Angels of Long Island | Mathew Barzal

~20~

Finals fly by but in retrospect, it feels like it took forever. One morning before my hardest final, I get a text from Mat saying

Kick ass on your final! 3 days to Canada, can't wait to see you!

I think the thought of being done school for a while and seeing Mat and going somewhere new helped finals be a little more bearable.

The night of my last final, I start packing for Canada. I pack a lot of heavy sweaters, leggings, hats, scarves and boots. I make sure I have a couple blue items to support the guys. I've been with Mat for close to 3 months, how do I not own at least an Islanders tshirt? I somehow fit all that and a heavy winter coat in my suitcase. I'm supposed to meet the girls and the team at the airport tomorrow morning so Sophia is driving me there. In my purse, I make sure I have my access pass. I sleep in the outfit I'm flying in and set my alarm.

The next morning, Sophia is shaking my shoulder before my alarm goes off. "Soph I still have half an hour." I whine. "I know but I was going to take you to Starbucks, despite you bitching at me." She says. I fly out of bed and pull on my sneakers. I gather all my stuff and make sure everything in the room is settled because I won't be back for almost 2 weeks. Sophia and I go to the car and I load my stuff up. She drives over to the Starbucks on campus before heading to the airport. She's going home to see her family after she drops me off.

When we get to the airport, she helps me get my stuff out and then hugs me goodbye. "You sure you don't want to come see my parents? It's not too late." She says.

"I'm sure. I love you, tell them I say hi." I say.

She hugs me before sending me off to find the girls, coffee in hand.

Once inside the airport, I text Lauren.

I'm here!

Yay! Go through security, we're waiting at our gate.

Ok.

I go through security in a breeze and say goodbye to my suitcase until we land in Canada. I go to the gate on my boarding pass and find the girls. When they see me, they all stand and come to hug me.

Once we're all seated, the questions about me and Mat begin to fly.

Just then, I get a text from Mat.

You at the airport?

Yeah, are you?

Yup, on my way to find you.

"The guys are on the same plane as us, how whacky is that." Sydney says.

"Yeah, but they're nowhere near us." Emily says. I look around at the group of girls with me. It's mostly all the singles and only a couple of married girls. The ones with kids didn't come.

After a few minutes, I see the guys walking over to us in a big group, most having duffle bags or backpacks on their shoulders. Mat spots me and smiles.

When he reaches me, he wraps me in a hug. "Thanks for being here." He says. "Anytime." I mutter into his shoulder. We hang out together at our gate until we're called to board. I lean my head on Mat's shoulder and try and sleep. He puts an arm around my shoulders and I take a brief nap. I wake to him gently sitting me up. "Time to go." He whispers. We stand and hug our men before they all board together, showing their NHL cards and boarding passes to the man at the door.

The girls go next. I show the guy my boarding pass before following Lauren on the plane.

Once settled in my seat, I get ready to go back to sleep. Which I do until we land.