AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

The siren spins bright red as the blue team celebrates in front of the net.

Kale stares out at the celebration in distress. “Or not.”

“ARUGH!” Brett throws the board’s door open and stalks into the bench. “It’s the beginning of the last period and they just score off the bat!” He sits next to the defenceman and leans his visor against the shaft of his stick. “I. HATE. THIS.”

Meanwhile on the other side, Kailer waltzes to the American bench. “Isn’t it lovely to score so quick and squash the hopes of your enemies?” He plops himself on the bench next to Jake and shoots him a delightful grin. “It’s lovely to me!”

Jake, on the other hand, is staring out at the Canadian bench with a dejected expression. “Ohhh Brett…”

The small skater swiftly slaps his padded arm. “Don’t mind him, it’s all about the USA here, Oettinger!”

Jake whirls to him with an elated expression. “I’m happy!” His face immediately drops. “But I’m sad.”

Kailer knits his eyebrows at him in perplexity. “You’re exhibiting symptoms of a bipolar condition?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not a polar bear! I have canine physiology!” He then lets out a bark: “Ruff!”

Kailer narrows his eyes at him. “You don’t get it…”

“Get what?”

Kailer faces the ice. “Nothing.”

Jake then resorts back to longingly gazing at his friend. “Oh, Brett…”

On the ice, the play is stopped for a Canadian to be penalized.

Brett gawks at his teammate stepping into the penalty box in shock. “Not again!”

Kale climbs over the boards and sits next to Brett. “Yup, it’s happening again.”

Carter narrows his eyes at the Americans setting up for the face-off against his team. “If they get another power play goal…”

“...I am going to blow up,” Brett finishes off sharply.

Carter whirls to him with knitted eyebrows as the play begins. “Not what I was going for, but I guess that works too.”

Kale places his glove on Brett’s padded shoulder. “Well, get a shorthanded goal. It’s your time to shine.”

Brett stands up with determination. “I will get a shorthanded goal.” He then slides over the boards and hops onto the ice.

Yet a few moments later, the Americans score.

Brett promptly glides back to the Canadian bench with an irritated expression. “Did I already show my hatred toward this game? Because if I hadn’t, I hate it.” He roughly climbing over the boards. “I HATE IT.” He thrusts his stick against the shelf behind the boards and sits down on the bench with an intense scowl.

Kale gazes at him with pity. “You had your chance.”

“Shut it, Claguer.”

He shrugs. “Fine, I’m leaving.” He then stands up and exits the bench.

Carter reads the scoreboard with horror. “Six to three… We’re getting creamed!” He buries his face in his hands.

Brett glares at him from the corner of his eyes. “Nooo…,” he resentfully lets out.

From the American bench, Jake is staring out at his bestie’s sulking state in pure downheartedness through the glass. “Brett’s so sad… I have to comfort him. It’s hurting me too…” He glances out at the ice, spotting Kailer determinedly zooming around.

Jake then turns back to Brett and begins leaning forward toward the edge of the glass. “I’m going to see if I can go over to him—”

“Where’re you going, Oettinger?” Kailer’s voice snaps next to him.

Jake immediately pulls away into his proper position and lets out a whimper of guilt.

Kailer stares at him while standing next to him. “Stay…”

He stays still while looking away, avoiding eye contact with the winger.

“...good.” Kailer sits down on the bench next to him. “And don’t move.” He points to the stool Jake is sitting on. “This is your spot. Nowhere else is your spot.”

“But Brett’s sad…,” Jake murmurs with sad eyes on his bestie.

“Let him wallow in his misery, he’s losing!” He flicks a careless hand at him. “It’s normal.” He then pridefully places his hand on his chest. “We, on the other hand, are winning, so rejoice!” He throws his hands in the air. “Be happy!” He jabs a finger at his padded chest. “You are on the winning team.”

Jake whirls to him with lit-up eyes. “Yeah!” He then quickly turns back to his bestie, his face falling again. “But Brett.”

Kailer lets out a loud sigh of frustration. His eyes trail off onto the ice, spotting an undesirable situation occurring in the game: the Canadians are surrounding the American net with the puck.

“Wait…” Kailer straightens up and leans toward the boards to get a better view. “...no, no, no, nooo—”

The sirens go off as the gloved hands of the Canadians are thrown into the air in celebration.

