"I can't believe you slipped in front of them!"

Taylor's ears burning pink, she spun from where she stood in the kitchen to face Clara. "That's rich coming from someone who's done karaoke."

Clara turned her head so fast that Taylor could've sworn she had heard her neck crack. Aubrey's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"When have you done karaoke?"

"I can't believe he told you that! He swore he would never tell anyone!"

"So you have actually done karaoke? I thought it was a ploy to get me to do a team cheer." Taylor took a sip of the glass of apple juice. "I'll have to thank Uncle Clark for that tidbit."

Clara glared at her. "If you mention that to anyone, I will kill you."

Taylor grinned cheekily at her cousin and swirled the juice once, before taking her seat back at the table and scooping up her cards.

"And don't change the subject," Aubrey shook her head, brown hair floating around her face. "We were discussing how Taylor totally wrecked it in front of all those people."

Taylor smacked her arm. "I did not totally wreak it. I slipped on ice, and I'm sure they've done worse."

"You're turning pink." Aubrey pointed out, grabbing Taylor's glass and taking a sip out of it before Taylor could stop her.

"And what does it matter what they think? We spend two more years in high school with them and then you're off to become a doctor, and when you're rich, nobody will remember that you slipped on ice in front of some popular snobs, and if they do, you can bribe them."

Taylor made a face at Clara. "Where do you expect me to get the money to bribe a bunch of boys?"

"Did I say now? No. Wait like forty years until you are all done paying off your student debt, and then bribe them into forgetting it. It's foolproof."

Aubrey gave Clara an 'are you stupid' gaze. "Remind me, if there is ever a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion, that you should not be on the front line."

Clara flipped Aubrey off and slapped down the queen of spades. "Pick up eight,"

Aubrey's jaw dropped open and Taylor began to laugh. Clara smirked at Aubrey and stuck out her tongue.

"You are the worst."

Taylor glanced at the clock, and her face scrunched in discomfort.

"Are you nervous?"

Taylor looked back at her two best friends. "Is it that obvious?"

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," Aubrey spoke. "I know it's your first game and all, but there isn't anything to worry about. You just have to do what you love to do. You'll be amazing. Clara and I are coming to watch."

"Watch me or watch Jamie?" Taylor shot a cheeky glare at Clara.

"You are all going to rot in hell," Clara responded and turned to face Taylor with bright eyes. "And you'll do great, just don't slip on the ice again."

Taylor's eyes flashed with anger and she lunged across the table to smack her cousin. Clara shrieked and stood up, quickly rushing away.

