The Girl Next Door Chapter 34

So, the Penguins came back from their Olympic break, but didn’t do so well. Their two game losing streak was ended with two losses immediately. During that, Brooks Orpik boarded Erik Cole, who had to be pushed off the ice. Kate was there, and although she could tell that Brooks had not done it on purpose, it was a brutal hit. Brooks ended up being suspended for three games, even though the Hurricanes had called for him to be suspended for the rest of the season. Earlier that day, Kate’s hockey team had beaten their big rivals from Erie, so they ended the season undefeated (they had tied only one team, but the rest were wins). The next week, they had to win two games against teams in the area to advance to the state championships, which were the week after that, at the RMU Sports Complex.
Then came two more losses, and then the trade deadline. Everyone on the team knew that Mark Recchi wanted to be traded, and that he was unhappy here because he was not going to make the playoffs. He was also jealous of the attention Sidney was getting (Kate had heard him complaining to his wife about it). So, Craig Patrick made his dream come true: he was traded to the Hurricanes (who would make the playoffs) for two players and a draft pick.
“Good riddance,” she said to her parents in a conversation that night about Recchi.
“He’s a good player Katie,” Sarah said. “And one of the few veterans on the team.”
“Ya, well, we’ve still got Johnny [LeClair] and Bogey [Eric Boguniecki] as veterans,” she said. “Trust me, we’ll be fine. We also got that guy from off waivers from Chicago, Andy Hilbert. Hasn’t played too much this season, but I heard he’s good.”
“Well, we’ll see on Saturday,” Sarah said.
*****
The day of the trade deadline, Kate had her first of two games that her team needed to win in order to go to the state championships. The first game was against a team from State College, and they beat them 2-1, in an overtime victory. Kate had an assist in the game, but she got pounded. The goon on the opposing team had been told, as Kate found out after the game, to make the game a living hell for Kate, since she was a girl, and one of the leading scorers in the state league. So, the defenseman, who was six foot two, and about 200 pounds, to Kate’s much smaller body (she was about five foot eight and around 130 pounds), pounded Kate constantly into the boards. The referees completely ignored it. It finally took a hit on Kate that put her head straight into the boards in the second period for them to call something. Kate was face down on the ice.
“Katie! Are you okay?” Andrew shouted as her skated over to her.
“Katie! Katie! Say something!” her dad anxiously said to her as he reached her (he had the unofficial title as team doctor).
Kate finally came to after about a minute.
“Where’s the asshole that hit me?” she said, rolling over onto her back, trying to get up. “I wanna kick his ass!”
“Kate! Stay on the ice for a minute! Let me check you!” Tom told her.
“Dad! I’m fine!” she said. “I’m ready to play some hockey.”
“Get up slowly,” he told her, her team surrounding her.
As Andrew reached for her arm to help her up, she defiantly said, “I can do it myself, but thanks.”
“I think she’ll be fine, Mr. Hanson,” Andrew said, and the team laughed.
“Skip a shift, Katie, and see how you feel,” her dad told her.
“I don’t want to, but I know I have to,” she said.
Everyone clapped as Kate skated back to the bench. As she passed the goon who slammed her into the boards, she whispered, “You didn’t finish me off like you wanted to, did you, you fucker?” He tried to go after her, but the ref held him back.
Kate’s team won their next game the next day, 5-1, and the other team pretty much stayed away from Kate, after they had found out what had happened. They were in the state championships.
*****
Kate had been right. That night, the Penguins beat the Devils 6-3 (Kate’s favorite player outside of the Penguins organization was Martin Brodeur, the goalie for the Devils). Andy fit in well with the team, and was well-liked. After the game, the team was in good spirits, and both Kate and Sidney had their curfews extended so they could go out and celebrate. There was even more to celebrate about the next night, when the Penguins beat the Flyers 2-0, and Fleury had his first shutout. But, Kate could not go out to celebrate with them, since she had school the next day. So, Sidney, in an effort to spend a little more time with Kate, he drove her home, and dropped her off. His curfew hadn’t been extended by too much, so he had to be quick. But, he ended up not being so quick when he kept pulling Kate back into the car for one more kiss (and that happened many times).
“I have to go!” she giggled.
“No!” he jokingly shouted.
“Yes,” she said, out of breath from the kissing and yelling at him.
She leaned in for one more kiss, which ended up lasting a while. She then jumped out of the car, and closed the door. She waved goodbye, and then ran upstairs, said goodnight to her parents, and went to bed.