Brett shoots up to his blades with thrill. “YES! YES! WE SCORED!” He whirls to Carter, who has also stood up, and shakes his shoulders. “WE’RE ALIVE HA-HAAA!!!”

Kale glides past the two as he receives fist-bumps from them. “Don’t lose hope. We just need two more goals to tie it!”

Carter peers up at the scoreboard with a hopeful look. “Six to four. Yes!”

“Well then—” Brett pushes the board’s door open. “—let’s start cranking up those goals!” He then launches off onto the ice.

Kale steps into the bench, closes the door behind him, and sits next to the goalie.

He peers up at him with raised eyebrows. “Hanging in there, Carter?”

Carter is back on his stool; he has a weary expression on the ice. “Yeah…” He slowly faces him. “Do you think we’re really gonna catch up?”

Kale nods his head. “I have a feeling. I hope.” He peers up at the scoreboard, witness its time ticking down by the second. “We still got time.”

With that, the Canadians strike back with another goal!

“Are you kidding me?” Kailer bellows from the bench. “This is outrageous!”

On the other hand, Kale and Carter stand up with excitement. “YES!!!”

“I assisted...!” Brett sonorously singsongs as he receives fist-bumps from his teammates. “Six to five, one more point for OT, baby!” He slips over the boards and sits next to Kale. “I did my job, now you do yours!” He gives him a smirk.

Kale narrows his eyes at him playfully. “You didn’t score.”

Brett leans closer to him. “I assisted. Now get out there and do your thing!” He slaps his back with his free hand. “Give us some points, Claguer!”

“Okay, okay!” Kale then stands up and climbs onto the ice.

Brett throws his head back and lets out a holler: “WOOO!” He stares out at the ice. “I AM PUMPED!”

The play starts and quickly ends with an American penalty.

Brett gazes at the ice while holding his breath in anticipation. “We can score,” he starts off quietly, “a POWER PLAY GOAL!”

“Yes,” Carter exclaims after him, “this is our chance!”

Yet the Americans achieve the penalty kill and the lines are changed.

Kale slips into the bench as Brett hops onto the ice.

“At least the US didn’t score,” Kale comments blankly at the ice.

Carter gawks at him with a hand out toward the ice. “But that was an opportunity wasted!”

The defenceman whirls to him. “Hey, I did my job. I defended.” He nods toward the ice. “Now we’ll see if the forwards can do their jobs with just one more goal.”

The goalie slowly nods his head as he turns back toward the ice. “One more goal, just one more goal…”

“Incoming!”

Carter peers up as he spots Dylan, his goalie partner, scramble into the benches through the board’s doorway.

He gazes at him with bewilderment. “Wait—empty net?”

Dylan removes his helmet after putting down his gloves and stick. He nods behind him toward the empty net. “Yep.”

Kale’s eyes light up at the strategy. “Great! We do need an extra attacker!”

Brett then jumps over the boards and settles next to him. “It’s all yours, Claguer.”

Kale stands up with a roll of his eyes. “Now I’m like the goalie.” He slips over the boards and skates off.

Carter peers down at the forward. “No luck?”

Brett shakes his head with pursed lips. “I’m trying.”

“Try harder,” Dylan blurts out.

Brett glares at him. “We all have to try harder—”

Suddenly, the eruptions of cheers from the audience and bench next to them are heard. The Canadians freeze at the heart-dropping signal.

Kailer flies up to his blades with his gloved hands in the air. “YES, YES, YES, YES!!! USA FOR THE WIN!!!” He holds his fist out to give fist-bumps to his teammates.

“We’re gonna win!” Jake hollers excitedly as he gives fist pumps as well. He cranes his head back and lets out a bark: “Ruff!”

Kailer throws his arms around the towering goalie in delight. “I am so proud to be an American!” He pulls away with his hands on his arms. “Red white and blue for life!”

Kale warily halts in front of his stumped teammates. He stares at the celebrating opponents with them in silence.

“Welp,” Dylan starts off matter-of-factly, “I guess they need me again.” He slips his helmet back on, collects his gloves and stick, and pushes himself back onto the ice.

With a glower, Brett follows him back onto the ice.

Kale slips by him to enter the benches and sits down. He peers up at the scoreboard, spotting the crushing score of five to seven and the mere seconds left for the game.

He then lets out a dejected sigh and turns longingly at the ice. “I guess that’s it.”

Carter responds by dipping his head into his hands.

Notes

E.8 "The Game of Juniors"
Part 7/8
Episode 8/10