All or Nothing;4

Practice was extra long the next day, she said it was the game we played was so close. Couch Hazel had us doing suicides and wall sits for so long, I no longer had any feeling left in my legs. After practice was finally over, we all slowly limped into the locker room.

Every girl was completely pissed, including me.

"What a bitch!" Carly screamed, loud enough for the couch to hear in the next room, "My legs feel like jello."

I notched that just about everyone was rubbing their legs profusely. I was known for getting really bad cramps in my legs, and they were really starting to bother me today. I just hoped they wouldn't ruin my plans for tonight, because I was really excited.

My phone vibrate just as I was getting into my car. I thought it was a text, but it was Aaron calling me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, I heard you're coming to the game tonight, ready to see me kick ass?" He had that cocky tone to his voice, and it made me laugh.

"Yeah, Did my Dad tell you?"

I heard someone in the background, Draper maybe, say something to Aaron. I couldn't really make it out but I think it was something like, "Downey! Looking good..." And then the snap of a towel.

Aaron screamed in to the phone then said, "I gotta go, and by the way. I think somebody has a little thing for you on the team. And it's not just me...see you later?"

I tried my best to talk though my giggles, "Okay, bye."

On the drive home I thought about what he said, was I really that lucky and it was Val? Or was it someone else?

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I limped around the house that night, but it didn't really bother me because I was so excited for the game. I hadn't sat up in the box with my dad for a long time, plus I was excited to see the guys, one in particular. I had on my Yzerman jersey, which only took me four hours to find. I even curled my hair so it looked extra cute.

"Are you sure you want to go? You don't have to, there's other games." My dad had been bugging me since I got home, and no matter how many times I told him, he still insisted I stay home and rest my legs.

"No, I'm going. I really want to, plus I'm fine. Just sore." I insisted.

He shook his head but didn't argue with me anymore. He knew I would win anyway.

Our drive to the Joe was short, seeing we only lived a few miles away. Once we got there my dad and I went straight to the box, where Mike and Marian Ilitch sat. They had so much to talk about, I was looking for any excuse to get out of there for a while.

At the end of the second period, we were beating the wild 4-1, my dad asked me to run down to the locker room and figure out who had left their cell phone at practice earlier. He tossed me a pretty expensive looking phone, and I left.

I knew the arena like the back of my hand, it hadn't changed since I was little. It was pretty loud in the room, so I decided I would ask Meech since I couldn't find Aaron, maybe he would know.

"Derek, do you know whose phone this is?"

He looked it over and gave it back to me, "Uhm, I think it's Fil's, go talk to him." He smiled and winked at me.

"Oh, alright." I guess I wasn't really taking the hint that he was trying to set us up.

I quickly looked for Val's locker and went to talk to him, I wasn't nervous at all, until I saw him smile at me. I handed the phone to his, "This is yours, right?"

He laughed, "It is.. thank you." His accent was like nothing I had ever heard before, I loved it.

"No problem." I smiled once more and turned to walk away.

"Oh, I'm Val by the way..." I turned around and he was staring at his feet, he had to be shy.

"I know, I'm Riley." I couldn't wipe the stupid smile off my face, it was killing me.

"Everybody calls you Ry though right?"

"Yeah, nickname since birth." I laughed with him.

All the guys were filing out of the locker room, so he got up,"Can I talk to you later? After the game or something?"

"I'd love that." I smiled again. He shook his head, smiled, then went out to the ice.

Once I was a clear distance away, I was finally able to breathe again.