Welcome to part three. Now the story begins to pick up a little. Enjoy.
Paws naupres@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Remember this story is fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or any personal knowledge about their private lives. And if you are underage go somewhere else, this is not for you and you should wait a few years.
Music Shatters Ice
Music Shatters Ice - Part 3 - Arena/Concert Confrontation
I woke up drowsily not remembering what had happened the previous day, at least for a short while. It turned out that I was awakened by a soft continous pounding on my door, not loud enough to be annoying, but yet just so that it could be heard. Giving a slight groan, I pulled myself into a sitting position and got my legs over the edge of the bed so I could put some shorts on. As soon as I did I stood up and stretched like a cat. Heading to the door I soon opened it and there before me was Terry. He was sitting in the hallway, lightly hitting my door with the palm of his hand looking bored.
"Yes?" I questioned him.
"Your guest needs to be fed breakfast." He said smiling.
I had forgotten that he did not eat his salad last night, especially since he was so entralled with his conversation with Chris.
"You are in college. You can feed yourself. Plus you aren't paying room and board."
He stood from his place and started to drag me down the hallway and to the kitchen.
"You are cooking something for me this morning." He said obviously wanting hot food.
"It's not my fault that you are a hazard in the kitchen everytime you cook." I said dryly.
In fact Terry's nightmares in the kitchen had become legendary in the locker room for the past two years. Until Terry, I never knew someone could make a complete disaster out of breakfast cereal, especially rice krispies. I remember one time when he was spending the night he was too hungry to wait for breakfast and he tried to make himself cereal. Sure he got the box open, but when turning to go get the milk his elbow hit the box and all the cereal went into the dishwater that was soaking dishes. So there was an entire box of smacking and popping sounds viciously echoing through out the house. If you didn't pay attention to the sight, you would have thought the house was on fire.
"I wouldn't be a hazard, if people didn't keep bugging me."
"Face it Terry you can be a clutz at times."
"No. I'm not a clutz." He countered.
The only times when I actually felt that this guy was safe was when he was on the ice. But off the ice he is a walking disaster area. He would need an army of four leaf clovers to protect him.
Reaching the kitchen I looked into the fridge.
"So what does the hazard want this morning?"
"I'll take toast, sausages, and two eggs sunny side up." He said thinking hard enough to bruise a brain cell on such a simple thought.
"Taking a light breakfast?"
"Yes especially with one of my coaches beating me into submission with practice drills. He can be harsh at times."
"And would you like that toast burnt, blackened sausages, and two mashed eggs."
"And although he can be harsh, he has one of the highest intelligences in NCAA ice hockey."
"Um hm." I simply said.
"Jace can I talk to you about something serious." Terry said softly, returning to his Locker Room state of being.
Knowing that voice, I knew this was not a smiling matter.
"Ok, what is this about."
"Last night."
"About Chris?"
"Yes."
"Something happened last night I take it while you were talking."
"Yes. I experienced a comfort level with someone that I never knew was possible."
"So you felt comfortable talking with him for an extended period of time. Why is that awkward?"
"Because it was beyond comfort. I have," Terry paused for long amount of time, causing me to think that this was something that was not easy for him to say, "a crush on Chris."
Bingo, my earlier thought of Terry was in fact true. This six foot, shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes, and gentle faced hockey player was gay. Certainly a rare commodity in the hockey empire. Now I had to handle this carefully, I mean we were the same age so I could be seen as a good friend instead of a constant coach.
"You have a crush on Chris, and what do you want me to do about it?"
"Well I had to tell someone and I know the rest of the guys wouldn't understand."
"So why did you turn to me."
"I don't know. I guess it was your treatment of me. You treat me as a brother would."
"Well I never had one of my own so to speak."
"I'd be proud to be your brother."
He just looked at me and smiled. I continued.
"So would you like to tell your brother anything else about Chris?"
"Yes before tonight. I have always listened to Nsync's music and always thought Chris was cute. But tonight, it was odd to get to know the flesh and blood and not the paper cut out that is photocopied for everyone's use."
"And was he better than the cut out?"
"Yes much. He was so much more handsome and...wait a minute, while we were talking what were you and Lance doing?"
"Huh oh, us. Um, we were just talking. And uh, noticing how cute the both of you looked." I said trying to cover up why we were secluded in the kitchen and not in the living room with them yesterday.
He merely raised an eyebrow at that. I wanted him to think what he wanted, but I couldn't hide anything from him, now that he had confessed to me.
"You want to know the truth?"
"Yes."
"Alright so I thought he did look good."
