In my opinion, moving is pretty darn awesome. New house, bigger room, finally out of suburbia and into the big city! Most kids would be devastated to go through 12th grade in a new school, but I prefer to look on the bright side. I already have a bucket list of things I want to do in Chicago before school starts and I’m not talking about deep-dish pizza or Wrigley Field.

The sound of the lace slipping through the grommets is reassuring. All the mottos and mantras each coach has drilled into my mind repeat in my head. Believe in yourself. Visualize yourself as a winner.

As I do a few laps around the ice, I picture it in my mind’s eye: playing for the Chicago Falcons. Not only are they one of the biggest junior league hockey teams in all of North America, their players are also a favorite of NHL scouts.

The Chicago Falcons may never have had a girl on the team before, but technically, the league doesn’t have any rules against it. I know I can out-skate and outplay any boy in these tryouts. All I have to do is show the coach what I’m made of.

Here I was thinking I was going to play with the best of the best. Instead, I’m surrounded by glorified goons.

Sometimes I hate how good it feels to be out here. I wish I could just say screw it and walk away from it all, but I can’t. I need this as much as I need to breathe.

I go over it for the millionth time in my head. I was the best at that tryout. Xander was mediocre at best. I know the coach meant me. He just didn’t want a girl on the team.

It doesn’t matter how many times I take Madison on my motorcycle, she always squeezes me tight enough to bruise. I swear, I get more roughed up from one motorcycle ride with her than I do in a Junior League hockey game. Not that I mind. I mean, I’ll take bruises in exchange for having her arms around me any day. Too bad she doesn’t realize that.

I can only imagine what her parents would say if she brought me home, the Falcons’ own wild child. With Madison being the assistant trainer for our team, there’s no way they don’t know my reputation.