Anyone But The Hockey Boy

-9-

Regan:

I did it.

I successfully told someone I fwy negatively about them that wasn't Gavin. At least not Gavin Lodge. He's the only person I've properly stood up to my entire life just because of how long I've known him.

My brain mostly blacked out the entire two minute conversation but I know that he knows it's over and that's all I needed. The comment about me getting fuckee over by hockey players may have been true but it was also completely uncalled for. But, him saying that only made it easier to stand my ground.

If he had been sweet and charming and made me feel guilty about distancing myself from a situation that's come back to bite me in the ass multiple times over it would've been a lot harder for me.

But either way, I did it.

I spend the rest of the evening with a weight lifter off my shoulders, from now on Hunter is just a road bump in my path. I happily go home and finish up my assignments in the empty apartment before going to sleep earlier than usual.

I wake up to the buzz of my alarm clock, it's only seven AM but if I sleep in any later I end up feeling terrible for the rest of the day. Wednesdays are my saving grace, one of the two days of the week that I don't have to be up before five to be in the water. I take my time pulling on a pair of baggy jeans and a tight-ish sweater on top. Whoever invented the baggy bottom, the tight top combo is a genius. I've too I pull on a puffy vest half the girls on the campus are wearing and head out. My classes are all in the afternoon but Danika is expected in the lecture hall by ten so I have to hurry to meet her for our cafe date.

I quickly walk the five hundred meters to the coffee shop and see her sitting inside when I arrive. I push open to door and hear the ding of the bell above my head. It's more crowded than usual with groups of friends in almost every booth. Likely classmates finishing up projects and cramming last-minute study sessions for exams in less than a month.

I've been smarter this year, studying every few days and slowly memorizing the material as I go along instead of cramming at the last second. When I go to sit in our normal booth Danika has her laptop out and is typing away.

"Hey Dani," I say sitting across from her.

"Ria, I feel like I haven't talked to you in days," she says shutting her laptop and giving me her full attention. Her hair is curled as usual and she's dressed in a folded Cardigan and dress pants that cover the tops of her healed boots. the fact that she dresses like this on a day to day basis never ceases to amaze me. "Catch me up, I heard from Alex you went on a date? How was that?" she's smiling at me with more hope in my love life than either of us have had in a long while.

I look at her trying to keep a straight face before laughing, "he was a hockey player so I ended things".

"He was not!" Her eyes go wide and her smile drops. Although she tells me my avoidance of hockey boys is stupid the idea of me going out with one even once must be mind-blowing. "Holy shit," she leans back and puts her hand on her forehead like she's seen a ghost.

"Yeah," I nod slowly, "I told him I hated hockey boys and he still said nothing about him playing. I found out who he was from Colin."

"Damn I wish Colin had never told you," she shakes her head.

"Why?"

"Because then you could've given him a shot! Maybe you would've figured out that you were wrong about something." She says.

"I'm wrong about a lot of things Danika," I chuckle. I was wrong about red and purple being a nice colour combo. I was wrong about liking Chinese food after three straight days of eating it. But I am not wrong about this, hockey boys make my life hard. I've learned from my mistakes, call it self growth if you will. "I always admit when I'm wrong and I know what I'd be getting into," I say as I push up out of my seat so I can get myself a snack.