Rhys

By the time the break ended and it was time for the second period, we were delayed by an announcement. It was time for the celebrity spotlight. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I thought they would have skipped this shit," Luca complained as we stood in a double line in the tunnel.

Jaxson chuckled and placed a hand on Luca’s shoulder. "It just means we are winning the cup," he winked. "I am more concerned about the celebrities attending this year’s show." He pointed towards the Jumbotron.

The roar from the fans started immediately as the first celebrity came onto the screen. It was the local vocalist who had performed the national anthem. She waved at everyone, and then the camera switched.

My eyes almost popped out of my sockets when the feed cut to the last people I expected to see watching the game.

Nico Park and Alaric De Viller.

"He is here!" Kayden shouted excitedly. He was literally vibrating with happiness.

I frowned where I was standing and then exchanged looks with Miller, who wore the same expression as I.

"Why are they here?" Miller demanded, scowling at the jumbotron. "Did you invite them?" He asked, turning to face Kayden.

Kayden nodded. "I reached out to Nico with Leo’s help"

I scoffed. "Of course. Leo is always going to be present at the crime scene."

Kayden nudged me on the shoulder and smiled at me. "Oh, don’t be jealous. They are just here to support us."

I frowned in return but didn’t say anything as I stared at the screen.

Nico Park and Alaric De Viller were both leaning against the railing, waving to the fans. Nico dramatically winked at them while Alaric just continued waving.

"Show off," Miller scoffed.

"Oh, the people love them," Theo pointed out.

"Of course, they are more famous than we are," Jaxson added.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance as the screen changed. There was another celebrity on the screen, then the camera moved to a quieter section of the arena.

A softer, more reverent cheer broke out as Soren Papanikos and Rio Takahashi were shown on the screen. They sat side by side, and as they waved to the fans, Kayden and I exchanged looks and smiled, already knowing what they were.

Then the camera panned to the family boxes, and my stomach turned immediately. The smile on my face faded, turning into a frown.

My grandfather sat like a statue, his jaw set and eyes fixed forward as if the game were a business transaction he was overseeing. My father was beside him, barely raising his head, while Raymond waved at the camera and Linda held onto him as if her life depended on it.

I watched Kayden’s reaction as the camera switched to other families. I expected him to have that sad look on his face, but he didn’t seem affected. He just stood there with a straight face, and I was glad that he wasn’t affected by them.

Then the camera reached Rhoda and Gabriella. They screamed Kayden’s name, holding a banner with his name spelled out.

Kayden’s reaction changed in the blink of an eye, and he started waving back at them even though they couldn’t see him.

Finally, after a few minutes, it ended and we all skated onto the ice for the second period.

As soon as the second period started, it didn’t feel like we were playing hockey; it felt like a coordinated assault.

The Southbridge Bears weren’t even pretending to eye the puck anymore whenever I was on the ice. They were head-hunting. Every time I crossed the blue line, a defender was there to greet me with a shoulder to the jaw or a heavy shove into the glass.

I could hear the rhythmic thud and the crunch of my gear meeting the boards over and over.

My vision blurred for a second after a particularly nasty hit from behind—the kind the refs missed because they were too busy watching the play transition down the ice, or maybe because they had already decided to let the game run loose as most playoff games did once things started getting heated.

When Kayden and I got close while trying to tackle one of the Southbridge Bears, he whispered for me to be careful. "They are still targeting you. Please make sure you are alright and they don’t get you."

I nodded in response, but his concern didn’t last long. Midway through the period, while I was breaking away for a clear shot, a stick suddenly snaked between my skates from one of the players beside me. I went down hard, sliding into the goalpost. I expected the referee to spring into action, at least raise an arm for a delayed penalty, but I got nothing.

No whistle. No call. They just ignored it as if I had not hit the ice, letting the play continue as the crowd roared louder, feeding into the chaos of it all.

Kayden caught my eye and I could see the fury radiating off him. I knew he was probably planning something to counter them, but he had to be careful. Anything he did now might affect us later, and I didn’t want that.

I skated towards him and grabbed his glove for a quick talk."No matter what happens on the ice, keep playing, Kayden."

"But—" he tried to argue.

"No distractions, Kayden. Winning this is all that matters, so promise me that no matter what, you won’t stop for any reason."

He heaved a deep sigh but said nothing.

"Kayden, please promise me!"

His eyes met mine, and I could see the fury burning in his eyes, but he finally nodded in response. "I will."

"Good," I tapped him on the shoulder and then skated towards Miller who had the puck. He passed it to me as soon as he sighted me, and luckily, I was very close to the net.

With the puck on my stick, I skated as if my life depended on it, cutting through their defensive system. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, I was hit from my side.

My left shoulder took the brunt of the impact. A sickening pop echoed in my ears, followed by a white-hot flare of agony that made the arena lights spin. I hit the ice, clutching my arm to my chest. The world went silent for a heartbeat, and the only sound I heard was the blood rushing in my ears.

They continued playing.

Through the haze of the pain, I heard the roar of the Southbridge fans. I looked up, squinting through the tears pricking my eyes.

The Bears had capitalized on the turnover. While I was down, the play had surged toward our net, and no whistle came even then, the referees letting the sequence play out completely despite me still being on the ice.

Damian Fernandez was standing in the high slot, smirking hard at me as he received a pass. He wound up and snapped a ruthless wrist shot that flew past Theo and into the net.

The red light flashed and the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the second period.

The arena went wild. Fans of the Southbridge Bears all screamed as they secured the first goal of the night.

Damian’s team rushed towards him, circling him as they celebrated, but he kept his eyes on me, still smirking as if he was telling me that I should have picked him.