Mr. Green’s remained a firm line. “Just think about how you could add depth to your hockey-playing superhero.”
I gave him a small nod. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
But as I escaped his office I thought,More than just a hockey player?Maybe Mr. Green had been hanging out with the stoner kids in the east side alley. My whole being started and ended with hockey—I didn’t have any added depth, so why did my work need it?
And even if Mr. Green was planning to display my work publicly, I had much more important things to focus on right now. Like finding a way to win our first game of the season now our goalie was on crutches.
Chapter 7Mackenzie
Finally, it was Friday. I’d barely survived my first week at Ransom High and wanted nothing more than to hole up in my room and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. But unfortunately, my prize for enduring one week living in a new town, attending a new school, and existing on the same planet as Parker Darling, wasn’t blissful solitude. Instead, I found myself sitting in the stands that evening watching the Ransom Devils’ first game of the season.
My stepmom had pretty much guilt-tripped me into coming to support my dad. Watching hockey was like a cruel form of torture for me. Knowing I could never take to the ice myself, I both loved and loathed watching others play. I’d still gone to plenty of games over the years, but mostly to support Max. I never missed a chance to cheer on my brother. But there was always a quiet voice in my mind reminding me I’d never get to follow in his footsteps.
My dad probably would have understood if I hadn’t shown up tonight, but Tessa kept pointing out what an important game this was and how much it would mean to him to have all of us watching. It was a little ironic, then, that after only one period, my stepmom had to take my sisters home because Skye was having a meltdown. I wondered if Tessa might have let me leave if I’d started screaming and kicking my feet too.
It was just as well they weren’t here to watch the gameunfold. The Devils were currently being ripped apart by the Westfield High Tigers. It would be bad to laugh, right?
“Do you think if I just close my eyes, you can tell me when it’s over?” Jaz was sitting beside me in the stands and had been chewing her nails the whole game. Her brother Owen was playing and, unlike me, she actually cared whether the Devils were successful or not.
“You should have brought something to read,” Isaac said from beside her. He hadn’t lifted his eyes from his book since the game began, and I had a strong feeling he was only here because Jaz was.
She shook her head at me. “He always comes but never watches.”
“I have ears,” Isaac replied. “I can hear if there’s a goal.”
“Not really the point, Isaac.”
A smile hinted at his lips, but he continued reading. Bringing a book wasn’t the worst idea—I could also use a distraction. Unfortunately, despite the inner turmoil hockey caused me, I didn’t have it in me to look away. Whenever the Tigers got near the Devils’ net, my palms began to sweat, and every time Ransom forced a turnover my heart raced as the crowd urged them on. Hockey was as much a part of me as the blood rushing through my veins, and I couldn’t ignore it even if I tried.
“This team really won the championship last year?” I said to Jaz.
“It was a different team back then,” she replied. “Lots of guys graduated, and I guess they aren’t the same without the full might of the Darling Devils.”
That stupid nickname again. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“Grayson and Reed left big shoes to fill,” she continued.
“They were the best players in the league,” Isaac added. “And they’re already starting for Ryker University as freshmen.”
This wasn’t the first time I’d heard about the older Darling brothers. Their names were mentioned around school almost as much as Parker’s. Many of the comments I’d overheard had been about how the Devils would fare without them this season and how the boys were performing at college. And I’d heard more than a few rumors about them that were just as ridiculous as Seth’s fight club story.
I’d been surprised to find out Parker’s brothers were at Ryker with Max. My brother and I had messaged regularly and spoken on the phone a few times since he’d started at college, but he always seemed to keep his hockey-related updates short and sweet, like he was worried it might upset me to hear about them. However, I did know that Max was also getting plenty of game time for the Raiders as a freshman, so he must have been giving the infamous Darling Devils a run for their money.
“It doesn’t help that Anderson couldn’t stop a beach ball tonight,” Jaz added. “We might not be losing quite so badly if he actually made some saves.”
I nodded involuntarily in agreement. She was right; the Devils’ backup goalie was completely out of his depth. When I looked back to the ice, the Tigers were on another breakaway and Anderson was completely out of position. It was like he’d forgotten where the net was. My dad must have been having a meltdown on the bench. If this was the best goaltenderRansom had, there was no hope for the Devils this season.
It wasn’t all Anderson’s fault though. The rest of the team were also struggling. Their passing felt clunky and uncertain, and with every mistake they seemed to get increasingly frustrated with each other. Of course the team was new, and my dad had only just started as coach, but he definitely had his work cut out for him.
Just as a Tigers forward went to shoot the puck past the stranded Anderson, a Devils player appeared almost out of nowhere. It was number sixteen; Parker. He swiped the puck from his opponent, preventing a certain goal, and shot off down the ice.
“God, he’s fast,” I murmured. I’d been trying not to appreciate just how talented Parker Darling was, but it was impossible. Certain players just had something special about them. They moved like they were born to play and seemed capable of doing things no other player on the ice could. I couldn’t take my eyes off Parker when he was out there—though I’d rather chew my hand off than ever admit that out loud.
Even though he was moving at breakneck speed, he somehow managed to weave his way past multiple Tigers players before firing the puck past the goalie into the net. The crowd erupted in hopeful cheers, but I knew it was too little too late. Parker had now scored two goals for the Devils, but the Tigers were still winning by three, and there were only a few minutes left. Parker couldn’t win the game on his own.
“You think that was good.” Jaz nudged my arm, making me realize I was still staring at Parker. “You should have seen himand his brothers. When all three of them were playing together it was crazy.”
“Honestly, I think Parker might be the best of them,” Issac argued.
