A/N:
No super-long A/N today, just...
I read this quote somewhere, and now I'm sharing it here because I feel like it's a nice quote:
"Even the pinkest flamingo starts out grey.".
~Unknown
And, as for the song up there... someone recommended it to me and I really liked it, so I'm hoping others will, too.
That's it for today.
Happy Reading!
P.S.: Underlined means text(ing).
Chapter 15
Laura/Nick
Will's phone dings with a text message. He looks at it and I look over his shoulder. It's from Callie.
Callie: Will. I should have realized it earlier when I first met him and saw you walking together two weeks ago. Well, I'm not sure if you two realized it then. You're in love with Nick. And, he's in love with you, too. I can tell that you two fell in love hard and fast. The two of you keep sneaking looks at each other and you're so comfortable around each other. Will, you've never been so comfortable around me in the past year and a half that I've known you for. I've been watching Nick these past two weeks, and he's always on edge around everyone. Everyone except for around you. Also, I realize that you two are hiding your relationship, but I'm not sure why. Don't worry, I won't expose you two. Love is between two people, and all others don't matter.
I gape at Will. "What? She... she knows?".
"I never knew that Callie was this... perceptive.", Will replies.
"She found out.", I say it out loud again to make sure that I'm actually understanding what I'm saying.
Callie knows that I love Will. She knows that he has the same feelings towards me. Wait. Does Will love me? He said that he likes me a lot, but love...
Double wait. Earlier... just now... did I just say that I love Will?
I love Will.
I love Will.
I love Will!
I feel like jumping up and down and screaming at the top of my lungs that I love him. But, of course, I don't do that. We still haven't discussed if we want to tell everyone or not. To be honest, until my secret comes out to the world, I kind of want to keep our relationship a secret. I know that our hockey team is okay with the boy-me liking men. But what would happen if they knew that Will likes me... a male? Argh... the world can really be cruel sometimes.
"She knows.", Will confirms.
"And, she won't tell anyone.", I reread the text message.
"No, she won't.", Will confirms again.
I let out a sigh, visibly relaxing, "This has been an interesting morning, hasn't it?".
Will puts an arm around my shoulders. "Yeah, it really has been.".
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The week passes by in a blur and finally, it's Saturday. Saturday, January 24. The game with DRU's junior men's hockey team is here. All the players got as many tickets as they wanted that they could give to their family members. I got two and gave one to Eddie and the other to Tessa. It's a Saturday, so neither one of them have classes that they have to attend or teach.
The Kensingburg Lions are gathered in the home team locker room in the game rink. The team from DRU is in the guest team locker room next door.
"Alright, everyone.", Coach North announces as she comes into the locker room.
We're all wearing our hockey protective gear and our Kensingburg Lions jerseys with the school logo on it. It feels so nice to wear it. Will had said, when I first met him that, wearing the jersey and stepping onto the ice at a game for the first time feels a hundred times better than just stepping onto the ice before practice for the first time. I'm already halfway there just by wearing the jersey. I look at Will and he gives me a smile.
"So, this is our first game. I don't have much to say except have fun out there. It doesn't matter if we win or not. What matters is whether you have fun or not. Remember why you all play hockey when you're out there, alright?", she gives us a pregame pep-talk.
"Alright!", the twenty of us reply.
"But, of course, it wouldn't hurt to win our first game, right everyone?", Archie grins, lowering the amount of tension in the room.
We all chorus back a "Yeah!" or a "Right!".
"Now... does the captain have anything to say to his team?", Coach North asks, looking at Will.
Will smiles, standing up. "Like our wonderful coach said, it's our first game. Let's avoid injuries-".
I can't help but cut him off, "Don't jinx it, Captain!".
Will laughs, "Okay, I won't jinx it then.".
"You're going to jinx it just by saying that!", I shake my head.
Will looks at me with narrowed eyes, "Are you a superstitious person, Nick?".
I look at him straight in his eyes, "When it comes to hockey games?". I pause for the dramatic effect, and then continue, "Very.".
