trainer’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Trevor held a plastic bag full of ice. “Sit on this table and let me look it over.” He started probing the elbow with his fingers.
“Looks like a fairly nice bruise,” Trevor mused. “Weird place to get hurt, though. Your elbow pad must have shifted, ’cause it’s usually well protected there. Are your pads too small?”
Charlie flushed and lowered his eyes. This was going to sound lame. “I … I lost my elbow pads somehow. Don’t know … maybe at the last practice.”
“You didn’t have elbow pads at practice?” Trevor practically shouted.
Charlie smiled weakly. “I wrapped some socks around my arm. Guess it wasn’t that effective.”
Trevor’s mouth scrunched to one side. “Not the smartest thing to do. Don’t think you did any serious damage, fortunately. Ice your elbow on the way back to the dorm and I’ll bring some more ice for tonight. Mightbe uncomfortable tomorrow, but you’ll live.”
He handed the bag of ice over, then snapped his fingers and pointed at him like he was holding a gun. “Check the lost and found. It’s by the front doors. Guys are always losing stuff. It’s amazing anyone shows up with equipment on at all.”
“Sure. Thanks, Trevor. I’ll go right now.”
“If you don’t find anything, let me know and I’ll see about hunting down an extra pair.”
Charlie thanked him again. He pressed the ice bag against his elbow. The cold felt good. The lost and found was right by the door. Like Trevor had said, there was tons of stuff. A hockey sweater was draped across the top. He tossed it aside — and had to stop himself from yelling out loud. Two elbow pads were sitting on top. He picked them up to take a closer look. That was weird. They looked like his. He looked closer, and had to shake his head twice before accepting that they were his. How had he lost them?
Talk about luck.
He adjusted the ice bag in his hand — well, maybe not that lucky.
At least he had all his equipment again. He raced back to the dressing room and popped his elbow pads into his bag.
9
OBSTACLE ILLUSION
Charlie thrust his fist into the pouch of his sweatshirt and pulled his hood up. Nick and Scott had their hoods up too.
“This wind is brutal,” Charlie said. “Aren’t summers supposed to be warm?”
“Can’t believe we had to go for a jog at nine in the morning,” Nick said.
They entered a forest.
Scott rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving. You think we’re going for a picnic?”
Charlie was slightly ahead of his friends, and saw what was next. “I see an obstacle course in our future, dudes.”
They gave a mock cheer.
Tweet
.
“Run it in, gentlemen,” Jen yelled. “Welcome to the obstacle course. I trust you enjoyed your run this morning.” A few guys answered with a chorus of boos. Jen arched an eyebrow and continued. “Please divideinto two groups — one on the right and the other on the left. We’ll go continuous on the course until I see you’ve worked up a sweat.” She pulled her hat down close to her eyes “So let’s go hard. It’s good for you.” No one laughed at her joke, and she sighed. “I suppose it is a touch early for humour. But this is going to be great, I promise; and if I’m in a good mood, we might have a challenge match between the teams.”
Jen blasted her whistle and the two guys in the front took off, Corey being one of them. Scott was joking around with Pete and Jared. Jake was holding court with Zane and a few guys from Teams 1 and 2. Charlie decided to take a page from their book. He’d be with these guys for two weeks, and the least he could do was try to make some friends. Behind him a short, broad-shouldered guy was staring off into the forest, a left winger named Richard.
“How’d the run go?” he said.
Richard turned slowly towards him. “It went.”
“Hard to get motivated so early in the morning.”
“I guess.”
“Were you here last
“Come in.”
Trevor held a plastic bag full of ice. “Sit on this table and let me look it over.” He started probing the elbow with his fingers.
“Looks like a fairly nice bruise,” Trevor mused. “Weird place to get hurt, though. Your elbow pad must have shifted, ’cause it’s usually well protected there. Are your pads too small?”
Charlie flushed and lowered his eyes. This was going to sound lame. “I … I lost my elbow pads somehow. Don’t know … maybe at the last practice.”
“You didn’t have elbow pads at practice?” Trevor practically shouted.
Charlie smiled weakly. “I wrapped some socks around my arm. Guess it wasn’t that effective.”
Trevor’s mouth scrunched to one side. “Not the smartest thing to do. Don’t think you did any serious damage, fortunately. Ice your elbow on the way back to the dorm and I’ll bring some more ice for tonight. Mightbe uncomfortable tomorrow, but you’ll live.”
He handed the bag of ice over, then snapped his fingers and pointed at him like he was holding a gun. “Check the lost and found. It’s by the front doors. Guys are always losing stuff. It’s amazing anyone shows up with equipment on at all.”
“Sure. Thanks, Trevor. I’ll go right now.”
“If you don’t find anything, let me know and I’ll see about hunting down an extra pair.”
Charlie thanked him again. He pressed the ice bag against his elbow. The cold felt good. The lost and found was right by the door. Like Trevor had said, there was tons of stuff. A hockey sweater was draped across the top. He tossed it aside — and had to stop himself from yelling out loud. Two elbow pads were sitting on top. He picked them up to take a closer look. That was weird. They looked like his. He looked closer, and had to shake his head twice before accepting that they were his. How had he lost them?
Talk about luck.
He adjusted the ice bag in his hand — well, maybe not that lucky.
At least he had all his equipment again. He raced back to the dressing room and popped his elbow pads into his bag.
9
OBSTACLE ILLUSION
Charlie thrust his fist into the pouch of his sweatshirt and pulled his hood up. Nick and Scott had their hoods up too.
“This wind is brutal,” Charlie said. “Aren’t summers supposed to be warm?”
“Can’t believe we had to go for a jog at nine in the morning,” Nick said.
They entered a forest.
Scott rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving. You think we’re going for a picnic?”
Charlie was slightly ahead of his friends, and saw what was next. “I see an obstacle course in our future, dudes.”
They gave a mock cheer.
Tweet
.
“Run it in, gentlemen,” Jen yelled. “Welcome to the obstacle course. I trust you enjoyed your run this morning.” A few guys answered with a chorus of boos. Jen arched an eyebrow and continued. “Please divideinto two groups — one on the right and the other on the left. We’ll go continuous on the course until I see you’ve worked up a sweat.” She pulled her hat down close to her eyes “So let’s go hard. It’s good for you.” No one laughed at her joke, and she sighed. “I suppose it is a touch early for humour. But this is going to be great, I promise; and if I’m in a good mood, we might have a challenge match between the teams.”
Jen blasted her whistle and the two guys in the front took off, Corey being one of them. Scott was joking around with Pete and Jared. Jake was holding court with Zane and a few guys from Teams 1 and 2. Charlie decided to take a page from their book. He’d be with these guys for two weeks, and the least he could do was try to make some friends. Behind him a short, broad-shouldered guy was staring off into the forest, a left winger named Richard.
“How’d the run go?” he said.
Richard turned slowly towards him. “It went.”
“Hard to get motivated so early in the morning.”
“I guess.”
“Were you here last
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