Chapter 19
Gwen
“This is going to be fun,” I whisper to myself as I look in the mirror.
I’m wearing more makeup than usual, but I actually like how it looks. I followed a video Tess sent me because, according to her, the girl had the same skin tone and hair color as me.
Leo should be here any minute to pick me up, so I head downstairs.
A strange feeling settles in my stomach, nervousness I can’t quite place.
I’m anxious for Zane, hoping he wins the game and performs well.
I’m also nervous about watching him play; from what I’ve seen, ice hockey looks intense, and I don’t want him getting hurt.
On top of that, I feel uneasy about being out in public, especially with everything surrounding the article.
I drop my keys into my purse after locking the door and step outside.
The moment I do, it feels like the universe is sending me some kind of quiet sign. A girl wearing a Grizzlies jersey walks past me. She smiles politely, not like she recognizes me, just a simple, kind gesture. It feels oddly comforting.
I’m about to reach for my phone to check for messages when Leo pulls up.
“Go Grizzlies!” Leo shouts as he rolls down the window, making me laugh.
“He’s been like this all morning,” Tess sighs from the passenger seat.
“Did you expect anything else?” I laugh as I climb into the backseat.
Cardigan by Taylor Swift is playing on the radio, and somehow it always has a calming effect on me. Maybe it’s another small sign that today will be ok.
“There’s a bit of traffic, but we should be there soon,” Leo says from the front.
“How are you doing?” Tess asks, turning in her seat to face me. She’s dressed in orange and blue, just like I am.
“I’m a little nervous, but also excited,” I admit honestly. “I never thought I’d actually care about an ice hockey game.”
“Me neither,” Tess laughs. “I’m just glad the other team has a clearly different color so I can root for the right players,” she adds with a chuckle.
“I’m signing you two up for a beginner ice hockey course,” Leo sighs, sounding mildly disappointed.
“As much as I like Gwen’s boyfriend, I’ll pass,” Tess replies with a smile. She rests her hand on Leo’s knee, and something about the gesture softens me. Seeing them together like this fills me with a kind of quiet happiness that still feels new.
“Is Lisa going to be there?” Leo asks.
“Yeah, she texted me that she made sure we all got seats in the same section,” I explain.
“Oh, fun!” Tess says excitedly, clapping her hands.
For the rest of the ride, we talk about the bakery and the difficult customer we dealt with earlier. Leo mostly listens to the radio, staying in his own world, which might be exactly what he needs right now.
“Whoa, this is almost front-row parking,” Tess says, surprised as Leo pulls into a space. “Isn’t this where the players park?”
“It is,” Leo replies with a smile. “And staff. Which I technically am not, but since my company made a generous investment, they made an exception.”
“Billionaires really have it rough,” I laugh. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Leo smiles before stepping out and opening the door for Tess. I let myself out as well, and just then, a light rain begins to fall.
“Thank God we don’t have to wait in a queue outside. Your hair looks too cute,” Tess laughs as she hurries toward the entrance.
The closer we get to the rink, the more nervous I feel. By the time we reach the hall, it feels like people have already glanced at me several times. I keep telling myself I’m imagining it to ease my nerves, but part of me knows I need to stay grounded in reality.
The atmosphere inside the rink is intense.
On the Grizzlies’ side, nearly everyone is dressed in blue and orange, voices blending into a loud, excited buzz.
People hold cups with the team logo, munching on oversized pretzels and hot dogs.
It’s exactly what I imagined, just not something I ever pictured myself being part of.
Leo somehow knows exactly where our section is, and we follow him to our seats. As we get closer, I spot Lisa waving at us from a distance. She’s wearing a cute orange mini dress paired with a blue jacket.
“Finally!” she calls out when we arrive. She hugs each of us, and when she reaches me, I catch a hint of her lavender perfume. “I texted you. Did you see it?” she whispers before pulling away.
I tilt my head and slowly shake my head no.
“No, why?” I ask, just as she steps aside to reveal a woman and a man standing behind her.
“Guys, look who it is. My parents decided to surprise Zane and come to his game,” Lisa says with a smile, though her eyes lock onto mine in a way that makes my stomach drop.
Oh no. I really regret not checking my phone.
