~KIMBERLY’S POV~
A week later we are all called in the arena and seated on the seats. During this week, my relationship with Minnesotans has progressed and now I can say they are like my brothers. The one I spend the most of the time talking to, is no one else than Neal.
“Who do you think will be sent home? Neal asks me while we wait for coach Brooks to announce names on the roster. I quickly glance over the guys and lean to him.
“I hope O’Callahan will have to leave…”
“Hate to tell you that, but he is a great player. And I really doubt he’d be thrown off the roster.”
“But he is an asshole!”
“A very talented asshole, you must give him that.”
Unwillingly, I admit he is right. Jack is hell of a good player and he knows what he is doing on the ice. Not to mention, from what I had a chance to see during this one-week tryouts, he is willing to fight for his teammate. Probably coaches won’t care how much of an asshole he is, the only thing that will matter is his ability to play, to control the puck, the game.
“I guess you are right. He is. But so are the other guys, what is so special about him?”
“Well, you did see him on the tryouts. He is fast and plays a great defense.”
“But so do the others!” I exclaim a bit too loudly, making few of the guys turn around, including Jack.
Our gazes meet and his eyes remain locked with mine for a second too long before his lips curve into a smile with which he is promising me hell if I make the team. I furrow my eyebrows and return him a grin.

The chattering stops as soon as Coach Patrick and Doc walk in and stop beneath us. Coach Patrick takes a piece of paper in his hands and starts reading names.
“Hughes, Ross, Auge, Delich, Horsch, Strobel, Christoff, Morrow, Suter, Ramsey, Janaszak, Christian, Pavelich, Verchota, Baker, Harrington, Schneider, O'Callahan, McClanahan, Silk, Johnson, Craig, Cox, Eruzione. And that's the roster for now. The rest of you thanks for coming out.”
I can feel Neal’s hand on my shoulder and Jack’s grin on me. Well…at least I tried. I didn’t expect to make the team anyway…

~JACK’S POV~
A week passes and my desire to show that girl that she has nothing to do here is growing stronger and stronger. I don’t care how good she is, and I am telling you, she moves puck so quick is hard to see it, she has nothing to do here.

I sit with the rest of guys from Boston University and chat loudly, but my mind is occupied with concerns of not making the team. Regardless what I said, I want this. Just like everybody else. What I said earlier about this not being important… guess I lied to myself in case I don’t make it.
The entire room sinks in silence when Coach Patrick and our doc walk in, coach holding a piece of paper. When he is sure he has everyone’s attention, he starts reading the names of the players off of it.
“Hughes, Ross, Auge, Delich, Horsch, Strobel, Christoff, Morrow, Suter, Ramsey, Janaszak, Christian, Pavelich, Verchota, Baker, Harrington, Schneider, O'Callahan, McClanahan, Silk, Johnson, Craig, Cox, Eruzione. And that's the roster for now. The rest of you thanks for coming out.”
Huge burden falls of my shoulders as I hear my name being called. I really made the team and the next step is to stay on it. To make it to the Olympics. But her name isn’t called. I look over to where she is sitting and I see one of the guys from Minnesota holding her shoulder. Part of me wanted her to make the team, just to get my revenge, but the biggest part of me never wanted a girl to join the team, no matter how good she is. I grin at her and turn away from her afterwards to congratulate the rest of the guys who made the team and accept congratulations from those who didn’t. Once again I look at her and shrug my shoulders with a sly grin on my face, which fades when I see how broken she looks. That Broten guy has his arm around her shoulders, apparently trying to calm her down. Okay, I will admit, I feel sorry for her, she seems like she really wished this.

