Figuring it Out

T W E N T Y - O N E | P U C K B U N N I E S

Puck Bunnies: A young female hockey fan, especially one motivated more by a desire to meet the players than by an interest in hockey.

Xavier dragged his feet towards the locker room with a mixture of anger, frustration and annoyance. In the first game of the World Junior's his team lost with a combined score of 8-2 to fucking Slovakia.

It was pathetic.

Wearing the Canadian flag on the jersey meant something to Xavier. He represented an entire country, there were children cheering him on from around the world. This was the big stage, a chance to prove himself further. It was disgraceful to lose with such a terrible score to fucking Slovakia-a country very much not that known for hockey.

There was silence as the rest of his teammates entered the locker room and finally, his coach.

"That was not what we were hoping for," the coach began and Xavier nearly snorted. "But this is just the beginning, there are more games to be played. Don't give up hope and keep you eye on the prize. Do whatever you need to do to shake off this loss but remember, practice is at eleven tomorrow."

And with that, the coach left the locker room. Xavier looked around the room but didn't know what to say. He wasn't that comfortable with the guys. Normally on the London Knights, after a terrible loss, they would often go for a drink and forget about their worries. Here, it seemed nobody wanted to do that.

Retrieving his phone, Xavier made a quick decision to call Rosaura. She would surely brighten his day. They had spoken briefly on Christmas but then she had to go practice and help her mom with prepping for their dinner. Xavier was equally busy making sure that Brea did not burn anything. They simply wished each other a good Christmas before hanging up the phone. It was one of their shortest conversations, but Xavier really wanted to talk to her now.

He dialed her number with but there was no response. He tried multiple times before giving up and placed his phone down on top of his stall.

"Dude, you want to hang out?" One of his teammates, Ronald asked.

Xavier cocked an eyebrow towards him questioningly.

"A bunch of us rented out a house so we could hang out after the games." Ronald explained. He grimaced. "We were hoping for a win but even with a loss, it's better to hang out that be moody right?"

Xavier didn't know what to say. He glanced down at his blank phone screen before making up his mind. He didn't feel like being alone and analyzing the game. Hanging out with the other guys would help to make a stronger bond that would hopefully translate on to the ice.

"Sure, text me the address and I'll be there."

Ronald nodded and that was the end of their conversation.

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When Xavier hopped out of the Uber, he realized there had been a huge misunderstanding between him and Ronald. Xavier thought he would be going to a quiet house with a few beers and maybe play a few games of poker. The boys would discuss the game or even play a few rounds of Call of Duty. What he was not expecting was the massive house with cars lined around the driveway. Clearly, more than just teammates had been invited to this party.

Xavier thought about leaving the scene and going back to his hotel room but before he could, the door swung open and Ronald stood on the other side.

"Glad you could make it man." He said before gathering his hand into a quick handshake.

"I didn't quite imagine a party like this." Xavier answered warily as he took in the scene behind the defenseman.

There were cups littered all over the floor. Loud music was playing in the background and there were girls everywhere. Xavier was certain that half of them were puck bunnies but he didn't say anything as Ronald led him deeper into the house. He gave Xavier a drink and Xavier took a small sip to test it out.

"This is terrible." He said.

Ronald laughed. "Well half of the guys are in it for the drinks while the other half are here for the girls."

Just as Ronald finished the sentence, a blonde came and wrapped her arms around the defenseman. Her fingers—painted a bright red, dug into his friend's shoulders but Ronald just gave him a knowing wink.

Xavier smiled uncomfortable as another girl made her way towards him, with similar blonde hair. They were twins, he realized.

"Hey hotshot, want some company?" she said in a sultry voice.

Xavier stepped away from her carefully. "I'm sorry, I have a girlfriend."

She pouted. "No fair, how about we take a picture instead."

Xavier didn't want to take a picture with her but before he could say anything, she tugged him close to her breast and snapped a quick one. "Thanks cutie, if you ever dump your girlfriend, feel free to give me a call."

Xavier was appalled by her behaviour but at least she left him alone. He turned to Ronald who was smiling at the exchange.

"I forgot you had a girlfriend, isn't she some skater or something?"

Xavier nodded. "Yeah, she's in Vancouver right now preparing for her competition."

"Man, I don't know how you do it. I've see the videos and its hard not to get jealous of the bond she had with that man..."

"Val," Xavier supplied.

Ronald nodded. "Those two seem tight, half of the time they look like they are in love on the ice."

Xavier didn't say anything. He didn't want Ronald to see his fears. Yes, Rosaura was with him, but she spent more time with Val. The two of them were training partners both on and off the ice. He had a hidden fear that one day, Rosaura would choose Val over him, but he would not admit that to anyone.

Ronald swung an arm over his shoulder. "If you're not in it for the girls, man have a drink and relax."

He pushed another cup towards Xavier and he dutifully drank it. His head was spinning as the alcohol streamed his body. And that's when he decided to fuck it. He drank and drank to escape that loss, the loneliness and the jealousy. 

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Oh no. Drinking can lead to a lot of problems afterwards especially if you don't remember what happened ;) Please vote and drop a comment. This story only has 3 chapters remaining. :(