The Coach's Daughter

“Hey!”

“What do you want?” I asked answering my phone.

“You know, that is no way to address your best friend. I don’t always want something. Sometimes I just want to talk.”

“The only time you want to talk is at 3 in the morning.”

“Not true… okay well I do have a question.”

“A favor?” I corrected.

“Yeah kinda.”

“What is it?”

“Open your door.”

“Wait, what? You’re at my door? I told you that you wanted something.”

“Oh shut up Charlie.”

I slugged up off my couch and walked over to the door. When I opened it, a goofy smiling redhead hugged me. I gasped for air, but she quickly let go.

“Okay, so this is important,” She started, sitting down on the edge of my couch “so I heard Erick
talking in class to James about the new trade that the Blues did and apparently there is a new guy and he’s really cute.”

“Erick said the new trade was cute?” I giggled.

“No, but I googled him.”

“Googled him?!” I started to laugh.

“Yeah so, do you think we can go to the game tonight?”

“Nat, you don’t even like hockey.” I smiled, walking over to my kitchen and grabbing my mug out of the microwave. I sat back down on my couch just as she jumped up.

“I know, but I like hot guys with hot bodies, so please? I’ll owe you. C’mon Char.”

“Don’t call me that.” I rolled my eyes. “I swear if you were a guy, you would just use me for my connections.”

“I’d probably stare at your butt too.” She grinned and then burst into laughter with me.

“Okay, fine. The game starts at 7:30 right?” I asked. “Let’s go.” I said grabbing my truck keys.

“Um no. You’re not wearing that.”

“What?” I turned around, offended.

“You’re wearing your dad’s college sweatshirt and it’s covered in cat hair.”

“I like this sweater.” I pouted. “And it’s not my fault Pumpkin likes it too.”

“But Char, hot guys. We must look hot!”

“I already know most of them,” I stated with attitude “and I haven’t dressed up to impress them once. I’m not into dating hockey players. You know that.” I growled, putting my cup in the sink.

“Ughhh! You’re killing me Char.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Then go take off that damn sweater. I need a sexy wing woman, not the crazy cat lady!”

“Why?” I groaned. “And Pumpkin likes me the way I am, even when I yell at her.”

“I’m going to get you help.”

“What?”

“You’re talking like you’re going to marry your cat.”

“Am not. She’s a girl… and a cat. That would be weird. Plus I’m allergic to her.”

“Then why do you have her?”

“Because I love her.” I said grabbing her plump body, and pressing her fur against my chest.”

“Put the cat down.”

“No.” I pouted, following her to my room. I plopped down on the bed, watching Natalie poke through my closet.

“Well,” she sighed “this is sad. Hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, leggings, and uggs.”

“What’s wrong with that?” I glared. “They’re comfortable.”

She shot me a look and shut my closet. “Is there anything in your dresser?”

“Socks.” I shrugged.

She glared at me, and shifted through my drawers. “Okay, this is workable.”

“What?” I asked curiously. The fact that she could find anything that wasn’t made of wool or that were made of something stretchy, like my billion pairs of leggings, was amazing.

“Put it on, now.” She demanded as she threw a black slim fit tee with a low V-neck line and a pair of dark skinny jeans at me.

“Do I get a coat?” I asked. “It’s like 15 degrees outside.” I whined.

“Yes a coat, not a sweater.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, I wasn’t five. If I wanted to look nice, I would dress nice. When you spend the majority of your day on school work and at a job, spending an hour in the bathroom was not on the top of my priority. Not that I couldn’t, but it seemed useless too.

“Go get that nice ass dressed. She said whipping me with a dirty tee-shirt.

“I hate you.”

“Good.”

15 minutes later I examined myself in the mirror. I looked hot, enough. The jeans fit nicely and the shirt didn’t cut too low. I added a little bit of a brown eye shadow, eyeliner, and a swipe of lipstick and called it good. I pulled my hair out of the bun and sprayed it a little with dry shampoo and mouse afterwards. My large curls hung slightly below my chest and my Irish peeped out with streaks of red glimmering in the low light. I sighed. I really hated going to games, but what could it hurt?

