The Hot Hockey Player

Chapter 20 - Madeline 🌸

I've left the bunch of hockey players to their duty while I'm going to perform mine, which is being a good student (no that they're not, obviously). If I have something to admire about them, it will be how they can manage both school and their athlete's life. I don't know if I'd be able to. Yeah, I can work and study at the same time but at what costs ?

I chuckle to myself trying to imagine how mentally and physically exhausted I'd be if I ever had to juggle both an athlete's life and a student one. Diabetes is already exhausting as it is and so is life. I get chills just thinking about it. 

I head back to class with Sofia and we're doing small talk. I'm so happy to finally live with her, it has been nothing but sweetness and pleasure to finally have someone to rely on. Someone other than my brother. I love him deeply and I know he does too. But a friend's love is another kind of love, one I had yet to find. As agreed, she's paying for the six first months and I'm paying for the groceries and all kind of expenses we need. I was afraid I could not follow with our plan but one week ago, I had an answer from a job interview. It was so long since I've been to this one that I didn't even thought I'd have any response back. But I've been wrong because Viva Burger's is giving me a chance. I was at Jude's when I had the call. We both didn't have any classes that Tuesday morning so we were just chilling and... having other activities that involve both our bodies. Nothing too cerebral really.

Anyway, the restaurant/coffee/bar called me to tell me the job was mine if I still wanted. I screamed into the poor woman's ear that I was still interested. She laughed at me, amused by my reaction before gently telling me to calm down. We talked a bit more then she mentioned she was excepting me the following day to go over administrative details and discuss my schedule. So basically since last week, I've been practicing my 'imitate a Jude's day' routine. Even if it's far less demanding than his schedule. Waking up at 6 am to go to practice ? On ice ?! At first I thought 'no way he enjoys this' but the more time I spend with him, the more I realize how much he truly loves this. After all, his dream is to go professional and fully embrace his passion for the game.

"Why are you smiling like that ? You're scaring me," tells a frightened Sofia.

I roll my eyes at her antics. "It's nothing, I'm just realizing how much I'll never be a fit-girl, that's all."

She raises an eyebrow. "And that's funny because ?"

Sofia is my complete opposite. I despise everything sport's related. She thrives on it which easily explains her great body. But more than that, she's just genuinely talented. She grew up in a sport's devoted family. Her mother went to the Olympic Games in gymnastics in 2004 in Athens. Her father was an ice hockey player too. He never went professional because of an injury in his first year of college but back when I was in Nashville, he still had that competitive spirit in him. Her little brother is also following his family step, being a football player. Sofia actually told me he's pretty good at it and aspires to go professional too if given the chance. He's doing everything he can for that to happen. And my best friend enjoys running way too much. She's on the track and field team of our college. She doesn't aspire to be professional but she still wants to try and make it at least to the Olympic trials in 2028 for the 400 meters hurdles and maybe the 800 meters but she's still not sure about that one yet. What I do know though, is that I'll be rooting for her all the way to LA. Deep down, I suspect she wants to be a professional athlete but I'm not sure of it. Maybe she just really likes it. 

Not only are our experiences so different but also our bodies. A few weeks ago, when I told Jude about me not being like other girls, he reassured me like a real man. I've never been one to obsess over my appearance ; I've had enough problems to deal with not to add one above my head. I'm not skinny but I'm not overweight either. Still, I want to lose a bit of weight, not that much because I truly don't want to look too skinny, who's not eating enough. Clearly, I'd like not to take weight because I'd eat something I restrained myself on eating for so long.