Icebound Attraction: Campus Sports Romance - Hockey

1

“Shit!” I exclaim when I see the message on my phone. “Mom! Mom! They”ve just canceled my flight!”

My heart races as I frantically scan the United airline app to figure out what”s going on.

With my flight leaving in four hours, I was ready to hit the road for the airport.

My mother”s voice echoes in the hallway, coupled with rapid footsteps in my direction.

“It says something about problems on scheduled flights.”

“Shit,” sighs my mother in turn.

She grabs her laptop and tries, like me, to figure out what we should do next. But the Internet isn”t cooperative, and my app”s chatbot only tells me to talk to the airport staff.

“The only solution is to go,” announces Mom, shrugging her shoulders.

“You”re probably right.”

I close my slightly overstuffed suitcase, grab my hand luggage and my bag. I place it by the door to put on my jacket and shoes.

My father comes running to say goodbye. He”s been sulking for days because his baby is leaving the nest to go to university. Honestly, I can”t help but smile at his scowl. Even so, he pulls me into his big arms and holds me unusually close.

“Dad! Dad! I”m having trouble breathing,” I say in a choked voice.

Reluctantly, he lets go and starts carrying my luggage to the car.

I was right to say goodbye to my sisters this afternoon. Goodbyes are definitely not my thing, and it saves us any more tears in the rush of the situation.

I follow my father to the car, where my mother is already waiting. He looks at me sadly - as he often does these days - and I place a big kiss on his cheek.

“I love you, Dad.”

He just grunts the same thing and shuffles back to the veranda, where he stops and looks at us longingly. My mother is already sitting in the driver”s seat and starts the car. I climb in and look out of the window. I take one last look at our house, and a mixture of fear, excitement and anticipation settles over me. Texas has always been my home and I love it here, but it”s time to start a new chapter in my life.

I wave to my father, and as we drive off, all previous feelings are replaced by overwhelming curiosity. I”m finally going to study journalism at university - and in the Big Apple! I wonder if it”ll be like the movies.

Sex, booze and parties...

I shake my head. I”d rather not think about it. Sure, I”ve got nothing against partying or getting drunk, but it”s absolutely not my objective. I want to concentrate on my studies and get good grades, not hang around like an alcoholic corpse in the bed of a guy whose first name I won”t remember.

I imagine walking across campus and being greeted by my classmates. How I”ll work diligently in class and fall into bed at night, satisfied. Inevitably, the corners of my mouth turn up. I can”t wait!

When we finally arrive at the airport, a message appears on my cell phone informing me that I”ve been transferred to a flight for tomorrow afternoon - with a two-hour layover in Washington.

Great.

We make our way to the counter. On the notice board, several canceled flights are flashing. So, I”m not the only one. Before I can even open my mouth, my mother takes the lead. I think I”ll always be her little girl... Patiently, I stand back and let her do her thing.

“My daughter”s flight today has been canceled. She has another one tomorrow afternoon. Is there a hotel room for her in this case? Does the airline pay for it or not?” she asks the counter clerk, slightly stressed.

“Yes, ma”am. Everything is taken care of. Your daughter can go to this hotel.”

The young woman from the airline hands us a document stating that the night is offered to me in an establishment not far from the airport, and all the other details are noted on it.

I turn to my mother, whose eyes shine with a suspicious moisture. From now on, she has to leave me, and I must go on alone. We hug each other and both fight back tears.

“Take care of yourself, darling,” she murmurs, hastily wiping her face. “Let us know how it goes. And send us a message when you”re on the plane! Don”t be careless!”

I nod, smiling as much as I can, swallowing the big lump in my throat. I take my bag from her and head for the buses to the hotel, pulling my suitcase behind me. If I turn around one more time, I”m going to start crying, that”s for sure.

Once there, I have to wait a while at the reception. Many passengers who couldn”t catch the plane today are spending the night there, like me. I smirk. So many people with so many different stories. Sometimes I wish I could interview them all and write about them, because I”m sure everyone has a story to tell that”s worth sharing. Journalism is a real passion for me, and I often embark on dreams like that.

Once in my room, I take out my cell phone to send a text message to my best friend.

Maddie”s been at NYU for a year and she”s so excited for me to finally join her, she”s been sending me a countdown every morning for weeks. I”m sure she”ll be disappointed that I”m not arriving until later.

I tell her about my latest adventures and a few seconds later, she”s already answering me.

* Sweetie, I can hardly believe you”re finally on your way! I”m so happy! WTF is this delay? Once you”re here, I”ll take care of you like a mother bird takes care of her chick.

A laugh escapes me. Maddie has always been good at bringing a smile to my lips. I”ve known her for what seems like forever, and we were in high school together. I can”t wait to see her!

