Ice And Ink(B x B)

Chapter 21: The game

      Time skip to Friday's game.

The week went by so fast, Friday already here, the sky a brittle blue, ice crusting the street from Thursdays freeze. Jace Calder woke at 6 am, the trailer's heater rattling, Mara still asleep, she loved when the weather got like this and the sound of the rattling heater.

     Getting up he stumbled upon Mara's latest drawing a stick figure which was him with a puck, "Jacey wins!" Scrawled in red. He forced a grin, the weight of Ty's threat hanging heavy, it was Friday the day Ty was planning to sabotage his game play his words "Tank Fridays or this hits the team chat"  he got reminded of the photo Ty had, Ezra's "I'm in"  from Sunday a thin thread holding them together. Tonight's game Wolves vs the Halton Hawks, scouts confirmed was everything: this was his shot at escape from this damn town.

   He grabbed on a sweatshirt, going over Mara's room to get her up for school.
    For breakfast he decided to make sandwiches and made some Mac and cheese for Mara to take to school.
    His phone buzzed,a text from Liam: "Be at the rink by 5, coach wants us." Jace replied instantly: "Yeah, would be there." He quickly got into the shower, coming out in 5 minutes, he grabbed his gear and kissed Mara's forehead. "Be good kid, when you are done with your breakfast you go straight to Mrs Bensons house, she's gonna be taking you to school today. Would see you when I get back.." she nodded and he drove out, the rink a beacon through the cold.

      Across town, Ezra was just getting up, his room a mess as usual he needed to arrange his room but he couldn't find the right time he was always busy now.
      Tates take was open to a blank draft, he hasn't posted anything on his blog for some days now. His mind drifted to the almost kiss at the rink sunday, Jace's lips so close to his, the heat that was cut short twisted his gut.

  Ty's photo gnawed to, a blade to his throat, and the text Jace sent last night the simple "You're enough" . His mum's voice cut through, "Ez, you've been starting at that mirror for some time now, you gotta go freshen up you have school remember.
    "Game tonight?" She asked, he groaned, walking towards the bathroom and muttered "Yeah. Watching." She nodded, sharp eyed, and he closed the bathroom door.

    Ezra got out of the shower not knowing what to wear, so he just slipped on his hoodie, the black, frayed hoodie.
   He got downstairs taking an apple and leaving through the front door biking to school.

   School dragged Jace in math, back row, jaw tight; Ezra two rows over with his hood up and his pen in-between his lips. They didn't speak but their eyes caught, charged, brittle, before the bell rang leaving Ezra bolting out the door. Lunch was worse the wolves table was dead silent for an unknown reason.

      Ty was back slouching by the vending machine, smirking across the room. Jace's fists balled, but Liam's hand on his shoulder held him. "Game together Jace. You gotta focus."

    Ezra skipped lunch to stay at his sanctuary -- the library, digging through the comments from "Tates take" , old jabs at Ty: "Mackay's a bully," "Locker room creap." Thin. But something. He texted Jace : "Found crumbs,Ty's past, bullying and some rumors," Jace's reply was fast: "Good, bring it tonight." Ezra's stomach flipped, fear, fight he tried not to think about how the day was gonna end, but he did he packed all his stuff and decided to get home, besides he didn't have classes again.

   The bike home was no different, he kept thinking about the game, Ty's plans and Jace was also on his mind.

  The rink lit up at 5 pm, wolves pilling in, Jace early, gear on, skating laps alone. Liam joined, steady, "Scouts are here already, seen about four already." Let's show them Calder. Jace nodded, blades cutting ice, and Coach barked "Warmups! Liam and Calder lead!"  The team hit the ice Liam and have snapping passes, Derek lagging, sophomore's chirping, Jace's slapshots where rattling the net, defiance in every move. Liam grinned, "That's it bro," and they synced, fore check drills, puck moving fast, a unit, Derek hung back, eyes darting --- Ty's shadow on him and Jace growled, "Pick it up Mackay," skating harder,but the rift showed.

