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“Move!”
Izzy grunted as Jack body-slammed her to the side as she chased the puck forward. “It’s called passing, jackass!” Izzy skated off after her, leaning forward so she could pick up speed. Cold air stung at her face, and she could feel her armpits were caked with sweat.
As Izzy caught up, she slipped around Jack and swiped the puck away from her with a flick of her stick.
“We’re on the same team,” Jack yelped.
Izzy disregarded her. She ducked under someone’s arm, and flicked the puck towards the goalie. In the blink of an eye it snapped past the diving goalie and into the net. Another point for the Buccaneers.
The scoreboard honked as the time ticked down to zero.
“You snot nosed little brat. Did you see that, Eddie?” Jack motioned angrily with her stick as they skated back towards their side of the rink. They both ignored the half-hearted congratulations from the opposite team.
As they reached the barrier Izzy saw Ed was already to the side with her arms folded. Uh oh. She looked annoyed. Izzy could see it. They’d won on her point, but Izzy was in for it now.
She skated to the side and wrenched off her helmet. She plopped down onto the bench to start unlacing her black skates. Ed was immediately on her. “What were you thinking, Iz? Not only was that a risky play, it’s not what we talked about.”
Ed’s voice was deceptively low and even. That’s how Izzy knew she was doubly pissed.
Izzy stopped unlacing her skates to look up at Ed. She nervously worried her fingers over the rack on the front of her helmet. “You saw what Jack did. She can’t keep-“
“I don’t care. Either you play as a member of this team or you’re gone.” There was no room for argument. It was rare that Ed pulled her captain card with such firmness, but when she did Izzy savored it. Even if she felt it was unjust.
Izzy looked at the floor. “Whatever.” Ed didn’t say anything more, so she finished unlacing her skates. By the time she slunk into the locker room, most of the women had hit the showers and were leaving.
It was bullshit. Jack could get away with anything because she was the center and she was tall and attractive and charming. Izzy didn’t have half the sway with people, and even though she was fast, she never got anywhere near the same amount of recognition Jack did.
Jack was half stripped down in the locker room, sitting on one of the wooden benches and scrolling through her phone. She was in her sports bra, leaned against the wall, and laughing with one of the other women on the team. When Izzy walked in, Jack looked over and smirked at her. “Nice going, Hands.”
Izzy couldn’t describe the amount of rage that bubbled up in her whenever she saw Jack. With Izzy’s black hair matted with sweat and the vein in her forehead throbbing, she was sure she looked like a swamp witch ready to hex someone. “You better watch your fucking back, Rackham.”
Jack raked her eyes over Izzy as if to point out how small she was. “Or what?”
Izzy narrowed her eyes. “Fuck you.” She spat on the floor and stomped off towards her locker. The nerve. The fucking gall. Izzy tore off the rest of her hockey stuff and shuffled off to the showers.
Rackham never showered. Rackham walked out of games and practices still stinking, unlike everyone else.
“Some of us actually don’t want lice,” Izzy grumbled to herself. “Some of us don’t get off on being stupid stuck up bitches.”
“What’s that?” Fang called at her from across the room. “You good in there, Izzy?”
“Yeah, fine.” She watched the water trickling down the drain and she imagined what kind of face Jack would make when put in her place.
After another minute,. the locker room was eerily silent. There was no hangout planned after practice today, so her night was going to be reheated soup and television.
Izzy wriggled into her black clothes and stuffed herself into her puffy jacket. She put on her gloves and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. On the way out the receptionist waved at her.
“Have a good night, Izzy.”
“That’s Hands to you.”
Next practice Izzy made up her mind to avoid Rackham as much as possible. The last thing she needed was to get kicked off mid-season and leave the team to the wolves.
The other women on the team ran hot and cold on her. They knew she was a good right wing but they always got pissed when she pointed out how slow and out of shape they were. Like now.
“Ivan, have you even been to the gym this week? The Wine-os are gonna kick our ass.” Despite their name, they were a group of divorced older women and they usually wiped the floor with their competition.
There was the scrape of skates sliding to a stop as Jack pulled up next to her. “The last thing we need is some goth loner telling us we don’t practice enough.” Jack laughed as if she’d told a particularly funny joke. “Take a chill pill, babe.”
“Babe?” Izzy could feel her cheeks getting hot with anger. She was foaming around her mouthguard. “Maybe if you showed up to all of our practices instead of between some slag’s legs I’d give a fuck what you have to say.”
A chorus of “ooh’s” went up. Jack’s shoulders stiffened slightly, but she otherwise seemed unaffected.
“Just cause you’re not getting some, don’t take it out on me. Just say you need someone to pop that tension, although it won’t be me.” Jack wrinkled her nose at Izzy and skated off towards her starting position.
They usually split their nine person team into two and played against each other for practice. They had the odd one out play referee. While each team could only have a center, two defense and a goalie, it worked well enough.
Izzy skated over to Anne. “Swap with me so I’m center.”
Anne’s eyebrows flew up. “Are you sure? Did Eddie say something?”
“No, It’s just for today.”
“Okay.”
Izzy skated into the center circle to face Jack.
“What? You’re not-“ Jack started but Izzy cut her off.
“Throw the puck down, Fang,” Izzy said. Fang dropped it and Izzy immediately swept it out from Jack and started skating as fast as she could.
Anne managed to scoop it from her, and Izzy followed behind. As she was giving chase, Jack came around and clotheslined her with an arm out.
Izzy fell flat out on her front and smashed the side of her cheek inside her helmet. It scraped a little bit too, she was sure, from the hot sting. “That mother fucker,” Izzy spit.
She scrambled to her feet as they reset for the next play. Fang, playing ref today, gave her a concerned look but Izzy waved her off.
Jack was smirking at her from across the rink, that bitch. If she wanted Izzy to be on her, so be it. As soon as the puck was in play, Izzy didn’t follow it: Instead, she skated right for Jack. She was on her ass, preventing anyone from passing Jack the puck.
