The Hockey Player (2)

2. Matt's POV

"Matt!" A familiar voice called to me.

I turned my head and smiled when my friends and teammates, Nate and Baylen approached me. Nate's six foot height made him easy to spot no matter how crowded the hallways were. Baylen was shorter, but his asshole personality cleared a walking path for him.

"Hey, dude" After they came up to me, we exchanged our handshake. "Long time, no see"

"What are you talking about?" I shut my locker and walked to my next class, before lunch. My coursework was heavy, but manageable. Thankfully, I had a cute study partner who was just as serious about school, not like these guys.

"I see you guys everyday at practice" I reminded them, smiling. "Nate, you're getting lazy at your passing routes"

"My routes are fine" he scoffed, walking with me. "Good enough to keep us in the last game, no thanks to you"

I looked ahead as we walked down the hallway. I had a clear view of everyone and definitely stood out due to my height and position as hockey captain.

After rumours of me and Aurora hit my school's gossip mill, girls stared at me like they dared me to deny I was off the market. I was never interested in any girl here before I met Aurora.

A few girls propositioned me during the school day hours since Aurora didn't go to our school, which I declined as nicely as I could. The juiciest gossip was she was Dan's sister.

Aurora couldn't have been more different from Dan on the personality spectrum. While she wasn't the type that drew all eyes towards her when she stepped into a crowded room, she had my undivided attention from the minute I saw her. She probably didn't appreciate the extra attention from being my girlfriend, but hopefully this time the gossip at her school was positive.

Until recently, Dan hated my guts. He wasn't my favourite personality, but now that I was dating his sister, he was barely tolerable. I never saw him when I was at her house, he had his own relationship to worry about.

With my ex girlfriend. Crazy, small world.

"That wasn't my best judgment" I let out a deep breath, remembering when Dan punched me after I told him I was in love with Aurora. My left eye swelled shut during the whole sixty minutes of the game and Nate was forced to switch sides. It wasn't ideal, and we settled for a tie.

But we didn't lose. Personally, I won big that night. Every obstacle that I put in front of Aurora and I being together crashed down and she became my girlfriend.

"Are you going to keep making bad judgements with this girl?" Baylen asked, raising his eyebrow. Normally, I wouldn't listen to a thing he says, but I stopped walking. We were outside my class anyway.

"Aurora is the best thing that's ever happened to me" I almost added, 'you have no idea' , but Nate and Ava had been together since sophomore year.

"Look, Matt...I like Aurora" Nate started, looking away from me. "I just think you like her too much right now"

"What the hell does that mean?" I furrowed my eyebrows, not liking where this was going.

How can you like your girlfriend too much?

He's one to talk, Ava has him wrapped around her finger.

"It's a new relationship, I get it" he held up both hands in defence. "Especially when you first have sex, it's distracting-"

"Nate, stop" I narrowed my eyes at him and clenched my jaw. This wasn't something I wanted to talk about, outside of my class, while people listened in.

"You mean-" Nate stopped when Baylen interrupted him.

"You still haven't tapped that ass?"

"Baylen" I warned, clenching my fists. Sometimes he asked to be punched in the face. "Don't talk about her ass unless you want me to beat yours"

Nate blinked rapidly. "You still haven't....really?"

"I'm taking it slow" I gritted my teeth in irritation and hoped they'd take the hint and drop it.

And they wonder why I don't eat lunch with them anymore.

Unfortunately, Nate, Baylen and Ava were caught in the middle of me and Nicole. Our tension was between her and I.

Like all other girls I found for my embarrassing 'I'm sorry I was an ass' apology tour, I apologised for how I used her in the past. Her rude comments and backstabbing, conniving schemes to somehow end up as my girlfriend irritated me and I spent too much energy on her already.

Nate and Baylen weren't happy about the situation, but I didn't tell them to extent to Nicole's bitchiness. I kept the information to myself that she took the topless picture of Madison, my ex girlfriend, and posted it on an anonymous gossip blog.

I was fairly certain, as Ava's best friend, she got the picture from Nate's phone, but I wasn't going to come between them. Not only had Nicole embarrassed Madison and ruined her reputation, she threatened her again at the start of senior year.

All because Nicole thought if she couldn't have me, no one could.

I wasn't sure why Nate and Baylen voiced their opinion on what Aurora and I did during our time together. Or, what we didn't do yet.

"Dude, there's slow and then there's prudishly slow" Baylen shook his head.

"Do you hear me complaining?" We weren't in a situation like I courted Aurora and wasn't allowed to touch her.

"I get it" he said, but we both knew he didn't. "Getting head only goes so far"

"Do you hear me complaining?" I repeated. My fists clenched then released as I resisted the urge to punch him, or smash my textbook into his head.

Baylen held his hands up in defence. "Okay, dude"

"That's why we wanted to talk to you" Nate stood between us. "We don't hear much from you anymore"

"What part of 'I see you everyday at practice' did you not understand?"

I traded their lunch table for the science club guys. Instead of talking about shopping and gossip, the conversations I engaged I now interest my favourite subject, science.

Except for my brief relationship with Madison, I didn't care about anyone else's feelings but my own.

Now that I knew what Nicole was capable of, I wanted nothing to do with her. She used my stupidity, broke up Madison and I, then threatened her away from our whole school year this year. She made just as many bad decisions as I did.

Recently for some reason, Aurora started texting Mason, my personal trainer. He suggested diet changes, more protein less processed carbs, and she chomped the idea. Last weekend, she went on a smoothie making binge. Some of them smelled and tasted awful. One resembled seaweed, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that.

To Aurora, actions were everything. Showing her affection by doing something meant more to her than hugs and kisses. I loved her, so I drank the smoothies.

I hadn't told Aurora I loved her yet. I'd been close more than once, but I tried to avoid cliche moments. I didn't think she'd be impressed with 'Hockey player scores winning goal, rushes through the stadium, sweeps girlfriend in his arms and confesses his love' scenario.

As I stepped into glass, I assumed she already knew.

She has to know by now.

I knew she loved me, even though she didn't say the words yet either.

I should tell her at homecoming.

"And when hockey season is over?" Nate asked, cutting me from my thoughts.

"One game at a time, Nate"