Tackling the Canvas

Chapter 10

Nora

Today was finally the big game against Riverstone, and the atmosphere was electric. People were going crazy with excitement. Everywhere I looked, there were posters of the players plastered across the stadium walls and banners waving proudly with "Go Northview!" in bold, bright red letters. The parking lot was completely packed—so much so that people were actually fighting over parking spaces. It was chaotic but thrilling at the same time.

You could hear groups of guys shouting out bets for and against each team, voices rising above the general hum of the crowd. And it wasn't just Northview students here either. There were tons of students from Riverstone College, all gathered to support their team, dressed in their rival colors, making the whole place feel like a battleground.

Oscar had gotten here early by bus, so we wandered around for a bit before finally finding our seats. The energy in the arena was contagious, and I could feel my excitement building as the start of the game drew closer.

I was glancing down at my phone when some movement caught my attention. It was the same guy I bumped into the other day—the tall, muscular one with the dark hair. He was with the redhead, Jessica, who was yapping away while he looked like he could barely stand her. Before I could stop myself, my inner thoughts slipped out. "Is she your girlfriend?"

I immediately covered my mouth with my hand, embarrassed, but it was too late. He turned to me with a husky, surprisingly attractive chuckle. "Please kill me if I ever think about it," he muttered under his breath. "She's my step-sister, Jessica." He extended his hand toward me. "I'm Jackson."

I shook his hand, still processing what I'd just blurted out. Then he added, casually, "And for the record, I'm... not into that gender, if you know what I mean."

It took me a second, but when it clicked, I blurted out again, "You don't look gay." My face burned. What was happening to me today, just letting my thoughts fly out?

Jackson just smirked, clearly amused by my awkwardness. "I'm glad. It's easier to intimidate people when they don't know your sexuality," he said proudly, before looking back at the rink, like it was just another normal conversation for him.

Deciding to look the other way, I was greeted by a very familiar, cheerful smile.

"Nora, hi!" Sofia's excited voice filled my ears as she walked over to me.

"Hi, Sof," I replied warmly. Her eyes flicked to the side, prompting me to turn and follow her gaze. "Oh, yeah," I started, realizing I hadn't introduced them yet. "Uh, this is Oscar, my friend. Oscar, this is Sofia, Owen's sister."

I smiled, gesturing between them as they exchanged glances. When Oscar extended his hand to Sofia, a small blush spread across her cheeks. I arched an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden shift in her demeanor.

As I turned my attention back to the rink, the crowd erupted into cheers as both teams skated onto the ice. A smile tugged at my lips when I spotted Owen, proudly wearing his number 19 jersey. Even though I wasn't really into hockey, I couldn't help but feel a little rush of excitement.

Oscar, sitting beside me, leaned over to explain what was happening on the ice. I nodded along, though truth be told, hockey always went right over my head. When I once used hockey examples to explain Newton's laws to Owen, I just focused on the movements—never fully grasping the game itself.

Suddenly, Northview scored a goal. From across the rink, Ethan celebrated like a maniac, dropping to the ground to do push-ups right in front of everyone. His antics made me laugh out loud.

"Who's the blonde?" Jackson's voice cut through the noise, sounding curious.

"Oh, uh, that's Ethan," I chuckled, shaking my head at Ethan's over-the-top celebration. Jackson straightened up in his seat, still watching the game but now with a more focused expression.

___

A little while later, hunger began to gnaw at me, so I stood up and made my way out toward the food stands outside the rink. The chilly air hit my face as I ordered two hotdogs and a large Coke. Oscar had mentioned he was getting hungry too, so I grabbed him a hotdog loaded with every sauce I could find. Balancing everything in my hands, I started to walk back when my phone buzzed in my right pocket.

Without checking the caller ID, I answered, and was immediately greeted by the familiar warmth of my mother's voice. "Hello, Mom," I said with a smile.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?" Her soft, tender tone made me feel comforted, like a blanket of warmth on a cold day.

"Everything's wonderful," I replied, my voice softening.

"That's great, baby. Hey, have you thought about what we were planning last summer?" she asked, her question catching me off guard.

I paused for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. It hadn't crossed my mind once in the last month.

"I... Not really, Mom. I still have six months to think about it."

She responded with her usual understanding. "Sure, baby. Take all the time you need."

"Ta, Mom. Bye," I said, feeling grateful for her patience.

"Bye, sweetie," she said before hanging up.

As I pocketed my phone and continued toward the rink, my mind briefly wandered back to that conversation from last summer. But I quickly shook it off, refocusing on the game and the food in my hands.

___

As I expected, Northview—our team—won. Not by much, though. Throughout most of the game, Oscar and Sofia were deep in conversation, talking about Oscar's job and their interests. It was nice to see Sofia opening up and chatting with more people. She seemed so much more relaxed.

Once the game ended, Sofia, Oscar, and I headed outside to wait for Jasper, Ethan, and Owen to join us. I could hear the buzz of excitement still hanging in the air as people trickled out of the rink.

Suddenly, I heard fast footsteps, followed by arms scooping me up from behind and spinning me around, making me burst into laughter. "Did you see how amazing we were, Noodles?!" Ethan's enthusiastic voice rang out.

"Yeah, you three were awesome in there," I replied, smiling as I glanced at Jasper and then at Owen. They all had that post-game adrenaline rush, talking animatedly about tactics and plays. Owen's hand stayed firmly at my waist, grounding me in the moment.

But soon, I felt a piercing gaze on us, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I scanned the area until I spotted Jackson, standing off to the side, watching us. His stare was different from the usual cold indifference—it was intense, almost calculating.

I shifted uncomfortably as I felt Owen's grip on my waist tighten. Glancing up at him, I saw the subtle yet unmistakable death stare he was giving Jackson.