Noah
"Your apartment burnt down weeks ago and you only thought to tell me now?"
Chatting with my mom is something else.
It's not really chatting if your mom just yells at you the whole time.
"It didn't come up."
I hold back a laugh at the scoff that follows from the other end of the line.
"Well, where are you staying? Don't tell me your staying in a hotel while I'm 30 minutes away."
"I'm staying with Seth at his girlfriends and her roommates apartment."
"Is the roommate cute?"
There's no hesitation as she asks, her tone hopeful.
I sputter a laugh, because that's-
"Please, for the love of god, stop. Mom-
"I just can't see you be so successful but so... lonely at the same time. I know you have friends and you hookup but I can see how lonely and grumpy you are. It breaks my heart."
I don't say anything, no sure what to reply to that.
Maybe she's right, maybe I am lonely.
But it hasn't affected me in a long time.
"Mom-"
"Noah-"
Allie comes out into the kitchen where I'm leaning against the counter, and she looks...
Stunning.
She's wearing what I assume is her competition leotard, her black backpack that she always has is swung over her shoulder.
The suit is covered with shades of blue and yellow, little tiny diamonds covering the sleeves that run down her arms and her hair is braided into a tight bun that sits directly on her head.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were on the phone." She tells me quietly, thankfully missing the look of awe on my face.
"I'll call you back, okay?" I tell my mom, not waiting for a response before I hang up.
"Kyla called, she said the snow is really bad up there so she has no idea when they'll be back."
It takes me a moment to register what she said, still staring at her.
Seth's parents live up in the interior, where it starts snowing in October most of the time.
"Are you competing?"
She lights up when I ask.
"I am! Against Seattle."
It's the most enthusiastic I've ever seen her, talking about what she does so well in lighting her face up.
"Are you going now?"
She blinks, glances at the blue clock that hangs on the wall, and back to me.
"Ye-yeah. I-I am."
I swallow, never have been so nervous to ask a girl something.
"Can I come watch? I'm done dryland for the day and my homework's done."
A small smile forms on her lips before she eagerly nods and disappears down the hall.
She reappears with a ticket in her hand, passing it to me.
"Kyla and Seth were supposed to come watch so you can use one of their tickets."
She says, suddenly shy.
"I'll drive?"
She nods in response.
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Allie
All I can think about when I'm warming up is that Noah is here.
Watching me compete.
And he wanted to come.
I'm competing all four events, not something every college gymnast can say they've done in one competition.
The leotard is something the gymnasts came up with.
It represents British Columbia, the colors the same as the provincial flag.
Kyla helped me come up with the scooped neckline that fades down into a V, the sleeves covered in jewels.
Bars was first, and I earned myself a career high with a 9.95.
Doing the iconic college present after I stick my double layout, I high-five my coaches, my teammates giving me small side hugs but some of my teammates, girls who don't like me, don't clap or cheer like a teammate should and it hurt's never knowing what I did to make them dislike me.
I look up at the bleachers where the audience is clapping for a girl that scored a 10 on Vault.
I immediately look for Kyla and Seth but meet Noah's eyes instead, who has a Vancouver hoodie on, one he must have just bought.
And I smile at that.
And then I watch as a tiny smirk forms on his lips.
"Is that your boyfriend?"
I glance over my shoulder back to bars, where Maddie stands, her coat wrapped tightly around her shoulders as she waits to compete on floor.
"No, he's staying with me and Kyla until his apartment is rebuilt due to fire damage."
She nods, biting her lip slightly as if to hold back a laugh.
"Wha-what? Is something funny?"
She smiles, then fucking giggles at me.
"That's Noah Carter, you know that?"
I pause.
"Yes, I believe that's his name."
"You realize he is the best college hockey player in North America right now?"
"And?"
She sputters a laugh, and luckily, we are in the middle of rotating events so I'm not missing any routines.
"I just thought that you were together and that would be crazy."
I blink.
"Why-why would that be crazy?"
"Because he's freaking Noah Carter, best hockey centre Canada has who has a massive opportunity to go even bigger and then there's... you."
That hits me like a freight train.
I can feel tears on the verge of spilling but I won't give her that.
I won't show her weakness.
"Let's go to beam, okay?"
My words break as I say them, and I can't help it.
I wobble on skills I have performed for years on beam, I'm not as expressive as I usually am on floor and my vault is off.
I can't get over what Maddie said to me.
She made it sound like I'm nothing. Like I'm useless and broken and sad.
That doesn't mean I'm not, but it hurt to hear.
Everyone congratulates everyone, people patting my back from behind, ruffling my head.
I've only competed twice since it's happened, but it's getting harder.
Noah is waiting for me outside of the stadium, with a small bouquet of colourful flowers in hand.
He shoves them towards me, not a hint of emotion on his face.
I nod my thanks, to tired to even mumble a reply to the stone wall in front of me.
As we walk towards his truck, a light breeze filtering through the pitch black, Noah clears his throat all of the sudden.
"You were.. amazing. I never knew someone could do that. Flip and flip and look so graceful doing it. I was stunned watching."
I blink up at him as he stares straight ahead, not bothering to make eye contact.
"I could say the same thing about you. I don't know how anyone can stand on skates let alone actually skate around on them while chasing a puck."
His face seems to soften as he listens, almost like he was about to smile but didn't.
"Nice hoodie."
He glances down and shrugs.
"My name sh-should be on the back." I tell him.
"It is. The first name listed for Vancouver."
I nod, catching a glance at all of the names on the back.
"It's done by rank I think."
He blinks, like he's surprised to hear that even though he's the one who came up to me at the bar asking about it.
—————————————-
When we get back to the apartment, I say goodnight and tell Noah my thanks for coming to watch.
It meant a lot to have someone there for me, because usually it's Kyla and Seth.
And the next day when Noah and I bump into each other in the kitchen, he's still wearing the hoodie but when he turns around, I notice he's highlighted a name.
My name.