The hockey match

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" he added.

Elliot scoffed, tone edged with disbelief

"You're calling me a liar? That's bold, coming from someone who lied to my face for years."

Jade's expression didn't change.

"Funny. You're acting like you were the honest one."

They stared at each other, the noise of the rink swallowed under the weight between them.

Elliot was about to fire back. He caught the tears lingering in Jade's eyes.

Same old Jade. Too emotional, too transparent for his liking. 

He turned away and bit his lower lip down in anger.

Soon, the referee skated over and knocked on the glass, gaining their attention.

"Five minutes is over, you two, get your asses back into the game. No fighting!" He warned and they both nodded.

Elliot turned back to Jade.

"Good luck" he said but Jade didn't respond, he just grabbed his hockey stick and skated back into the field. His breath was fast and hot inside his helmet.

He raised his head up to look at the scoreboard.

New York Titans - 2

Apex Vanguard - 0

Elliott's team's New York Titans were winning.

There are three rounds in hockey. Twenty minutes each for a round. Now there were only twenty minutes left in the last round and if Apex Vanguard doesn't score soon, the game will be over. 

Jade tightened his grip on his hockey stick as he waited for the ref to blow the whistle so the game could start.

Losing to any team can be annoying but losing to The Titans would make his blood boil hot.

The ref blew the whistle and then dropped the puck, the teammates scattered into motion. Jade chased after the puck, soon he got it and started moving fast, heading towards the opponent's goal post.

A Titan defender rushed at him but he dodged left and then right, missing him.

One of his teammates shouted at him.

"Pass, Riccio" 

Jade didn't pass, he skated forward. Another titan defender came at him and tried to hit him off but Jade slid around him, almost slipping but still kept control of the puck.

Then Elliot appeared in front of him with a dirty smirk on his face.

For a second, they stared at each other and jade felt his stomach twist in anger. He hated that smirk Elliot had on his face.

"Move" Jade muttered under his breath.

Elliot skated forward, ready to bum into Jade at any moment but jade pushed the puck through the small pace between Elliott's leg, dodging and skating through. 

Elliot spun around, surprised, he tried to reach Jade's jersey to pull him back but Jade was already gone.

The crowd gasped, some cheering loud as he neared the goal post. Two more Titan players rushed him so Jade pulled back his stick and lifted the puck then launched it towards the goal post.

The puck flew and the goalie threw himself to the left side trying to catch the puck but he was too slow.

The puck entered the goal post.

GOAL!

The entire stadium erupted.

Some people jumped out of their seats. Some screamed his name, some waves The Apex Vanguard's banner. Jade smiled as his teammates ran towards him and lifted him up.

"RICCIO! RICCIO!! RICCIO!!!"

"NICE SHOT, JADE!"

"THAT WAS BRILLIANT"

He lifted his head and looked across the rink.

Elliot stood there, hands on his stick, helmet tilted back just enough to show his clenched jaw. He had an unreadable expression on and that made Jade's stomach tight.

Jade turned away and resumed celebrating with his teammates.

There was still a game to win. 

Whistle was blown, the ref dropped the puck again and the match resumed. The arena buzzed with fans shouting , hockey sticks tapping and the blade under the skates scraping the ice.

Jade scanned the ice. Titans had already regrouped. One of his teammates had gained possession of the puck and without hesitation, he fired the puck across the rink.

Jade received it carefully on his stick, feeling the small weight of it. He looked up.

The Titans had formed their infamous wall ahead even. No gaps.

Elliot was at the center, watching him with a smirk on his face.

Jade's stomach tightened. The wall always made scoring impossible but he wasn't giving up.

He skated forward, and one of the Titans' defenders broke out of the wall and lunged at him, he tried to steal the puck. Jade twisted his body, skating past with the puck sliding perfectly along his stick.

The crowd cheered.

Elliot skated forward, cutting off the center of the wall and completely breaking off what remained off the wall. Jade slowed slightly. He spun just enough to escape with his eyes still on the net.

The goalie stood firmly, ready to catch the Puck and save the day for the Titans.

He got close enough and the entire arena started to quiet down.

Then Jade lifted the Puck with his stick.

He slammed his stick on the Puck, launching it towards the right side of the net.

The puck sailed towards the right side of the goal and the goalie flew to the right side to catch it but he was too slow. The puck went past him slightly, and hit the net. GOAL!

For one second, The arena was quiet. Then the rink exploded.

Fans screamed, some jumped, some waved the Apex Vanguard's banner.

His teammates rushed him, lifting him up as they cheered.

The announcer's voice echoed loudly over the chaos:

"INCREDIBLE! JADE RICCIO SCORES AGAIN!"

