Chapter 59 A win
The game started twenty minutes later.
I sat in my usual seat, but I didn't feel like cheering. I watched the Vipers skate out onto the ice. Leo was in the lead, looking focused.
Right behind him was Julian. Julian looked like he was having the best day of his life. He was waving to the fans, his blonde hair shining under the lights.
And then there was Jaxson.
He was the last one out. He didn't look at the crowd. He skated straight to the bench and sat down. He pulled his helmet low over his eyes. He looked like a ghost.
The first period was a disaster for my heart. Julian was playing well, but he was playing for himself. He kept trying to make fancy moves instead of passing.
The team was disjointed. North Tech scored two goals in the first ten minutes.
Every time the camera zoomed in on the Vipers’ bench, I saw Jaxson. He was just sitting there, staring at the ice. He looked like he wanted to jump over the boards and scream. He looked like a king who had been locked in a cellar while a pretender sat on his throne.
During the first intermission, I went down to the hallway near the players' tunnel. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, but I didn't care.
I saw Coach Reed walking toward the locker room. He looked frustrated.
"Coach!" I called out.
He stopped and looked at me. "Elena, I don't have time for family drama right now. We’re down by two."
"You're down by two because your best defensive player is sitting on a wooden bench doing nothing," I said, walking right up to him.
Coach Reed sighed. "Leo said Jaxson wasn't ready. He said his head wasn't in the game."
"Leo is wrong," I said. "Leo is trying to play politician, Coach. Jaxson passed his tests. The doctors cleared him. The only thing wrong with his head is that he’s heartbroken that his Captain doesn't trust him."
Coach Reed looked at me for a long time. He looked over my shoulder at the door where the players were sitting. "I’ve known Leo a long time. He’s never lied to me before."
"He’s not lying," I said softly. "He’s just scared. He thinks if he benches Jaxson, the trouble with Julian goes away. But look at the ice, Coach. The trouble is already there. The team isn't playing together because they know what’s happening. They know it’s not fair."
Coach Reed didn't say anything. He just nodded once and walked into the locker room.
The second period started. I held my breath as the players skated out.
Julian was back on the ice. Leo was back on the ice.
And Jaxson was still on the bench.
My heart sank. I felt a tear run down my cheek. I thought I had failed him. I thought Leo’s word was final.
The game went on. North Tech scored again. Three to zero. The home crowd was starting to boo. Julian tried to take a shot from center ice and missed by ten feet. He looked frustrated, shouting at the referees and throwing his arms up. He was losing his cool, and he was taking the team down with him.
With five minutes left in the second period, something happened.
Coach Reed stood up on the bench. He pointed a finger at Jaxson.
Jaxson looked up, surprised. He stood up, grabbed his stick, and jumped over the boards.
"Yes!" I screamed, jumping out of my seat.
The crowd didn't know the drama, but they knew Jaxson. A small cheer started to grow as he skated toward the defensive zone.
Julian saw him coming and scowled. He skated near Jaxson and whispered something as they lined up for the face-off. I couldn't hear it, but I saw Jaxson’s jaw tighten. This time, Jaxson didn't bark back. He didn't lose his temper. He just lowered his stance and waited for the puck to drop.
The puck hit the ice, and Jaxson was like a lightning bolt.
He didn't play like a guy with a concussion. He played like a guy with a point to prove. He checked a North Tech player so hard the guy practically flew over the boards. He stole the puck from the opposing Captain and made a perfect, cross-ice pass to Leo.
Leo was so surprised he almost missed it, but he recovered and took the shot. Goal!
The score was three to one.
Leo skated toward Jaxson to celebrate, but Jaxson didn't high-five him. He just turned around and skated back to his position. He wasn't there to be Leo’s friend. He was there to be a Viper.
The rest of the period was a war. With Jaxson back on the ice, the defense was solid. Julian was forced to play better because Jaxson kept taking the puck away before Julian could mess up.
When the buzzer sounded for the second intermission, the momentum had completely shifted. The Vipers were back in the game.
I waited near the tunnel again. As the players walked off, Julian was complaining loudly to anyone who would listen. "He’s being too aggressive! He’s going to get a penalty!"
Nobody listened to him. The other players were looking at Jaxson with respect.
Leo was the last one off. He saw me and stopped. He looked at the floor, his helmet in his hand.
"He played well," Leo said, his voice barely a whisper.
"He played like the player you told the Coach he wasn't," I said.
Leo looked up at me. There were tears in his eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing, El. I thought if I kept him safe, I could fix everything. But seeing him out there... seeing how much he wanted it... I realized I was just being a coward."
"So fix it, Leo," I said. "Go back in there and be the Captain he deserves."
Leo nodded. He took a deep breath and walked into the locker room.
The third period was the best hockey I had ever seen. The Vipers scored twice more to tie the game. Jaxson and Leo were working together again, a wall of strength that North Tech couldn't break. Julian was still out there, but he was a background character now. The Golden Boy was being outshined by the guy he tried to destroy.
With one minute left, Jaxson got the puck. He had a clear shot. He could have taken it. He could have been the hero who scored the winning goal.
But he saw Leo open on the left side.
Jaxson passed. It was a perfect pass. Leo took the shot and buried it in the back of the net.
The crowd went insane. The buzzer sounded. Four to three. Vipers win.
The team piled onto the ice.
Julian didn't join the celebration. He skated off the ice alone, his head down.
I stood in the front row, watching Jaxson walk off the ice. He looked up and saw me. He raised his stick in the air, a small, tired smile on his face.