“Fuck off,” Jack grunted. She kept trying to maneuver Izzy off, but she didn’t have the kind of dexterity Izzy had. “You’re so annoying.”
“Maybe if you practiced more you could get me off,” Izzy taunted. They were barely keeping up with the other teams as Jack kept trying to outskate her instead of going for the puck.
Jack yelled in frustration and called a time out. Fang blew the whistle and Izzy scoffed. “I can’t play like this,” Jack whined. “It’s not fun.”
“You’re just mad you can’t keep up,” Izzy said.
“Why are you playing center anyway, Iz?” Ed asked. She skated away from the goal to get closer to them.
“Just trying to change it up,” Izzy said.
“Yeah? Well, maybe when we’re not mid-season. Back to right wing, yeah?”
She suddenly felt small, like a scolded child. Ed had always had that effect on her.
“Yeah, fine,” Izzy said quietly. She loathed the smirk on Jack’s face. Before their group could disperse she made one last ditch attempt. “We’re not gonna talk about how Rackham hit me with a dirty takedown?”
“Iz, you’re fine, yeah?” Ed shrugged. “I mean, yeah, don’t do it again, Jack.”
“Sure,” Jack said.
Izzy wanted to scream. She still skated back to her position and Anne took over center again.
Izzy spent the week thinking over how she could show Jack she wasn’t meant to be messed with. No one could say she pulled her punches after this.
So when Izzy sat down to lace up her skates on Thursday night, she was only biding her time.
“Oh, hell no!”
There was the sweet sound of a furious Jack Rackham. Izzy could hear Jack yelling from across the rink. She marched into the stands as Izzy skated onto the ice. “You’re late, Rackham,” Izzy called out.
“You!” Jack shoved open the gate and walked onto the ice in her beat up sneakers. She walked until she was chest to chest with Izzy. “You gave me a flat. That’s why I was late.”
“What?” Izzy tried to keep her face as emotionless as possible, but she knew the corners of her mouth were twitching. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” Jack shoved her back. Not hard enough to make her fall, only enough to send a thrill through Izzy’s chest. “If I catch you near my baby again I will end you, Hands. End you!”
Izzy licked her lips. She folded her arms. “Sounds like someone popped the tension in your tire. That’s too bad.”
Jack’s face went red and she turned, ears practically steaming, and walked off towards the locker rooms.
Point to Izzy.
When practice started, Jack was even rowdier than usual. But it wasn’t only directed towards Izzy—she was shoving and slamming people left and right.
Jack shouldered into Izzy and huffed angrily. “Learn how to play,” Jack growled.
“Learn how to control your body,” Izzy spat.
They were fighting for the puck, skating quickly, heading for Izzy’s goal. Jack let up off her for a second, thank god, before Fang on defense was on her.
Izzy managed to slip past Fang until suddenly a hazy blur smashed into her side. They rocketed into the barrier and Izzy felt all the air rush from her lungs. Her head rattled inside her helmet like loose change. She crumpled to the ground and wheezed as her leg twisted awkwardly.
“Oh my god,” Izzy heard someone gasp.
“That was metal as hell.”
“You guys okay?”
Izzy felt someone reach under her shoulders to hoist her up. “You okay, Iz?” Ivan held onto her shoulders for her. That was Ivan, right?
“Hit my head, pretty hard,” Izzy said. “Might have a concussion.”
“What?” That was Ed’s voice. Now Ed skated over, Izzy watched her get closer as the lights stretched and warped. God, she felt awful. “Iz, look at me.”
Izzy blinked a few times and looked up at Ed and her pretty brown eyes. “Aw fuck,” Ed hissed. “That’s a concussion.”
Izzy bit her lip. She’d played through a concussion before, but that was when they’d had less players and they couldn’t afford for her to sit out. “-bench, and don’t fall asleep.”
“Yeah, I know.” Izzy held onto Ivan and they skated towards the locker rooms. As they skated away Izzy could hear Jack griping about how she expected Izzy to be sturdier.
“I’m really sorry,” Ivan said. “Maybe you can be our coach for the rest of the season.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She didn’t want to coach. She wanted to play.
Ivan made sure she sat down and had water nearby before she rejoined the team. Izzy knew Jack was kind of right. A concussion from one slam against the barrier? It was pathetic.
She held her head in her hands as they started to play again.
“Excuse me,” a girl’s voice said. Oh, it was the girl that worked at the reception desk for the rink. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, ‘m fine.”
“Oh, okay good. I don’t need to call an ambulance?”
“No.” Izzy glared over at the girl. She was a few years younger, round face and thick hips. She was tall and always wore silly little jackets that didn’t seem to keep her warm. Attached to one was her shiny nametag. When she lingered there after a moment, Izzy sighed. “It’s just a concussion. Bye now.”
“Right. Um. It’s not, like, the best time to ask, but could I have your number?”
“What?” Izzy’s mouth almost dropped open. She was usually someone that got scooped up at the end of a night out by a desperate butch, if she wasn’t trailing behind Ed. “Um, I don’t think-I. No.” Izzy’s eyes flickered over to the ice. Was Ed watching this? Would she realize? Would she think Izzy was unavailable?
“Oh, I see.” Lucy nodded and instead of looking upset, she seemed understanding. “I hope it works out for you. It’s the one you’re always shouting at, yeah?”
Izzy flinched as she realized Lucy meant Jack. “What? No! No, definitely not. Fuck no. That skank? Not if I was the last queer on earth.”
“Okay, whatever you say,” Lucy said, even though she sounded like she didn’t believe Izzy at all.
Izzy watched the rest of practice in half boredom, half excruciating head pain. Towards the end of the ridge ice the sharp fluorescent lights were making her feel like she had to puke, but she didn’t want to miss anything. If she was going to transition to a temporary coach then she needed to see everything.
Jack was the first to reach the barrier and she practically pranced past Izzy. “How’s the delicate princess doing?”
“Piss off,” Izzy said back, half heartedly. She was seriously going to barf.