The game resumed. The referee dropped the puck and it bounced on the ice before, a Titan player swept it up

Their fans shouted loudly, some slamming their hands on the glass.

Jade skated forward, chasing the puck. His skates, cutting into the ice. He reached the Titan player and tried to steal it, but the man passed it straight to Elliot.

Elliot caught it. Smooth and calm.

Jade went straight at him, trying to block the lane but Elliot shoved past him, knocking him off balance. He fell hard on the ice.

The crowd gasped.

He gritted his teeth and got up fast. His legs burned from the fall but he didn't care, he went after Elliot. But Elliot was already far ahead, skating towards the Apex Vanguard goalie like the entering rink belonged to him.

The announcer's voice echoed through the speakers:

"THREE MINUTES LEFT! THREE MINUTES IN THE FINAL PERIOD!"

"LOMBARDI IS CLOSING IN. TITANS COULD TAKE THE WIN!"

Jade's blood boiled.

Titans fans went wild. It really looked like the New York Titans were about to win the whole game tonight.

Elliot approached the goal. He raised his stick slightly, ready to fire.

"CRACK!" He slammed his stick on the puck.

Jade's stick hooked it cleanly from behind and he pulled it away. He spun his body in a U-turn and skated forward in the opposite direction.

The arena froze.

Even the announcer stopped mid-sentence, like he had forgotten how to talk. Never in the history of hockey had anyone been able to pull that stunt.

Jade skated faster. His breathing was so loud in his ears, his chest tight but he didn't slow down. Elliot tried to chase him, but Jade didn't look back. This jade was different, he was focused, angry and unstoppable.

Two Titans defenders rushed at him, trying to block the lane but he dodged them both. The crowd roared from the seats, some screaming his name.

The goalie stood ready with his knees bent. Jade's eyes locked on him and for a moment, everything went so slow.

He raised his stick and launched the puck without wasting no time.

CRACK!

The puck flew fast and clean between the goalie's legs, then slammed into the back of the net.

The whole arena went quiet just for a second.

Then....

BEEP! BEEP!! BEEP!!!

The scoreboard flipped the Apex Vanguard's score from 2 to 3.

New York Titans 2.

Apex Vanguard 3.

A loud buzz sounded through the arena, signaling the end of the game.

Jade had scored.

Right before the time ran out.

All together he had scored Three goals, saving the Apex Vanguard from losing.

The announcer finally found his voice, shouting in disbelief:

"UNBELIEVABLE! JADE RICCIO MADE A LAST SECOND GOAL! APEX VANGUARD WINS!"

The arena erupted.

People stood up, shouting, screaming, waving the Apex Vanguard's banner and signs. Soke fans jumped, others hugged. It was chaos but in a good way.

Jade's teammates tackled him in a pile, grabbing him and lifting him up in celebration.

The coach rushed out and pulled him into a quick, rough hug. When they broke apart, he tried shouting something at Jade but the rink was too loud for him to hear anything clearly.

Jade took his helmet off, steam rising from his wet hair. He smiled and raised his helmet up in celebration.

It was a victory. A huge victory.

Across the rink, Elliot stood with frustration clear on his face. He threw his stick angry onto the ice and glared at the scoreboard. Then his eyes flicked towards Jade, who locked eyes with him in a brief. He clenched his jaw. Without a word, he turned and stormed out of the rink.

The celebrations continued around jade but he barely noticed. He skated off with his teammates, making their way toward the locker room.

"Good game today, Riccio" Hernandez, one of the teammates said, throwing an arm around Jade's shoulder, grinning.

"Yeah, man. That goal at the end was crazy" Another teammates said.

Jade forced a small smile but then he heard a voice that made him pause and turn.

"Riccio" Coach Duiz called.

Duiz was standing with Jade's personal manager, Mendez, whose face was frowning.

"Oh no...am I in trouble again?" Jade thought, his stomach tightening.

As he approached, Duiz spoke.

"You're being transferred, Riccio."

Jade froze.

"What?" Jade whispered, panic rising in his chest 

"I'm sorry, it's not an easy task letting you go, you're the best thing that ever happened to this team but...the contract has been signed" Duiz said, avoiding eye contact with Jade.

Jade scoffed.

"Where....Where am I being transferred to?" He asked trying to hide the panic.

Mendez stepped closer and handed him a letter.

"It's in the letter" he replied.

Jade hesitated, heart beating fast. He slowly tore the envelope open, unfolded the paper and read.

His eyes shot up and wide. He looked at Coach Duiz, then at Mendez.

"I'm...being transferred to...the New York Titans?"