   Crowd trickled in ay 6:30 pm, stands filling, scouts at the top of the row, Ezra slipped in with his hood up and laptop under his arm, high in the bleachers -- alone , watching Jace. Ty rolled in late with a smirk in his face, Jace's guts clenched, but he skated on, his focus razor-sharp. The horn blared at exactly 7 pm, game time
   Wolves vs Hawks, luck dropping.

First period Jace was fire, stealing the puck, weaving through hawks' D, a slap shot at 4:12 that screamed top shelf, 1-0. Stands roared, scouts scribbling, Liam clapping his back. The team clicked, Liam blocking shots, sophomore's hustling --- but Derek hesitated, a pass intercepted, Hawks tying at 1-1 at 9. 05, Jace snarled, "Wake up Derek!" And they reset, his wrist shot at 15:33 banking of the post close and fierce.

  Ty watches from the bench, phone in his glove, grinning, second period, he hit the ice checking hard, taunting Jace mid play: "Tank it, Calder, or it's out." Jace shoved back, whistle blowing, and skated off, chest heaving.
     Liam flanked him, "he's bluffing," but Jace's eyes flicked to Ty --- phone out, thumb swiping. At 8:42, mid shift, jace's phone buzzed in the locker room --- team chat buzzing: "Calder and Tate being cozy," "So Calder likes boys," "Oh shit, I always knew something was up between those two dudes." The photo landed , Jace and Ezra kissing, snow framing them -- Ty's text: "Game up."

      Locker room erupted at intermission, guys crowding at Jaces stall, "What the hell, Calder?" Alex one of the sophomore's asked,
"Knew it," but Liam barked, "Back off!
   Jace stood, pads dripping, voice low, "Yeah, it's me. So what?" Half the team stared -- some muttering, some nodding the locker room was quiet for a second before one of the players spoke, "We are just surprised Calder, we didn't know you where a fairy." Another one coming, "Yeah didn't know you liked to take it up the butt." Jace's hands clenched he was about to throw a fist when Coach stormed in "What's this shit?" Jace faced him, "Ty's crap, coach. I'm playing." Hargrove glared, then nodded, "Then win." 
 
      Ezra saw it unfold, phones buzzing, photo spreading, his breath stopped, high in the stands. He started noticing the stares, people kept glancing at him. He quickly opened 'Tates take'  he typed fast: "Wolves heart beats in Calder. Ty being a snake, team's stronger, Can we win this game?" He posted, hands shaking, eyes in Jace below, third period staring, 1-1.

    Jace hit the ice, fury and fight, luck stolen at 3:19, a pass to Liam, goal at 3:45. 2-1, stands erupted, scouts leaning in. Ty checked him hard, "you're done, Calder, "   but Jace spun free, assisting a sophomores goal, Team rallied, Liam blocking, Derek stepping up, and Jace's slapshot at 12:53 sealed it 4-1. Hawks clawed back, 4-2 at 18:22, but the horn blared, making the wolves winners -- Jace's fire unyielding.

   Stands roared, scouts swarmed Coach -- "Calder's a lock" The locker room buzzed, guys thumping jace's pads, forgetting about the photo for a moment. Liam grinned, "Good game Calder."
   Ty slunk out, phone dark, coach's glare following --- benched next game and maybe more games.
    He didn't like how his night ended, he didn't want to back down, he wasn't a quitter. With the rage in him, he drove home full of more hate for Ezra and Jace.

   Ezra bolted for the stands, biking to the river, heart pounding. Jace found him there it was like the universe kept pushing them together.

     "Saw your post," Jace said, stepping close. "Thanks."

  Ezra nodded, hood slipping. "You didn't Tank."

   "Couldn't," Jace said, voice rough. "You?"

"Still here," Ezra whispered, eyes locking, a beat charged. Jace's hand brushed his, deliberate, and they stood, river murmuring, the photos stings fading, a new edge sharpening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just so you all know I know absolutely nothing about hockey 😭but guess what I had to get something for you all and I did
   Would it be confusing maybe, but I hope you all like it.

Vote and comment🥹❤️
   You all did the last chapter dirty, did you all not like it ??

Anyway I wrote this chapter listening to Tate McRae and Ariana grande 😌😌😌

Bite like I said, and I forgot ice and ink turned a month old on the 22nd cheers to a month and many more🥹💕