Rain on the ice // Trevor Zegras

Chapter 1

"The exam on Monday will be half multiple choice, and half free response"

I know I should be paying more attention, but my focus kept drifting to a non-Astronomy related topic. One on my phone, in my books app. Yesterday, while scrolling through tiktok I saw a booktok review of this book called Icebreaker, by Hannah Grace. As of this fine Friday afternoon, I am halfway through, and my thoughts consisted of visions of glamorous figure skaters and mouthwatering hockey players. I wish I was the main character of THAT story.

   "...soo any questions?" The Professor concluded. I lightly shook my head no. I would review the textbook before the test, and we where allowed to bring a 'cheat sheet' in for the exam, so I am confident I will succeed.

   With a smile and a wave of his hand, Professor Johnson dismissed us. "You are all free! Next time I see you all, I hope you will all be expert astronomers, ready to study the galaxy!" The class released polite chuckles. Although cheesy, the whimsical humour of Professor Johnson was one that all of the stressed students found comfort in.

   "Alright, ready for our journey to the music building?" A voice said from above me. I jumped up, with my bag in hand. "I was born ready, Brian! I yearn for the trek ahead" I reply, making sure all of the zippers on my bag where closed. This was our ritual. Go to Astronomy class, and then walk the mile back to the music building. The school decided to place the STEM buildings and the arts buildings on the opposite side of campus, and Brian and I are the sole music majors in the class.

   I wait for Brian to shrug his long, navy blue coat over his broad shoulders, as I secured my grey hat over my hair. I dislike wearing hats, since it makes my wavy hair look more like a violent ocean, but the New York winter made this a necessity.

   After making sure we had all of our trinkets, we began the walk, briskly, across campus.

   Finally, I made it back to the dorms. After Brian and I parted ways at our arrival to the the arts side of the school, I had one more class, Music Theory. Thankfully, the lecture was fast and painless, no blood drawn. I threw my bag in the corner of my room, so glad that I have a single room. I made haste, kicking off my shoes, throwing my jacket in my closet, and pulling my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans. I had an hour before a chamber music rehearsal, and I was eager to find out what happens next in the book.

    3 chapters later, and I only had ten minutes before I needed to be ready to go rehearse with my string quartet. I sighed, needing a mental break from the book. Suddenly, I had an idea. Unfortunately, Nate Hawkins did not exist in my small liberal arts college. Or at all, for that matter. However, what about real hockey players? Maybe there's something there.

   I giggled lightly, but not lightly enough. "ERICA!!" My suitemate squealed, and I quickly heard a rap on my door. "Hellllloooooo Anna" I dramatically sighed, as the door swung open. "I didn't know you where here, don't you have a chamber rehearsal?" She asked, while bounces into my room, plopping herself on my small rug. "I do, in 10 minutes. My current task is figuring out who the hottest hockey player is" I say, opening safari and searching 'hot nhl players', just to start with. "The hottest hockey player where? Does the university have a team?" She queried, while curling herself into a ball on my floor. "I have no idea if the university has a team, I wanna see the hot ones with moneyyy,  I am searching for the hottest professional ones, you know in the NHL" I reply, a slight frown on my face as google shot back pictures of 30 year old men. They where cute, but I wanted someone a little bit more.... Attainable.

   "Ooooooo..... potential suitor moment?" Anna croons. She will proudly tell you about her long time boyfriend, Kenny, who works in construction. She is eager for me to get into a relationship, and I have to say part of me joins her in that excitement. I've never had a real boyfriend, and all the options that arose at school never piqued my interest. "Oh my god, yes. Anna this is me telling you. I'm about to drop out and get pregnant with a sports ball players baby and become an Instagram influencer. It's going to be great!" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air for effect.

   "That sounds like something that you would do, though" she replies, a glint present in her eye. "Honestly, yeah I would do that. I don't want to be a poor musician forever." I say coyly, switching my search to 'young NHL players'. I suddenly grasped my phone more firmly in my hand. Now these where the men I was looking for.

"Anna, look at this one!" I exclaim, practically through ong my phone towards her. "He's so your type, Erica" she replies. She and I have a running joke, that both of our types where very different. Different enough it's hard to believe that they are even being compared on the same scale. "Shush, he's cute! I like his hair!" I say, snatching my phone up, and googling his name.

   "His name is Trevor Zegras, he's 21, from Bedford, New York. ANNA!! We are in New York, this is fate." I ramble, only half joking. "Don't you have a rehearsal?" She asks, letting out a slight laugh. "This isn't over! When I'm back in an hour, we will continue this serious conversation about my future!" I say, jumping off my bed, quickly grabbing my cello. I don't even check to see what she is doing as I leave the room.

   Although everything I said is a joke, I still think of the face of Trevor Zegras. It would be fun to hop on him. What can I say, I have a taste for hot guys with a 1 in front of the zeros in their bank account.