“What did Lucy want with ya,” Fang asked.
“Huh? Nothing,” Izzy said. The rest of the team gathered around to hear the gossip.
“Look at your cute little blush!” Fang cooed. “Did she get your number?”
“Fang,” Izzy whined. She pawed out to grab Fang’s hair and pull it, but Fang backed up. “Doesn’t matter, I said no.”
“What? Who would want to take you out?,” Jack taunted.
“Jesus, Jack, back off,” Anne said. “You’ve already benched her for the season.”
Izzy stood up to defend herself, but she got up too quickly. She felt a pit in her stomach and the sharp zing of nausea before her stomach squeezed. Izzy bent forward and she puked all over the front of Jack’s hockey gear.
Everyone sharply inhaled and then swooped around her. “Aw man, Izzy, we’re sorry.” No one paid any mind to Jack whining about her soiled gear.
Izzy’s breath came out in small shudders. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and her eyes were watering.
Fang placed a broad hand onto her back and started to rub in circles. “Gimme your keys, babe, I’ll drive you home.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t be driving right now,” Anne said.
“Hope you feel better soon, Izzy,” Ivan called after the two of them.
Izzy stayed home the next week from practice. She didn’t think she could sit under those bright lights without vomiting again. She didn’t want to ask what was happening at practice, but in true fashion Fang already knew what she wanted.
Fang: Jackie keeps asking why you’re not here
Fang: it’s like
Fang: she has a concussion, duh
Fang: that she gave you anyways, like get a grip
Izzy smiled to herself as she dumped a can of chicken noodle soup into a pot. She hated being away from the team; she felt like she was letting them down.
When Izzy had eaten her soup and she was half catatonic in front of the TV, Ed texted her.
Ed: will you please tell Jack it’s not her fault
Izzy: that I’m concussed? It is her fault
Ed: she didn’t know that would happen
Ed: please?
Ed: she’s being a real whiny bitch about it
Izzy: what else is new
Izzy: no
God, sometimes Ed was such a pushover. She got Jack’s number from the team group chat and opened a new message.
Izzy: stop being a crybaby
Izzy: concussions are normal in sports
Jack: whatever I was just grossed out that u puked on me
Izzy: maybe you can finally score some goals now that I’m not upstaging you
Jack: whateverrrr Hands
Jack: drink lots of water tho
Izzy: worry about yourself
Izzy: you’re supposed to be practicing right now
Jack: u must be fine if ur riding my dick about practicing again
Izzy smiled at her phone. She could imagine Jack saying that, in her head. The eye roll and ensuing toss of her dark blond hair. If their helmets were off she might even smack the back of Izzy’s head or tug on her hair.
Stupid. Izzy set her phone face down on the table and resolved not to look at it again for the rest of the night.
Izzy watched the other team’s fumbling center skate towards the goal. The Revengers had been right to request a practice match. They were fucking terrible.
It didn’t stop Ed falling over herself to give said fumbling center tips and advice. The pretty, posh blond center.
“It’s like someone dreamed up ways to torture me,” Izzy muttered. She checked her phone. It’d only been twenty minutes. They were supposed to stay until 5:00pm, another hour.
Izzy watched as Jack skated with determination right for the other center. Jack swiped her stick at the girl’s legs and she went down hard. Izzy lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her laugh.
Jack swiveled around and checked around her to see if anyone else was laughing with her. They weren’t. Izzy could tell everyone thought Jack was being a bitch. In fact, a second later Ed said something Izzy missed and Jack came skating towards the bench. The gate swung open with a creak and Jack shuffled towards her.
Izzy smirked. “Welcome to the bench, pisshead.” She wished she could be permanently noseblind to the stench of hockey, but unfortunately she wasn’t.
“Oh fuck off.” Jack sat down hard onto the bench, so hard it rattled Izzy’s legs. “Man, why is everyone tits over ass in love with these lame-o’s?”
Izzy stayed silent. She didn’t want Jack to think she agreed with her. Even if she did.
Jack sighed and lifted her helmet off her head. She ran a hand through her hair and sniffed. “You going to the thing after this?”
“Yeah.” Izzy picked some lint off of her trousers.
“You don’t talk much, huh?”
“Not to meatheads,” Izzy said.
Jack didn’t seem offended. Instead she tipped her head back and laughed. “Fair enough.” She rested her back against the wall and her legs drifted wide open, until her knee bumped into Izzy’s. “You smoke?”
“Sometimes.”
“No shit? You seemed like you might be one of those ‘no drugs’ types.”
“Nope.” Someone please save her. This was torture. This was hell. She didn’t know what to say. Izzy couldn’t pull her focus from where Jack was pressed against her. Like she was a stupid touch starved teenager. It pissed her off.
They both watched the game progress for a moment. All the players were clustered on the end by the Revenger’s goal. “Hmm. You know, Ivan’s not nearly as fast a right wing as you,” Jack said.
“Careful Rackham, that sounded like a compliment.” Izzy looked over at Jack, and Jack seemed to light up with the attention.
“Maybe it was. Takes a lot to keep up with me.”
“Hardly.” Izzy bit her lip. “You get one goal in and you’re flagging for the rest of the game.”
Jack laughed, low and warm. She was smirking, but it was softer around the edges than usual. “Nah, I’ve got stamina for days, baby.”
The buzzer on the scoreboard went off and Izzy flinched. She stood up and walked to the edge of the barrier, just to put some space between them.
The two teams skated past each other, high fiving and nodding. Izzy noticed how Ed lingered across from the blond. Bonnet was the name on her jersey.
Izzy followed everyone back to the locker room. She’d brought an outfit to change into for the party, and meds for her headache. Izzy leaned forward towards the mirror to smudge on eyeliner. She noticed Jack was walking behind her towards the showers.
Izzy was just starting to feel the high. She scraped herself off the couch to head for the kitchen. She didn’t know what had happened to Jack, or Ed. Maybe they were together?