“Damn.”

“What?” I asked, eying Natalie funny. “I told you I’m not a shut in.”

“Maybe not. Maybe you’ll find somebody tonight that isn’t your cat.”

“Oh shut up.” I laughed, I reached to grab my Columbia coat and scarf, giving Pumpkin a kiss on the nose. “C’mon. Let’s go before I change my mind.”

--

It was cold, why did I agree to this? It had been a year since I went to one of my Dad’s games, and it wasn’t because I didn’t like hockey. I loved it really, but he knew why. He was part of the reason. I bit at my lip as I exited my truck. I shouldn’t have left my windows down. It was nearly 50 this afternoon, but it dropped to at least 20 degrees. I hated Missouri sometimes. It would rain one day, snow the next, then melt, then freeze. And it had just started to snow.

“I swear if we get stuck here, I am going to kill you.” I said through chattering teeth.

“Why? Just find a nice Russian fellow. I’m sure he’d like to warm you up.” She giggled.

I gave her a heated glare. “Over here.” I stated, leading her to where personnel entered. “I hope you realize how much you owe me.”

“You’re gonna owe me when I find your future husband for you.” She said rather cheeky.

“Nat, you know I don’t believe in stuff like that. I’m 19. Love isn’t a priority.”

“Priority, blah blah. Everyone believes in love that lasts forever. Whether you admit it now, or when a Russian finally takes your cherry, I’ll say I told you so.”

“Oh my god, you’re so gross!” I yelled, pushing her playfully. She had no idea what she was talking about. She was my best friend, but for that reason I didn’t tell her everything. Natalie was known for being good in bed, with more than one person, and she liked to talk about it. I loved her, she wasn’t a harlot, but I had only slept with one person. That wasn’t something to I liked to talk about.

“Well, no one better to lose it too than a Russian, trust me.” She winked.

“Stop!” I laughed, leading her to the rink.

“Okay, so it’s only 6:30… so are the guys gonna be on the ice practicing?”

“Yeah, you go ahead, I’m going to go to my Dad’s office and say hi.”

“Alright, if I get kicked out because I ‘accidently’ ended up in the locker room, are you gonna let me back in?” She suggestively wiggled her eyebrow. I rolled my eyes and waved her off.

Walking down to my Dad’s office was strange. I use to do it all the time when I was in highschool. I loved touching the silver plaque of the Note on his door and looking at all his awards. I knocked on his door, but it was alright slightly open.

“Dad?” I peeked my head in to see him running around.

“Oh hey Char, what are you doing here?”

“Natalie wanted to check out your new recruit. What are you looking for?”

“My tie, I swear I-“

“Third drawer, in the back.”

“That’s right, I put an extra back there.”

“Yep.” I said rocking on my toes.

“Thank you hun.” He smiled, planting a kiss on my forehead.

“Welcome.”

“I’ll see you out on the ice, okay?”

“Alright. Hey did you bring it?”

I smiled knowing what he was talking about. I ran my nimble finger over the rubber in my pocket. I pulled it out, and twisted in between my fingers. “You’re always supposed to bring the lucky puck right?” I gleamed.

“That’s my girl.” He grinned.

I walked back down the hall. Even though my dad and I had a falling out, I still loved him. It wasn’t always easy being the coach’s daughter, but there was something I loved about it. It made him happy and passionate.

I headed back towards the ice and saw the team run back into the locker room, nearly running me over. I could name every one of them, but one, who I figured was the new guy. He eyed me, a little too long and smiled. I rolled my eyes. He probably didn’t know who I was; he probably guessed I was a punk bunny, far from it. I walked out into a front seat and sat next to Natalie.

“Did you see him?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah. He was hot. Really hot. But I didn’t realize Berglund was so hot.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if you know any other adjective then hot.”

“Oh I do, but there is a child sitting behind me.”

I turned around to see a little blonde boy shouting at the rink, screaming as hard as he could “Go Oshie!” I giggled and turned to the ice, it wouldn’t be too long before Nat disappeared. She always had a way.

Notes

Still not as long as I hoped, but it'll pick up from here!