FAZER LOGINThe sun was beating down on the practice field, but I felt like I was moving through a block of ice. Mark didn't stay by the gate. He followed me onto the grass, standing just a few feet away from where we were doing our warm up stretches. He was like a shadow that wouldn't go away.I could hear the team laughing. Every time I reached down to touch my toes, I heard a snicker or a fake cough."Hey, Liam, does your bodyguard need to stretch too?" one of the guys, a tall midfielder named Chris, called out. "Maybe he can run the laps for you!"I didn't look up. I didn't even blink. I just stared at the blades of grass near my sneakers. Beside me, Jax was silent, his jaw set tight. About forty minutes into practice, the coach blew the whistle for a water break. I was dripping with sweat, my breath coming in short gasps. I headed toward the bench where my sports bottle was sitting.Mark was already there. He had picked up my bottle and was holding it out to me."You need to stay hydrated,
The walk back to the dorms felt longer than usual. My head was spinning with everything my mom had said. Adapt.That word felt like a weight around my neck. I kept thinking about how everyone in my life seemed to just bow down to whatever my father wanted. It made me feel small. I found Jax sitting on a stone bench near the center of campus. He was tossing stones into the grass, looking bored until he saw me. He stood up immediately when he saw the look on my face."Hey," he said, stepping toward me. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Or like you’re about to punch one. What happened?""I went home, my dad said he get me a guard," I said, my voice shaking. "I saw my mom. I told her about the guard, Jax. I told her it was crazy.""And?" Jax asked, his eyebrows pulling together."She told me to adapt," I spat the word out like it was poison. "She told me that’s just how he is and that I should just get used to it. Everyone just bends for him. My mom, the people at his office, and now me.
By the time we reached the street where we had to split up, my sneakers were making a squelching sound with every step. My hoodie felt like it weighed fifty pounds. I looked at Jax, and he looked just as messy as I did. His shirt was sticking to his chest and his hair was dripping, but he was still wearing that lopsided grin."I have to go," I said, pointing toward the dorm. Jax didn't let go of my hand right away. He pulled me slightly closer, his eyes searching mine. "You okay? You’re not going to get in trouble for coming in this late?""I'll tell them I went for a walk and got caught in the storm. It’s not a lie," I whispered."Right. Not the whole truth, but not a lie." He squeezed my fingers one last time. "Get some sleep, Liam. Dream about that van."I watched him walk away into the dark. I made it to my room without coming across anyone. I took a hot shower until the steam filled the bathroom, trying to wash off the smell of the dumpster and the rain. *******The next mornin
"I am glad you came too. Come on," Jax said softly. "Let's go back before we actually freeze." The air was very cold now and it looked like it would rain. The walk back from the ice cream shop was slow."Do you ever think about what happens after Northwood?" Jax asked, kicking a small stone across the sidewalk. "I don't mean the draft. I mean, like, way after. When we’re old and our knees don't work anymore."I laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet street. "I haven't thought that far ahead. I usually just try to survive until next Tuesday. What about you?""I want a house with a big porch," Jax said, his eyes looking at the stars. "Somewhere quiet. Maybe near a lake so I can build a private rink for the winter. I want to coach kids; the ones who play because they love it, not because they’re being forced.""That sounds nice," I said softly. I looked at him. "I think I’d just like to travel. Go somewhere where nobody knows the real me?”"I think I’m going to buy a van," Jax said. "
Sunday was usually a day off, but some of us liked to go to the rink early just to move around without the pressure of a real practice. It was optional, which meant only the guys who truly loved being on the ice showed up.I arrived at 8:00 AM, thinking I would be the only one there. But when I walked into the locker room, Toby and Miller were already there, drinking coffee and talking about a movie they saw. A few minutes later, Jax walked in. Even Swiss showed up, though he said he was only there to "make sure we didn't break the nets."We didn't wear our full gear. Just our skates, gloves, and helmets. We didn't do drills either. We just messed around. We played a game of keep away that turned into a lot of laughing and falling over. Then, we decided to have a shootout competition."Alright, Cap," Toby challenged, standing at center ice. "If I score on Swiss, you have to buy everyone ice cream .""And if you miss?" I asked, leaning on my stick."If I miss, I have to carry everyone’
Usually, before a game, I felt a heavy knot in my stomach. But tonight, I felt better. I looked around the locker room and saw Toby laughing with Miller. I saw Swiss focused, tapping his goalie pads with his stick.I looked at Jax. He was sitting right next to me, humming a song under his breath while he laced his skates. He caught me looking and gave me a quick wink. "Listen up!" Coach Mike yelled, clapping his hands together. "We’ve got a sold out crowd out there. They came to see a show, but I want them to see a team. No individual heroics tonight. We play for each other. One touch passes. Hard hits. Keep the energy high. Let’s go!"We piled out of the locker room and hit the ice. The cold air felt amazing. The game started with a bang. Within the first five minutes, Toby made a massive play. He intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, just like we had practiced. Instead of trying to score by himself, he looked up and saw me skating hard toward the net. He sent a crisp, perfect pa