Will playfully rolls his eyes, "Alright. It looks like Nick hates me right now for accidentally jinxing the game.".
"Will!", I exclaim.
Will chuckles. "Nick.".
"First off, you're gonna jinx it again.", I pause. "Second, I could never hate you.".
At that, he gives me a sweet smile.
Then, we are interrupted by Kane Michaels, the most thoughtful person on the team, "You know... going by that conversation... Will and Nick... you two sound like... an old married couple. Especially that 'I could never hate you' comment from Nick.".
I look at Will with wide eyes. Has Kane realized what me and Will really are to each other?
Coach North looks at us with suspicion evident in her eyes, "Will. Nick. What's going on?".
Will looks at me with nervous eyes, "I'm afraid that that's a question that Nick should answer instead of me.".
I glare at him, "Thanks a lot, Will.".
"But...", he trails off.
I sigh, "Yeah, I know.".
Will doesn't know how to answer that question because we have yet to have that conversation about whether we are telling everyone or not. Right now, he's giving me the opportunity to handle this situation however I decide to. I know that he's okay with telling everyone, but he isn't sure how I feel. I smile at him, trying to reassure him. I'll be fine.
"How about I tell you that after the game?", I am now speaking to everyone in the room... including Coach North.
The team groans. I can tell that they were looking forward to listening to what I had to say. They are definitely gossipers. But, technically, I still have to consult Will on what I want to say. I think I'm okay with the team knowing that I like Will and he likes me back. However, my other secret... it's going to take more than just knowing them for three weeks for me to completely trust them and tell them that I am not a boy but a girl in reality.
Fifteen minutes later, the game starts. Family and friends cheer as both teams skate onto the ice and to our respective positions. Will was right. This is a hundred times better than just standing on the ice for the first time. Looking around as I'm skating to my position, which is forward right, I see Eddie and Tessa in the crowd. Through my helmet, I smile at them, but I'm not sure they notice.
The referee drops the puck onto the ice. Will immediately catches it with his stick and passes it to his right... to me. With the puck, I start skating towards the other team's net, where we are scoring. Two players -- numbers nine and fourteen -- from the other team start following me, trying to get the puck from me. When they manage to corner me against a side of the rink, I pass the puck over to Will, who is behind player number nine. The kind of funny thing is that the puck slid on the ice to Will... right between player number nine's legs, leaving him looking dumbfounded and embarrassed.
Will skates fast the rest of the way to the net, but also gets cornered -- this time by players numbered three, six, and eight. Player number six is DRU's team captain. He looks around and sees that Archie is nearby and open. The only downfall is that he's a little farther away from the net than Will. But, he's also closer to the net than me. Will, with a determined look on his face, passes the puck over to Archie. Looking around, Archie sees that I'm open and staking towards the net. It's a bit of a long shot, but he passes it to me.
The puck slides across the ice and I catch it with my stick. I am now the closest to the net, and there is no one from the other team directly surrounding me. I lick my lips with nervousness. Can I really score the first point of this year's season for our team? The answer comes to me from Will.
"Nick!", he shouts across the ice. "Go for it!".
With that, I line up the puck to the net.
I can hear the players from the other team skating towards me.
My team members are looking at me with wide eyes.
I swallow nervously and think of one person I love standing in front of the net, waiting for me to shoot and score.
Willy boy.
And, then...
...I shoot.
End of Chapter 15
So... a lot happened in this chapter.
First off, Callie. I told you that you would be surprised by her (I don't know if you actually were surprised by her, but I'm going to assume you were). She's actually a really nice girl.
What about Tami? She wasn't mentioned in this chapter, so what is she up to?
Second, their hockey team is becoming suspicious about Will and "Nick's" relationship. That jinxing conversation between them in the locker room definitely paid a part in that.
Third, their hockey game. I know nothing about hockey, but I did some research and hopefully, it's accurate information. If not... umm... let me know so that I can fix it, please. I want my story to have correct stuff in it.
Thanks for reading!
~Pink Elephant
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17/07/2021
Date is not the setting of the chapter, it's the day I posted this chapter on Wattpad.