~NEAL’S POV~
Seeing her crying broke me even though I’ve known her barely for a week. It is obvious she wanted this bad and that makes it even worse. She buries her head in a crook of my neck, soft sobs escaping her lips, and I pull her closer.
“Come on, don’t let this discourage you. You are an excellent player, but we are talking about playing against the best players. You are a hell of a great player, but that doesn’t mean you can handle the pressure of playing men hockey.”
“I-I really wanted this.”
“I know you did. But you will come to our games, right?”
“I will. I would never miss a game,” she wipes tears off her cheeks and stands up to leave. In that moment Herb speaks from the top of the stands: “"Take a good look, gentlemen, cause they're the ones getting off easy. We're putting a few of you on reserve in case somebody gets injured or their game goes to hell. Final roster will have 20 names on it in seven months so more of you are going home. You give 99 percent, you make my job very, very easy. I'll be your coach, I won't be your friend. If you need one of those, take it up with Doc or Coach Patrick."
While talking he gets to the front row of the stands and looks up again: “And one more thing. Is Kimberly Mayfield still here?”
Her head jolts up and she wipes the remaining traces of tears: “I am here.”

~KIMBERLY’S POV~
“And one more thing. Is Kimberly Mayfield still here?” Herb’s voice rings through my ears and I lift my head up. Before answering, I wipe the traces of tears off my cheeks and say loudly: “I am here.”
“Thank god. You should’ve been on that roster. My bad.”
With no further explanation, he puts down stack of papers and walks out of the arena. I look at Neal and whisper, still in shock: “I made the team, Neal. I am the first girl who has ever made it into men’s national hockey team.”
“Almost on the team, just like the rest of us. Anyone of us can be sent home soon.”
I playfully punch his arm, relieved by the fact I am one of the twenty-seven names on the current roster: “Aren’t ya just a ray of sunshine?”
“I am being realistic here,” he chuckles and drapes his arm around my shoulders once again, pulling me to his chest.
“Nope, you are being pessimistic,” I laugh quietly. He chuckles quietly and unwraps his arm from around me: “A bit of both. Maybe. But congratulations, Kimberly.”
“Kim. I prefer being called Kim.”
“So we will call you Kim.”

All of us get up and go to coach Patrick and Doc, where we take a stack of paper, which form a test Herb made for us. On my way out, someone stops me. I turn around and see Buzzy smiling behind my back: : “Congratulations, Kim. Hey, would you like to join us tonight? We are thinking of going out and since you made the team…you should join us.”
For a second I don’t know what to say, no guy has ever asked me to hang out with him and his friends, especially if they knew each other from before.
“So, yes or no?”
“I’d love to join you. Thanks, Buzzy. But are you sure you want me to join you?”
“Of course! We are a team now and beside that, you are a great person to hang out with.”
“Then I’d be glad to join you. Again, thanks for inviting me.”
“No problem. We’ll be leaving around eight o’clock…will you be ready by then?”
“Of course I’ll be, getting ready doesn’t take that much, ya know?”
Buzzy dares to look at me surprised: “I thought it takes ages.”
“Shut up,” I laugh and punch his arm before turning my head just to see Jack staring at me. Again. Man, he really has a problem with me being here, doesn’t he?

~JACK’S POV~
“And one more thing. Is Kimberly Mayfield still here?” Herb asks and my head jolts up as I look at him. Her quiet voice rings from behind my back and I switch my attention between her and Herb.
“I am here,” she says loudly, but it’s clear she was crying. The shakiness of her voice gave her away even if I didn’t see her cry and sob into Broten’s chest.
“Thank god. You should’ve been on that roster. My bad.”
Great. So a chick really made the team. Let’s see how she will be able to live with guys for the rest seven months…
“She actually made the team,” Coxy leans down and whispers to my ear. I look up at him and grin: “She’s gonna regret coming here. A girl has nothing to do on the tryouts for men’s Olympic team, end of discussion.”
“And that has absolutely nothing to do with her telling you to get lost a week ago?”
“That’s the reason she’s gonna regret it. I made my promise and I am sticking to it. No one has ever told me to get lost and got away with it.”
Coxy rolls his eyes slightly: “Dude, she is a girl…”
“So? She plays hockey with guys, she will have to deal with it.”
“Ya really can’t get over it? Hey, listen, wanna go out later? A little Boston hangout?”
“Yeah, sure, you know me. Always in the mood to go out. Boston hangout you say? We should ask Rizzo and Silky to join us.”
“Great idea. Let’s ask them on our way out.”

