In Your Corner | ✓

Twenty-Five

Junior year keeps hurtling past at an alarming rate. The next few weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays all kind of blur together.

We crash out of the College Cup in a brutal 5-0 hammering. Thankfully, it's an away game so it's not like we're disappointing a hopeful home crowd.

The boys make it to their semi-finals and also lose on the road, but their score of 2-1 is a little more respectable.

Anandi and Grayson go for drinks a few times and, although it's a little tentative, it seems to be going well. Gray's just got a bit of a trust problem after her last relationship, but it's something she's working on and so far, it's working out.

Nandi just has a big grin on her face all the time, so I'm happy with that.

MJ, who hands in her big semester project at the end of December, drags Anandi and me out one afternoon for a photo shoot at Stanley Park. It's freezing cold and my fingers nearly fall off, but we gain a lot of cute photos from it, so it's a win, really.

I take my favourite one, which is of me laughing as I pack snow together into a ball – that I then throw at Anandi – and make it my profile picture on Facebook.

When Anandi grills me as to why Josh heart reacts to it, I blush beetroot red and point out that Jonny also reacted in the same way.

I try to ignore my thundering heart as I utter the words, but I don't think either of us really buy it.

A week before the semester ends, my phone buzzes when I'm in the library and I glance away from my laptop to scan the screen.

I'm desperately trying to get as much studying done as I can before winter break, given that we have exams in January, hence why I'm in the library at five o'clock on a Monday.

Josh: Are you busy tonight???

Frowning, I pick my phone and look at the message. Given that it's pretty much the winter break, we don't have practice this week, so I am actually free, as is Josh.

Nat: No, just studying in the library now but should be done soon

I'm not really sure what he has up his sleeve, but let's be serious, it's not particularly likely that I'm going to turn him down.

Josh: Coming to yours at 6. Dress warm but casual. Get hyped!!!

Confused, I just agree, deciding that the surprise element won't kill me. Knowing that I realistically won't get any more work done tonight, I pack everything up and boot it out of the library, hurrying to my car.

I'm still in a bit of a daze as I drive home. Josh doesn't usually spontaneously message me like this, telling me that we're going out. It almost feels like in those rom coms that Anandi's into, when the guy picks up the girl and takes her on a surprise date.

Just so that I'm warm but presentable, I pair black jeans with an elegant knitted cream sweater. It's a bit annoying that Anandi isn't here to give me fashion advice, but we'll roll with it.

I don't really know why I'm a little nervous, but when I get into Josh's car, the dimpled grin on his face calms me down a little.

"Are you ready?" he asks, starting the engine and pulling away.

Frowning, I look at him. "You are aware that I don't know what we're doing, right?"

His eyes widen and he laughs. "Oops. I can't believe I forgot to tell you that part!"

I roll my eyes even though his enthusiasm is endearing and fiddle with the radio station, taking my time to settle on something that I like.

"We're going to a hockey game," Josh informs me excitedly. "It's a long story but one of my friends had a couple of spare tickets for tonight's game against the Stallions and I thought you might like to join."