The woman wears an orange Grizzlies scarf, while the man has on a blue shirt. His hair is mostly grey, but his features clearly resemble Zane’s.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet Leo, Tess, and of course Gwen,” Lisa says, gesturing toward each of us.
Suddenly, I become very aware of my sweaty palms and quickly wipe them against the sides of my outfit. The woman notices and closely watches my movements.
“Glenda,” she says, extending her hand and shaking each of ours in turn.
“Nice to meet you,” I reply with a smile that isn’t quite returned. Lisa shoots me an apologetic look.
“Dad, come meet our friends. Leo, Tess, and you’ve heard about Gwen, of course,” Lisa continues. She places a hand on the man’s shoulder, though he doesn’t appear particularly engaged.
“Hello,” the man says, offering no introduction whatsoever.
The ice hockey rink suddenly feels too small, the awkwardness in the air almost suffocating. I don’t know where to put my attention or how to act.
“I was about to get us a drink. Can I get you guys something as well?” Lisa asks.
“Why don’t I help you?” Leo offers.
Lisa agrees immediately, and the two of them head toward the bar together.
“Sorry,” Lisa whispers as she passes me. I shift slightly to give her space and smile back, hoping she understands it’s ok without me saying it out loud.
I watch them walk off, chatting easily as they go, and a small pang of jealousy hits me. I wish I had thought to offer first.
“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.
The game continues for another fifteen minutes before the referee blows the whistle again. Both teams skate off the ice and head back to their locker rooms.
“I love this part,” Lisa says excitedly, her eyes fixed on the Jumbotron.
“What is it?” I ask, looking up as well.
“They film famous people and awkwardly make them wave,” she laughs.
“We’re grabbing drinks real quick,” Leo says as he and Tess head off to refill.
“Is that the girl from the movie Seventeen?” I ask, and Lisa nods.
“And apparently that’s her new boyfriend, they just exposed them,” she adds, sounding both surprised and amused.
The camera continues scanning the crowd, lingering on a few unfamiliar faces. Then, suddenly, I notice it moving in our direction.
“No way Perth is here,” Lisa gasps when a man appears on the Jumbotron. The crowd reacts with a mix of boos and cheers.
“Who is that?” I ask, confused.
“He plays for the Hawks. It’s a long story, but let’s just say we don’t like him,” she explains.
“Noted,” I reply.
The camera keeps drifting closer, and I glance around our section, trying to spot anyone who might be famous.
There’s a strange excitement in the air at the idea of being near someone well-known, which feels a bit ironic considering I’m already sitting with the team, and my boyfriend is one of the players on the Grizzlies.
I’m still turned around when Lisa suddenly gasps.
I turn back, and then I see it.
My own face on the Jumbotron.
Instantly, it feels like the entire crowd erupts in boos. Unlike the reaction to Perth, where there had been a mix of cheers and jeers, there’s nothing but disapproval aimed at me. The sound washes over me in waves.
I want to cry. I want to disappear. I want to run.
Still trying to process it, I force myself to do what Lisa said earlier and give an awkward wave. The camera lingers on me for a few more seconds that feel far longer than they actually are.
Then it finally cuts away.
“I got booed,” I say, still stunned, my voice barely above a whisper.
“They don’t know you,” Lisa says quickly, already trying to reassure me. “It’s all because of that dumb article. We’ll fix it. Just give it time.” She places a steady hand on my shoulder as she speaks.
“Are you ok?” Tess asks, slightly out of breath as she comes up on my other side. “I saw your face and came running back.”
“I’m fine,” I reply with a small smile, though I can feel tears threatening behind my eyes. I focus on holding them back and redirect my attention to the ice.
When Leo returns, his expression is tense, almost angry, but he doesn’t say anything. He simply hands each of us our drinks.
“Are you sure you still want to hang out at the apartment after this?” Tess asks gently.
I nod.
“I have to. It’s his big game, I can’t bail now,” I whisper.
The Metallica song starts up again as the team returns to the ice. I try to follow the game, but my attention keeps slipping. So I do the only thing I can, I mirror Lisa’s reactions.
When she cheers, I cheer. When she stays still, I stay still. I follow her lead through the rest of the game, pretending to stay engaged while my mind drifts.
By the time the final whistle blows, I realize the Grizzlies have won.