Izzy spotted two silhouettes on the patio, smoking. She squinted and realized it was Jack and Ed. She grabbed a slice of pizza and leaned against the sink, by the open window, to try and hear what they were saying.
“It’s kind of embarrassing. You’re like all over her. Just do something about it,” Ed said. Who? Who was Jack all over?
Jack laughed nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s just super underfoot, yeah? I’m just, like, responding to that.”
“Dude, your response is giving ‘I wanna take her to pound town.’” Ed snorted at her own quip and the two of them fell silent for a moment. Some of their cigarette smoke was pouring in through the window, and It was making Izzy crave one badly.
“Eddie, baby, you know I always tell you when I’m crushin’. I-” Jack cut herself off as the balcony door slid open.
Izzy looked over to see Anne was joining them. She started talking loudly about the shitheads she used to play with before they recruited her to the Buccaneers.
Izzy’s mind drifted back to her bladder which was begging for relief. High, a little drunk, and concussed, the piece of conversation was already drifting out of her mind. Maybe she shouldn’t have had anything since she was concussed? Concussioned?
Izzy swallowed the bite of pizza in her mouth. Oh god, what if they actually stopped talking because they realized she was listening? Paranoid (and still needing to pee) Izzy quickly started walking away from the kitchen. She slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind herself. When she was done she gripped onto the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked rotten, like she hadn’t been sleeping. The lighting felt like it warped, suddenly becoming too dim as her eyes tried to adjust.
Someone rattled the doorknob and then banged on the door with a heavy fist. “Hey, I need to piss.”
“Jean, don’t fucking start.” Izzy opened the door and let Jean stumble past her for the toilet. She watched Jean struggle with her leather trousers for a second before she shut the door behind her.
She wanted more pizza.
Izzy toddled towards the kitchen again. Maybe Jack and Ed would be gone by now. She would actually kill for a cigarette right..
“You really pack those away,” Jack said. Izzy hadn’t realized who was standing next to her.
Izzy shrugged and finished the slice she was eating. She grabbed a cup and bumped Jack aside so she could fill it up with water from the sink. She gulped it down greedily.
“I want a cigarette,” Izzy said.
“I can make that happen,” Jack smiled.
Izzy walked out onto the patio. God, it was freezing. She folded her arms and looked expectantly up at Jack.
“I’m on it, I’m on it. Don’t have to glare.” Jack pulled two cigarettes out of her jacket pocket (an old fleece lined denim jacket). She handed the unlit cigarette to Izzy. “Just hold it out.”
Izzy put it between her lips and leaned forward. Jack lit her own cigarette, placed it in her mouth and bent forward. Izzy couldn’t help looking Jack in the eye as her cigarette flickered to life.
They both pulled back, tension pulled taut. “Thanks,” Izzy said. She ran a hand through her black hair to get it out of her face. “Do you ever wonder how old is too old to be playing? Like when’s my leg gonna snap?”
“I don’t know, never? As long as I like playing?” Jack shrugged, easy and lighthearted. She must have noticed Izzy was shivering because she shuffled in closer to her. “No use sweating it.”
“No use sweating it. Says the woman with no plans for the future.”
Jack smiled wryly. “What can I say? I go with the flow. And anyway, at this rate you’ll be the one to snap my leg. Tonya Harding style.”
Izzy looked Jack over like she was considering it. “You’re probably right.”
“Hey! Quit thinking about it.” Jack pushed her hand into the side of Izzy’s head. Izzy smacked out at Jack’s stomach and they both smiled into the dark night.
When Izzy arrived at practice the week after, Ed was already on the ice with Bonnet. This wasn’t even meant to be a joint practice.
Izzy didn’t shout a brisk hello like she usually would have. Instead she ignored them and walked around to the bench to lace up her skates. She was allowed to join for practice, but she wouldn’t be able to play any more games.
Unfortunately, the next person that showed up was Jack.
She waved at Ed and Bonnet on the ice and skated on from across the rink. Jack started skating backwards in small curves, until she noticed Izzy sitting on the side. Jack quickly skated over to the edge closest Izzy.
“Thought this was the practice you were joining?”
Izzy gave her a dry look and motioned to the full gear she was wearing. “Yeah, I’m joining.” Izzy rolled her eyes and stood up. “Whatever.”
She skated onto the ice and felt her chest ease. It was good to be back, even if she was supposed to play gently.
More of their team started to show up. Ed was still absorbed with her new girlfriend.
Izzy skated lazily around until more of the team joined them. Ed seemed to notice it was time to start and she skated to the side with Bonnet. “Play without me today,” Ed called behind herself and she left the rink.
“What the fuck,” Izzy said. She looked around, but no one else seemed that bothered. Jean took over for goalie on one side, and Ivan on the other.
As soon as they started playing, Izzy felt like some part of herself was settled. She bumped shoulders, skated circles around, and clacked hockey sticks.
The puck slid past her and as she went for it, Jack’s stick hit her in the back of the skates. “What the fuck,” Izzy spit. She didn’t fall; she was sturdier than that. “Quit it.”
“Just checkin’ your stance,”Jack said. She was smiling and still trying to nudge Izzy out of the way as they both fought for the puck. Was this a joke to her? Keep Izzy off the ice for weeks and then laugh at her about it?
Izzy couldn’t help the surge of annoyance and anger. She dropped her hockey stick and pushed at Jack’s chest with both hands. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Who’s the reason I’ve been off the ice, dipshit?” The guards of their helmets were almost clacking together as Izzy got in her face.
“Don’t be mad, baby. I was just fooling around.” Jack said it with a cock of her eyebrow and a condescending pout. Izzy could tell she was excited she’d gotten a rise out of Izzy.
“ Ass , don’t look at me like that! Fuck you, smarmy bitch-“ Izzy felt someone’s arms grab her shoulders as she was cussing Jack out.
“Iz, can you and Jack go work this out off the ice, please?” Fang asked. They were being kicked out of practice.