"Especially for someone who you have had problems already with."
"True. But really what do you want me to do about Chris and you?"
"I want to know about the next time you will be seeing Lance so I can come along."
"Ah so that's what its about. Tagging along to see him."
"Well yeah."
"Next time, I see James I will bring you along."
"Oh I see we have already gone beyond stage names, eh?"
I just turned away to make breakfast.
Today's classes were over, yes I had Sunday classes, and practice time had come fast, I grabbed my clipboard which contained all my newly developed plays and old practice routines. I put on my skates. A new week of me being on the ice and these days were important first games the team has to look good and heavy practices will do that while light practices will make a team look weak and pitiful.
"Everyone's on the ice Jace." Davis called out from the Locker Room.
That was my cue. I'd have the guys to myself for about a little under two hours. Before time is up, Coach Roberts will come in to see how everything is going. Rumor had it a few years ago that Roberts was near to retirement, but with his skill on game day coaching, I wouldn't be surprised to see him here for twenty more years.
As I took the ice, I saw the team lined up and ready. Entering the arena on the other side, I saw two figures come in and sit down on at seat at the top part of the box seats so that they were able to see the entire rink.
"Ok, I thought maybe that we'd start with a few sprints. Blue line to blue line, three round trips. Go."
As they started to go back and forth, I adverted my eyes to take a look at the pair. I saw their heads go back and forth with the movement of the guys. Like two penguins watching a spot on a wall, their necks stretched.
The guys finished and again stood their ground.
"Rolling Thunder." I called out. Most of them immediately started to move. But the new guys had no idea what I was talking about. I guess in yesterday's practice free skate they were not told everything. I called Davis over. "Davis, over here. Tell these guys what Rolling Thunder is."
"Rolling Thunder is a term used to describe the drill pattern of skating around both nets in an oval. And depending on the whistle blows is how fast you go. One for slow, two for fast, and three for top speed. And if you are wondering about the name, you'll understand once you slow down after a top notch skate around."
"Thanks Davis I called out." I put the whistle to my lips and blew once.
They started gliding around the nets. Once they had already gone past one, I put them to the top. I blew three times. They quickly readjusted and like racehorses tore apart the ground, or in this case ice. As they went by me, I could feel the wind against me. I blew the whistle once and they started gliding. But the sound of their top skate was still being heard as it was still echoing through the arena. I noticed the two on the other side of the ice look around them as if it was bearing down on them. I gave them enough time to catch their breath and then blew twice.
After five more minutes of this, I blew the whistle an extra long time. They all came near.
"We are going to work on the five on four power play. I want to get this perfect so that we can take every advantage we can get. First power play unit, you're up."
I watched the way they were setting up the puck for a while.
"No, this will not work. Let's try to pass to center, then pass to either the left or right wing then pass back out once the center gets to one of the face off zones. That should set up a screen enough to get the puck in."
They set up the play again, and I watched the puck passed out to the left wing then back to center and smiled as the puck sailed into the net.
"How'd you know it would work?" Our first string goalie said as he came over to me.
"Sometimes I think I've seen one too many games." I said casually.
I watched as the second string goalie went in to work with the second power play unit. After they finished, I decided it was time for the goalie workout.
"Jane Fonda's Workout." I cried out loud. Once again the new recruits looked at me like I had lost my mind. The second string goalie skated past me and groaned. He hated the practice name.
Our three goalies got in front of me in ready stance, ready for me to tell them which direction the puck was coming from in rapid succession and how to block it.
"Five hole, right slide, left slide, top left, left slide, top right, left slide, right slide, five hole, glove save, sprawl save, five hole, left slide, right slide."
The goalie workouts were usually short, but that's because they practiced with the rest of the team as well. This was more of a cardio workout than anything else. The guys started to wander around aimlessly as I spoke up.
"Time to work on four on five power play killing. I want this to be strong and make up for any mistakes that we will cause during the game. Now, the best way to work is in a diamond pattern for mid-ice, but once in our own zone I want to see a rotating diamond. Remember they still have an extra man, and if you rotate just at the right time, it will be like its five on five. Let's try that and see how it works."
For several minutes they worked trying to get a good rhythm of rotation down. But once they did, nothing was breaking through the defense. Although a puck did bounce off a stick and into the plexi-glass where the two guys were sitting. I laughed a little as I saw it shook them up a bit. I watched again as group after group tried the rotating diamond to much success. I could only think of how well it would hopefully work against North Dakota. It was almost time for coach to come, so I let the guys just skate around and wait for a few seconds. I pulled Terry off to the side and turned around to the skate lobby to where the rest of the team could not see or hear us talking.
