𝓜𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔂 𝓓𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓘𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼

Lester Averman

Picking up her hockey bag from the ground below her bench, Gray stepped out of the locker room to find her car. She'd just finished a game against Eden Hall and won their game by two points. Eden Hall was hoping for another win locked down, but some of their players were a little distracted with five girls on the other team, especially when threw five on at the same time and 'syked' the boys out.

Gray did face off every time she was on the ice and she always stuck to her side. She never said a word to the boys on the opposing team, she only spoke to her teammates and got told to clear it out many times by her coach. As she laughed with a few of her female teammates, some of Eden Hall's players left the locker room to catch their bus back to the school or drive home in their own car. 

Averman found Gray to be quite a player. She played well on the ice and scored two goals that game for her team out of the six they earned. She wasn't aware at all that he, or any of the boys from that team, liked her. Averman didn't know if he liked her or just found her good looking. There was a difference, but he wasn't sure which he was for. Was he for her looks because that's all he saw or did he like her from what little he knew about her?

"Um, hey," He spoke up, catching up to the three girls leaving the arena. They turned to see who was speaking to them, and it wasn't any of their players or friends. 

"Hi." One of the girls spoke. 

"Have we met?" The other girl asked, a cocked brow. Gray looked at him to see if she could make out who he was. She knew he was from Eden Hall's team, but which player? The glasses and the hair were two key things that gave it away, but other than that, she did not know. he had no last name or number to distinguish him. His Letterman jacket sleeve scrunched up and blocked by his bag.

"Um, yeah," he turned, pointing to the rink. "We just played each other."

"Oh." The first girl spoke up. "Right, we beat you."

"Clearly." He nods. "Anyway, I was wanting to say congrats on the game and maybe we'll see each other again when we play again." He smiled with a nod.

Gray looked at him, there was more he needed to say, she was sure of it. She gave him a kind smile. "Um, water station is down there and washrooms are around the corner...You know, since you guys are heading back to your school." She spoke up, pointing in the directions.

"Oh, thank you." Averman nods, looking at her. She gave him one last awkward smile and nod before turning and walking out with her teammates. Heading outside, they had split up and Averman began his sad walk to the bus where his teammates were loading their bags onto the bus one by one and their coach took names to make sure everyone was there.

"Hey!" Gray waved, jogging over to Averman after she flagged him down. He looked up and when he saw it was her, he smiled and met her on the sidewalk, about twenty feet from his bus. Some of his teammates watched while others continued putting their bags away and there were a few still finishing up in the locker room. "So, my coach says we're playing you guys in a few weeks. That's if we both make several more victories." She explained, showing him the paper in which stated which teams were facing off which week at which school.

"Oh, cool." He nods, not sure what to say.

"Sorry I didn't say anything back there. My teammates are competitive." She smiled. "As am I." She nods her head side to side. "So, you were which number?"

"Um, four. Averman." He told her.

"Oh, well, you play well, Averman."

"Thanks, I don't get told that often. It's more so my other buddies. Like um, Charlie, Adam, or the bash bros. You know, not me."

She laughed at his words and he didn't know why. "You're goofy, it's good, I like that." She told him. "Anyway, I should be going." She points to her car. "Catch you at that game." She nods.

"What about coffee sometime?" He asked her as she began walking away.

"Sure, why not." She nodded.

Deep down, Averman jumped up and down, screamed, punched the air, and yelled. He kept his cool and headed back to the bus, where his buddies all questioned him big time about that new girl from the other team.