Tagged | J. Bratt

CH 16

"Maddie, we aren't dating." Allison said with a frown. She wasn't going to complain since her and Jesper just went on a date the night before, so they were progressing. Slowly but surely.

"You should just ask him to be your boyfriend. Clearly he's having an internal crisis about how amazing you are that he forgets you're not actually his." Maddie complained as she rolled over on Allison's bed. She scrolled through her phone and suddenly stopped.

"Ask him at the game tonight. I can make a poster that looks like the one that scored you a date." Maddie said, her eyes brightening at the idea.

"That's actually a really good idea." Allison grinned. Maddie nodded and quickly stood from the bed.

"To the store!" She announced as she grabbed Allison's hand and dragged her out of her room.

...

Allison and Maddie stood by the glass before warm ups. Allison wasn't going to admit it, but she was nervous. Her hands were shaking and everything in her peripheral vision seemed fuzzy. She was constantly thinking about if he was going to say. Maybe he would say yes to being her boyfriend and everything would be okay, but maybe he would say no and he'd never talk with Allison again. She'd be heartbroken if that was the case.

Then the lights went out and the New Jersey Devils were introduced, then the Canadiens. Maddie raised and pressed the sign to the glass so Jesper could see it. Allison stood there, a smile on her face as she watched him skate by.

Then he looked.

His eyes widened at the familiarity of the poster, his number and an arrow pointing to Allison, but this time, it asked, instead of one date, would you go on many?, and at the bottom in scribbles, boyfriend?, with a yes or no under it. Jesper skated slowly to the glass and motioned for the sign to be thrown over the glass. Maddie throws it and a pen and a smile grows on Jesper's face. He tosses the sign over the glass, along with the pen, and he waits.

Allison's smile grows as she looks at the poster. Jesper Bratt is officially her boyfriend.

...

Late in the 3rd period New Jersey is tied 3-3 with the Canadiens. The clock runs and suddenly a whistle blows. Hooking on Nemec.

Allison sighs as the Canadiens win the face off. The practically just sealed the game, but there's still this small amount of hope brewing in the stands. Allison stands to her feet as Jack Hughes takes the puck down the ice with only one defender on him. Jesper pushes up the ice next to him and a one timer seals the game for New Jersey.

Allison jumps as the buzzer rings through the stadium. She grabs Maddie's shoulders and shakes her.

"That's my boyfriend!" Allison yells. Maddie laughs at her, but shares the same excitement that the blond girl has.

"We won, Allison!" Maddie yells. Allison yells back, her words quiet in the stadium of cheering fans. She finds Jesper on the ice and he's celebrating the goal with his team. But then he looks to her.

Jesper mouths, that was for you. Allison's breath gets caught in her throat as she watches him.

"You're in love with him." Maddie says from next to her. Allison's eyes widen at the words and she quickly shakes her head.

"I'm not in love with him." Allison denys.

"Not yet." Maddie says with a grin.