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Tate · 06-11-2019, 08:31 PM

When Knox awoke in his hotel bed, he wasn’t sure if the previous night had been a dream. Knox had spent yesterday surrounded by his Viper teammates, celebrating their championship win following the final game in the SMJHL Prospect Showcase. It took all three games for the Vipers to eliminate the Wranglers, but they had been successful in their effort and most importantly, they had won as a team.

Knox and his teammates had grown close during the short tournament, for it was a special and unique experience for all of them. They knew collectively that the moment the tournament was over, they would separate. Sure, some of them would go to the same team but not many, and that meant that this would likely be the last time they’d get to play together- if not for a while, possibly the rest of their careers.

Knox remembered looking around the room at his teammates while they took their turns with the trophy, and continually high fived each other as they passed it off one by one. Knox wondered how many of them would have success in the SMJHL, and just how many would move onto the SHL? Including himself. Knox was a rookie through and through and while he had lost an agent throughout the tournament, he had never lost his spirit. It was Knox’s resilience that kept him in each game and it was his steady consistency that held the Vipers in place as they battled their way to the finish line.

It couldn’t have gone better for Knox, and with the draft looming he knew that he had done all he could in terms of impressing the scouts. If no team in the SMJHL wanted him after his Showcase performance, then there wasn’t anything more he could do, he would accept moving on. Knox’s phone rang, and he could see it was his Mother calling, “Mom?” Knox answered, surprised by the call.

“I saw the final score love, congratulations,” she told him. The Prospect Showcase hadn’t been broadcast where his Mom lived, but she checked online daily and always followed his games remotely. “I’m so proud of you,” she told him.

“I’m going to go to the arena today, despite what Jimmy says, I think I have a chance,” Knox told her, referring to the draft and the fact that his ex-agent told him not to go. “I have a feeling that he’ll be wrong.”

“He is wrong Knox,” she agreed, “You go, and you call me if anything happens. I want to know right away.”

“I will,” Knox told her, “Thanks Mom.”

“Have you heard from your father?” She asked, knowing all too well what the answer was.

“Nope,” Knox confirmed for her.

“I’m sure you will sweetie, he’ll call you.” She was reassuring as always, and still defending a man she should have given up on a long time ago.

“I love you Mom,” Knox told her, “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Knox stood and scanned his room for any clean clothes, and there wasn’t a single stainless shirt in sight. Knox saw in the far side of the room a nice aqua blue collared shirt and moved toward it, but as he picked it up he noticed it was torn. “How?” Knox asked himself and then had a brilliant idea, Knox picked up the hotel phone and dialed the front desk.

“Front desk,” a voice said to him as the line picked up.

“Uh yes, hello,” Knox began, “I’m wondering, do you rent out suits?”

“Yes,” the voice answered.

“Can I charge it to my room?” Knox asked.

“Yes.”

“I’ll be right down,” Knox hung up and almost forgot to put on pants before he left his room.

***

Thinking he was making a smart decision Knox got off the bus one stop before the arena. Knox didn’t want anyone to see him arrive alone and without a car, so he figured if he sneaked in through the backside, no one would notice. The only problem with that plan is that it was one of the hottest days of the year, and by the time Knox arrived at the back doors of the arena, he was covered in sweat.

The security standing at the back gate noticed, “Whoa man,” a large guard said to him, he was wearing a typical white shirt that said SECURITY on it and was relatively muscular, with definition showing through his shirt, “You need a bottle of water?” The security officer recognized that Knox was likely one of the players showing up for the draft, and he was showing compassion for the young kid.

“Sure,” Knox accepted the bottle and opened it immediately, drinking nearly half of it and feeling every drop of the cold water slide down his chest and into his stomach.

“You’re here for the draft?” The guard asked him.

Knox nodded, “Yes.”

“You’re supposed to enter at the front,” The guard told him
.
“I thought this was the front,” Knox lied, “This isn’t the front?”

“You see anyone else around?” The guard asked.

“I don’t.”

“It’s not the front,” The guard said firmly.

“Any chance I can come in this way?”

“What about your parents? You got family parked around here?”

Knox shook his head, “Nope.”

“You’re alone?” The guard was surprised. Knox nodded but didn’t say anything. “Do you have some ID? Got a license?”

Knox pulled out his wallet and revealed his license, “I should be on the list,” Knox said as he pointed out his name, “I don’t know if I’ll get drafted, but I’m an eligible prospect.”

The guard nodded, “All right, thanks Knox, you can come in this way- but when you leave, you leave through the front, okay?”

“Yes, no problem.”

“Head on in then,” the guard told him as he stepped aside and opened the back door.

***

The arena was packed and the draft floor full of SMJHL executives. Knox was immediately lost in the crowds and became disorientated. Knox knew that he wasn’t going to be called early so there wasn’t much point in him sitting down close to the floor. Knox looked up and over the crowd, spotting the first set of stairs he could see and headed in that direction. Knox figured he’d grab a seat high up, so he could see as much action as he could and avoid others seeing him as disappointed if his name wasn’t called. He wanted to avoid his Vipers teammates, even though it was less than twenty-four hours ago that they were all celebrating together. He knew that some of his teammates would get to continue celebrating today, while others and possibly himself, would not.

