THE ENEMY I LOVE

The crowd roared, some cheered, some booed echoing across the rink as the referee pointed sharply towards the penalty box.Jade Riccio skated off without looking at Elliot. He clenched his jaw as he slid into the penalty box, helmets still on. He muttered curses at the refs and mostly at Elliot Lombardi.A second later, Elliot dropped into the seat next to him. He was also trying to catch his breath, tapping his stick against the wall in annoyance. For a moment, neither of them spoke Then Elliot let out a low, sarcastic breath. "Real mature, Riccio."Jade didn't look at him."Shut up, Lombardi." "We're stuck in this shit-hole because you're allergic to staying in your own lane" Elliot fired back.That made Jade turn his head. "Oh, so it's my fault? Did you forget you held onto my jersey so I'd miss that goal?" Jade asked, his teeth clenched."I touched your jersey, I didn't hold you back but instead you threw punches" Elliot replied."Lies" Jade snapped."That's all you do. Lie" h

Jade knocked on the door to the Coach's office, heart hammering.Mendez patted his shoulder, trying to ease the tension."Relax, we'll sort this out" he assured and Jade nodded."Come in" Duiz's voice came through the wooden door and Jade pushed the door open.His eyes scanned the small office. It smelled of old coffee and paperwork."Riccio." Duiz called from where he sat behind the wooden table cluttered with stacks of paperwork and pencil shavings."Come on in. Take a seat" he offered and Jade finally stepped into the office. Mendez close behind.He clasped his hand in front, trying to steady his racing heart. He sank into the chair, right next to Mendez.Coach Duiz didn't waste time. He leaned in his chair, eyes on Jade."Let me guess, you want to talk about your transfer" Duiz said, smirking.Jade nodded and swallowed "Yes, Coach..I..." Duiz held up a hand to shun him."Save it, you want to stay with Apex Vanguard." He said."Yes...I..." "You can't." Duiz cut Jade off before

Jade stood at the entrance to the rink, hands on his hips, body leaning on the wall. The glass door in front of him reflected the bright lights inside, the cheers of the fans. Behind him, laughter erupted from his new teammates. Loud, careless and mocking. Coach Declan appeared at the end of the hallway, hands shoved into his jacket pockets. The hallway instantly quieted down."All right, listen up" he began, voice firm and sharp."Tonight, We're not facing a small team. Tonight, it's Titans versus the Black Bears, a team that thinks they can walk in here and take our ice. Guess what? They're wrong. Fucking wrong!" He paused, scanning the group with sharp eyes."We're faster. We're smarter and we are going to remind them why Titans don't lose. You're not just playing for yourself. You're playing for this jersey, for this rink...for every fan out there." Then his gaze sharpened on Jade."Riccio!, here is not Apex. Here, you have to earn your spot, like everyone else."Jade's

"...Did we walk into something?" One of teammates asked, a grin tugging at his lips. The rest of the teammates laughed. Elliot's hand dropped from Jade's shoulder, he stepped back. Jade straightened himself, jaw tight. "We're not done" Elliot said, his voice low, just enough for Jade to hear. He moved to his own spot, grabbing his water bottle. He took a long sip. Soon, the room shifted instantly. It became filled with laughter, noises of lockers opening and closing. Elliot couldn't seem to take his eyes off Jade. Across the room, Jade was talking to Tyler now. Tyler was saying something Jade found funny and he was laughing. Laughing like he hadn't just been pinned against a locker minutes ago. Elliot's Jaw tightened. "You're gonna bore holes into them." Elliot blinked, snapping out of it. PhilHadley stood beside him, arms crossed, a knowing look on his face. Elliot dragged a had through his hair. "Shut up" he muttered. Phil hugged a quiet laugh. "I

The next day, the rink was filled with kids of different ages, all in oversized jerseys and gears, running around the ice.Some were skating properly. Some just keep falling off their skates as they were trying to steady their balance. Some were chasing puck around the ice with no directions.It was very loud.The team players were amongst the children on the ice, some guiding the kids, others playing with them.It was something the team did from time to time, bringing in younger players, teaching them.Kids rushed past in every direction, some barely steadying their balance.One nearly crashed into the penalty box and laughed it off like nothing happened."Mister?" Jade looked up.A small boy stood in front of him, helmet slightly too big for his head, one skate untied and dragging awkwardly on the ice.Jade stared at him for a second."Yeah...?"The boy lifted his foot slightly."Can you help me?" He asked.Jade glanced down at the loose laces, then back at the kid. He motioned for