The next day, when I”m finally seated on the plane, a smile of satisfaction stretches across my face. I”m almost there... In a few hours, I”ll finally be there!

The flight goes off without a hitch. Once I”ve landed, I don”t have to wait long for my suitcase. I hoist it off the conveyor belt and hurry towards the exit. No sooner have I passed through the automatic doors than I already see her - Maddie, beaming. She”s holding a huge sign with my name written on it in a multitude of sequins. Usually, such attention makes me uncomfortable, but this time I don”t care. I just want to hug my best friend. I run to her and hug her so tightly that we both nearly fall over.

“You”ve been waiting a long time, gorgeous! I”m so glad you”re finally here!” she laughs, giving me a big kiss on the cheek.

“What a trip!” I mumble, as we walk arm in arm towards the exit.

All the way to the dorm we chat and laugh. It”s so good to be near her again. Together, we”re simply better - like honey tea. We have a saying: ‘perfect separately, unbeatable together’.

Finally, we park and cross the campus. I”m already feeling nauseous, so apprehensive. I”m really here! At New York City University! I look around me in awe.

Can someone pinch me so I know it’s real?

Maddie pinches my hip and I squeal.

“What the hell are you doing?”

She giggles, as if she”s read my mind.

“You”re staring so hard, I thought I”d bring you back to the moment like this!”

I can”t stop laughing. It”s always been that way. In a frightening way, Maddie”s thoughts and mine seem to be linked.

We keep walking and pass a magnificent tree that looks almost magical in the light of the streetlamps. Then we find ourselves in front of the residence. It”s not the most modern building in the world, but it”s something. After all, the facade can be deceiving.

Maddie has her own room, while I could only afford a shared one. And it was impossible for both of us to take one for administrative reasons.

I really hope I”m going to get on well with my roommate...

We head for the entrance and Maddie helps me with my luggage. My new room is on the second floor. Thank God there”s an elevator and it looks pretty modern. It would have been impossible to climb even two more stairs with this heavy suitcase.

The elevator opens with a pling, and I look directly for my room number, ‘220’. It”s obviously at the end of the corridor.

My heart races as I knock on the door. I wonder what”s waiting for me behind the door, or rather, who”s waiting for me behind the door?

“Come in!” resounds a voice a little too high-pitched.

Maddie and I look at each other briefly before I open the door.

I”m speechless as I enter the room. It”s tastefully decorated. In the center is a small wooden table with two chairs, and to the left and right are the sleeping areas. In one corner, there”s a comfortable-looking miniature sofa and a small TV, while in the other is a small kitchenette. At the window, a graceful brunette skillfully arranges a curtain.

“Hi! I”m Emily, your new roommate,” I say with a smile.

The interested party turns mischievously and looks me up and down.

“We need to change your taste in shoes,” she declares.

“It”s... I...” I stammer, taken aback.

My roommate then starts laughing, approaches me and gives me a warm hug.

“Gotcha! I”m Cassy, nice to meet you!”

She lets go of me and looks questioningly at Maddie.

“Uh, this is Maddie, my best friend, she studies here too.”

Maddie also gets a hug.

Phew, I”m lucky! I immediately feel at ease in Cassy”s presence. She has a pleasant charisma, a warm gaze and obviously a sharp sense of humor.

“Come in, come in, sit down! Can I offer you something to drink? Some coffee? Some tea? How was your trip? Where are you from?”

Well, she talks a little too much. I”ll have to get used to it.

We chat briefly and exchange the usual information. She”s originally from California, is studying fashion - which doesn”t seem surprising given her pronounced taste for decoration - and is also new here at the university. Then she shows me to my personal space. It”s small, but also beautifully decorated.

Maddie helps me unpack.

“How about a welcome drink downstairs at the café?” says my best friend, wagging her eyebrows.

I”m completely exhausted, but at the same time too excited to go to sleep right away, so I nod. We ask Cassy if she”d like to come with us.

“Only if you wear other shoes,” she shouts from her bed.

The three of us laugh and I grab a pair of booties.

“What do you think of these?”

Cassy”s gaze shifts from the boots to me and back again. After a moment”s reflection, she finally says:

“Acceptable.”

“I”m glad,” I giggle, and we set off laughing.

I don”t know what I expected from a campus café, but it was clearly not this. It”s reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy1 . The decor, the atmosphere, the music - it”s all there! I immediately feel at ease. It”s not very crowded, probably because it”s a weeknight.

No sooner are we seated at a table than a waitress is waving frantically at us. She has short blond hair, a few piercings on her face and tattooed arms.

“Maddie, what a surprise!”

My best friend greets her with a smile.

“This is Ella! Ella, this is my best friend Emily, fresh from Texas, and her roommate Cassy.”

