“Who’s Matt Dumba?” Aimee asked.
“Filipino-Canadian hockey player. But also, the controls are better in the old game. Not sure what they did with it after that year, but stick handling is not as sensitive anymore. I think maybe they outsourced to another studio, but of course it’s not something they would admit. I’m a purist—I like the old play style.” He continued for a while about the difference betweenHockeyStars 2016and later editions of the sports game franchise.
“I dunno, Samaya,” Cass said with a laugh from behind the steering wheel. “He’s already a total nerd. A makeover was not necessary.”
I shook my head. “He can’t talk about hockey games all night.”
“Actually, I could,” Daniel said.
“There’s nothing wrong with hockey,” Cass said. “Let him be himself.”
“He sounds like a jock. I can’t date a jock.” I turned to Daniel. “No offense.”
He shook his head. “None taken. I remember your boundary.”
“Samaya, you’re being elitist,” Cass said, annoyed. “There’s nothing wrong with jocks.”
“I know there’s nothing wrong with jocks,” I said. I looked at Daniel. I mean, I’d had a crush on a jock for days now. It was this jock sitting right next to me. “You know how the vultures at Earl’s are. I mean, can’t you just see Jayden’s face?” I paused. I kept forgetting that Aimee was dating Jayden now.
“Jayden hates hockey. He’d call Daniel vapid and say you’re slumming it,” Aimee said, proving my point. Which made me wonder again: Why exactlywasAimee dating that douche?
“Samaya, really,” Cass said, her voice firm. “All this would be easier if you let him be him. Let him talk aboutDragon Arenaand MCU, but let him go on forever about the controls in his hockey game, too.”
“Or about if bars and squares are cakes or cookies?” Daniel asked, hopefully.
I laughed, then thought about it. Both Cass and Tahira had now said I shouldn’t care so much what people like Jayden and the rest of the guild thought about me. And maybe they were right.
I did want to impress the people here, but they were people just like me. AndI myselfliked Daniel just the way he was.
“Oh, I meant to tell you, Samaya,” Aimee said. “Jayden’s not submitting a game proposal for the game-dev club. And I don’t think anyone else is making a proposal, so we can go ahead with the fairies game!”
“What? Why is he dropping out all of a sudden?” We were supposed to vote on Monday. I’d been working hard on my proposal, but Jayden seemed hell-bent on being team captain.
“Oh, because I said ...” Aimee hesitated. I’d known her long enough—she knew I wouldn’t like what she was going to say.
“Why, Aim?” Cass asked.
“Because I said you’d play Light Mage for the diamond run. He’s having a party in a few weeks.”
“Aimee!” I shook my head. “I already told him no! I’m not playing in the guild anymore!”
“But you said you really need to be captain for the game-dev team! Come on, Samaya ... this helps everyone. You don’t have to bring Daniel, but c’mon. Do it for the game-dev team. Do it for me! Jayden really wants to do the run, and you’re better than the other Light Mages in the guild.”
I frowned. Maybe I should do it for Aimee. If she and Jayden were going to continue to be a thing, then maybe I needed to suck it up and try to mend things with him to keep my friend. “Fine. I’ll think about it. Just me, though,” I added, looking at Daniel reassuringly.
“Yay!” Aimee clapped her hands. “It’s going to be epic.”
“We’re here,” Cass said, parking on the street in front of Hana’s house. Aimee unbuckled her seat belt and turned to us again, smiling at Daniel. “Don’t mind Samaya. She’s feeling all nervous since her ex will be here, and Samaya gets controlling when she’s anxious.”
I rolled my eyes, then got out of the car.
Daniel got out and walked around to my side of the car. He held out his hand. “Would you like to hold hands as we walk in?”
I took his hand. I could do this. It would be fine. He squeezed my hand. I probably didn’t deserve that squeeze. I wished there were a way to tell him that he was more than enough just the way he was, and that if this relationship were real, I would be proud to walk in with him in a Leafs jersey and carrying a bumbleberry pie.
But it wasn’t real, so we couldn’t be completely real, either.
18
