Toronto Love

14

"C'mon guys were going to miss our flight! I'm leaving" Auston yells from the other room and then I hear the door shut. He really did walk out of the apartment.
Not even checking everything, I grab my large suitcase, my crossbody, and my carry on book bag. Mitch is coming also, but trailing a few steps behind. I see Auston about a football field in front of me and I was trying to catch up.

"Finally. I told you both yesterday be ready on the dot or I'm leaving. Do you have everything?" He asks as we load our things in the trunk of his friends car, who is driving us to the airport.
I just say yes even though I'm not one hundred percent sure. I just really hope we have what we are supposed to wear to the awards.

It's only June 14th. The awards aren't til the 16th and we don't leave until the 18th. Since I'm 21 now, I can actually come to Vegas to have fun and I actually get to do something instead of walking around, not being able to even go in certain places because of my age. I can drink, go into a casino, do everything now.

Once again, Mitch and I were getting yelled at for being late. We had almost missed the flight because we were in line getting Starbucks and some food for the flight. We were about 5 people deep in line and still managed to make it to the gate and get to our seats in time.
As I was walking down the isle, I passed a familiar someone. Auston. I didn't speak since he just gave me a mad look that was on his face. He was a few rows in front sitting in the middle of the row all to himself while I was in the back of the plane with Mitch a row behind me. He had an end seat. I had a window seat and with a child who kept moving and a big man. Fun times.

4 hours sitting here. 4 more hours.

"Good afternoon passengers, we are close to landing so I advise to please buckle up your seatbelts for a safe landing. I hope you all enjoyed your flight. You have arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada and the time is 5:06 pm. Enjoy your time and hope to see you all back again." The flight attendant announces. I was kind of in a light nap but I woke up when I heard her start to speak. Thank goodness this 4 and a half hour long flight is finally over. I didn't get up once which was record breaking because I'm always moving around. I cannot sit in one place for long.

We all grab our bags and get our suitcases from baggage claim and go to catch our Uber to the hotel we are staying at which was about 25 minutes away from the airport. It's in the middle of the Strip in Vegas and a few minute walking distance to the Vegas Golden Knight's arena, where the awards are being held.

Soon as we got to the hotel, we figured out that we each got our own room. I take up on that offer that was given to us and I go right to find my room and lay down on the bed to get some sleep. The time change was a 3 hour difference which was hard for me.

Our plans were to go to the hotel, get something to eat, rest, take a shower, and then go do something later in the night but those plans were cancelled. We were all too tired so we just stayed at the hotel, slept, and watched TV.
Tomorrow, we have all day so we're going to do it then.

I woke up around 10:30 from the bright Vegas desert sun peaking through the curtains. I'm used to the freezing cold and snow from being in Toronto my whole life and now being in Michigan for school. Auston on the other hand, is used to this, he has lived in Arizona his whole life until he had to adapt to the Toronto weather. I cannot believe it's almost 85 degrees and it's not even noon yet. If it's going to be like this tomorrow, I am literally going to die being in that black dress for the awards.
Breakfast was already over in the hotel basically because it was almost lunch time, but I still wanted something because I was hungry. Yesterday, after we landed, I only had a granola bar and some chips. The rest of the time, I slept until I woke up this morning.

As I was getting into the shower, I heard my phone ring. It was a good long time friend of mine, Dylan Strome. I actually got introduced to him at an event my dad dragged me to and his brother, Ryan Strome, he plays for the NYR, who I actually met before was there and he introduced me to his brother. Ever since to this day, we still text and hang out when we can.

Dylan is 22, so a year above me. He grew up fairly close to Toronto too, in Mississauga. He played for the Arizona Coyotes until he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"Hey Tea! What's up? What are you doing?" He laughs because I'm only showing my chin up since I'm naked and about to take a shower.
"About to take a shower" is all I say.
"Call me after. No biggie" he lets me know and we hang up and I go and get ready which takes about 25 minutes then I decide to FaceTime him back.

"Sorry. Im done. What's up?"
"So... I had to find out via snapchat that you're here in Vegas. Is your dad doing something here for the awards tomorrow?" He questions wondering why I'm here.
"No. I'm here for the awards. I'm actually going believe it or not."
"Are you going with the 2nd best Dylan?" He says talking about Dylan Larkin who he knows is going to be here since he's up for an award.
I just laugh, "no. Mitch. Mitch Marner."
"Oh. I forgot you knew him. But I called because I was wondering if you weren't doing anything today then do you maybe want to go get lunch or something?"
I agree upon going to lunch with him and his brother Ryan since I haven't seen them in a while. After we eat, we're going to meet up with Mitch, Auston and Dylan Larkin to go do some fun Vegas things. Hopefully they're all inside things because the temperature went up to 94.

Tomorrow is going to be such a new, exciting, tiring, crazy day but I'm up to be going to this. It's going to be a fun time and I can't wait to see all these guys get awarded for something they all worked so hard at in life.