“Delighted! The first round of welcome drinks is on the house,” says Ella. “What will it be?”

Maddie orders two freshly squeezed juices and gives Cassy a quizzical look.

She looks at us conspiratorially.

“Tonight, I”m going wild! Green tea, please.”

The three of us giggle and the waitress returns to the counter.

I let my gaze wander around the café and stop at a group of boys. They look rather sporty and, from the way they behave with each other, they seem more like a herd of teenagers than students.

Maybe the soccer team?

Let”s hope not! I know I”m going to have to interview one of them as part of my journalism course - and also because I”m joining the university newspaper - and they don”t make me want to approach them at all!

That”s when a guy - admittedly hot - notices my stare and gives me an air kiss. I wrinkle my nose and look away, blushing.

Why can”t they behave like normal people?

“Don”t let the jocks throw you off. Most of them are looking for flings and are trying to seduce all the new girls,” says Maddie.

Cassy also nods, irritated.

“But whatever, today we”re celebrating the fact that you”re finally here! To hell with everything else!”

Then the waitress returns with our drinks, and we toast.

“Here”s to an exciting year,” says Cassy solemnly.

The tingle in my belly is full of promise as I take my first sip with a smile. I can”t wait to find out what”s in store for me.

***

On my first official day, I”m up early. The excitement of meeting the student newspaper team and my long to-do list drag me out of bed at 6:30.

I put on my bathrobe and set off in search of coffee. A pleasant smell of breakfast is already wafting up my nose. Cassy is sitting at the little table in the center of our room, enjoying waffles.

“Good morning, sunshine! Are you an early riser too?” she exclaims cheerfully.

“Hello, Cassy. I”m trying, yes, but what I really need now is a...”

Before I can finish my sentence, she gets up and heads for the coffee machine, explaining how to use it and showing me where to find everything I need.

With my steaming mug in hand, we sit down together.

“Before you go to the paper, maybe you should take a shower and fix your hair,” Cassy says, looking at me intently.

“Oh, thank you, good idea! I was actually thinking of going out there in a bathrobe,” I reply sarcastically.

She giggles, stands up and puts on her jacket.

“Well, it”s a good thing I suggested it, then! I”ll see you later, I”ve got to go!”

She gives me a little wave before closing the door behind her. I savor the rest of my coffee and, above all, the calm. This early in the morning, conversations are very difficult for me!

Maddie said she”d pick me up at 7:30, so I”d better jump in the shower. I didn”t really look at the bathroom yesterday. It”s small, but functional. Simple and modern. Obviously, Cassy hasn”t decorated the place yet! But I”m sure it won”t be long before she does.

As I apply my mascara, there”s already a knock on the door.

Is Maddie on time? That would be a first!

I greet her with enthusiasm. I still can”t believe my best friend is finally with me. I really missed her.

“Are you ready?” she asks.

“Don”t we have time for a coffee?” I retort, horrified.

“Only if you want to be late on the first day!”

She points to the empty cup on the table and smiles.

“And you”ve already had one. I thought you wanted to work on your caffeine addiction,” she remarks.

When she sees my pout, she gives in.

“OK! We can pick one up on the way.”

“Hallelujah!” I shout with satisfaction, and we”re off.

It”s a twenty-minute walk to the student newspaper offices. I take advantage of this breath of fresh air to analyze the hustle and bustle around us and observe the campus. It”s still surreal for me to finally be here.

We enter a modern building where all my journalism courses will be held and where the newspaper offices are also located. It”s imposing and also a little intimidating.

Once there, Maddie, who”s also part of the editorial team, introduces me to everyone, including the editor-in-chief, David, whom I had already spoken to on the phone, and she shows me to my office. Everyone has their own little corner, and there”s a conference room for meetings. The computer equipment is state-of-the-art, and there seems to be no shortage of anything.

“You”ll be working for the newspaper”s sports section. Your first assignment will be to interview the captain of the ice hockey team. He can be a bit... special. But don”t worry, you”ll do just fine,” Maddie explains.

I frown, puzzled. I didn”t even know the university had an ice hockey team, and I know nothing about the sport. In high school, I specialized in basketball. And the captain is... special? Is that why they”re sending me to the front? Because no one else will talk to him? Maybe it”s some kind of test or hazing. I see it as a way of proving my worth to them. Whatever, I”ll get through it! I”m new here and I”m going to prove myself. In my head, I”m already going over the information I need to get to write a good article. The deadline is Wednesday. So, I”ve got five days to learn everything I canabout the sport and, above all, convince the team captain to grant me an interview. Maddie said he knows I will come, but not that he agrees to a QA...

Back to work!

1 A speakeasy serving alcoholic beverages during the Prohibition era in the United States, from around 1920 to 1930.