Counting Down The Days (Counting on Hockey #3)

Chapter 7: (Something) at first sight

Noah shows me through the tunnels of TD Gardens, where the players come in. I'm wearing Noah's away jersey, so it's a real one, not a replica. I have a pair of black skinny jeans, and my famous purple and yellow converse, in which I have had since Freshman year of high school, so it's been six years. But I refuse to wear them any place else but the guys hockey games, plus they go with the black and yellow of the team.

I sit at Noah's locker as he talks with his team mates. I look through my hockey gossip column app. Of course, right at the top, is mine and Cole's story of our break up and my friendship with Noah. I skip right over it, because I know what the first few sentence would say. Cole Anderson and Noah Smith were friends, until Meredith Adams, daughter of legend Randy Adams, got between them. Then, the story will go onto say, Sources say that Anderson and Adams broke up early September after problems with their relationship. Mutual friend, Noah Smith was in the middle, but took Adams side in the break up. Anderson and Smith haven't talked, and everyone knows tonight's Bruins home game is going to be awkward for the three of them. That's what every sports gossip blog has said about us. I've just learned to ignore it. All of it.

The hockey wives and I are told to leave and go to our seats. They had wanted me to sit in the box with them, but I always make sure I'm always down in the crowd when a goal is scored. And I like my spot next to the penalty box just in case I have to scold Noah if something happens.

I head into the front lobby of TD Gardens and pick up my ticket. I walk through the front doors and into the rink. It feels a little warmer than usual. I look down at my ticket. Section 12, row 1, seat 14. I find it with ease and settle myself.

"Welcome fans, to TD Gardens, home of the Boston Bruins", the announcer starts five minutes before the puck drop. "First, let's welcome the visitors. All the way from Saint Paul, the Minnesota Wild!"

I take a deep breath as they come out of the doorway onto the ice. They skate around the ice, and I spot Cole right in the middle of everyone. I watch him, and just as he skates by, his eye meets mine for a split second, then he's gone.

"Now, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls. The team you have all been waiting for", the announcer yells into his microphone again. "The Boston Bruins".

Noah leads the front of the pack with his captain, Zdeno Chara. As he skates by, he waves quickly to me, then to the rest of the crowd. The crowd is going absolutely nuts right now. But, I join in on it too, so I can't complain.

Eric Staal and Patrice Bergeron start the puck drop. Staal wins it away and passes to his teammates. The teams fight, and finally, the puck is passed into the Wild's zone. The Bruins pass it to each other, try a shot, but Dubnyk catches it before it goes into the goal. The ref blows his whistle.

The first period goes by, Shots on goal are 14-12 Bruins. No goals. Second period comes, and the game gets a little more interesting. Noah and Cole are on the ice at the same time. Noah crashes into Cole, sending him to the ice for a split second. I watch nervously as the scene starts to unfold, rushing up closer to the glass, I watch in horror.

Cole goes up to Noah and pushes him from behind. Players from both teams go up, but Cole and Noah just focus on one another. They punch each other, and the fight somehow goes on right in front of me. I slam my hand onto the glass, trying to get their attention, but it won't ever work. The stadium screams louder and louder as it goes. My eyes start to fill up with tears, though this is normal for a hockey game. This is my fault, this is all my fault, this is all my fault.

The refs finally break up the fight after punches are thrown, and both of their helmets are pulled off. They gather their things on the ice and sit in the penalty box, each, for interference. Noah sits in front of me, and refuses to look back at me. I move to the side of the box where I know he can't turn away.

I start to scream at him. "This talk will never be over. You owe me". I see Cole look over from his spot in his box. Our eyes meet, then he looks away when his eyes go glossy. I look back at Noah, who, I'm guessing is telling the official that I'm not some estranged fan. "We are talking about this as soon as the game is over, you got me?" he nods, and I sit back in my seat. Other fans look at me as my eyes start to dry themselves and I wipe the last ones away.

the game is over in OT, Wild wins 1-0. The only shot scored was assisted by Cole. As soon as the goal is scored, I leave my seat and into the tunnels. The guard lets me through since he saw me earlier. I head straight for the locker room. After the handshakes are over on the ice, the teams come back. Coach leads his team into the locker room. He sees me and lets me through the door first since he's allowing me in until the guys need to change. But, he needs a talk with them.

I'm totally going to kill Noah. His heart was in a good place, but that was unacceptable.