Izzy could feel herself turning red. “I- whatever.” As she skated for the bench, she heard Jack complaining too.
“What? Me too? Shit, dog, if you say so.”
They both unlaced their skates and headed for the locker room. Izzy immediately shoved Jack into the lockers, hard.
“Why do you get off on keeping me from playing?”
“You trying to get off with me, Izzy?” Jack was still leering, and it just pissed her off more, looking at her stupid mouth. Her voice dropped to a growl. “Why don’t you push me around a little more?”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Yeah,” Jack nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yes. Say more.” Jack’s pupils were blown wide.
Izzy jerked back. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure what was going on. “Fuck off,” she bit out. Izzy took a step back and then darted towards her own locker. Her chest was thumping erratically. That wasn’t how Jack usually responded, was it?
It was one thing to bite Jack’s head off in front of everyone. Doing so in private, it was different. The thought of Jack, just down the way, face flushed and lips parted for her . She shouldn’t.
The thrill in Izzy’s stomach told her she should.
Instead, Izzy got dressed in her street clothes and slammed her locker shut. As she trudged past Jack she snarled, and spit at her feet without a word. She imagined Jack kneeling down to lick her spit off the floor.
Their next game was against the Soldiers. They were all ex-military, and they were as annoying about it as expected.
Izzy settled by herself into the stands to watch the game. Ed had offered to let her sit on the bench, but she didn’t want to. It would just make her feel worse.
The Soldiers weren’t bad. They were new to the league. They used to play in a different district so Izzy hadn’t gotten to see them play much. They were fast and they had their plays worked out in advance.
Jack hadn’t been doing bad as center this season. She was getting faster, and she saw openings like nobody else did.
Anne had taken over Izzy’s spot and she was doing well too. Her long blond ponytail down her back nearly covered up the name on her jersey.
She watched the two of them passing the puck back and forth, weaving towards the goal. When Jack shot a goal, Izzy couldn’t help but cheer. Jack lifted her hands up and shouted. She turned towards the stands where Izzy was sitting and she fist pumped the air. Izzy rolled her eyes and smiled. Meatheads always had to show off.
The post game celebration was at Jackie’s. It’s where they always went, lose or win.
Some of the girls were crowded around the bar, surveying who they might want to take home tonight. The rest of them, Izzy included, were sat at a table in the corner.
Izzy went to get another drink, and she cringed as she heard Jack loudly talking about one of the women on the dance floor.
“All I want is for her to sit on my face and suffocate me.”
“Dude, please. Keep it in your fucking pants,” Fang laughed. It was typical for Jack to talk like that; so it wasn’t a real admonishment.
Jack cackled and palmed at her trousers. “You know I’m right.”
Izzy tried to flag down the bartender, but he didn’t notice her amongst the crowds. She slammed her fist onto the bartop, but still nothing.
“Don’t fret, shorty,” Jack said.
Oh fuck.
“Frankie, I’d like two martinis, dry.” Jack slid cash across the table and smiled alluringly at Izzy. “Sorry if a martini ain’t your drink.” She didn’t seem sorry at all.
Izzy rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to turn down the drink, but she didn’t want to look too damn grateful either. “Sorry you can’t seem to pull anyone here.”
“Can’t or won’t? Maybe I’m biding my time for the best.” Jack leaned against the bar, and nearly fell over when she misjudged the distance.
“The best? And what would that look like?”
“Great rack. Dark hair, mouthy. I can give or take on the ass.”
Izzy picked up her martini. “You’re disgusting.”
Jack didn’t falter. She stared at Izzy’s mouth. “You wanna get out of here?”
“With you?”
“Yup.”
Izzy downed her martini and set the glass down in the bar with a loud clink. “I don’t fuck in cars.”
Jack lifted up her car key and dangled it. “It’s a truck.”
“Point still stands.”
“Then we can mosey on back to mine.”
“We’re not driving drunk.” Izzy grabbed Jack around her bicep and started dragging her towards the bathroom.
Inside Izzy slammed Jack against the wall and shoved their mouths together. Jack slipped her tongue into Izzy’s mouth, and before they could get any further Izzy pulled herself back. She kept Jack pinned.
“That was just a taste. You’re gonna call us a ride back to mine.”
“Okay,” Jack said, breathless. Izzy reached into Jack’s pocket and pulled out her phone. Jack licked her lips and opened the app to order one.
“Good girl,” Izzy said condescendingly. She noticed how Jack swallowed, like she was drooling over being called good.
The whole car ride Jack’s leg was shaking impatiently. Izzy reached over and placed her hand on Jack’s knee. “Enough. We’re almost there.”
Jack didn’t stop squirming, but she seemed to calm somewhat having a point of contact. When they got inside Izzy’s place Jack immediately shed her coat and started to undress.
Jack laid down on Izzy’s bed. Izzy crawled on top of her and pinned Jack’s wrists down. “You can slap me around a little bit, I wouldn’t mind,” Jack said breathily.
“Of course you’ve been getting hot when you piss me off.” Izzy squeezed Jack’s wrist. She crawled forward, boots and skirt still on. She shimmied her long black skirt up until it was bunched around her waist. She sat on her knees, clunky boots digging into the comforter.
“Oh fuck,” Jack whispered in worship. She looped her arms around Izzy’s thighs and brought her mouth to Izzy’s cunt. “Your pussy is so pretty, baby.”
Izzy wound her fist into Jack’s hair, and held it firm. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
Jack moaned and started licking and sucking around Izzy’s clit. She dug her thumb into the side of Izzy’s hip, by the bone, where she always got bruised in practice. Izzy held her head firm and started to grind against her tongue.
“Fuck,” Izzy grit out. “Ohh my god.”
Jack suckled at her, licked broadly up and down and tongue fucked her hole. “That’s it,” Jack said. She paused and looked up at Izzy adoringly. “You ever called someone daddy while they fucked you?”
Izzy felt herself flush head to toe at that word. “No.” Lie. She’d let someone older take her home once and she hadn’t been able to stop herself. “Just get back to work.”
