Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
Savannah
Practically Sisters
Even though I don’t have to watch Izzie, I hate being late, so I end up awkwardly trying to kill time in the lobby instead of watching everyone file into their seats around me. Which is cool, only this is the warmest part of the arena I’ve been to, and I don’t want to take off my winter coat.
Now that Lacey explained things to me, the sweatshirt was probably way more conspicuous if you know what to look for, which is why I planned to leave it with Izzie next time I saw her.
The jersey, however, clearly states my allegiance, even if most won’t know it’s the real deal, and I feel way out of my depth without Izzie.
Even Coach’s wife and granddaughter would be nice, which convinces me to head to the seats, fingers and toes crossed.
“You came without Baby Callahan, again?” Lacey asks when I reach her row. There are three women sitting with her.
“Thought it would be fun to catch a night game.” I smile, but I’m all nerves, realizing for the first time that the crowd has a lot less of the family members that, while I wasn’t close to, felt safer than a bunch of fellow students.
I’m good with parents and children. It’s people my age that scare me.
“Sit with us,” Lacey says like it isn’t really a question, but she looks at me expectantly.
She won’t try to convince me if I turn her down, which is my first instinct. But I don’t really want to sit on my own and spend the next two hours feeling lonely and pathetic. I take a deep breath I try to disguise with a smile and slide in.
Lacey beams at me before turning to the others.
“Girls, this is Savannah James. Sav, this is Michelle, Chloe, and Morgan.”
Morgan’s jersey has 16 on it, so I assume she’s with Tanner. Which stops me from taking off my coat, because people will make those same assumptions about me.
“You babysit Callahan’s sister,” she points out, looking around for Izzie.
“Sometimes,” I agree.
“You were also at the holiday party. Tanner said you were a shark at darts.”
“It’s not really a shark if you tell them you play and they still underestimate you.”
“I assure you that in Tanner’s case, it had nothing to do with doubting your skills, and everything to do with his giant ego.
” She rolls her eyes, but when she looks down and finds him on the ice, her face lights up.
He makes a twirling motion with his wrist, so she sighs like it’s an inconvenience, but can’t stop her smile as she turns around so he can see his name on her back, which leads to him blowing her a kiss, and an equal number of girls to swoon as to glare at her.
Lacey goes through something similar with Darren, but they’ve been together forever, so no one glares.
I see Noah scanning the crowd, checking his seats, then furrowing his brow when he finds me.
I want to shrug my shoulders and pretend I don’t know what’s wrong, or that it’s because of where I’m sitting, but as much as it terrifies me, I really want to have him look at me like he did yesterday when he first put the jersey on me.
So, I bite my bottom lip to stave off my nerves and remove my scarf, then the big winter coat that is hiding his jersey.
I straighten it out, looking down to make sure it’s in place.
I am not expecting how big Noah’s smile is when I look back to the ice, or the lust in his eyes when he looks up at me.
He bites his bottom lip, and I suddenly understand what he means when he says I’m killing him.
Less than ten minutes into the game, Owen sends the puck to Noah, who slapshots it right over the goalie’s left shoulder, scoring us the first goal of the night.
I stand and cheer with everyone else sporting teal, especially the girls beside me, but my heart flutters when one of the first things Noah does after scoring is find me in the crowd.
It isn’t like he singles me out or anything, but he smiles, like it means the world to him that I’m here watching.
I feel bad that I almost didn’t come, and that other than the handful of times I bring Izzie, he never has anyone in the audience for him.
The period ends with us leading 2-1, and I am enjoying myself more than I thought possible, not only watching hockey, but with the girls.
I haven’t even taken out my notebook, and when Lacey asks if I want to go get a snack with her, I leave my characters behind and follow her to the concession stand.
“I think we passed it,” I point out when she leads us to the visiting section, where everyone is in red and white for BU.
“I like my popcorn layered with butter, which Frank refuses to do, but Carl has my back. He’ll also make a fresh batch for you, or let you mix slushie flavors,” she shares.
“Carl being…” I’ve met Frank. He’s maybe my dad’s age, and seems to hate college students, but is always super nice to Izzie.
“Joey’s little brother.”
“Can’t say no to extra butter.” I smile, still not entirely comfortable with Lacey yet, or with walking around the arena in Noah’s jersey, but she’s been incredibly nice, giving me all the arena tidbits as if being a player’s girlfriend is our job and she’s been tasked with welcoming me into the fold and training me.
“So, am I a decent consolation prize to Izzie? Better than Tish?” Lacey asks while we wait in line.
“You’re great. I’m having so much more fun than I thought I could at a hockey game.”
“They’re definitely more exciting here than they were in high school.”
“You guys have really been together a long time.” I smile.
“Beginning of Freshman Year, but he’s been one of my best friends since Junior High. They both have.”
I want to ask about that, maybe find out what Noah was like in high school, but we’re interrupted.
“Savannah James.”
I freeze at the sound of my former best friend’s voice, like someone dropped a bucket of ice water down my shoulders. She shouldn’t be here.
I want to sink into the floor – and take Kinsey, before she can tell Lacey stories about me, but instead I put on my best polite smile and turn to face her.
“Kinsey?!? What are you doing here?”
She’s wearing a number 9 jersey for the opposing team, but she’s made it into a dress, cinched at the waist. The number’s on both of her cheeks as well, so elaborate it looks like a sticker, and I remember when she used to paint Dallas’ number on our faces before his games.
