Meet Me at the Rink

Chapter 10

~ Austin ~

Sure but fair warning, I'm no Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or Austin White. I read letting a small laugh escape as a smile crept up on me. See you at 8. I text back as I put my phone down on the couch next to me and pick up my game controller to face off against Alex in NHL 22. As I'm picking my team, Easton hops up on the couch and places his head down on my lap. "Hey buddy, What's going on?" I say petting my pup as he moves his head to look up at me.

** At Ally's Game **

I walk into the rink as Ally's game is about to start. I make my way into the stands and find an empty seat next to a guy with light brown hair. "Hey man, is this seat taken?" I ask as the guy turns his head and looks at me. "No, go for it." He replies. "Thanks man." I say sitting down next to him. "No worries buddy." He says as the puck drops and Ally's game is on the ball.

"There he is, over there." I hear a man say as I look over and he's pointing in my direction. "Jack!" The dark blond-haired girl shouts as she and the man make their way in my direction. "Hey dad, you're right on time!" He says as the man and the girl sit down on the other side of him. "Hey Leah." He adds as I listen and focus on the game. "Hey!" The girl I can now identify as Leah replies. "Oh, there she is!" Jack says as a girl with the number 34 on the back of her jersey steps out onto the ice. "Go Ally!" Leah shouts.

Wait a minute... The name Leah sounds familiar. Why do I know that name? I turn my head to the left to watch the play in the corner where Ally's fighting for the puck. "That a girl Als!"Jack shouts. "Yeah Ally!" Leah shouts. That voice sounds so familiar too but where have I heard it before? I'm caught up in my thoughts when all of a sudden I'm brought back to reality by the crowd cheering loudly. When I look up the ice, I see Ally on a breakaway, rushing into the offensive zone with the puck. "Shoot Als!" Jack shouts from next to me as Ally releases the puck from her stick and the puck goes flying over the goalie's catcher and hits the back of the net as everyone cheers.

"Way to go Ally!" I shout. "That's my best friend!" Leah shouts as I turn and see her high-five Jack and the man. She keeps on cheering and stops when she sees me and that's when it clicks. She was the girl that was with Ally at my game last night!

"Austin?" She says looking at me with a confused look. "What are you doing here?" She asks as the man and Jack look between the two of us. "You know this guy?" Jack asks Leah. "Yeah." She replies. "How? And how does he know Allison?" Jack asks looking between us confused. " I play for the Marlies and last night when I was leaving the rink, Allison dropped something, I noticed and returned it to her." I answer.

"Wait... Hold up a minute here! You're telling me that Ally... My big sister Allison is friends with a Toronto Marlie?" Jack asks trying to wrap his brain around it. "How come nobody told me this?" He asked. "Probably because we just met him last night." Leah replies.

** After Ally's Game **

"Hey there she is!" Ally's dad says bringing her in for a hug. "Great game girl!" Leah says as Ally's eyes land on me. "Nice goal you got there." I say giving her a warm smile. "Thanks." She replies with a small smile in return. "Als, when were you going to tell us that you're friends with a Toronto Marlie?" Jack asks raising his eyebrows at his sister.

Ally stays silent for a moment as her cheeks turn red with blush. "Oh, I don't know. It never came up!" She says looking at me. "I see you've met Jack and my dad." She says. "Yeah and funny story, I actually sat right next to your brother and didn't know it until you stepped out onto the ice." I grin. Ally turns to her dad and asks "How did Luce do?" Her dad replies "She lost 3-2."