Esmeralda is in Toronto for a semester abroad. She meets Auston Matthews, will he be a fling or will she actually fall in love with him?
Completed March 8, 2017 ✓
At UCLA, week 6 meant that there was a month left in the quarter and that you should start preparing for final exams. Here at the University of Toronto week 6 meant that midterms were approaching. The pace here was a lot slower, but I personally enjoyed it because I was able to develop a relationship with my professors. I also had a lot of free time which allowed me to explore Toronto.
"You're kinda the best" I told Gael, Alyssa's boyfriend.
He chuckled as I reached for my phone.
"This is a work of art" I stated as I angled my phone to take a picture.
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"You literally tell me that anytime I make you food"
Alyssa laughed and shook her head slowly.
"Accept your compliment babe"
"Listen to your girlfriend" I said as I posted it on my instagram.
I set my phone on the table and reached for my eating utensils.
"When does your internship start?"
I would be interning for a team during the World Cup of Hockey.
"I didn't even know they were asking for interns"
"I got an email" I told him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're majoring in Bioengineering, what does hockey have to do with engineering?"
"I'm majoring in Bioengineering with a minor in Public Relations" I said.
"Well aren't you full of surprises"
I hummed and shrugged as I cut my waffle into small pieces.
"I was going to double major but I wanted to graduate on time" I told him.
Alyssa laughed.
"The fact that you're even graduating on time as a Bioengineering major is surprising, but you still had time to minor in something"
"After my knee surgery I coped by taking a nice load of courses. Its what kept me busy" I admitted.
Growing up I dreamed of making history like the Magnificent Seven had done so in 1996 when they became the first American Gymnastics Team to win Olympic Gold. Who would have thought that 16 years later, I would help contribute in winning the second team Olympic Gold Medal for the United States; the first on international soil. At 16 I never thought I'd be a role model, but after the Olympics I got to meet kids who told me they wanted to be like me and my teammates. It was nice to see that I helped inspire a generation of kids, just like the Magnificent Seven had with me.
"That makes sense"
I nodded.
"Won't the cold hurt your knee?"
"I'm allowed to wear a brace" I replied.
"So are you assigned to a team or?"
"You're assigned a team" I told him.
"Do you know which team?"
"No, but I will know the day all official rosters are finalized" I said.
He nodded and I smiled.
"I feel like you're more excited about my internship than I am" I admitted.
"That's cause you're from California, hockey wasn't relevant until a few years ago"
I know he wasn't trying to be offensive, but I had to call him out on it.
"How long has it been since the Maple Leafs won a Stanley Cup?" I asked.
The Anaheim Ducks won the Cup in 2007; The LA Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014; The San Jose Sharks made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their history this past June, but fell to the Penguins in Game 6. Who's to say that a small kid from California chose to pick up hockey after watching these historic games? When I hear people saying that hockey shouldn't belong in California because it's too hot I want to remind people that hockey games are played in doors and that there is technology that doesn't let the ice rink turn into a pond of water.
"50 years"
I hummed and nodded.
"The Kings went through a 45 year drought" I stated.
"It's not the same"
"Why isn't it? They're both NHL teams" I responded.
"We've won 13 Stanley Cups, the Kings have only won 2"
I raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"I didn't know you played hockey" I joked.
He frowned.
"The Leafs are an Original Six team, the Kings are an expansion team"
"The last time your team as you call it won was when it took two rounds to secure a title" I stated.
I shook my head.
"You can hate on California hockey all you want but you have to realize that a generation of future NHL hockey players are currently growing up idolizing these players. Who's to say you won't root for a California born hockey player one day?" I asked.
"Well when the day happens you can call me from the beach to tell me I told you so"