"So you see who's sitting in the upper box seats?"
"No who?
"Take a look."
He looked quick and turned around with a small smile on his face.
"Did you know they were coming?"
"Just one of them, but he didn't tell me he was bringing Chris along."
"Oh, I thought you were possibly hiding something from me."
"No. I just thought you'd like to know. Time to get back."
When we got back to the center area of ice, Coach had gathered up the rest of the team and began talking.
"Alright guys, I hope you had a good practice for we need everyone prepared for this weekend when North Dakota comes into town. I know last year we were only a few wins from getting into the NCAA tournament. But this year I see us getting in. With Jace now the permanent assistant coach, I see nothing short of a winning season."
He looked over at me.
What could I do? I just gave a small smile. He continued with his speech.
"When North Dakota comes here they are going to have some left over anger from last season especially after their tournament final loss last year against Boston College. And you know what, they are going to try and take it out on us in our own arena. I don't want us to be embarrassed. I don't want us lost out there. I want us to be focused. I want us to be determined for the task ahead of us. And I want us to be ready for us to capitalize on any mistakes that they happen to make. For North Dakota will not be penalized that often, but when they do. I want to see a goal for us every single time. Now I want to talk about a different subject, fighting. If someone keeps pissing you off on the ice. I don't want you to get in their face and start throwing punches for you better believe that these refs would just love to give a five minute major with a five minute for unsportsmanlike conduct. This year they are strict. If you didn't notice last year they weren't putting up with crap. Less and less they called two minute penalties. That's why Jace has been putting you through these penalty plays."
Looking at his watch coach sighed then looked back up at the guys.
"Tomorrow will be a heavy practice for you guys. I will be conducting it, while Jace tries to get us new plays for five on five and four on four situations. Get a good night's sleep."
Some of the team began to leave, others skated around, while still others stayed to talk with coach for a bit.
I went to the back to take off my skates and grab some paperwork. With my paperwork in hand I headed out of my office and into the Locker Room where I bumped into Terry while he was going into the shower area. As I went by I made a quick statement.
"I'm going to tell him not to wait for you."
He spun around quick at that.
"Wait, don't you dare tell him that. I'll be out in a second."
"Sure you will."
I cruised out there and went around the arena. Normally after practice is over, I go up to the very top of the mezzanine to sit and relax for a bit. Going up the smaller stairs I saw that they were still there across the way, watching what was left of the players on the ice. I decided to make my way over.
Eventually I did make it, after crossing over half of the seven thousand seat arena.
"So I didn't know you were dragging Chris along."
"We met outside the arena. He had an idea similar to mine." James said.
"How did you find out when practice was?" I asked Chris.
"A certain hockey player told me." He responded.
"Oh really." I decided to change the subject. "So what did you think of the practice?" I asked the both of them.
"You certainly drill them and give them a good workout." James said. "But you really look like you know what you are doing."
"I should. I love what I do. It would be hard to give it up." I said looking at the ice.
"I do think you were pushing a couple players a little hard." Chris said taking his eyes off the left over players.
"You think so? I don't know they seemed fine on the ice to me." I said watching Chris' reaction.
"They looked fine." James said. "Chris is just concerned about Terry because of the crush he has on him."
"Scoop!"
"What? He already knows. I told him yesterday. I could tell by your conversation with him and your response to me."
"Other than that, Terry told me this morning that he thought you were handsome Chris."
Chris seemed a little uncomfortable that I knew, but didn't mind for the most part.
"So James, what did you think of my performance on the ice, personally speaking."
He grinned at that, "Personally speaking, I thought you looked real good."
"And its nice to know we had a good looking audience member." I said looking at James.
Giving a quick glance over to Chris, I could tell his mind was working trying to understand the situation. I could see the light bulb finally brighten above his head.
"No. Don't tell me. You two are together?" Chris said.
I was the first to speak up, "Well let's just say we're getting closer but not quite there yet."
"I'd agree to that. Just see what happens. I mean, come on Chris we are still getting to know each other. Just like you and Terry."
"But you and Scoop have run into each other multiple times, literally. Face it, its fate."
I'm a firm believer in fate and that's one thing I couldn't disagree with.
"I cannot deny that, it does seem like fate." I said.
"Yeah, it does." James said.
I saw Terry coming from a few feet away. The ice had finally been cleared of players.
"And here's one of our star players now." I said.
It was obvious that Terry had heard what I said when I saw him blush.
