“Are you guys excited to see the game?” Tess asks, attempting to engage Zane’s parents.
Zane’s father continues staring straight at the ice. His mother glances at Tess, gives a brief nod paired with a faint, almost forced smile, then looks back down at the rink.
“Tough crowd,” Tess whispers under her breath.
No one says much after that. We all wait in silence as Leo and Lisa make their way back. Around us, the crowd grows louder, chanting and singing in waves. Surprisingly, Zane’s father begins to hum along to one of the songs, while his mother keeps checking her phone.
“It feels like everyone in this building knows these songs,” I say quietly, careful not to draw the parents’ attention.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Tess replies with a small shrug. “I remember that from baseball, I didn’t realize it was a thing here too.”
Leo and Lisa return just before the game begins. Lisa hands her dad a Coke and her mom a water, while Leo passes Tess and me beers. I feel a bit self-conscious about accepting mine and instinctively shift closer behind Leo, though it doesn’t really help; I’m still in plain sight.
“This is their opening song. The team’s coming out,” Lisa says with a smile as Enter Sandman starts playing.
“An opening song? That’s so cute,” Tess exclaims.
I catch Zane’s mother glancing at her, but I quickly look away and ignore it.
My eyes return to the ice, where I recognize a few familiar faces from the party. One by one, I spot Holt, then Blake, who draws a loud cheer from the crowd, and finally Zane.
“The Grizzlies look hungry tonight,” the commentator announces over the speakers. “The Buffaloes are in for a tough one.”
“Is the other team called the Buffaloes?” Tess asks Leo. He chuckles and rolls his eyes.
The players skate in a circle around the rink, waving to the crowd. We wave back. When Zane passes by, he slows slightly and winks at me. A gesture I once found irritating now makes my heart flutter. He continues waving to Leo, Tess, and Lisa, then finally reaches his parents. His expression shifts, his smile fading into something surprised, almost uncertain. He looks between them and then back at me, his face unreadable.
I give him my best reassuring smile, hoping to show him everything is ok, silently praying it won’t throw him off his game.
“His parents definitely surprised him,” Leo murmurs, making Tess and me quietly laugh.
The game begins shortly after, and just when I think the energy in the arena has peaked, the crowd somehow gets even louder.
“Come on, Miller!”
“Holt, show us something!”
“Jones, you suck!”
Voices echo from every direction, filling the arena with constant noise. I glance around, overwhelmed by it all, and wonder what it must be like for the players on the ice. Can they hear everything? Or have they trained themselves to block it out completely?
Blake and Zane meet two players from the Buffaloes at center ice just as the referee blows the whistle. The game moves at a pace that’s almost impossible to track. In what feels like seconds, Zane gains control of the puck and speed-skates toward the front.
He passes it to Blake, who is immediately slammed by a Buffalo player. The entire crowd reacts with a collective “oof.”
Somehow, Blake manages to break free from the hold and sends the puck back to Zane. Zane takes a shot at the goal, but the goalie blocks it. The puck rebounds and lands right in Holt’s path.
“This game is making my head feel like it’s too slow,” I joke.
“I thought it was just me,” Tess replies, still staring at the ice in awe.
“Go, Zane!” Lisa suddenly yells, pulling my attention back to the rink. I turn just in time to see him take another shot, and this time, the puck goes in.
The crowd erupts.
We all cheer as the team gathers around Zane in celebration.
“Miller’s on fire today,” the commentator announces loudly over the speakers.
