☄. *. ⋆ YOU LOOK SO PRETTY
PRETTY LIKE THE SUN
tom odell
JACK
I WOULDN'T say I was good at many things, however, hockey was something I was secure in. My sport was an easy way to carry myself with confidence and pride, like no one could take it from me.
In the past weeks, I've been working on my game more than ever. Juniors were just around the corner, Christmas went by in a flash, my New Years kiss with Stella was still engraved in my mind, along with everything we did in February.
I'd go to sleep at night with a cloud of peace hovering over me in an odd way. I knew I'd wake up the next morning, check my phone as it fit Stella's smiling face and know I'd see at some point in the day. But the more the days pass, the closer we get to the moment I've worked for; the 2019 NHL draft.
I heard the rumors surrounding my name. Jack Hughes this, Jack Hughes that, it was all I heard. My draft class was filled with guys that would go in the first round and I wasn't worried about them. One name in particular Kaapo Kakko. It was like a race between us, who would get picked first.
It's why I had spent more late nights at the rink, trying to up my game in any way. Once Stella had found out about my late night sessions, she insisted she'd tag along. I worried she might a bigger distraction but I'd do anything to spend time with her.
"Hockey can't be that hard." Stella blurted, glancing over at me as I furrowed my brows. "I mean, you're just shooting the puck into a net."
I turned my head, staring at the empty goal. "Right. Except when there's someone in the goal and people poking at the puck in defense."
Stella waved her hand at me, skating closer to me as she took the stick from my grip. "Okay. So, let's pretend it's an empty netter then, yeah?"
"You want to 1v1?" I nearly laughed. "A figure skater verse an actual hockey player? Are you sure about that?"
"What?" Stella pressed her chest against mine, fake pouting. "Scared to get your feelings hurt, Rowdy? I promise I'll go easy on you."
I nodded as I licked my teeth, grabbing the spare stick from the bench as I held the puck in my glove, directing her to center ice.
"You know what puck drop is, right?" I asked, watching her crouch down slightly, slamming my stick into the ice.
"Just drop the puck, Rowdy." She snarled. "I'm getting impatient. Just let me absolutely dog you in your own sport."
I rolled my eyes, dropping the puck to the ice. I immediately dove to find it, Stella ramming her body into mine as she pressed her back against me, finding it before I could.
I then realized how fast figure skaters were. Her legs were long, a squeal leaving her lips as I got closer to her. She hit the puck in a slap shot motion, my eyes watched as it flew perfectly into the right corner.
She turned around, lips parting with a loud cheer. "C'mon, Hughesy boy! You just got shitted on."
"I let you have that." I hummed, trying to make myself feel better that I did indeed, let Stella score before I did.
"Yeah, yeah." She mocked, skating back to the bench as she dropped my stick in, taking the spare stick from my hands, along with my gloves.
I brushed my hand through my hair with confusion, watching her stand before me. "I'm not done practicing, SJ."
"Who cares?" She scoffed, taking my hands in hers. "Since you taught me hockey, I get to teach you how to figure skate."
The thought of twirling and spinning around like a cyclone was not in my picture for tonight. Which is why I immediately tried to decline her offer.
"Hell no." I attempted to stand my ground. "I'm not spinning."
Stella grabbed my face with her hands, the coldness of her skin made me shiver. "I'm sorry, Rowdy, you don't really have a choice. Now, watch and learn rookie."
I was struck by her, I had been since the day we met. I watched as she glided on the ice effortlessly, catching air as she turned her body in a perfect spin, skates hitting the ice. Figure skating had been her hockey.
"You make it look easy." I argued, shaking my head. "That's not fair, Stells."
"It won't hurt if you don't try." She tilted her head to the side, icy blue eyes staring at me with a puppy dog expression.
I threw my head back dramatically before scoffing, skating towards the center. "Now what? I just spin?"
"Channel your inner ballerina." She shrugged, leaning against the boards as she eyed me like a hawk, amusingly.
I could feel my skate shake as I positioned my heel, I don't know why I was nervous. If I ate shit, she would never let this moment go.
I practically threw myself into the air, turning halfway as I struggled to land, keeping myself balanced as I cocked my head over my shoulder to face her.
She placed a hand over her mouth, snorting slightly as she hummed, nodding. "That was beautiful, babe. So good."
I caught up to her, lifting her in my arms by her armpits, watching her kick her feet slightly like a child, swatting at me.
From the angle, I felt like I was looking at one of Gods angels themselves. Her jawline sharp, skin tan, light eyes, her hair flowing freely. Stella Carson Jean had been the prettiest girl I'd ever laid eyes on. It would stay that way forever.
My life was black and white before Stella, nothing exciting, the only thing was hockey for me. But the second I bumped into her, everything turned to color.
heart is aching bc i love them so fkin much