I guess Clay’s as well, but she didn’t make it to as many of his.
“I was about to ask you the same thing. Got run off the football field?” She laughs like it’s an inside joke, but it isn’t funny.
“Just supporting a friend,” I assure her before remembering I’m not alone. “This is Lacey. She’s dating Darren Steele, our goalie. This is Kinsey. We grew up next to each other.” It hurts to diminish her to that, but it would hurt more to call her anything different.
“That’s a little misleading, isn’t it?” she says with venom in her voice as she glares at me, before turning to Lacey, all sweetness. “We were practically sisters.” It’s not a reminder of how close we were; it’s dig at how I cost her my brother.
Kinsey extends her hand – with fingernails painted red and white, the perfect WAG – to shake Lacey’s.
“I’m with Patrick Hannigan. Team Captain, left winger, scored about ten minutes ago, already drafted…
Next year he’ll be playing in L.A., which is beautiful year-round.
So much better than New England, don’t you think? ”
Lacey shrugs, clearly confused, and I can see the moment Kinsey realizes my friend has no idea who my brother is. That her digs are going way over Lacey’s head. I would savor the victory if I didn’t know Kinsey’s just going to change tactics. She’s always been determined.
“Your usual?” The guy at the counter – Carl – asks once it’s our turn.
“Twice, please,” Lacey asks before turning to Kinsey. “Would you like a popcorn?” she asks sweetly, but it sounds fake, even with how little I know her.
“God, no. I’m on cheer squad, so we don’t put crap like that in our bodies.”
“Kinsey,” I reproach. She can be a bitch to me, but Lacey doesn’t deserve it. The look Kinsey gives me is somewhat impressed, mostly daring me to actually say something. But Lacey can hold her own.
“I admire your self-control. I’ve tried, but life is more fun when you can eat the things you enjoy. I’m just so grateful we found guys who love us regardless of our dress sizes.” She says the last part to me, like we’re in the same boat.
“Patrick wants me at any size. I just have standards.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply anything. So nice meeting you, Kelsey.”
“Kinsey,” she corrects.
“My bad. Ready to go, Sav?”
“Of course.” I swallow, utterly impressed with my new best friend. Whether she wants the title or not, Lacey just earned it.
“See you at brunch tomorrow?”
I knew Kinsey wouldn’t let Lacey have the last word, but I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Why would I—”
“Your mom is making crepes, Savvy. Were you not invited?”
I wasn’t. Though I’m not the least bit concerned that my parents are choosing Kinsey over me, I am slightly worried someone said something to get me out of that invite.
“I had other plans,” I lie, to which Kinsey actually snickers.
“We’re doing brunch at the hockey house.” Lacey swoops in. “After home games, we usually party, then the team does brunch the next morning.”
“Oh, is Savvy cooking?” It almost sounds like Kinsey is supporting a hobby of mine rather than implying that’s the only reason I would be invited.
“Her French toast is to die for, but I don’t think Noah’s hosting this week.” She looks to me as if for confirmation. “Then again, if it’s Colt’s turn, we might be better off accepting your mom’s invite.” Lacey lies seamlessly, but Kinsey stopped listening.
Her eyes are wide, taking in my jersey.
“You and Callahan?” she asks, making no effort to hide her confusion. “I thought you were just trying to belong for once. To fit in with the dozens of girls planning to take him home tonight.”
“How disappointing for them that he’s going home with Sav.” I love how confidently Lacey says it, even though Noah and I are still in the ‘I’ll text you after the game to let you know’ phase.
“You sure about that?” Kinsey turns to me like she knows, and I hate that she can still read me.
“This is why Noah begged you to wear his jersey, so everyone knows he’s yours.
Though judging by some of the looks you’ve been getting, might also be to keep him out of jail,” Lacey teases.
I bite my bottom lip to keep from arguing with her, because I can see how much this bothers Kinsey, but she recovers quick.
“I’m surprised you went for an athlete, after everything,” she says pointedly, and for a second, I can’t breathe.
“Sav was a little awkward growing up, so she never liked that kind of attention. It’s a shame, because her mom tried so hard to force entire teams to hang out with her. Not that it ever amounted to anything.”
I could tell her I didn’t go after Noah.
That if I’m being honest, he made most of the first moves.
Or I could point out that my mother telling my brothers to keep an eye on me when I was a kid is way less pathetic than the way she’s still trying to force Dallas to hang out with her.
But I don’t want to tear her down or argue, and I especially don’t want to give Lacey the context behind those comments.
I just want to get away from Kinsey and the way she actively tries to make me feel small.
“It was so nice seeing you Kinsey.” The lie feels wrong on my tongue, but I smile politely. “Say hello to your parents for me.”
“And to yours,” she calls after me.
Lacey waits until we’re back on the home side to say, “At first I worried I was misreading things, but she was a total bitch.”
“I’m sorry you had to—thank you.”
“I hate mean girls,” she shares. “There was one at our school too, always going out of her way to make everyone feel like crap. I had no interest in groveling or being mean to others so she would like me, which is probably why my best friends were guys.”
“She was mine,” I admit.
“Your mean girl.” It’s a statement, not a question.
“My best friend. From kindergarten until last April.”
“I am so sorry,” Lacey tells me. “I always love watching Darren win, but tonight let’s go watch them kick BU’s ass?”
“I’m really glad I came tonight,” I tell her. Seeing Kinsey sucked, but whatever this is with Lacey, hopefully the beginnings of a friendship, feels worth it.