Cass had a crush on a new guy sinceJuly, and hadn’t said anything to me? “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cass shook their head. “You were pretty broken up this summer. I think the last thing you would have wanted to hear about was me pining over someone.” They rubbed the back of their neck. “And since then, I tried to tell you. Several times. I actually could have used my friend’s advice with this.”
Ugh. I felt terrible. “Cass! I wish you’d bonked me over the head and told me to shut up. I’m so sorry. We’ve always been so close.” I’d gotten so wrapped up in myself that I’d let this friendship go to shit.
Cass looked at me for a few moments before speaking. “I also didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t think you’d approve of him. He’s a hockey player.”
I cringed. Ugh. Now it made sense. I’d been going on for weeks about how Daniel being a hockey player meant me and him were incompatible. If Cass was into a guy who played hockey, then of course they wouldn’t feel safe telling me about him. This was why they’d called me an elitist. “Does he, like,acceptyou?”
Cass rolled their eyes. “Not all hockey players are homophobes, you know.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Cass shook their head, annoyed. “This is what I was talking about, Samaya. Okay, maybe you’re not really an elitist, and your confidence in yourself was shattered by Devin, but youhavealways had these rigid categories about who people can be. You’re the high-achieving nerd. Aimee is the artist. I’m the computer geek. Hana is the cheerleader. And hockey players are dude-bro jocks who are beneath us. Your first thought about someone is always based on their category in your head.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it, though? This whole thing with Daniel. Maybe I went too far in telling you off yesterday. But Daniel could ... wait ... notcould, he actuallydoesmake you happy, and you won’t even entertain the thought of keeping that in your life. As a friend, or whatever. Because he doesn’t fit into the category you need him to fit into.”
I let Cass’s words sink in a bit. Was that really what I did? I exhaled, not at all happy about this mirror being put up in front of me. But that’s what friends were for, right?
I asked the question that I should have asked as soon as Cass told me their news. “Okay, so forget about me. Tell me about your hockey player. What’s he like? You really like him?”
Cass smiled kind of bashfully. And it was so cute. “Yeah. But he’s confusing me. He’s flirty and calls me all the time, we go for coffee, but that’s it. I don’t know if he’s into me. He is pansexual, by the way. Out.”
I grinned. “I’mpositivehe’s into you. I want to know everything about him. Where did you meet? What’s his name?”
“Owen.” She paused. “He’s actually my dad’s coworker’s son. We met at this family day thing at Dad’s work. Also ... I may have asked him if he knew Daniel when all this started with you. He doesn’t know him personally, but he has a friend on Daniel’s team. He said Daniel is a good guy and has a wicked slapshot. His team is playing Daniel’s team on Thursday. Season opener.”
“Oh, cool.” I did know that Daniel had a game ... or a practice, or a something on Thursday because we had to change our baking night to Wednesday this week. I should ask Daniel what he could tell me about this Owen.
“We should go to the game together,” Cass said.
“Seriously? You want me tomeethim? I’ve never been to a hockey game.”
They shrugged. “I want to know what you think of him. And you can see your boy on the ice. I’ve never seen a game, either.”
Cass had another one of those unfamiliar expressions on their face. We’d been friends for so long, and they had always been one of the most confident, self-assured, and wise people I knew. But there was something new there. Uncertainty. Nervousness.
It hit me ... Cass wasn’t asking me to go to the game so I could meet Owen, or so I could see Daniel play hockey. They were asking me because they were nervous to go without support.
From me. Cass wanted me there as their best friend.
Maybe it wasn’t wise to go to Daniel’s game, since I needed to get over this crush. And I wasn’t even sure if he’d want me there—this might be overstepping. But Cass needed me.
“Let’s do it,” I said. “A new adventure for us. I can google hockey first. It’s the game with bats and big rubber balls, right?”
Cass rolled their eyes but smiled, too.
That day after school we finally had the second game-dev meeting—the one where we would vote for the captain and game concept. And since I was the only one who actually had a proposal, I was officially elected team captain. Everyone was supportive of the forest-fairy concept, even Jayden, surprisingly. Aimee’s art and Cass’s rough animation of an intro sequence were big hits, and the team had great suggestions of what should happen in each level. I ended the meeting by handing out assignments to the team—including creating a script for each level, and a marketing and publicity plan. I left the meeting feeling great—my self-confidencehadbeen low lately, but this game-dev club might be just the thing to get it back up again.
Daniel was extra cheerful on Wednesday at the shelter since Andre had finally given him the go-ahead to make a few pies as an experiment. Andre said if they sold well on Saturday, we could keep making a few pies each week.
“Oh, I need to ask you ...” Daniel trailed off as he lined up butter, flour, salt, and sugar on the prep counter. “I have my season opener hockey game tomorrow, but can we do calculus after that? I’m pretty sure I’ll be home by nine. There’s a quiz Friday.”
I had considered keeping going to his game plan a secret from Daniel so I could surprise him there, but I wanted to respect his parameter. “Or I could come to your game and we can go to a café or something to study after.”
Daniel frowned. “You want to come to my hockey game?” he asked. “Don’t you hate hockey?”
