Hockey Imagines

Nothing Like You | Jack Hughes

First of all, that smile 😍 Second, I give all credit to my English teacher, who inspired this by telling the story of how she met her boyfriend. I thought it was too cute, so I decided to recreate it with my own twists! Thanks to Ms. Scarborough, and I hope y'all enjoy! ❤️

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#86, Center for the New Jersey Devils
Word Count: 3.2 K

"I remember when I first met you
Sipping coffee in a corner booth
You were twirling your hair
And I just had to stare, for a minute or two
I was laughing at your stack of books
Then you shot me that smile
Hey beautiful girl, in your own little world
Let me in it"
- "Nothin' Like You", Dan + Shay

Jack's POV:

After a long practice, Nico Hischier, Ty Smith, Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt and I head to a restaurant in town with amazing breakfast food. Even though it's almost two in the afternoon, we're still excited, because there's nothing better than some good pancakes and bacon after a grueling practice.

We all settle in at a huge table and order some food, all talking over each other about hockey, home, everything. That's why it takes a few minutes for me to notice her.

The girl is quiet, but that doesn't bother me. She has her face buried in a book, chewing on her bottom lip in concentration. She has a stack of textbooks, but she seems to be putting it off, seeing as she's reading what looks like a romance book instead. She stands out in this place, despite her trying to blend in. I don't think I've ever seen anyone like her.

"Yo, Hughes. What're you staring at?" Dawson asks, snapping his fingers in my face. He glances over his shoulder at where I was staring and whistles. "Ooooh. Hughesy has a crush."

I roll my eyes. "I just thought she was pretty, that's all. Now shut up." I mumble, grateful when the waitress interrupts with our food.

I soon get drawn back into the conversation, which is about whether education matters if you're playing professional hockey. I think it's important, although that's not what I did. I've seen both Luke and Quinn after going to Michigan for two years, and both of them benefited from having that stepping stone between juniors hockey and pro hockey. And they both got their associates degrees while playing, which is good. They both have something to fall back on in case anything ever happens.

"I mean, I think it's important. Luke and Quinn have the option to do something else if something happens to their hockey career." I reply with a shrug.

Dawson snorts. "You're just saying that because your little girlfriend over there obviously studies a lot." He comments, tilting his head in the direction of the girl from earlier.

I scowl at him. "She has nothing to do with it. I'm serious, Dawson. I wish I had done what my brothers did. Maybe my rookie season wouldn't have been so bad if I had."

Ty rolls his eyes. "But you learned from that. You bettered yourself, and you learned how to play at the professional level. You figured it out for yourself. Maybe Luke and Quinn both wanted that stepping stone for themselves, but you figured things out for yourself without it." He assures me.

I shrug. "Whatever. I guess so." I mumble. Sometimes I do wish I had done what my brothers have. It would have been smarter. I mean, if I get injured, I have the money I've made to fall back on. But how long will that last? I don't have any school to help me get a job.