When We Write the Stars

Chapter 2: Hayden

"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker." - Die Hard

     The first day back to class after summer break was always bittersweet. On the one hand, it meant that hockey season was getting closer, but on the other, it meant I had to do schoolwork.

     I didn't want to be some 'dumb jock' stereotype, I didn't think I was stupid or anything, I just didn't care about school. The only reason I was still in school was because the team that drafted me hadn't signed me yet. Usually, people like me who got drafted while they were playing NCAA hockey either got signed right away, or signed after finishing their junior year, but here I was going into my senior year.

     We'd played in the frozen four for the past three years, and I knew that was impressive, but a part of me felt like the reason they hadn't signed me yet was that I still hadn't led my team to the championship. So I was determined that this year would be our year, that way I'd finally get that contract and get to follow through on my childhood dream. Plus if for some reason they still didn't sign me, after graduating I'd become a free agent again and hopefully, another team would. This season was going to be one of the most important seasons of my career.

     There were a few other guys like me on the team, drafted but not signed, but most of them were sophomores or juniors. There were four other seniors on the team, one of them, Thomas Gibbs like me had been drafted and was just waiting to be signed, but the other three were all hoping to get signed as free agents after graduating, which meant we were all prepared to work our asses off even harder to win the frozen four this year. Three straight seasons of getting so close and not winning did something to you.

     That being said, I'd gotten up early this morning to go on a run before classes started. Coach already had us pulling double practices since it was preseason, and even my roommates who all played with me thought I was insane for doing yet another workout, but I was captain this year. I had to lead by example and make sure everyone saw how much I wanted this, so they'd want it that badly too.

     I usually liked to run outside, but this morning since I had class I'd decided to just use the campus gym, I'd been on my fifth mile when my phone buzzed telling me I had class in fifteen minutes.

   Usually, I had all of my classes with other guys on the team, Teddy Coleman one of our defensemen had had the exact same schedule as I had all of junior year. He was probably the only reason I managed to make it to all my classes on time and pass them, but he'd already taken all of his general university requirements, and I had just one left. So I'd picked the one that sounded the easiest, iconic film soundtracks, not realizing that it started at 9:30 am.

     So here I was at 9:15 scrambling to take a shower and then find my class on time. I'd rather be late than show up on the first day drenched in sweat from a run. On top of that, my business class was immediately after, and Coleman would give me shit if I showed up sweaty.

     I managed to find the building and get to class only six minutes late, which I was honestly kind of proud of. I walked into the lecture hall and sat down in the first seat I saw, then pulled out a pencil and notebook, I didn't even notice the girl I was sitting next to at first until I felt her glaring at me.

     She would've been pretty if it weren't for the massive side eye I was being given. She had kind of hazel eyes, and her light brown hair was pulled up, but looked like it was decently long. I always liked girls with long hair. She was dressed like she was supposed to be teaching the class though, not taking it. I couldn't tell if it was because of how she was dressed, or if everyone else just looked young, but it seemed like she and I were possibly the only upperclassmen taking this class.

     I knew the university recommended getting all the general requirements out of the way during your first two years here, but I thought for sure that there would be a few other people in here that looked like they were old enough to drink. Some of these freshmen barely looked old enough to drive.