Chapter 14 Mackenzie #2
I waved him away, but things only got worse when the game started again.
The Devils pushed hard for a goal but couldn’t find one.
Parker was an unbelievably skilled player, but it was almost as if he was trying to win the game on his own.
I couldn’t really blame him, as the rest of our teammates looked as tired and frustrated as I felt.
They were constantly making mistakes, missing passes, and giving the puck right back to our opponents.
Suddenly, after yet another turnover, the Sharks had a breakaway.
The toothless forward was tearing straight toward me with the puck, skating so fast it was like he was going downhill.
I wanted to move forward to close the angle, but his size and speed were overwhelming.
I instinctively felt myself retreat to the goal line as he bore down on me and he easily scored his second goal. My confidence shattered.
I’d never flinched like that while playing against my brother. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever shrunk away from a challenge that way, on or off the ice, in my life.
“You okay, Foster?” Seth asked, as I clambered back to my feet.
“Fine.” I nodded. “I’ll get the next one.”
I had to believe it was a one-time mistake; that I wouldn’t let it happen again.
Seth seemed convinced, but as he skated back into position, I saw Parker pull him aside.
The other defenseman, Marc Jansen, joined them.
The junior was so tall and broad he could easily have been mistaken for a college senior.
The three of them huddled together and Parker appeared to be issuing strict instructions to each of them.
From the way they kept shooting glances over their shoulders at me, I had to assume I was the root of their problem.
It didn’t take long to figure out Parker’s solution.
Seth and Marc began shadowing me so closely it was like I had my own private security detail.
They seemed primed and ready to throw themselves in front of any player or puck that came my way, and they kept drifting close to my crease and blocking my view.
“Hey, there,” Seth said as he hovered in front of me. His voice was cheery, like we’d just randomly bumped into each other at a coffee shop. “Having fun?”
“Move, Seth! I don’t need a babysitter!”
Marc was just as close, and I panicked when I lost sight of the puck behind his massive frame.
“Jansen!” I yelled. “Get out of the way!”
“Can’t,” he called back. “Just doing my job.”
“Well, I can’t do my job if I can’t see!”
I could hear my dad yelling something similar from the bench, but the two defensemen completely ignored him.
A few minutes later, I’d let in another two goals.
One skidded through Marc’s legs and into the net before I even saw it.
And I had even less chance of saving the second shot, which bounced off Seth’s back as he dived to make a block.
This was Parker’s doing; I was sure of it. He must have told the guys I needed help. Or at least made them so worried about my skills they felt like they had no other choice. Did he not trust me?
I got some respite when Parker finally managed to pull a goal back, but the Sharks weren’t finished. I let in yet another goal before the final siren sounded, this time from a shot that deflected off Jansen’s ass. Apparently, he thought it more capable of stopping the puck than I was.
I left the ice exhausted and feeling like a total failure. We’d lost by five goals to one. Another L for the Devils. We’d barely done better than the previous game.
My dad gave the team a brief speech focusing mostly on how hard we were going to have to work at practice next week if we wanted to reach the level he expected from us.
Judging by the silence after he finished speaking, everyone agreed.
I was relieved not to be singled out, but I felt certain the rest of the team blamed me for the loss.
I hadn’t played well, and I was just as angry and disappointed at myself as they were. But I was equally annoyed at Parker. Annoyed, and a little hurt. It was like he gave up on me in the final period, pretty much ordering Seth and Marc to fill in for me because I couldn’t do the job myself.
I wanted to confront him, but I didn’t get a chance before we boarded the bus, and the mood on the return trip was so somber I didn’t want to make it worse.
When we got back to Ransom, I was relieved to find Jaz waiting to give me a ride.
Her gloomy expression told me the game hadn’t looked any better from where she’d been seated in the crowd.
“I know, I know,” I said, as I dumped my gear in the back of her car. “I sucked.”
“You didn’t suck,” she replied softly. “That was a tough game. And you made a lot of good saves.”
“I made a lot of mistakes, too.” I sighed. “I got tired. Struggled with my focus. Missed too many shots.” I didn’t want to go into much more detail than that, so I just shook my head. “They would have been better off with Anderson.”
“They would not have!” Jaz exclaimed. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It was incredibly brave to even go out there. Besides, it was your first game. You’ll do better next time.”
I nodded, but only because I didn’t have a choice. I had to be better next time. I was running out of chances.
“I just want to forget that game ever happened,” I said.
“Well, I have the perfect way.” Jaz started to smile. “There’s a party tonight.”
“A party?”
“Yep, there’s almost always a party after Devils games.”
“Even when they lose?”
She looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. “They don’t usually lose.”
Now I definitely didn’t feel like partying. Plus—
“My dad will say no,” I said.
“What about your stepmom?”
I went quiet as I considered whether it was worth the trouble. While I might not want to go to a party, maybe Jaz was right, and it would take my mind off things.
“Tessa might be okay with it,” I said. “And my dad’s not speaking to me, so I couldn’t ask him even if I wanted to.”
“It sounds like you should ask her.” She was practically bouncing up and down on the spot with anticipation.
“Okay, fine, it’s worth a try.” I pulled out my phone to type the message as we climbed in the car. Tessa responded before Jaz even started the engine. I grinned when I saw her reply. “Looks like we’re going to a party.”
“Yes!” Jaz threw her arms up in the air, dancing in her seat. “She really said it’s okay? That didn’t take much convincing.”
“Tessa’s cool. She still feels guilty about starting me at a new school senior year. Plus, I think she’s secretly on team Mackenzie in my current showdown with my dad.”
“Will he be mad?”
“That’s tomorrow’s problem,” I replied. We weren’t even at the party yet, but already I felt a weight lifting from my shoulders. Tonight, I was determined to forget all about that nightmare of a game and try to have a little fun.