"Hi guys sorry I'm late. I had to get showered and dressed." Terry said trying to fix his jogging pants he was wearing.
"You don't have to go through all that trouble on my account." Chris said smiling, causing Terry to blush once again.
I groaned.
"After all that work, I'm pretty hungry, what about you guys?" I asked.
"How can you be hungry? All you did was bark out orders." Terry snapped back, which was completely out of character.
"Whoa, easy there tiger? What's with the anger attack." I questioned.
"You skate around as hard as we did and then you come back to me and ask about work." He said in a harsh voice I have never heard before.
"As hard as you did? I could stick janitor Bob out there on the ice during game time and he would work harder than you." I said raising my voice to a new gruffness.
"Yeah but janitor Bob doesn't have soft hands like I do." He quipped.
"And by soft hands, you are referring to you and not your puck handling skills." I spat out. That last verbal slice hit him pretty hard. He was always proud of his puck skills, and I had just ripped him up.
He quickly came at me with a fist towards my head. I leaned backwards to avoid him and ended up tripping backwards into the lower row of seats. He tried to come at me again, but Chris jumped on top of him to paralyze his advance. Afterwards he helped Terry to his feet and put him a considerable distance from me. Chris then went over to James and spoke with him for a second. The only information I could get out of their conversation was a nod out of James. Chris went back to Terry and James came in my direction. Leaning over the seat he helped me out of the row and back to a standing position.
"Oh, it looks like you have a large cut on your face." James said pointing to my face.
"How bad is it? I don't remember being cut anytime." I asked.
"It must have been when you fell. You might have scraped it against something. But I think you better clean it up." He said.
I noticed that Chris and Terry were leaving in the other direction.
"Where are they going?"
"They are going to eat alone and give some cooling off distance between you two."
"Alright come on, let's go to the Locker Room and see if the trainer is still there."
I led James down into the dark dungeons of the arena where the Locker Room was located.
"Here we are. Come on in."
There were two or three players left in the Locker Room that I could hear from the trainer's room, but they were on their way out.
"I'm guessing no trainer, right?"
"Yeah he left already." I responded.
I looked in the mirror to see the cut. It was not a cut it was somewhat of a gash. It ran from my right eye down to my chin. I immediately started digging around the room for chemicals. I found what I was looking for. Pure water and Iodine. I quickly washed my face with the water and then really cleaned the cut out with the Iodine. Burn is not the word for the sting. I then took some paper towels and wiped the excess from my face and threw the garbage in the biohazard waste can, where all the blood goes.
"Are you ready to go?" James asked me.
"Go where?"
"Go out and eat. If Chris and Terry are going out, why shouldn't we?"
"Good point." I grabbed my stuff and slung it over my shoulder and left the Locker Room. "Alright, where to now?"
"I don't know. You know the place better than I do."
On such quick notice it was hard trying to think of a place, so I spat out the first thing that popped into my head.
"How about Phil's Diner?" I asked.
"What's Phil's?"
"Phil's is an Italian restaurant that looks like a bar except has a calm and comfortable atmosphere."
"Sounds good, let's go."
We got into my car and hightailed it to Phil's Diner. I knew Phil personally and he was a huge hockey fan. He has never treated me bad, and he has always listened to my problems when I need to talk to someone outside of my family. Getting to Phil's took thirty minutes, but the light conversation getting there made the time fly by. Entering the diner, Phil greeted us.
"Hello Jace. What are you doing here so early? You usually don't come in until later in the evening."
"Yes I know but I brought a friend with me."
"Ah a new recruit?" Phil looked at James sizing him up.
"This guy?" I pointed towards James. "This guy, as far as I know, cannot even stand on skates."
"I can too, but it's staying up that's hard." James answered.
"Well since you have no loyalty to hockey: college, minor, or pros, you get second class service. I'll be back soon." Phil said and then left to the kitchen.
James just gave me an odd look.
"What?" I replied, "Your singing celebrity career won't get you anywhere here."
One way or another he was going to have to be taught that not everything can be given to him on a silver platter.
"Come on let's get ourselves a table." I said and dragged him to one of my favorite corner spots in a booth.
Phil came back out of the kitchen and noticed that we were already seated. He immediately came over.
"You eat spaghetti James?" I asked quickly.
"Yeah, but its a rarity on the road."
"Alright then that's what we'll have."
"You decided what to order Jace." Phil asked.
"Yes, Phil, we'll have the B.O.S." I said.
"And to drink?" He asked again.
"I'll have water. James?"
"Coke."
"I'll be back in a minute." Phil said leaving us alone to talk.
