Monday, April 13, 2020

Clear as Ice - Hockey Fiction Prompt Fifteen

Previous entries: 
Hilariously, I am going back to counting by prompt. Note: Post has been edited to correct counting. 
Prompt one - which includes what's happening and a link to the person who started this idea, Prompt two, Prompt three, Prompt four, Prompt five, Prompt six, Prompt seven, Prompt eight, Prompt nine, Prompt ten, Prompt eleven, Prompt twelve, Prompt thirteen, Prompt fourteen.   

Al and Mulvenna both suited up for practice even though the plan was for Al to play tonight.  Since two goalies had to suit up, it was easier for the goalie coach to run them both through a quick routine on one side of the ice, while the folks shooting pucks stuck to the other side.  It was more workout than practice, since the game itself would provide all the practice. 

After the players all showered and were reminded what time they needed to be at the stadium for the game and were sent on their way. 

"So," Spruce said, "I found like the best place to have lunch. We should all go." 

Al knew the we was really just Kunyk and Mulvenna.  Spruce would and had likely already texted the whole team about this place, but the players tended to stick to their sub groups on the road.  
Mulvenna was right behind them and nodded when Al looked.  "Did you already text Kunyk?' he asked.

They turned the corner in the hallway and Kunyk was standing right there, looking like a freaking hockey poster. 

"I did," Spruce said. 

"I'm so hungry," Kunyk said. 

"Did you skip breakfast?"  Mulvenna asked. 

They walked outside.  "Are we walking or driving?" Al asked. 

"We can walk."  Spruce said leading the way. 

The restaurant Spruce had picked looked kind of like a sports bar.  It was a good sign.  Spruce sometimes went a little more esoteric with his picks.  Nothing he'd ever selected had been terrible, other than the one place that turned out to only do raw food.  They had all gotten a snack after that.  The challenge was often finding something that was open, near enough to the stadium that they didn't have to worry about being too far away, but offering a wider selection than if they had just gone back to the hotel to eat. 

They ate enough hotel food anyway.  After tonight's game, they were going to check in at the next stop too late to have any other options.  

After they made their orders, Kunyk and Spruce started sharing pictures they had taken with the team dog.  Al looked over at Mulvenna.  "I listened to that podcast.  Just two episodes though.  Not gonna make a habit of it, but you were right, it's pretty cool." 

"Did you listen to my appearance?"

"I did.  And well, I already knew you talked to your goal posts, but man dd you have to tell like everybody about that?" 

"You talk to your goal posts?" Spruce asked. 

"Oh," Kunyk said, "that's not even close to the weirdest goalie thing I've ever heard."

"Well," Mulvenna said, "I'm so glad that's what we're going to talk about today, and not say, weird habits of forwards and defensemen." 

"What's the weirdest goalie thing you've heard?  Was it the guy who puked before every game?"  Spruce asked. 

"No, although that one's odd too.  Why make yourself feel gross right before a game?," Kunyk said.  "But it's gotta be-" 

"Here's your orders, gentleman," the waitress said, quickly sliding plates in front of each of them.

"Sorry, man," Al said quietly to Mulvenna.  Raising his voice so the other guys could hear, he said, "Of course I heard there was this one hockey player who liked to eat raw food before every game." 

"Oh come on, now," Spruce said.  "I apologized for that one.  I thought it was like the next level up from farm to table.  Or like sushi or something, where some things are raw.  I really didn't think they were going to give us like a plate of veggies and juice." 

"How did we start talking about this anyway?"  Kunyk asked. 

Al was fully able to take the blame when something was actually his fault, despite some people's thoughts about goalies.  "Mulvenna was on a podcast, and he mentioned talking to his posts." 

"Thanks for clarifying that," Mulvenna said.  "Who watched a good movie last night?" 

"I did.  I watched 'Then and Now'," Al said. 

"You and your chick flicks," Kunyk said. 

"It's pretty funny,"  Al said.  "There's this one part where-"
"Nope!"  Mulvenna held his hand near Al's face.  "No reenactments in the restaurant.  We all remember what happened in Boston." 

Al nodded.  "Fine, but it was funny.  You all should watch it." 

It was only as they left the restaurant, he heard Spruce lean over and ask Kunyk, "Okay, but what did happen in Boston?"