Finding Hearts

Chapter 20

KATE

As Vee and I walk out the gym after our boxing workshop, my body is sore and I feel bad because I accidentally killed a bug resting on a box sack. Vee next to me is living her best life, after having dropkicked multiple guys that must have been at least a head taller than her and invoked fear in every single one of the students attending that workshop, plus the teacher. Wouldn't she be my bestie, I would have also started shaking.

"That was too easy", she says, chewing gum in her mouth, brushing some dust off her hoodie.

"That was easy?!", I find myself shouting. "Vee, I killed it."

"It was a bug, Katie", Vee replies. "And an accident. And you already made us dig a small grave for it and bury it inside it. I believe it's time to move on."

"Do you think it hurt?", I ask her.

"Obviously, Katie. That thing is dead now."

I let out a broken gasp and cover my mouth with my palms. "I'm going to go to jail."

"It's a bug", she replies, voice lacking any sympathy.

"It was a bug", I correct her, feeling how tears form in my eyes.

She sighs exhausted and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "I'm sure it will be just fine." She gives me a squeeze, before adding: "Look, people are already gathered there."

I follow her gaze seeing the entrance to the ice rink stadium, where the view looks hilarious. A bunch of very tall guys wearing hockey hoodies fuss around with some clipboards, looking down at the mass of people, mostly girls, drooling at the sight of them.

"Do you think they really came here for hockey or the hockey guys?", I find myself asking Vee.

She shrugs matter-of-factly. "Oh, they came here for Callum."

My pulse skyrockets. "You think that?!"

"Girl, that guy is a captain not to mention hot as heck. So yeah, they for sure came here for Callum." She must have seen the worries growing in my eyes, since she swings her hips at me once making me laugh and adds: "However, that guy clearly only has eyes for you and you're also hot as heck. So no biggie."

I'm about to open my mouth to tell her how I'm not hot as heck, but right then, a familiar voice greets us: "Katie, Avery."

I turn around, discovering Cal's best friend, Henry. "Hey, Henry."

He winks at me before ticking down our names on the clipboard. "You were the last to arrive." He looks up at the others, and for the first time, I see that although they must all be friends, there is a way in which the team also looks at him with respect. For being their vice. "Okay, we got everybody. Let's get this show on the road, people."

The guys nod and start leading us inside the stadium. Some big doors greet us, followed by a small area with many posters of the team and trophies. Three posters are hung in the middle, one of Cal and his number 18. To his right a poster of Henry and his number 81. And then a logo of the team.

Henry, who by now took the lead, makes us follow him to the skates rental, where the team quickly asks everybody their shoe size and then they provide us with suiting skates. As everybody is geared up, they also give us each a helmet, before they lead us to the actual arena. Another big door reveals the entrance. And oh my God. I thought the basketball court Colton built was big, but this one is huge. It resembled the ones of NHL teams. A huge ice rink in the middle, then aisles and aisles of seats for the audiences. Now it makes sense why most teams decide to play here at games. This place is amazing.