"So what did you just order us?"
"I ordered us a bowl of spaghetti."
"And how big would this bowl be?"
"About three feet long and two feet wide."
"That's a large bowl. Hope it's not expensive."
"No not at all. It's one of their specialties."
Upon having a lull in the conversation I decided to ask a few of my own questions.
"So what brings you here to Michigan anyway?"
"Something about doing a survey on college campus on what we could incorporate into our music to make it more appealing. And in turn make more of a profit."
"Sounds fun."
"It has been extremely boring. We have been here for the past four days and have nothing to show for it."
"Maybe you'll find something soon enough."
"Probably."
"Normally I am a good judge of character. But you seem out of place. Something tells me that you are reserved, but yet you are so open and willing to talk." I had to ask.
"Yeah, normally I don't speak that often. But you it seems like you don't really care about my profession or have respect not to ask. Everyone else asks and its always the same questions over and over. I mean the only thing you have asked me relating in a long distance way is what I am doing here which is a logical question."
"What can I say I'm curious? Especially about a person that is so out of their area."
"Out of my area, what do you mean?"
"I mean coming up to the North, here. This is not even southern Michigan."
"Very true. All I can say is that we are expanding out areas of reach."
Phil brought our steaming spaghetti out and wished us a good meal.
"May I ask you a few questions?" James asked.
"Sure fire away."
"Does your work and college give you any free time for a social life?"
"It depends on what kind of social life you are referring to. If you are talking about drinking: No. But if you are talking about just hanging out with friends or dating, sure I make time."
"Ok, next question. Name three pet peeves of yours."
"Let me think. One, speeders that think they are driving the autobahn. Two, people that don't think in advance when what they say has the ability to hurt someone. And the third and most important. People that are not honest. That is the one that really burns me up inside."
James face was a multitude of emotions when I was talking the first was the look of guilt, the second was of confusion, the third, happiness. When people are eating you can tell a lot about someone. If someone eats fast it usually means that they conserve time, those that eat like a pig don't have a neat gene to keep everything organized, ect. James had an interesting way of eating, it was an organized mess. At least as organized as spaghetti can be. He made it so that he would not have to use a napkin to wipe his lips. I on the other hand ate like a neat freak on speed.
"Slow down or you are going to end up choking on that." James said before he stuffed his mouth full again.
I was about to ask a question, but all the food in my mouth kept my words in. So James swallowed his and asked another question.
"Do you ever think you had found real love in the past?"
"Truthfully, no. In the past I never met anyone that would cause me to change my plans about anything."
"What about me? Would you change your plans for me?"
"You? I'd say I'd definitely give you a try and change it for you."
"Would you like to prove it?"
"How?"
"There's a show on TV that I want you to watch with me tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow?"
"Please say yes."
"Alright. What is this show?"
James didn't say anything at first.
"Come on James I have to know what I'm watching." I stated.
"The Miss United States Pageant." He said softly.
"Oh is that on tomorrow? I had no clue, I've been looking forward to that. It's the only time of the year that all fifty states get to battle it out for bragging rights of who is the best state in the Union."
"I have never met anyone who thought the same as I did on the Miss United States Pageant."
"So where are we going to watch it at?"
"I want to drag you back to the hotel with me. The rest of the guys watch it as well. I got them involved into it, and now every year it becomes a game where we pick the states we want to win, based on anything. Usually from where we were born, but some of us have been known to go beyond those boundaries."
"Since there is only one hotel in the area I can pretty much guess where you are staying. But will the other guys be bothered by you bringing someone along?"
"No they won't care at all. Do you think you will have a problem with security outside the hotel? Getting in, I mean."
"No problem there." I stated simply.
James just gave me a glance that told me he didn't believe me. We would see who would win this little skirmish.
By the time we finished eating and talking it was five thirty. I drove James back to his hotel and found my way home. When I got there it looked empty and uninviting. Going in, I went to the couch and sat down. I thought that maybe I should go to my parent's house and stay in my bedroom over there, but thought against it. I didn't feel like face to face confrontations with Zelda and Chance. Instead I picked up my literature book and began reading the selection I was required to read for that day.
The reading as it turned out did not last long, ten minutes to read a few pages. Getting up, I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water out of the fridge. I wondered if I should call Terry to see how he was, but I didn't want to disturb the rest of the players who he was staying with. That's me almost totally selfless. I went back into the living room and turned on the TV. I quickly found a movie and watched it for a while. I really must have been tired for that's the last thing I remembered before I fell asleep. The flickering of the television light and the VCR clock reading 7:23.