Hockey Girl by Natalie Hyde

Author:Natalie Hyde
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781554558582
Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Published: 2012-09-20T00:00:00+00:00

fourteen

I shouldn’t have been surprised to bump into Sam at Hannah’s Bakery. Saturday mornings were prime time at the bakery with practically the entire town in line waiting patiently for a caffeine and sugar fix. Most looked like they had just crawled out of bed and hadn’t even changed out of their pajama pants. I fit right in with an impressive bed head, all matted and tangled. I hadn’t bothered to tame it for the bakery line-up…we all looked pretty much the same.

“Do you think a half dozen donuts will help me forget last night’s game?” Sam asked, slipping in behind me.

“No, I think you need a full dozen,” I said, meaning it. “That game was the stinker to end all stinkers.” I shook my head in disgust thinking about the beating we had taken from the Stingrays the night before.

I stepped up to the counter. “An apple turnover, two fudge brownies, and a large hot chocolate, Dolores,” I said.

“Here, I think you need a lemon tart, too,” Dolores said, putting my pastries in a bag.

“You heard about the game, huh?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah. And what’s this about a bet?”

“You heard about that, too?” Sam asked from behind.

Dolores nodded. “The guys were in here crowing about your loss and the bet and how hot you girls were gonna look in black spandex. What’s that all about?”

I cringed, knowing that two of the goals against us last night were directly my fault. I had missed an easy pass and coughed up the puck, which gave the other team a breakaway. And worse than that, I accidentally knocked the puck into our own goal in a scramble in front of the net. I had wanted to crawl under the bench and stay there. What a first impression to make for our new coach.

“They bet us that they’ll have a higher standing in their league at the end of the season than we will,” I said, moving out of the way so Sam could get her dozen donuts.

“And the price?” Dolores asked.

I couldn’t help wincing as I said, “The losers have to be the cheerleading squad for the winners all next season.”

Dolores’ eyes opened wide. “Ah, the black spandex. I think you girls better get some extra practice time in. Next!”

Sam and I pushed our way out of the store and braced ourselves against the wind.

“I guess all we can hope is that the Hornets keep dropping in the standings now that Kip Russell is out for a while,” Sam said.

“Out? What happened?”

“Concussion. He took a nasty check in the last game and went head first into the boards.”

“Wow, I hope he’s OK.”

“I heard that the doctor wants him out until Christmas. So, I guess I’ll see you Monday morning at practice,” Sam said, turning for home.

I wondered if Coach Helen would bother to show up for the practice or whether she would dump us after last night. I was deep in thought, hoping there was some nun rule about having to stick

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