Goalie Interference (NHL Scorpions) Read Online Free Page A

wrong. Practice is at nine tomorrow morning. Be ready to sweat.” With a sadistic smile, the coach walked out.
    Keith clapped his hands to get the room’s attention. “Okay. We all know what that smile means. Tomorrow’s practice is gonna suck.” Keith laughed. “We looked okay out there, but we have better in us, don’t we?” When all he got was some half-hearted, mumbled acquiescence, he threw his glove at a locker. “Don’t be careless just because it was the first game, guys. Don’t do that! We have more to give, and we’ll give it!” Keith got the response he wanted from that and left the room.
    “Gotta admit, Lambert can get his point across, can’t he?” Looking at Vlad, Cage continued, “Hey old man, you feelin’ okay? I saw you take a spill on your way off the ice. Need some Ben Gay? I’m ready to fill in at anytime.”
    “Booker, you really need to learn to keep your trap shut. Bring your attitude to practice and earn my spot. Until then, fuck off.” Vlad was seriously getting tired of listening to Cage’s ramblings. The guys teased each other all the time, and Vlad could take it as well as he could dish it out, but with Cage, he had a hard time letting it go. If he were being honest with himself, he could admit that it might be because Cage was hitting too close to home.
     

     
    A couple of days later, Vlad was sitting on his patio watching the sun set. Seeing the bright red, yellow and orange streaks the sun left in the sky reminded him of how inconsequential his problems were in the grand scheme of things. He knew he should man up and talk to someone about what he’d been going through. It was time. His head knew it. The problem was that his heart and his pride were a bit slow to catch up.
    He hadn’t talked to Jody for a couple of days, so he gave him a call.
    “Hey Vlad, how’s it goin?”
    “All right.”
    Vlad knew from Jody’s pause that he wasn’t buying it. Jody tried again. “ So, what’s up? You okay?”
    There it was again. The ‘ you okay?’ .
    “Yeah. Just checking in with you, is that a problem now too?” He just wanted to shoot the shit with someone without them asking if he was okay. Was that too much to ask?
    “No, of course not. Should it be? Forget it. How was practice?”
    Vlad sighed. “It was okay. To tell you the truth Chief, that Cage kid is killing me. I want to ring his oh-so-perfect neck. Christ! He just doesn’t let up, you know?”
    “Yeah, I do know. I don’t care for the kid much myself, but you gotta let it slide off your back.”
    “He’s just trying to get me to fuck up so he can take my place, I know it. That little prick will do anything to be the starting goalie. Well, screw him; I’m not going to just hand it over to him.”
    “No one’s asking you to, Vlad. I agree that he’s a little prick, but we all were at that age. I don’t think he’s trying to cheat you out of your spot. I think he’d rather earn it honestly. I think his mouth just gets away from him. I couldn’t tell you how many times he’s called me old or ancient or decrepit. He’s just cocky.”
    Vlad would probably have agreed with Jody if he wasn’t currently battling his own demons, but he was in a piss-poor mood lately and hated everyone. “He’s not just cocky. I’m telling you man, he’s gunning for me, and he’s gonna get a stick up his ass if he doesn’t back off.”
    Vlad was so angry. So much for his peaceful sunset. His behavior was far from his norm. Vlad was the guy everyone wanted to be around. He didn’t get mad. Girls loved him, guys wanted to be him. Nothing was ever too much for him to handle.
    “It sounds like you had a shit day, Vlad. How about we go out and grab a couple of beers? It’s not too late and Lacey’s not feeling so well tonight. The baby keeps kicking her in the bladder, and she wants me off her back. Seriously man, I try to help and she tells me to leave her alone. I feel helpless.”
    Vlad finally gave up a laugh.