Meet Me at the Rink

Chapter 6

~ Austin ~

"She's a good one you know." Alex says to me as we're sitting on the bench watching our end of practice scrimmage. "Yeah, I know she is." I reply. "Did you get her number?" Alex asks. "No, but she's got mine." I say as he looks at me with raised eyebrows. "When did that happen?" He asks. "Remember that puck I gave her?" I ask as he nods. "Well after the game, some drunk guy ran into her as I was leaving and she dropped it. So I picked it up, signed it and gave it back to her." I reply. Before Alex could reply, we hopped over the boards and right into the scrimmage.

** After Practice**

"Thanks for the ride bro." Alex says opening the passenger's door of the truck. "Yeah, no problem. Anytime Al. Thanks for the Tim's by the way!" I reply as he smiles before closing the door and going around to the back of the truck to grab his bag.

After I dropped him off at the shop to pick up his car, I start to make my way home so I can shower and rest up. As I'm driving, my phone rings and my sister's name pops up on my screen. I hit accept on the radio screen before I speak. "Hey, Alana. What's up?" I ask as I continue driving. "Can you come pick me up from the rink? The teammate I was supposed to get a ride home with left early cause of a family emergency." She says on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, I'll be right there. Which arena are you at?" I ask. "Ice Sports." She replies. "Okay, I'm about ten to fifteen minutes away. I'll see you soon." I say. "Okay, thanks Austin." She says. "Anytime." I say. "Bye." She replies before ending the call.

As I continue driving, I get a text notification from a number I don't recognize. I don't check it and decide to wait until I get to the Ice Sports parking lot before checking it. "Hey Siri!" I say waiting for it to reply. "Text Alana." I say a couple of seconds later before notifying Alana that I was pulling up to the rink now.

"Hey, thanks for coming to get me." She says hopping up into the truck. "No problem Lana. I wasn't too far, I dropped Alex off at the mechanic shop down the road from here after practice." I reply as I turn out onto the main road. "Did you have a game or a practice today?" I ask.

"I'm in a tournament this weekend. That was game three." Alana replies. "Win or lose?" I ask. "We won 5-2." She smiles. "Mom had to work and dad was helping grandpa with some yard work today. That's why I got a ride to the rink." Alana says. "Tell you what, I'll take you back to my place and you can chill with me and Easton until your next game." I say as Alana tells me her next game isn't until 3pm.

** At Home **

Alana's in the shower and I'm sitting on the couch watching Friends waiting for the pizza to arrive. I'm scrolling through my Instagram feed when I remember that I didn't check the message from the unknown number that texted me. I open my text messages and click on the unfamiliar number and read the text.

" Found this number on an autographed hockey puck that was given to me at a Marlies game the other night. Is this Austin White? The guy who gave me the puck and then helped me pick up the ones I dropped this morning? "

It's Ally, she texted me! I start to reply as Alana appears in the family room. "Pizza here yet?" She asks. "It should be here soon." I reply as I send a text back to Ally. Easton starts barking as the doorbell rings. "It's here now." Alana says going to answer the door while holding Easton back as I grab the money for the pizza off the kitchen counter.