“Aww, come on. Let me be your daddy. Makin’ my girl feel right.”
“Shut up,” Izzy barked. Some of her spit went flying. “God, do you ever stop?”
“Make me, baby. Sit on me for real. Suffocate me with your pussy.”
Izzy obeyed and flipped around. She sat her cunt and ass down over Jack’s nose and mouth. Jack groaned like she was in heaven and her hips twitched up into air. “That’s right,” Izzy said. She hated how breathy and squeaky she sounded as Jack ate her out. “Finally some fucking peace and quiet.”
Jack moaned again. She seemed to like when Izzy talked down to her.
Halfway through the next week, Jack texted her a picture of a car with flame decals.
Jack: this sick ride came thru today
Izzy: okay?
Jack: whatever
Izzy bit her lip. She felt like she’d fucked something up. She put her phone on do not disturb. She needed to focus on the next client, not on whatever mind games Jack was playing. It had just been sex.
After work Ed called her.
“Is everything okay?” Ed only called when she needed something fixed. Or sometimes if she needed to complain.
“I’m missing practice today. Can you take over for me? Be in charge and everything?”
“What?” Practice was in twenty minutes. Izzy has been debating even going after her weird exchange with Jack. “I mean, yeah I can.” In the background Izzy could hear someone laughing.
“Great, bye.” The line clicked dead. Ed had just hung up on her.
“What the fuck,” Izzy said at her black screen.
She started changing for practice. Izzy put on her leggings, sports bra, t shirt. She opened her hockey bag and sniffed. Clean enough. It wouldn’t matter if it was dirty, none of the other women were her size so she couldn’t borrow anything.
Izzy slung her duffel into the backseat and cranked up the rock station as high as she could bear it. She needed her head in the game. Ed needed her to be in charge.
When Izzy arrived at the rink, she was late. Which she hated. Everyone was skating loose laps around the ice or taking practice shots into the net.
When she got out of the locker room, a cheer went up. “Izzy!” A few of the women skated up to give her pats on the back. Jack hung back.
“Where’s Ed?” Jack called out.
“Busy. She asked me to take charge for tonight.” A chorus of groans went up. Izzy actually forced them to run drills and practice, unlike Ed.
“So get on it people. I wanna see a pivot out warmup, one touch warmup, and ten pass and shot drills. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Izzy,” everyone groaned. Everyone got into position. Izzy noticed Jack kept looking over at her. It was getting on her nerves. Did Jack think she wasn’t capable of leading the team? Because she did it all the time.
Izzy watched as the team ran drills. They were doing better without her than she expected. It stung a little, but with Ed fucking off to do who knows what… Well, it was probably for the best.
Once they were done running drills Izzy waved her hands to get their attention. “Hey! Now that you’ve done that, let’s play keep away.”
Keep away didn’t include goals, and was a great way to build stamina. They split into teams and just worked on keeping control of the puck.
Izzy skated up to join everyone. “I’ll make Anne and Ivan team captains. Pick away. I’ll play too.”
In the end Fang and Izzy were on Ivan’s team and Jack was on Anne’s. When Izzy shouted, “Go!” Anne swiped the puck away from Ivan and they were off.
Immediately Izzy felt the shit day sliding off of her. She laughed as she swooped around Anne, faking to the left and then lunging out to take the puck. Jean sped up, rushing towards Izzy at a breakneck pace.
They must’ve misjudged, because Jack accidentally smacked into Jean before she could make contact. Izzy cheered and passed the puck to Fang.
The puck bounced between people, until Jack stole it. There was a tight cluster suddenly, and Anne emerged with the puck. Izzy raced after her. She saw Ivan spreading out evenly from her, preparing for a pass. Izzy skated backwards, looking for an opening, when suddenly her skates left the ground. Jack picked her up and set her aside.
“What the fuck,” Izzy squawked. “You can’t do that.”
“Sorry, Iz, you were about to run into me,” Sam said.
Izzy twisted around and realized Frankie and her would’ve collided if Jack hadn’t intervened. She didn’t say anything more, but for the rest of the game she kept her eye on Jack. Jack kept taking hits for her. Over and over and over.
Izzy didn’t know if Jack felt guilty or if it was some misguided pussy-whipped thing after they’d hooked up. Surely not the latter though.
As everyone shuffled to the locker room, Izzy pulled Jack aside. “You don’t need to take hits for me,” Izzy said.
Jack sucked in a breath. “Well, maybe I’m trying to keep you from getting hospitalized.”
Izzy flinched back and scowled. “I think I can take care of myself just fine.” She didn’t mean to raise her voice.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have to!” Jack ripped off her helmet so Izzy could fully see her face. “I don’t get you. Did I do something bad?” Jack lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “Was I shit in the sack? I thought you came the other night.” Jack looked genuinely stressed at the thought of Izzy having faked it.
Izzy barely kept from laughing in Jack’s face. She pressed her lips together firmly. She took off her helmet as well. “You were fine, Jack. I’m just, blunt I guess. Sorry about your car thingy. I just don’t get car stuff.”
That seemed to be the right thing to say, because Jack instantly perked up. “Oh, I thought you were mad at me for texting you.”
Izzy rolled her eyes to hide her blush. “You can text me, Jesus.”
“It’s Jack, actually,” she snickered.
“Shut up.” Izzy shoved her lightly. “Come on, I’m exhausted.”
Friday night Jack texted her at 11pm to ask her to come over.
Izzy didn’t even hesitate. Twenty minutes later she knocked on the front of Jack’s apartment door. When Jack opened the door she was in a thin, almost transparent tank top and a long flowery robe.
“You look like a drug dealer,” Izzy said.
“Not anymore,” Jack reposted cheerfully. She led Izzy inside and towards the bedroom.
Izzy scoffed at the clothes on the floor and the dirty dishes in the sink. “You’re fucking filthy.”
“Don’t sound so excited about it,” Jack said. She smacked Izzy on the ass.