As soon as we step out of the building, the team separates. Minnesotans and the girl walk away, but I see her look at me once again. Mockingly, I give her thumbs up and continue glaring daggers at her until Schneider puts his arm around her shoulder, looks back and says something to her, making her look away from me.
“Oi, Jack!” Kenny Morrow waves as he walks out with another guy from Bowling Green, Mark Wells.
“Congratulations, Ken! And Mark, right? Congratulations to both of you.”
“Jack O’Callahan, right?” Mark smiles and shakes my hand. With a small smile, I return him a handshake: “You guys going out tonight?”
“Probably not. That was the most hard-working week of my life,” Mark answers and looks at Ken: “What about you?”
“Nah, I am going to my room and call few people to let them know I made the team.”
“Including Judith?” Mark laughs and smacks his friend’s arm. Ken notices my surprised gaze and explains: “My girlfriend. She has been supporting me all this time and I want to know her.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Well, we met in a first year of University, but started dating about a year ago. What about you?”
“Dating is not really my thing. Takes too much time.”
“You’ll change your mind when the right girls come around. Trust me. Hey, Jack, see you later.”
“Tomorrow at the practice?”
“Tomorrow at the practice. Don’t drink too much,” Morrow winks and fixes his hockey bag before him and Mark walk away.
Soon after Coxy, Rizzo and Silky come out, all of them carrying those tests in their hands.
“How come you are already out? You are always the last one out of the locker room…”
“Well, we didn’t have to change, just take our bags and sticks. You three chatterboxes made a rocket science out of it.”
“Hey, it’s not our fault you are the grumpiest one of us,” Silky rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, we talked with other guys a bit. Those guys from Minnesota are actually pretty cool.”
“Did you really say that? Did- Did he really say that?” I ask Coxy and Silky.
“He did and it’s true, they are nice guys.”
“Seriously? Are you guys okay, did you hit your head? Those are our rivals and the girl hangs out with them.”
“OC…we are not rivals anymore, we are the part of the same team now.”
“Yeah, right, as you say. Is Jimmy still in there?”
In the next moment Jimmy walks out, apparently in a deep conversation with the other goaltender, Steve Janaszak.
“Hey, Jimmy, over here!” Rizzo calls him and waves his hand. Jimmy stops and has few more words with Steve before they say their goodbyes and he joins us: “Congratulations, guys. Guess there will be few guys from the BU.”
“But did you see how many guys from Minnesota did he pick? Ya think he’d treat us differently?”
“Highly doubt. He seems like a fair guy who makes no differences,” Silk smiles lightly and shifts his bodyweight from one leg to another: “It’s getting pretty cold. And late. When did you plan to meet? Eight o’clock? Seven o’clock?”
“Maybe about seven? So we won’t be out for too long, I don’t want to have a hangover on a practice,” Coxy chuckles and does the same thing like Silk did, shifts his bodyweight on one leg.
“Seven sounds great. OC?”
“Let’s make it seven. Oh, Silky, did you see, we are roommates.”
“Really? That’s great, sharing a room with you sounds fun.”
“Oh, trust me, it is fun. So…at seven at the hotel entrance?”
“Sounds great. Come on, let’s head back, my legs need a break.”

All five of us head back to the hotel near Broadmoor World Arena where we spent the last week on the ice, chatting and discussing who could possibly make the final roster. Even though I don’t say that out loud, I have a feeling Rizzo will be the one to get cut. I don’t know why, but he just seemed like he didn’t have his head in the game. Well, I hope he does make it so that girl can go home where she belongs in the first place.

Notes