Chapter 53
FIFTY-THREE
COOPER
“The mustaches are magic.” Jaxon runs his thumb and pointer finger over his sandy mustache. His facial hair grew in lighter than his honey brown hair.
Maybe so. We did win the Frozen Four.
Plus, someone gave me back my lucky bracelet. The night before the Frozen Four tournament, Sutton snuck into my hotel room. Jaxon made sure to make himself sparse as soon as she knocked on the door.
She wanted to show me another Meave original. Our old jerseys stitched together. Finally, I got to undress her with my teeth like I’ve wanted to do. Sutton slipped her bracelet on my wrist while I was going down on her.
I tried to give it back to her after, but she told me, “Keep it. Can’t let my superstar boyfriend suck at hockey before the Frozen Four.”
Now I have to debate if I’m going to keep the mustache. Agreeing with Jaxon right now will only lead to him keeping it forever, and begging me to do the same.
Jaxon refused to let any of us shave them before today. An added week for the women’s Frozen Four—with the changes in conference play, the women are playing a week after us this year. Otherwise, these mustaches would have been gone.
I’m ready to shave this off. My upper lip is dying to see the sun and feel the breeze, even though Sutton has admitted to it giving cowboy chic. Halloween, I promised her.
Coach made the team come to support the girls at the championship game.
My roommates were already planning to come; and there’s no way I was missing this for Jordan. They drove up this morning with Elliot. Sutton and I have already been here all weekend with my parents.
The women beat Cornell three to two in the National Semifinals and are about to start the third period of the National Championship against Boston University. They’re tied one to one.
They’re taking the ice, and when Jordan skates out behind her roommate, Xanie, we all pound on the glass. Jaxon stands up, wearing her jersey, holding a giant picture of her face with a mustache taped over it.
Jordan skates by and shakes her head at him.
I do too, but at least I’m wearing a larger-than-life smile on my face—at least that’s what I’m assuming it looks like.
The first two periods were fast and physical, but they don’t compare to the third. Doesn’t help that the officials are either missing calls or calling the stupidest stuff.
Our game wasn’t even this brutal. I thought I wouldn’t want Jordan to play with us, but I think I’d rather not play with the girls.
“If you wanted to watch the game, you could have done it at home!” Elliot yells, throwing a handful of popcorn at the plexiglass after one of our players was definitely being held by their jersey.
“Nice costumes but Halloween isn’t till October!” Dawson surprises all of us by shouting after Boston scores on a missed call.
“Your ex-wife has better calls than you,” Jaxon shouts.
The next play, Jordan gets called for tripping and sent to the penalty box with a minor when the Boston player clearly tripped over herself.
As soon as she’s out of the box, she’s roughed up. Despite her show of strength, she’s double-teamed and laid out on the ice. I jump to my feet, Sutton grabbing my hand. A mirror to Mom and Dad behind us.
Jordan gets up, and skates to the bench. She gives me a thumbs up to let me know she’s okay.
Her roommate, Xanie, scores an equalizer a minute later.
No more goals are scored during regulation.
They end up winning in a shoot out.
My Carmichael smile is back, and there’s no denying it. The way my cheeks pinch, the corners of my mouth starting to strain from how they are ticked up.
It’s the same joy I felt after my first time skating, first game, first goal.
The same way my heart beats when I look at Sutton.
She’s squeezing Elliot into a hug, jumping up and down as the women’s team throw their arms around each other.
“Let’s fucking gooooooooo.” Jaxon is pumping the big cardboard head of my sister in the air.
Dawson and Chase have their shirts off, whipping them around in the air above them. Beck has his little sister on his shoulders. Mads is waving her blue, green, and silver pom-poms.
“See! Hot and lucky? We should have grown them sooner. I’m not shaving this, going to get a head start for next season,” Jaxon shouts at us. There it is.
I loop an arm around him and tug my best friend into me.
“Manifesting baby. Back-to-back Frozen Four,” he keeps talking.
“I like the sound of that.” Chase keeps spinning his shirt. “Party at our place tonight? I’ll text the team.”
“Dibs on aux!” Elliot beats Jaxon to it. “I have a new playlist.”
We stick around and watch the girls accept the trophy, then file out to the lobby and wait around for them.
My parents are standing against a pillar with my other sister, Molly.
I walk over to them with Jaxon hot on my heels. “Hopefully the sun will help my tips stay fresh this summer. Do you think if I try lemon juice when we’re at the lake house it’ll work?” he asks.
“Dude, you’re asking the wrong person. Ask Molly.”
He does. She laughs, and before she can answer, Jordan shows up.
“You’re coming to the lake house with us?”
“What little Carmichael, scared of having fun?”
Mom steps around him, hugging Jordan. “Congratulations, honey.”
Dad ruffles her blue hair as a reporter I recognize from the ESPN special rushes to us.
“Ryn, any comments on your kids? How do you feel about the legacy and impact you’ve made on them with your career? What have you done to get them here this championship season?”
“I’m proud of Cooper and Jordan”—he turns over his shoulder to Molly and mouths you too—“but their success has nothing to do with my career. Now, if you’ll excuse us, she has a bus to catch.”
Jordan sticks her tongue out at the guy, and I shrug, wearing the Carmichael smile proudly.