Break the ice

Chapter 1: I can't be your friend

Estelle's POV

Ugh here I am again. Watching a hockey game. Greenwood University is famous for it's ice hockey program. This means hockey players rule our campus and are very popular around here. I'm a simple creature, I get with the trends. I go to hockey games with my friends, I like the parties after the games. I like the social events that surround the sport. I like most of the players. I just can't seem to be liked by the hockey captain. I don't know what I ever did to Huxley Stokes for him to dislike me as much as he does.

But yet, here I am watching a hockey game with my friends, cheering for Huxley and his teammates. We frequent these games because Samara, my best friend, has a huge crush on Dorian, one of the players. He's also Huxley's best friend. She's sitting left from me cheering for her crush. On the right is Kaia, she's sitting and scrutinising every single movement the players make. She always says she's just interested in the sport, but I know better than that. She doesn't have a particular player she likes but I can tell she enjoys their visuals.

Kaia's cousin, whom she's really close with, is on the team. Through her cousin, Miles, we got to know the players and even befriending some. I share some sociology classes with Dorian. And Samara went to high school with Jake, another player. So Huxley and I run in the same friend circles, yet he doesn't hide his distaste when he sees me.

"And score! The Greenwood Wolves are getting closer to a second win this season!" Everyone is cheering for the team. My friends are celebrating the goal as well. I really love the energy from the crowd. People who share the same excitement and passion for something like sports, just gets me even more hyped. I love absorbing peoples energies. My energy levels are only going up. Before we know it the game ends, with the Wolves (our team) taking the win.

Well this means the after party is going to be fun. "Alright girls, party time!" I yell. Apparently I was being too loud, seeing that Huxley looks up into the public and shakes his head disapprovingly at me. How did the guy even see that was me? What does he have against me?

"Man, Huxley's already annoyed with me and we haven't even arrived at the party." I sigh. Samara laughs, she's always found Huxley's one-sided beef with me funny.

"To give my opinion on this. I think he likes you Estelle. The guy can't even speak more that two word sentences to you and tenses when he's around you. That dislike, is just a way of hiding his hidden feeling for you." Wow Kaia must've ate something weird today to utter this nonsense.

"Kaia, in what world full of delusions do you live? Do I need to take your romance books away from you?" Ha ha that shuts her up. "You would never do that to me, you know what those books mean to me." I laugh at that.

- The party -

We've arrived at a huge house, don't know whose. Upon entering the noisy house we see Miles, Jake and Dorian standing in the living room. "Hey guys, congrats on the win!" I greet them. Samara and Kaia start talking to the guys when I offered to get some drinks.

When I walk into the kitchen I see Huxley pouring himself a drink. Trying to be nice, I congratulate him on the win tonight. "Thanks." Thanks. That's all he says. Not that he has to say more. But a full sentence would've been nice. I can't stop myself from saying something. I don't like awkward silences. "So the weather was nice today huh." I mentally facepalm myself for trying to maintain a conversation with mister grumpy pants.

"Are you done?" BOOM. That was a three word sentence! See Kaia wasn't right about him secretly liking me. "Just trying to have a conversation with my good friend Huxley." I say happily.

"Don't call me that." Four words, four words. Ha ha take that Kaia. "Oh come on, we've known each other for a year already. I'm friends with your friends, why can't we be friends?" I ask him.

I'm confused by the look on his face. His brown eyes almost zoning out of this conversation. He snaps out of it when a strand of black hair falls on his forehead. He has his hair out of his face for most of the time, but this time it looks a bit messy. He probably didn't have time to perfect it after the game. And honestly it looks good on him. Shit I'm realising that I'm the one staring right now.

And Huxley is staring back. Hard. He's piercing through my grey coloured eyes, with the same fierce look that he has when playing hockey. A blush creeps onto my cheeks. Then he moves his eyes to my lips. He rests his eyes on my lips for a while. And I'm frozen, not even able to move my eyes away. I gulp. Then his eyes come back to look me in the eye. "We're not friends. I can't be your friend." And with that he walks away.

This is the weirdest encounter we've ever had I think. And that's saying a lot. But why is my heart beating so fast right now? It must be my excitement for this party. Yeah that's what it is.

- the next day -

It's Saturday in the afternoon. I have to go to work. I've always loved working at the bookstore. It's a 15 minute bike ride away from campus. I need this job since uni is expensive as hell. I'm just lucky I get to work with books. Interacting with customers at the store, talking to them about books. It's just so much fun. I am really chaotic tho. Sometimes I put books in the wrong aisle, but my boss forgives me for it since customers love me. The pros of being a social person balance out my chaotic nature.

Charlene, my boss, told me that a new colleague would come in today. Most of the time I run the store with her on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. But now that she's pregnant she wants to find someone else for those days so she has more family time. She asked me if I could show the new worker around the shop and teach them the tasks. I'm excited. Hopefully it's someone around my age. And a nice person.

When I arrive at the store I see Charlene standing at the register. "Hey Estelle, glad you agreed to help your new colleague today. He should be coming in about 5 minutes. I gotta run. Need to make an ultrasound to see if the baby is okay. Text me how it went, will ya?"

"Of course, good luck at the hospital! Go, take good care of yourself." I wave at her. "Estelle you're the best! Alright bye." And she's gone. Well luckily Saturdays are not the busiest since it's a small town. I stand behind the register checking some lists and putting stickers on books when I hear the door open. The person entering is none other than Huxley Stokes.

"Hi Huxley, can I help you with something." I ask him. His eyes are wide. He looks like he's just seen a ghost. "Um... you work here?" He asks me hesitantly. I laugh at his question before answering "Yeah what does it look like to you?"

"Well, I got hired by Charlene and she told me someone would help me explain the work. I'm guessing you're that someone." He looks somewhat nervous, if I'm not mistaken.

Well this will be an eventful work shift. Out of all people. Huxley is my new colleague?!