Jack shed her clothes immediately. She flung herself back onto the bed and posed. “Come on, baby, make yourself at home.”
Izzy unzipped her boots and took them off. She undid her shirt and folded it, pushed down her trousers and folded them too. She slowly undid her bra, suddenly the moment felt raw and charged with importance. This wasn’t going to be a quick, angry fuck.
“I don’t know if I want you to keep teasing or give it to me,” Jack said. She slid a hand under the waistband of her boxers. “Let me see those titties drop.”
Izzy took her bra completely off and stood shyly with her arms at her sides. Jack wordlessly beckoned her closer. Izzy sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at the floor. Her dark hair swung forward in a curtain to hide her face.
“Aww,” Jack cooed. “Need me to ease you into it?” She crawled behind Izzy and wound her arms around Izzy’s stomach. “I can give you a little reach around action.”
“I just don’t like all the staring.”
“You want the lights off? Or I can stay behind you like this?”
“Behind me is fine,” Izzy said. Jack’s hand snaked down and slipped under her lacy underwear. Izzy covered her face with her hands.
“God, you’re fuckin’ cute.” Jack gave a few rubs at her clit, and then she slid two fingers into Izzy’s hole. “That’s my feisty girl. So shy, but still soaking wet.”
“Shut up,” Izzy said weakly.
Jack fondled her tits with one hand and kept fingering her with the other. Izzy could feel her breath against the side of her neck, where Jack had hooked her chin over Izzy’s shoulder. “You’re always so pretty when you tell me what to do.”
“HMngj,” Izzy squeaked as Jack pinched one of her nipples and twisted. “Do that again.”
“Mm, yeah, you like it rough. Were your panties soaked everytime I shoved you to the ground, baby?” Izzy wanted to deny it, but it didn’t help that her cunt was currently squelching around Jack’s fingers. “One of these days I’m gonna fuck you into the mattress with my biggest strap, baby. Gonna fuck your throat until you’re crying for me.”
“If anyone, hhh, is gonna beg, it’s gonna be you,” Izzy panted. She was grinding her hips down onto Jack’s hand and she’d started rubbing her clit too. “Don’t stop.” Izzy went silent and tossed her head back as she came. She clamped down on Jack’s fingers and her back arched slightly. “Ohh my god. Fuck, shit. Fuck.” Izzy grabbed Jack’s forearm and kept riding her fingers through the aftershocks.
“Shit, that’s so hot, baby. Look at you using my hand like a toy.”
“Mmnnh, don’t talk please,” Izzy whined. She turned her head to the side to try and bury her face in Jack’s chest.
Jack drew her fingers out and dragged Izzy back to lay down on top of her. Izzy nuzzled into Jack’s chest. She needed a second to catch her breath and then she’d get Jack off.
The wave of sleepiness she always felt passed and then she reached down to Jack’s cunt.
“Hey, hey you don’t have to do that-” Jack started.
Izzy laughed. “Why? Did you come already?”
“No.”
“Then what is it? Embarrassed how fast you’ll come if I get my hands on you?” Izzy hovered her fingers over Jack’s clit.
“No,” Jack said, but it sounded whiny this time.
“Jack, are you lying to me? I don’t know what reputation you’re trying to protect. Unless, you actually don’t like getting off?” Izzy started to move her hand away for real and Jack shook her head furiously.
“Okay, okay. You can touch me. Please don’t make fun of me, baby.” Jack curled up and hid her face into Izzy’s hair.
Izzy carefully rubbed her finger on the rim of Jack’s hole. “Make fun of you? I wouldn’t do that. You can’t help it that all the blood in your body is in your puffy cunt instead of your brain, huh?” Izzy started to pump her fingers in and Jack melted. “You just need some stimulation, poor thing. You’re pathetic,” Izzy said sweetly. Jack squeezed down on Izzy’s fingers.
“Yes, yes, thank you. Thank you,” Jack moaned.
“And you thought you were gonna be my daddy? You’re all talk. You just want to be a good puppy for me, don’t you?” Jack nodded fervently and she bucked her hips to try and get friction against her clit. “You’re all bark, no bite. Just want someone to take care of you and put you in your place.”
Izzy didn’t think she’d ever talked this much during sex. Something about Jack made it hard for her to feel shy and embarrassed.
Izzy pet her finger gently over Jack’s clit before grinding it in quick circles. She watched as Jack seemed to melt in slow motion. Her legs quivered, her toes curled, and she tossed her head to the side. She clamped down hard on Izzy’s fingers, and she brought one of her hands up to bite her fist. She was beautiful.
Izzy slid her hand up and rubbed soothingly over Jack’s stomach. “You got the bed wet,” she said, instead of all the sentimental things in her brain.
Jack waved her hand tiredly. “Just throw a towel over it.”
“Where are your towels?” Jack didn’t respond. Izzy rolled Jack off of the damp spot and covered her up with a blanket. She got dressed again, closed Jack’s bedroom door, and she went home.
At work on Monday, Izzy was wiping down some of the machines while she waited for her next client. The guy in charge of scheduling told her there was a last minute cancellation and she’d have a drop in today.
She did not expect to turn around and see Jack waving excitedly at her through the studio glass. Jack shuffled down until she reached the door. She jogged in through the sliding doors and scampered over to Izzy.
“Surprised to see me?” Jack was in a baggy t-shirt and obscenely tight leggings. “You said I need to train more for hockey, so here I am.” Jack put her hands on her hips and beamed at Izzy.
While Izzy didn’t like her workplace being violated unexpectedly, it was kind of sweet that Jack had booked with her. “Okay, but I’m not going easy on you just because you whine.”
“Yes sir,” Jack chirped. She jerked around herself to look over the gym equipment. “Do you have those heavy ropes? Can I whip those around?”
“Yeah, sure,” Izzy sighed. “Fifty reps on those. Let me just set that up.”
Wednesday night after practice, Jack cornered Izzy in the locker room. “Want to come to mine, tonight?”
