Chapter 103: Leon Is Now… Leon Gone
Kayden
"Goal! Goal! Kayden Vale has done it! He has silenced the Southern Stallions!" The first commentator’s voice made me realize that the puck had finally entered the net.
"I don’t believe it, Mike. Even with the push from Leon, he found the top shelf. The Northern Avalanche takes the lead with only five minutes on the clock. Could the Southern Stallions change it in that short time?"
I hope they don’t, I thought as I turned around.
The crowd let out a wild scream, especially from those who had come to support the Northern Avalanche. The wave of sound shook the foundation of the arena, and I heard them screaming my name.
"Kayden Vale!"
"Kayden Vale"
I smiled and turned towards my teammates, who rushed towards me, and I was hit by a wall of white and blue jerseys.
Jaxson was the first one there, tackling me into the boards as he screamed in triumph, then came Luca.
"You are indeed a sensation," Luca commented, and I knew he was referring to how he had greeted me on the first day I joined the Northern Avalanche.
I smiled at him and bumped fists with him, then faced the rest of the line.
Theo left the net and threw me onto his shoulders. "That’s our Vale!" he screamed.
I laughed. "Theo! You just picked me up like that. It’s crazy."
"You did it, kid!" I heard Coach Reddick shout over the roars and boos of the Stallions’ fans. "You actually did it."
I gasped for air as Theo placed me on the ground and then looked around the arena, my eyes moving through the sea of faces and fans waving at me until they landed on him.
Rhys was seated in the VIP section, tucked behind the glass where he thought he was hidden, but I knew it was him because he had already revealed himself to me.
As soon as our eyes met, he lifted his head, pulling his hood back just enough for our eyes to meet. The pride in his gaze was enough to make my knees weak.
I caught my breath and, in front of the entire arena, I reached into my jersey, pulled out his mother’s necklace, and pressed a lingering kiss to the silver star.
I saw him smirk before I turned back as the referee’s whistle shrieked through the air.
The game wasn’t over. There were five minutes left.
I skated over to the bench, my legs feeling heavy, but I didn’t let my exhaustion show.
"Good game, son," Coach muttered to me as he handed a water bottle to me.
I drank the water fast, letting the cold liquid hit my throat as I listened to his instructions.
"Five minutes, Vale. Hold onto your defense until it’s over."
"Yes, Coach," I responded and handed the bottle back to him, then I skated back to the ice as the game continued.
"We have five minutes remaining on the clock. One goal leads this game, but in Game 7, that can vanish in a heartbeat. Can the Stallions find an answer, or are the Avalanche moving on?"
I straightened my neck as the puck dropped and the intensity shifted from desperate to lethal.
The Southern Stallions all attacked at once, trying to get through our defense, and it was like a battlefield as Philip and I defended.
The pressure was so suffocating that it made me want to quit at that moment, but I kept holding on because we had to win.
When the puck hit Philip’s stick, he intercepted a hard pass near the crease and shoveled the puck towards the boards where Luca was close by.
"Luca! Now!" I screamed.
Luca scooped it up, weaving through a forest of Stallion sticks before firing a crisp, cross-ice pass to Jaxson, who was already streaking toward the empty net.
"Vane is away! And he’s got the empty net in his sights! The Stallions are heading towards him, trying to stop the inevitable..."
Jaxson didn’t miss as he tucked the puck into the yawning net just as the final buzzer shook the arena rafters.
"AND THAT’S IT!" the second commentator shouted. "The Northern Avalanche has done the impossible! From a 0-0 deadlock to a 2-0 victory in the final frame. Behind the heroics of the newbie Kayden Vale and a powerhouse finish by Jaxon Vane, they are headed to the Conference Finals!"
"The most impressive thing, Mike, is that they did this with their backs against the wall. Even without Rhys Calder on the ice, they have managed to prove that the Northern Avalanche is indeed a great team. They aren’t just a one-man show; they are a deep, resilient roster that refused to break under the pressure of Iron City."
The first commentator responded, "Exactly. They played for each other tonight, and that’s how a team should move."
I stood at center ice, my chest heaving, watching my teammates pour over the boards to celebrate. I ran a hand through my hair and looked up one last time toward the VIP section.
Rhys was no longer there, and I wondered where he was until I saw him leaving his seat and probably heading to the locker room.
I couldn’t wait to see him, kiss him, and let him know how his necklace was truly my lucky charm.
"Vale!" Jaxson shouted as he skated towards me and then he pointed his stick toward Leon, who was looking up and down with a mock-pitying expression.
"Hey, Leon!" he called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How is it going now, stupid Leon?" he asked, but Leon didn’t answer, didn’t even turn. He just had his head lowered to the ground.
"Well, if you are looking for a cool spot, I heard the weather in Florida is great this time of the year—perfect for working on that slice. You want me to recommend a good caddy, or do you already have one on speed dial?"
Leon’s jaw tightened as he turned around, his face turning a deep shade of red, but he didn’t say anything.
I stepped forward, mirroring Jaxson’s stance, and looked Leon dead in the eye, letting a cold, triumphant smirk play on my lips.
"So, Leon," I said. "Tell me, how does it feel to be sent home by me? Does it hurt more or less than the golf swing you are about to practice?"
Leon looked like he wanted to snap his stick in half, but instead, he just turned away to join his teammates skating toward his tunnel in silence.
"Hey, Leon!" Jaxson yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth so the sound carried over the booing crowd. "I just realized something! Since you’re headed to the airport and we’re headed to the Finals... I guess you could say Leon is now... Leon-gone!"
Jaxson actually snickered at his own joke, looking at me for a high-five which I gave him.
Leon’s shoulders stiffened, his neck turning a shade of red that matched the goal light, but he didn’t look back. He just kept trudging toward the tunnel like a man walking to his own funeral.
"Leon-gone," Jaxson muttered to himself again, sounding way too proud. "Man, I’m a genius."
"Yes you are," I said and we both laughed then I screamed. "We’re going to the Conference Finals!"
~~~
Please read the author’s note