“Hey,lookwho showed up!” A tall guy with warm brown eyes and a beard called out. He was sitting with his arm slung around a woman with dark curls and kind eyes. That had to be Tyler and Ava.
“Late and underdressed,” another guy added, smirking. “And… with a woman?” He sounded confused, and everyone else whipped their heads to stare at me. Of course Nick didn’t warn anyone I was coming. No one probably knew I even existed. Nick went down the line and told me everyone’s name.
“Wow,” Sean said, from a few seats down. He looked exactly how I pictured him. Sitting beside him was a woman Iknewhad to be Lilly without Nick even telling me. She had this quiet energy about her, but her eyes were bright. She smiled at me like she already knew me.
“This is Mya,” Nick said, reaching for my hand. “Everyone, play nice.”
“You’re brave,” Ava said immediately, reaching across the seats to shake my hand. “And I say that with love.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m kind of used to chaos. My brain never shuts up anyway, so this actually feels kind of normal.”
That earned a round of laughter and even a high-five from Emma, who grinned and said, “You and I are going to get along great.”
I sat between Nick and Lilly, trying not to bounce too much in my seat. The arena was overstimulating in every way… Lights, noise, voices, but for some reason, I didn’t want to miss a second of it.
Ben skated onto the ice, and the entire section erupted. Nick’s mom clapped enthusiastically while his dad let out a whistle that echoed above the crowd.
“That’s him?” I asked, watching the confident, smug-as-hell kid do a dramatic turn like he owned the place.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Nick groaned. “You’re about to witness the Ben Show in full effect.”
“I’m ready.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The game started, and I tried my best to follow along, though I couldn’t stop my thoughts from pinballing to Tyler’s voice when he leaned over to check if I needed anything or Lilly’s small, knowing smile.
Nick’s hand casually brushed against mine every few minutes, like he was reminding me he was there. I felt weirdly at home, and that… scared the hell out of me.
The buzzer blared, and the period ended with Ben scoring a goal and doing a ridiculous celebration that earned him a penalty. Of course.
As the noise died down, I leaned closer to Nick and whispered, “Okay… I kind of get the hype now.”
He smirked. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”
* * *
We were back in the concourse, the arena slowly draining of people. Everyone had split into little clusters. Tyler and Ava chatted with the parents near the concessions, Sean ribbed Ben about his penalty like an older brother with too much ammo, and Nick was deep in a conversation with Connor, both looking half-serious, half like they were plotting something stupid.
I was doing my best to blend in. To smile in the right places. Nod. Laugh. Benormal. Whatever that meant. I was starting to feel the drain, though. Like my social battery had been put through a blender and then set on fire. That’s when Lilly appeared beside me, her soft voice cutting through the background noise. “Want to walk with me for a minute?”
I blinked. “Yeah. Yes. Please.”
She led me away from the group, out through a quieter exit near the back. The air outside was sharp and cool, a welcome contrast to the stuffy, overstimulating den inside. We didn’t go far, just down a side path lined with small trees and stadium floodlights, but already I could feel my muscles unclenching.
Lilly walked in silence for a moment, and I appreciated that. She wasn’t trying to fill the air or pull me out of my head. She just… let me breathe.
“I used to get really overwhelmed by his family,” she said after a few beats, her voice warm but even. “It’s a lot. They love hard. Talk loud. Interrogate gently, but with intensity.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “So I’m not crazy for thinking that wasa lot?”
“No. You’re not. And you handled it really well.”
I slowed my steps a little. “I didn’t know if I should say yes to tonight. I overthink things, like,bad. And new places, new people? Usually sends me into overdrive.”
“You did say something about your brain not shutting up earlier,” Lilly smiled.
“That was… not an exaggeration,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just kind of always been that way. Too many thoughts. Too much noise. I worry I come off like I’m either trying too hard or like I’mnottrying at all.”
