The Penalty Box

Chapter 57

The trip to Canada had actually been very long. The boys hadn't managed to pull out a win, no matter how hard they fought. In turn, that caused a few of them to pick fights with each other, and Conrad and Kyler grew tired of having to deal with that. I honestly think they forgot how much we put or coaches through back in Midget days.

"I'm just gonna go crash, if that's okay?" Ty said grimly as we walked in the front door.

"Yeah, fine," I mumbled.

He took a couple of steps towards his door. I could see the guilt on his face, hell I could see it by the way he was standing. He turned around to face me again, his eyes cast low.

"I'm sorry, Callahan," His voice was low, sad even.

I pinched the bridge of my nose," Just go Ty, please. I need time to think everything over," I told him," Just go."

I waited until I heard his door close, and then the click of the lock. I groaned and walked over to the coach. To say that I was tired was an understatement. Coty was on the road, and wouldn't be back for another few days, and honestly, I had no idea how to deal with Ty at the moment.

We were on the bus ride home, and stopped for lunch. The boys were picking fights, most of the time they were just playing, trying to release tension and stuff. But Dolton pushed Ty a little too far and he snapped. He'd ended up swinging on Dolton in the parking lot, by the time someone managed to stop him, he'd left Dolton with a black eye.

My phone rang not long after. Coty knew we were supposed to be getting home today, and he'd promised to call. Now I was just wishing he'd called a little later.

"Hey babe," I sighed picking it up.

"No offense Smith, but you sound rough," Coty joked.

He was trying to lighten the mood, he wouldn't have called me Smith if he weren't. So he had to know something was amiss.

"Did Conrad call you?" I questioned.

"No, Ty texted me when y'all got back to the rink," He replied," He's thinking that you're way too mad at him."

I stood up and made my way into our bedroom and shut the door," What does he mean by that?"

He let out a deep breath," Cal he thinks that you're going to try and kick him out. I mean, I think he knows that at the end of the day you won't."

"Of course I won't!" I exclaimed," There's no way I'd do something like that!"

"I know that Callahan, but you've got to remember that he's used to being brushed off to the next person," Coty sighed," His last foster family kept him out of moral obligation, but weren't involved in his life. You know, I overheard him telling one of the boys, that he finally thought he landed somewhere good."

I slumped on the floor,"Coty, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be a coach and a parent to him," I admitted.

"You think I have any idea on how to do it either?" Coty laughed," You helped raise Jared, he turned out pretty good."

"That's because Jared was a marshmallow," I laughed," But I'm serious Coty. I don't know how to talk to him right now without blowing up on him."

"Your mom did it with you for years," I could practically see Coty shrug," The both of you just need to cool off first, and then you can figure it out."

The apartment soon became too quiet," His music stopped."

"Then go talk to him," Coty said softly," Just be easy on him."

"Stay on the line?" I begged.

On his end of the line, I could hear several voices yelling. He was with the team, I realized. He was probably at the rink by now, and starting to get ready for his game tonight.

"I would if I could Cal," He sighed," Skins! Shut up for five seconds dude!"

Coty dropped the phone for a second, and I could hear him messing around with the guys. Something about a hat could be heard, and it was like all the sudden I was back in the locker room during our Lightning days.

"Sorry, Jeff was being an ass," He laughed nervously," I should probably go."

"Yeah, no problem," I replied," Just keep your head off the ice tonight, okay?"

"Always," He paused for a minute," Hey Smith?"

I smiled lazily," Yeah Cooter?"

"I love you."

"I love you," I replied," I'll see you when you get home."

We hung up and I took a deep breath. I could hear Ty fumbling around in the kitchen for something. I took a minute and tried to sort out what to say before I opened my door.

Ty was in the process of filling a water bottle and throwing down a protein wrap, all while texting someone on his phone. He looked up briefly when he heard me, but didn't stop what he was doing.

"What're you doing?" I asked curiously as he tugged on his shoes.

"I'm going to the rink," He replied quickly," Brandon's outside waiting for me."

I let the fact that my little brother was here go. I knew Ty and Bran were friends, I mean they used to play together, and they were always the only teenagers at family dinner. 

"Ty we should probably talk about what happened," I told him.

He turned and looked at me, still as death," I need to go skate."

"But Ty," I interjected," I really think-"

"Callahan, please I need to go skate right now," He cut in," I'll be back by eight."

I didn't have the chance to say anything else before he walked out the door. Two seconds later, I was letting out a frustrated scream. I never realized how much it took for my mom to raise three kids all by herself. Not to mention the fact that I gave her hell the entire time.

"I need a drink," I mumbled to myself," And I need to watch hockey."