Before Knox could make it across the draft floor he caught eyes with Jimmy Simpson, his former agent who dropped him as a client only days ago. Jimmy had given up on Knox at the most inopportune moment, when he was at his lowest. It was a shocking incident for Knox and one that he was still not, “over.” Jimmy Simpson was in the midst of a conversation with a SMJHL executive, he was here representing the clients he had chosen to keep, the ones he still believed in. Knox wasn’t looking for a fight, so he looked away immediately from Jimmy and continued toward the stairs in the distance. Just before Knox broke through the crowd, Jimmy Simpson stood in front of him and blocked his way.

Jimmy had an apologetic look on his face and this was another shock to Knox, had he changed his mind so soon? “Knox,” Jimmy began, “I just want to say how sorry I am.” Knox was speechless at first, unable to respond and sensing this reaction, Jimmy continued, “We all make mistakes and my decision to drop you as a client was a big one Knox, I’m sorry. You were electric in that tournament, I knew you’d turn it around.”

It was the last sentence that stuck out to Knox and it was the point in the conversation when he’d had enough, “You don’t know shit, Jimmy.”

Jimmy shifted as anger flashed every so briefly across his face, “Look Knox, I don’t want to make this any worse between us, I just wanted to apologize.”

“Apology not accepted,” Knox told.

“You don’t have to accept it,” Jimmy started in, trying to bring the conversation to a place of resolution. “I just hope- “

Knox cut him off, “You want to get out of my way?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re standing in my way.”

“Knox, I- “

“Move,” Knox told him, his hand falling to his side and a fist forming. Jimmy looked down at Knox’s hand and then stepped out of his way, allowing him to continue. Knox climbed the stairs quickly, anger propelling him forward like a race car, and in no time he was seated in the very top row- looking down at the crowds below. Knox’s blood was boiling but he wasn’t going to allow Jimmy to ruin this for him, nor was he going to allow Jimmy back in.

***

The draft was well underway, and the picks were moving fast. Knox watched in amazement as one by one, his peers walked to the stage and put their new team jersey on. Knox wondered if his name would be called, and he wondered what it felt like to be one of those new draftees? Did it feel as good as it looked? It must. Knox knew what true happiness was, he had felt it before in his life, and when he looked down at those friends of his shaking hands with their new organization, he was pretty sure he recognized it.

Knox had spoken with a handful of teams before the draft, and in a way, he had expected to speak with more. Knox had made sure to express interest to all the teams and he was surprised that he didn’t hear back from teams that had a need for goaltending. During one of the interviews a team executive expressed to Knox that he thought Knox might get drafted in the third round, and he wondered how Knox felt about that. It was the same answer as always, Knox would be thrilled to be drafted, it didn’t matter when and where- he just wanted to play.

When the 20th pick of the SMJHL rolled around Knox was not expecting to hear his name, and when he did eventually clue into the fact that they had called him to the stage- he could not believe it. Had Knox been surrounded by family or friends they would have been able to encourage him, tell him how much they loved him and nudge him toward his new destination. But there wasn’t anyone there to tell Knox to get up, to walk, and to make his way on down to the stage to meet his new team- The Colorado Raptors. Finally, Knox was up and walking down the stairs, practically floating.

“Welcome aboard Knox,” Raptors General Manager Johnny Hamilton said to him as he shook his hand, “We’re so happy you were still available.”

Still available? Knox held onto those words, there was interest? Knox wanted to ask a million questions, but he asked none, and merely said, “Thank you.” The two words left his mouth in a whisper, he could barely speak he was so emotional, and in this moment, he confirmed the feeling he saw from up high in the rafters- True Happiness.

Knox was guided to the center stage where he pulled a Raptors jersey over his chest and placed a Raptors hat on top of his head. Knox smiled for pictures as he was lost in a daze, doing his best not to shake from the happiness that coursed through his body. A few moments later he was seated beside his new general manager while a reporter asked him rapid fire questions, “How does it feel to be drafted by the Raptors?”

“It’s an unreal feeling,” Knox told him, “I’m beyond thrilled.”

“Were the Raptors your first choice heading into the draft?”

“The only choice,” Knox said without thought, and for the most part it was true. He was so grateful to know that a team believed in him that he finally understood, there had never been any other choice but Colorado.

Knox Booth was meant to be a Raptor.

2069 words x 2 bonus

jason97 · 06-11-2019, 08:41 PM

Love it

***hhh81*** · 06-11-2019, 08:46 PM

<3 <3 <3

This warms my heart. So happy to have you in Colorado!

NONAME · 06-12-2019, 02:38 AM

Ason94 · 06-12-2019, 01:35 PM

Nice article! Lets go Raptors

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