𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞 | 𝐧. 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫

𝟓 | 𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐢 & 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨

𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐯

The locker room is buzzing as music plays and the guys are all getting ready. Normally before I try to lock in and mentally prepare myself for warm-ups and the game that follows. Tonight though I was more focused on seeing Gabi in the arena with her wearing my jersey. I've still managed to not let it slip to the boys that Gabi's coming to the game. Despite them not knowing they look suspicious. "Nico, what's making you so smiley already? Last time I checked the game hasn't started and no goals have been scored just yet." Nate is sitting in the cubicle next to me, finishing tying his skate just as I begin to tie my own. I weigh my options, do I tell him that Gabi is coming or do I wait until we're on the ice and cross my fingers to see what happens?

I decide on the former, "I'm gonna tell you something you can't tell the other guys, got it?" Nate nods and leans in so no one else overhears, even though the music playing in the locker room is pretty loud. "I invited Gabi to the game tonight and she's coming with her best friend." The detail of her wearing the jersey I'd gotten her, with my name on it, goes unspoken since Nate isn't one of the most reliable guys on the team to tell a secret to. It's safer that he knows as little as possible in case he opens his mouth to the other guys.

"I won't tell them a single thing man, don't worry." He pats my knee or at least the padding covering it. Nodding, I get up and put on my red jersey with my black helmet tucked into my arm. The rest of the guys were already heading out to the ice for warm-ups. A few fans lined the glass, many with posters in their hands asking for pucks from different guys. Skating around our permitted side of the rink, I look around for Gabi and spot her standing behind the goalpost area. She's looking around while her friend is speaking next to her. Gabi spots me and waves and I send it right back while sending her a smile.

In a split-second decision, I skate over to where she stands. "Hey Gabs, nice jersey." Looking at her, the jersey's a little big and her hair falls around her shoulders in soft waves. She looks cute in my jersey, but I don't say it out loud. I'm so deep in thought and focusing on the blush now on her face, that I fail to hear multiple skates making their way towards me. "Nico, so this is Gabi, the girl that's been making you all smiley?" Kevin skates up next to me and he puts an arm around my shoulder. Now it was my turn to blush and scratch the back of my neck, trying to look anywhere, but at Gabi.

In an attempt to throw the focus off of what Kevin said, I playfully shove him toward Nate and Jack, but before Kevin can bump into them, they both move out of the way. He must've hoped Jack and Nate would help him stop but instead, he trips on a few pucks, landing on the ice. Thankfully the distraction worked, better than I thought it would, since now Gabi, her best friend, and the guys are all laughing. A sense of pride fills my chest knowing that something I did made her laugh. My eyes can't stop watching her as the laughter starts to die down, "Dude give her a puck. We only have five more minutes of warm-ups and we need to get moving." Jack moves back towards where the other guys are standing as I take a puck onto my stick. "Gabi, I'm gonna throw this over the glass and I need you to catch it." She nods as I skate back a little to successfully get the puck over the glass. With both her hands out, she catches the puck and looks down, inspecting it before looking back up at me. We share a smile and I wave before skating back to my cheering friends, patting on my helmet.

"Nico, listen, we think that something is going on between you and Gabi, but if you don't feel comfortable telling us then that's cool. She's even wearing your jersey." The guys nod in agreement at Jesper's statement and somehow all their eyes go from me to Gabi, and then back to me again. "I love you all, but trust me nothing is going on between Gabi and me. We're just really good friends and I got her that jersey so she would have something to wear tonight." The look on their faces clearly shows that they don't believe me but that's fine. No matter what I say, they'll still think that something is happening. I skate away toward the tunnel as the warm-ups end, leaving the guys standing right where I left them watching my retreating figure.