Ice, Ice, Babies!

Just a Hockey Game

After these past few months, I just wanted to feel normal. This was the closest I'd felt to it in the longest time. The energy in the area was absolutely electric. The Adirondack Anacondas were one goal away from getting their tenth win in a row.

I didn't know much (or really care) about hockey, but Hannah, my big sister in Eta Alpha Tau, sure did. She was sitting on my left, dressed in a jersey and matching hat. Elizabethany, my roommate and bestie, was on my right, dressed in the same thing. She went by Bethy most of the time. It made everyone's life easier.

I looked a little out of place in my pink fuzzy hat, but I wouldn't want to be wearing anything else. It still smelled a little bit like my mom's perfume. It made me feel like she was still here. That and the locket she gave me. The locket went with me everywhere. 

There was all kinds of noise. Everyone was screaming, including Hannah and Bethy. The Anacondas were all hugging each other. They got that last winning goal, breaking the tie ten seconds before the buzzer.

"And the winning goal for today was scored by number thirty-four, Trevor Martin!" said the announcer.

I looked up at the jumbotron, where they showed Trevor's picture. I normally went for girls, but dang, Trevor was really cute. Hannah was telling me all about him. They went to highschool together. He had long hair and green eyes. I was such a sucker for green eyes.

My friends got up to take a bathroom break while they announced the MVP's of the game. Trevor, since he scored the winning goal, was one of them, obviously. He skated around with his hockey stick, waving to everyone. Something about his confidence was really attractive. 

Who are you kidding, Lynn? Get out of town! You, with a hunky sports star like that? You'd be lucky if he even looks at you...in a good way. 

I was used to being stared at, but things were a little better now that I dyed my hair. My mom would kill me if she knew part of it was pink and purple instead of the sickly bleach blond that she claimed to love so much.

"For anyone participating in skating with the players, please make your way down to the arena at this time!" said the announcer.

I picked my skates up from the spot on the floor by my feet, where they'd been sitting for the entire game and encroaching on my very minimal legroom. My friends were there a few seconds later.

"Let's go get our skate on! Can't wait to finally try these puppies out!" Bethy said, holding up her band-new, neon green skates with the custom frog decals on them. She loved frogs. They were her thing.

"I can't wait to see if Trevor remembers me," Hannah said.

Oh, did I forget to mention that? Hannah and the hockey hunk were both from Allistar Lake, the tiny town about an hour south of our school. There was only one school in the whole town, so they obviously went together.

We went down to the first row of seats and put our skates on, then made our way out to the ice. Something I didn't really know about hockey players: they smell terrible. I figured they wouldn't be sweating so much since they're playing on ice, or that they at least knew what deodorant was, but apparently not.

"Hey Trevy! Trevy, over here!" Hannah said, yelling as Trevor passed us.

He did that fancy stop that ice skaters can do, turned himself around, and turned around with a look on his face, which dissipated as he realized who he was looking at.

"No way, it's Hannah banana!" he came right over to us. He was really cute up close, but seriously, he smelled awful. "I can't remember the last time I saw you!"

"Probably at my graduation party, three years ago," she said.

"That's right, you were in DJ's class! I can't believe how much his band blew up. I told him I'd be a sponsor for him if I could rent out his place for a banger afterparty if we got our win tonight," Trevor said.

"Party? I'm in! I'm always in!" Bethy said.

"Oh, this is my little, Lynn, and her roommate Bethy. Lynn and I are sorority sisters," Hannah said.

"Everyone knew you'd become a sorority girl," Trevor said, chuckling.

"Vice president, actually."

"What, only vp? I thought you'd definitely be the pres by now!"

"I'm working on it," Hannah said, crossing her arms.

Trevor and I made eye contact. I blushed, totally embarrassed. I'd truly never felt this way about a guy before. What was wrong with me?

"So...how do we secure an invite to this 'banger' party?" Bethy asked.

"Just tell them you're with me," he said, turning to Hannah. "I can text you a super secret code word the guys and I come up with before you get there. We can't just let anyone in, you know. Do you remember the address?"

"Remember the address? Who doesn't know the address of the biggest house in all of Allistar Lake?" Hannah asked.

"Whoa, no way! We're going to a mansion?" Bethy asked.

I laughed. College parties were nothing like on TV, or in all those online stories Bethy loved to read about girls getting pregnant from one-night stands at a rich kid's party. College parties were groups of ten kids packed into a dorm, or an overcrowded, run-down fraternity house ten minutes from campus.

There was never a professional dj or people swinging from really cool, expensive chandeliers. Half the time there was never even any pizza (an absolute tragedy) or any food at all. These lazy frat bros would just put out a couple bowls of chips, wheel out a keg, dump some red solo cups on a table, and call it a day.

But even though Trevor was cute and I was emotionally unstable from all the grief I still experienced, it would take a lot more than a good party and some booze for me to sleep with him. 

***

Picture above is the photo of Lynn and her mom Guinevere, which is in her locket. 

What do we think of this new story so far? Thanks for reading!