THE HOCKEY CAPTAIN'S SECRET GIRL

EY

never been quiet. Students filled every walkway, laughing, running, and wearing the blue-and-silver colors of our school. The biggest event of the month was happening today, a friendly hockey match

ing their routine with bright smiles that looked almost too perfect to be real. They spun through the air as if they didn't have a single worry in the world. I couldn't stop myself from watching t

re

as no longer a student here, but he still visited almost every week because his best friend was the captain of Willow's

mind you to actually watch a hockey game one day.

oftly and s

that's ever g

even given it

ill don't understand why grown men ska

hand dramaticall

That

sor

you'r

laughed before

side. Maddox will proba

ox DeLuca. Hockey captain. Campus hero. Every gi

ou later,"

rvive th

ll su

to the crowd befo

heering became softer with every step I took, and my shoulders slowly relaxed. Finally, I found the girls' restro

as silence wrapped around me like a warm blanket. For the first time all day, I co

ch better,"

enly swung open so har

e disap

ed the whole college. Three girls followed behind her, all laughing until

aid sweetly. "Lo

but two of the girls had

leaving," I

stepped

ou wer

ach tig

do you

arms and looked

ing everyone all w

iding anyone,

her eyes. "You're alw

he girls

's scared

r maybe she's practic

laughed e

tilted

join my cheerleadin

it me harder t

allo

..

new

here wasn't anyth

ied out th

kno

ry singl

d me," I fin

d

trying not to let them se

day," I whispered. "

until her face was

d. "I kno

keep getting rej

I didn't

someone had slappe

nds laug

ferent way, almost as if she ha

. I've chang

lin

ha

'll let

able to believe wha

all

es

chest so quickl

o I hav

le grew

w you'

ocket and pulled out a

night after the gam

parties," I cut

go to th

e invitation

at

led with somet

uca will be

row

abou

u to sleep

g inside

ha

heard

so fast my hair

N

ghed dram

't even

n't c

sho

o that," I

appeared so quickly

think properly befo

aid

oser until I had no

d tonight, I'll personally welcome you ont

ike she had gone

s impo

ay

gusting,

ged. "I d

even tal

have to t

other woul

ut

invitation ba

n't d

face tu

en careful

uddenly fe

ry single day for the rest of th

heartbeat

do you

l eat lunch alone. You'll be laughed at every day. Ever

iled like they

rossed h

, I always ge

m looked like they were joking. Tears burned b

ou doing t

use I

han anything I had ever carried. Slowly,

..

barely

l do

iled vict

w you

cheek as if we

ck, litt

, laughing loudly as the bath

aking. Maddox DeLuca was my brother's best friend. He barely knew I existed, and even if he did, there was no chance someone like him would ever look at someone like me. Still, Cas