I tilt my head to the side.
The girl looks like Bella. I must be seeing things.
I look to the girl’s side, and I find myself holding my breath.
Kaci.
Bella and Kaci are sitting way up underneath that stupid lightning machine. Those must be the worst seats in the house. Seeing them catches me off guard, and I turn my back to them. It’s time for the faceoff, but for the first time in a long time, my focus is split.
What is Kaci doing here?
I’m not a total idiot. There are only two reasons to be here.
One…to watch the game, which she didn’t seem all that interested in, and the other…to see me.
My heart rate ramps up so much, I can feel each beat in my throat. She doesn’t like hockey, as she’s said herself, which clearly leaves the latter reason to be true.
Now I can’t stop smiling, and I’m supposed to have my game face on. I toss another glance over my shoulder: sure enough, she’s looking this way.
So much for not needing a distraction. Apparently, she wants to play hard to get.
Good thing for her, I’m amazing when it comes to hard wins.
fifteen
Kaci
Thankfully nosebleed seats are only seven bucks each. I cleaned the change out of the center console of my car to scrape together enough money for popcorn and drinks. Now, we’re sitting way up in the top row, nearly empty except for us—just another reminder that I’m more broke than the average person. It’s okay, though. Bella’s smile is the largest it’s been in a long time, and that makes it worth it.
“There he is, Mom.” Bella points forward with urgency like she’s spotted her long lost friend. She insisted on wearing the Granite Ice T-shirt Jackson bought her. At first, I hesitated but the only reason I had for her not to wear it had to do with my dwindling pride, and well, she looks adorable in blue and orange.
I scan the ice as the players move into their positions until I land on Jackson. Craning my neck for a better view, I find myself sliding to the edge of my seat. “Yeah, that’s him.”
With wide shoulders, he commands his space. Maybe it’s the arena, or the music, or the fans, but the electric energy in the air instantly pumps me up. Sporting events of any kind are another one of those experiences I haven’t allowed myself to enjoy in years. It feels good to be here and to be excited for something. I can’t keep my eyes off the team. They are all fast and limber as they warm up. I’ve never seen a hockey game in real life, and this is beyond what I expected. I expected it to be loud, but this is deafening in the most fun way, as fans stomp their feet in the stands and scream out players’ names.
And Jackson takes control. With his goalie pads on, he’s everything one would want in a giant man-brick. Not that I know anything about hockey, but that’s seriously the only way I can describe him. Not to mention he certainly knows how to wear a jersey. There’s so much confidence oozing from him, if I was an opposing player, I would be intimidated.
The guys line up for a faceoff, and the puck is in play with Arctic Force in control. It all goes so fast, and I find my head turning back and forth as I frantically struggle to keep track of the puck. It’s only a couple of minutes in, and one of their guys goes to Jackson’s net to shoot. I literally hold my breath, suppressing a squeal. I didn’t think it would feel like this, but my heart is in my throat.
Jackson’s movements are fluid, and he effortlessly blocks the puck, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to him. His teammates pound their sticks against the boards to celebrate his impressive save.
Suddenly, I love hockey.
“Mom, did you see that?” Bella asks as she stands up on her seat for a better view. Since there’s nobody behind us, I don’t tell her to get down.
“I did.” I don’t even want to talk; it takes away part of my concentration from the game. Granite Ice now has control ofthe puck, and they are getting closer to the Arctic Force’s net. I literally want to put my hand over my heart as it’s beating so fast. Granite Ice misses their shot. Artic Force regroups a lot faster, gains control of the puck, and brings it back to Jackson’s net again.
I want to close my eyes. I can’t even watch this. How does Jackson handle this kind of pressure? The puck literally flies right toward his face, and he gracefully extends his glove and snatches it out of the air. The crowd screams, and the players slam the boards again. I’m so full of energy that I find myself screaming too.
Granite Ice, once again has the puck and takes it back down the ice. I have no idea what any of the player positions are, but the same guy who shot last time attempts another shot. My top teeth crash into my bottom lip. I can’t stand the excitement.
Their goalie kicks out a pad, but he misses!
The puck goes in the net, and the crowd’s screams become unhinged. I jump and pump my fist in the air. The arena lights dim, and a giant lightning rod rockets above my head. It’s so bright, I scream from shock. The arena lights pulse on and then off, leaving us all in the dark. At first, it’s a tad funny, but after a moment, fear spreads through the arena and screams echo off the high ceiling.
Darkness remains.
I reach to the side, grabbing Bella’s shoulder as the crowd’s happy cheers are completely replaced by muffled whispers.
