locker Room motivation. No matter how much you boys want me to say it, and I know you do, I wont give it. Because you don't need it, you already have all the motivation you need," I said," I will say this, we wouldn't be here right now if it were't for everything we've been through as family. We have these stickers on the back of our helmets, not only as a reminder, but as a way to carry our family with us, even though we're a little broken. We made it through a lot together. We had to take it day by day, but guess what boys, we made it this far. I know I've said this a lot, but we made a promise. And I know Joshua is proud of us. I know he is, because we made it this far. But it's time we go all the way. Do it for Joshua, do it coach, and our parents, and each other, and do it for the little kid back home that dreams of getting here. Do it for Lighting, because they took those little kids and they brought us here. Let's make Lighting last forever. And let's come through on that damn promise! We have a job to do boys, lets go finish it!"

The buzzer sounded just as I finished, the boys all let out the loudest battle cry I'd ever heard, possibly the most beautiful too. Because all of our voices rang out in one sentence, our anthem. A new promise that we'd make the moment we'd leave that ice for the last time.

"Lighting Forever!"

And just like that, the last hour of our youth hockey career started. And no one could've predicted what would happen on the ice that day. No one could've seen what we'd become on that day.

In that moment, Lightning was infinite, there was no beginning or end. We just were, just as we always would be.