Unconditionally

Kiss Cam Catastrophe

Stella's POV

The excitement in the air was palpable as I, along with Jenli and Allison, found our seats in the packed arena. Today was the grand final game, and I could hardly contain my energy. Dressed in Arnold's Kavansky jersey that hugged my frame just right, I felt both proud and exhilarated. My heart raced at the thought of seeing Arnold and his teammates, Jordan and Enzo, hit the ice.

"Look at this place! It's packed!" Jenli exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she surveyed the sea of fans in their team colors.

"I can't wait to see Arnold!" I gushed, feeling a thrill at the mere thought of him. My friends exchanged knowing glances and smirks, but I was too caught up in my thoughts of Arnold to notice. All I could think about was his determination and the bond we were building.

"Let's get some snacks before the game starts," Allison suggested, pulling us out of our seats. I nodded enthusiastically, my stomach fluttering with anticipation, and we navigated through the crowd, grabbing popcorn, nachos, and soda.

As the teams warmed up on the ice, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. I could hardly focus on anything except for Arnold, who skated with such grace and intensity. Every great play made my heart soar, and my excitement seemed to multiply with every whistle and cheer.

The first period flew by, the arena erupting with cheers as the teams battled fiercely on the ice. Each goal ignited a fire in my heart, and I felt so proud of Arnold. As the clock wound down and the players headed into the locker room, my friends and I excitedly discussed everything that had just happened.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our special feature—the Kiss Cam! Let's see who gets caught on camera today!"

My heart sank. The Kiss Cam was both thrilling and terrifying. I had seen it before, and it often led to awkward moments that made me cringe. But there was no avoiding it now; the camera was rolling.

As the camera scanned the crowd, it focused on couples kissing, laughter ringing through the air. My heart raced as the camera landed on us—me and my friends.

"Oh no," I muttered, panic setting in.

Allison and Jenli turned to me, eyes wide with mischief. "You have to kiss someone!" Jenli teased, giggling.

Before I could protest, a random guy sitting next to me leaned in with a goofy smile. "You wanna kiss?" he asked, clearly caught up in the moment.

My stomach dropped. "Uh, no thanks!" I laughed awkwardly, but the camera had already zoomed in on us.

As the Kiss Cam zeroed in on me and the random guy beside me, I could see Arnold on the sidelines, his body tense with a mix of disbelief and fury. The laughter from the crowd swirled around us, but all I could focus on was the growing storm brewing behind Arnold's eyes.

"Come on, don't be shy!" the man next to me joked, leaning in closer as if daring me to give in to the absurdity of the moment. I felt my cheeks burn as I awkwardly laughed it off, but deep down, I could feel a sense of panic creeping in. This wasn't how I wanted Arnold to see me.

And then it happened—Arnold's frustration boiled over. He pounded his fist against the glass partition that separated us from the rink, the sound echoing through the arena. "BACK. THE.FUCK.UP.FROM.MY.GIRLFRIEND!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the laughter like a knife.

Girlfriend? The sudden intensity of his words silenced the crowd for a heartbeat, all eyes shifting from the man to Arnold. The guy beside me froze, a mixture of shock and confusion crossing his face as he raised his hands in surrender, clearly taken aback by Arnold's fierce protectiveness.

"Whoa, man! It was just a joke!" the random guy stammered, backing away from me as if he'd just realized he'd wandered into the lion's den. The smirk that had been plastered on his face moments before faded into a look of uncertainty.

But Arnold wasn't done. He stepped closer to the glass, his expression a mix of fury and determination. The sharp lines of his jaw tightened, and the muscles in his arms flexed as he leaned forward, practically vibrating with indignation. "You think you can just come in here and act like that? She's not some trophy for you to mess with!"

My heart raced at the sight of him, fierce and protective. I felt a rush of affection mixed with a hint of embarrassment, but mostly, I felt grateful. This was Arnold, standing up for me in front of a whole arena full of people.

"Arnold, chill!" Enzo shouted as he skated over, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. "Dude, it's not worth it! Let it go!"

But Arnold's gaze remained locked on the guy, his voice unwavering. "Game or not, you need to know your place," he shot back, his tone leaving no room for argument. The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers, some even laughing at the guy's expense. "Now back off!"

Enzo put a hand on Arnold's shoulder, trying to steer him away from the glass. "Seriously, man. You're going to make it worse. Let's just focus on the game, alright?"

But Arnold shook off Enzo's grip, his fiery gaze still fixed on the stranger. "You think you can just come in here and mess with Stella? Not happening!"

The guy took a few hesitant steps back, clearly flustered. He muttered something incoherent and finally turned to leave, disappearing into the throng of fans who were still buzzing from the unexpected drama.

As Arnold straightened up, his gaze returned to me, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice lowering slightly as he stepped closer, the protective intensity still lingering in his eyes.

"I'm fine, really! I didn't think it would get that intense," I replied, a nervous laugh escaping my lips as I tried to downplay the moment.

He let out a breath, clearly still on edge. "You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of crap. Not ever."

Before I could respond, Jordan skated over, his laughter ringing out as he waved to the crowd. "What did I miss? Did someone challenge you to a duel, Arnold?" He grinned, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Arnold shot him a sideways glance, clearly still worked up. "No, just some idiot who thought he could mess with Stella."

"Ohhh, I see how it is! Someone's got a serious case of the jealous boyfriend!" Jordan teased, and the crowd erupted into laughter once again.

"I was just—" Arnold began, but Enzo cut him off, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Dude, let it go! You're gonna get a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct at this rate!" Enzo joked, trying to ease the tension in Arnold's shoulders.

The teasing only seemed to further fuel Arnold's fire. "I don't care. He shouldn't have crossed that line."

As the banter continued, I could feel the protective aura surrounding Arnold slowly beginning to soften, the fierce energy fading into something more manageable. The game resumed, but my heart still raced, partly from Arnold's display of protectiveness and partly from the electricity sparking between us.

No matter how the game turned out, I felt thankful to have someone like Arnold in my corner.