"Get back here!"

~~~

Taylor shoved her hands into her new hoodie's pocket. It was bright red, and had a white cross on it, with first aider written across the back in chunky white letters. On her right sleeve was a little white maple leaf. She rocked her feet back and forth and wriggled her toes in her shoes. They were about halfway through the second period, and surprisingly enough, no penalties had been called on the Falcons yet. She tilted her head, her gaze drifting over the ice. The team they were playing was from Athabasca, and they weren't very good. So far the puck had barely come into the other side of the rink, leaving Nasir and Carson with nothing much to do.

Taylor leaned on the glass in the box, watching the game progress. If she glanced up, she could see her family and Clara and Aubrey all sitting across the rink. They had made a point of making their location known within the first ten minutes of arriving, and Taylor had avoided looking at them, hiding her pink ears from the team members who looked at her with amused glances.

She looked back out at the ice, and made eye contact with Nasir. He gave her an awkward smile before turning to examine the other players once more. Taylor couldn't tell what his deal was. He was just neutral about everything, and he hadn't said much to her since she joined a week ago. He was nice enough, and Taylor knew that their moms went out for coffee every now and then, but all the other members had at least acknowledged her presence. He just ignored her.

Taylor shook her head and pulled her toque down farther, tucking more bouncy hair up into it. She was getting distracted. Her eyes turned to where the puck was, watching the players slap at the ice, scuffling over the small black item. She traced her tongue along her teeth and stuck it into her cheek, beginning to zone out when she heard a shout.

Pushing hair out of her mouth, she focused on the ice and raised an eyebrow in surprise. One of the Athabasca players was down on the ice. It looked like he had just been cross-checked.

Taylor paused, unsure whether to help, until she saw their first aider, gesturing to her. Taylor stepped out onto the ice, and although she was nervous, a calm coolness took over at her as she rushed over to the boy.

"I need your help to get him up." The man spoke to her.

Taylor nodded and hooked her arm under the boy, helping him up, and aiding in the effort to get him off the ice, keeping her grip on him secure. They got him off the ice and into the other team's box, and the gameplay commenced again.

"Thanks for your help."

Taylor nodded and smiled. "No problem."

She stepped away, letting the man tend to his player, and made her way back around to her side of the ice. She stepped back into the box and narrowed her eyes at the cold shoulder she was given.

She continued to watch across the ice to make sure that the boy was okay, and she smiled when he sat up.

"What did you do that for?"

Taylor turned to look at Jamie, who had slid along the bench to the end and was sitting, arms crossed as he glared up at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Why'd you go help him?"

"You mean the injured kid on the ice?" Taylor huffed and crossed her arms. "That's my job."

Jamie gestured loosely towards the ice. "No, actually, your job is to be the first aider for the Falcons. Not the Athabasca Bears, not the Fort Qui Serphants. The Skystead Falcons."

"If you think I am going to ignore someone blatantly asking for my help to get someone off the ice, or someone who is injured, you are severely mistaking." Taylor's eyes were harsh as she watched Jamie.

He rolled his eyes and Nolan, a close friend of Jacob, stood up. "Don't try to defend yourself, you aren't supposed to help other teams. Mr. Granthem never did."

"Well, I'm not Mr. Granthem."

"Damn right you aren't," Jamie responded. "You aren't loyal to this team, and you don't belong here."

Taylor kept her face hard, but in her head, her thoughts were racing. So what if she didn't belong here, she needed the money and the experience. A small part of her though, itching at the back of her brain, desperately wanted to be a part of the team; to be part of the family that Jacob raved about. She internally rolled her eyes. Since when had she become so desperate?

"You need me, more than I need you, so shove your obnoxious attitude up your ass and go fuck yourself."

Jamie scoffed and opened his mouth to respond, but stopped himself when Coach Hamilton walked back into the box.

"Everything alright?" He asked, looking between Taylor and Jamie and Nolan.

The three of them nodded before the boys resumed ignoring Taylor. Taylor rolled her eyes, huffed, and turned back to face the game.

The horn sounded, and the players came off the ice into the booth. Carson gave her a cold shoulder, raising an eyebrow in her direction and Taylor scoffed. The team captain was a child too.

"Okay, change room!" Coach shouted and the team followed his orders, making their way in.

Taylor was about to follow them in, much to her chagrin, but paused when she felt someone grab her elbow. She turned to face Nasir with a raised eyebrow. "What? Are you going to tell me I fucked up too?"

He blinked in surprise.  "What? No, I was actually going to tell you that you shouldn't let Jamie get under your skin. He likes to argue, but he'll grow on you," Nasir rubbed the back of his neck. "Or at least you'll get used to him. Oh, and don't worry, you did the right thing."

Taylor blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? I thought I was apparently supposed to only help the Falcons."

Nasir laughed and shook his head. His helmet was tucked under his arm and he pushed his damp hair out of his face. "No, that's bullshit. You're the first aider, if someone were to collapse in the crowd you'd probably go help them too. Mr. Granthem helped other teams lots, and the only reason everyone is so disgruntled about you is that we grew up with him being the person treating us all the time."

"That's not what Jamie said."

"Well Jamie is full of shit," He chuckled slightly. "But seriously, don't worry. They'll eventually accept you as a member of the team, and whatever they say, you did do the right thing, helping the boy."

Taylor smiled and nodded, hiding her pink-tinged ears by tugging her toque down more. Nasir smiled back and moved around her to follow the team in, but turned around with a cheeky look on his face.

"Oh! And congratulations on not slipping once!"

~~~

"Where's Dad?" Taylor shuffled her fuzzy sock covered feet into the kitchen, sliding her way next to her mom.

Her mom looked over at her, caramel hair pushed up into a ponytail. Her eyes were tired. "He left this afternoon for Calgary, he'll be gone for about a week. He's delivering the biannual report."

Taylor's dad worked for a big oil company based out of Calgary, and he covered the wing based in Fort McMurray.

"Is everything okay?" Taylor asked, furrowing her eyebrows in concern at her mother, who was distractedly preparing chicken.

"Hmm?" She turned. "Yeah, of course, just a bad day at work."

"More crackheads?"

She laughed, her eyes crinkling. "Yeah, some wackos."

Taylor nodded in response and slid back out of the kitchen, heading for Jacob's room. She paused, twisting the door handle, before dramatically kicking the door open.

She grinned. "I've always wanted to do that."

Jacob sat up from where he had been flopped on his bed. "Why are you in my room? Get out."

"Nope," Taylor climbed up onto his bed and crossed her legs under her. She lowered her voice. "Do you think Mom is okay? She seems upset."

Jacob shrugged. "She had a bad day at work."

Taylor nodded in response. "Are you mad at me too?"

He scoffed and pushed dark hair out of his face. "I don't really care. The boys are all mad because you helped someone, but it really doesn't matter in the long run. They'll get over it."

"I don't think they are all upset," Taylor responded.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, digging his feet into her side at an attempt to get her off his bed.

Taylor flipped over, climbing away from him on the blue quilt. "I mean, Carson obviously is, and so is Jamie and Nolan and the others are obviously mad because they won't even acknowledge my presence, but Nasir said I did the right thing."

Jacob shrugged. "Nasir has always been the mediator though. He's usually the one we go to when we have conflict, and that's nice of him to say that."

"Why isn't he the team captain? If he's so calm?"

Jacob flopped on top of her and Taylor let out a wheeze, struggling to get out of the pinned position she was now in.

"Carson is older. I won't be surprised if Nasir's the captain next year."

Taylor shoved her elbow into Jacob's side and he let out a groan. "Can you just get off my bed?"

Taylor was shoved until she ended up on the floor. "Fine. If I can't have your bed, I'm taking the blankets."

Before Jacob could react she grabbed the quilt and yanked it off the bed, sprinting down the hallway with it. "Catch me if you can!"

~~~

Woohoo! Third chapter everyone! I hope you enjoy Taylor's relationships with her friends and brother! See y'all next time!