“Hmm? I need to eat something.”
“Shid, I’ve got snacks and stuff. Or we can get takeout.” Jack reached out and played with the end of Izzy’s hair. “What do you say?”
“Um, sure, fine.” Izzy looked furtively around to see if anyone had noticed how casually Jack had touched her.
“Awesome.” Jack fist pumped and walked backward away from Izzy. “You’re my Angel, girl, you’re my darling, angel,” Jack sang.
“You’re so obnoxious.” Izzy wanted to hide in her locker. “Stop that, now.”
“Closer than my peeps you are to meeee!” Jack belted out, and her voice echoed off the concrete floors of the locker room.
On the way to Jack’s, Izzy picked up Chinese food. When she got there, Jack was already showered and she had the tv on.
Izzy settled onto the sagging brown leather couch next to Jack. She neatly unfolded each carton, before picking up the sweet and sour chicken for herself. Jack side-eyed the fried rice on the table.
“You can have some, Jack,” Izzy said.
Jack excitedly leaned forward and grabbed the carton of rice and a plastic fork. Her wet hair flung out with her momentum, getting droplets of water on Izzy’s arm. “You’re the best,” Jack said with her mouth full of food. “My arms are like freaking noodles, by the way. So I got a surprise out.”
“What?” Izzy hadn’t even had a chance to look at what was playing on the tv yet.
“I got out my wand, baby.” Jack wiggled her eyebrows as she shoveled more rice into her mouth. “Sound good?”
“Uh. Sure.”
“It’s amazing. You’ll see.”
When they were finished with their food they watched an old game of hockey for a while before Jack stood up and sighed loudly.
“You, uhh, got your food settled?” Jack awkwardly scratched the back of her neck and switched from foot to foot.
“Yes,” Izzy laughed. “So eager.”
“I want to see what you think.” Jack slung her arm around Izzy’s shoulders. Her hair was mostly dry by now, and it smelled of grapefruit. Izzy allowed herself to be guided towards the bedroom.
Jack had her wand plugged in and waiting on the bed. Izzy smirked but she held still as Jack pulled her shirt off of her. Jack unhooked Izzy’s bra, and pretended to drool as Izzy’s tits dropped out.
When she was done Izzy stripped Jack off her tank top. She couldn’t help running her fingers along the burn scars on Jack’s arm.
Izzy sat back on the bed and waited for Jack to join her. Jack kneeled between Izzy’s legs. “Lay back, baby. I’m gonna rock your world.”
“Just get on with it,” Izzy griped.
Jack flicked the wand on and it started buzzing loudly. “Here,” she said. Jack kneeled between her legs, and held the wand between their pussies.
Izzy moaned as the vibration hit her clit. It felt like it was running through her whole pussy. She started to frot against it, and on the other side of it Jack did the same.
“Fuck me,” Jack shuddered. She kept tilting her hips away to give herself a break from the stimulation.
Meanwhile Izzy kept grinding into it. She felt like her eyes were going to roll back into her head. Faintly she realized she should be embarrassed by the little squeaks and breathy moans she was emitting, but she couldn’t.
“Jack,” Izzy pleaded. She extended her leg and hooked it around Jack’s back. She tugged Jack forward, urging her to press harder into the wand. The bump shifted Jack’s hand, and furthermore the vibration. It slid slightly over Izzy’s clit, and god fuck right there.
Izzy came hard, ankle hooked around Jack and legs trying to clamp shut. Jack put her palm down on Izzy’s thigh to keep her legs open. Jack gritted her teeth and ground her cunt against the wand. Izzy yelped as it edged into too much on herself, but tried to breathe through it as she watched Jack’s eyes squeeze shut.
Jack came with her teeth gritted and her eyes closed like that. She held the wand up and away after that, panting and glassy-eyed.
“That was good,” Izzy said.
Jack laughed, dopey and pleased. “Fuck shit, that was ridiculous. Having you on the other side was like, I don’t even know.”
Jack switched it off and she set the toy aside. Izzy hooked her other leg around Jack and dug her heels in to force Jack to lay on top of her. Jack pretended to bury her face into Izzy’s tits, which made Izzy shake with laughter.
“Cut it out,” she said. She scritched her fingers through Jack’s hair and into her scalp. “Just be still a minute.”
Jack rested her head next to Izzy’s and relaxed her body into Izzy’s arms. “Impossible,” Jack said into the shell of Izzy’s ear.
“Shh.” Izzy patted her back. After a few minutes Izzy released her and they crawled under the covers to go to sleep.
In the morning Izzy jerked awake at 6:00am. “Fuck, shit,” Izzy hissed. She rolled out of bed and started hunting for her clothes amongst Jack’s.
“Why are you yelling?” Jack croaked. She kicked the covers off and stretched out.
“I need to go home and shower for work.” Izzy shimmied her skirt and sweater back on.
“Oh, true, true.” Jack fell quiet and watched Izzy redress herself. Izzy reached the door and hesitated.
“I’ll see you at practice,” Izzy said.
“Okay,” Jack said. “I’ll text you.”
Izzy threw her bag over her shoulder and ran out the door. As she got to her car, her phone pinged.
Jack: what if you called in sick 🥺
Jack: I can cook you breakfast and you can shower here
Izzy sighed and froze, weighing her options. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to miss one day of work.
She called her clients and rescheduled them. She didn’t text Jack back, but once she was down she marched back into her apartment complex.
Izzy knocked twice on the door.
“Coming,” Jack called. As the door swung open, Jack said, “If this is about the trash cans I swear it wasn’t–oh.”
“I took off from work,” Izzy said.
Jack reached out and hauled Izzy in with an arm around her waist. “Are you serious? I didn’t think you’d actually- holy shit, baby.” Jack kissed her on her forehead and on her cheek, sloppy like a dog. “Come in, I’ll make you some pancakes.”
Izzy smiled, despite herself, and pecked a kiss on Jack’s mouth. “Yeah, okay.”