four

"A?" I hear Ian call, relief flooding through me. I needed to be saved.

"We're stuck," I tell him, hearing his footsteps advance to the door.

"Okay, no problem. I'll get you guys out." He reassured me, but I could hear the concern in his voice. He explains the situation to his friends, and I hear him go up the stairs.

I sighed, knowing he would be as fast as he could. I didn't need to worry.

"Let's hope they don't kill each other," Finn remarks.

The room was dead silent, it was almost suffocating. We could hear every single thing the boys outside said.

Hayden glances at me for a second and goes back to ignoring me. Ugh, I couldn't stand him.

"I hope you guys heard that," Dylan pressed, trying to get a reaction out of us, the way he always tried to stir up trouble.

"Do it for Ian." Blake says, encouraging us to be nice to each other, even though that wasn't possible. He was too optimistic. I usually was too, which is why we get along great but when it came to Hayden, I couldn't.

"Or don't do it for Ian," Dylan snickers, probably thinking about the killing each other comment.

"I won't if she doesn't start anything," Hayden calls back, not looking at me at all. He sat on Ian's bed, unbothered, as I slumped against the door.

My blood boiled at his tone. "Oh, trust me, I'm not the one who starts things," I snapped, not looking in his direction but with my words directed at him. How dare he speak about me like I wasn't there.

His head jerked up, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Really? Because it seems to me that you're always looking for a fight!"

I crossed my arms and yelled, "Maybe because you turned into a complete jerk for no reason!"

He turned to face me, eyebrows furrowed. "No reason? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious! One day we were friends, and the next you acted like I didn't exist. What was I supposed to think?" I respond, lowering my voice.

His jaw clenched. "You wouldn't understand."

"Yeah, I would. If you give me a chance."

For a moment, he just stared at me, and I could see him deciding if he should tell me or not. He sighed and looked away. "I didn't want to get attached. I needed to focus on hockey."

I blinked, caught off guard by his reply. I had expected some sarcastic excuse for why he was a total jerk. "What?" I asked; I needed clarification.

"I enjoyed hanging out with you," he admitted. "Too much. And I knew if I let it continue, I'd lose sight of my goals."

I was shocked. I had always assumed his coldness was because he disliked me, not because he was trying to protect himself. I thought he thought of me as the annoying little sister of his best friend, but I was more than that. "You could have told me," I say softly.

If he had told me, we could have avoided all those arguments and tense moments. We saw each other often; both of our lives would have been better.

He shook his head. "Would it have made a difference? You would have tried to convince me otherwise, and I would have caved. It was easier to just cut things off."

I sat back, processing his perspective. This whole time, I hated him for pushing me away, but now it seems he has been struggling just as much. "I didn't know," I said softly. "I thought you hated me."

He looked back at me, and when I looked into his eyes, I was reminded of the boy who used to be my friend. The boy who helped me reach the high shelves offered me whatever he was having. The boy I trusted enough and approved to be my brother's best friend. Suddenly, the cold teen that replaced him was gone, and he was back. "I never hated you, Annalise," he confesses.

The room went silent as I took in his words and he took in mine, but this silence wasn't full of hatred; it was full of understanding now that we had talked things out. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me.

Maybe we could be friends again and go back to how it used to be. We could rebuild what we had lost years ago.

~~~

I glided to the exit of the rink, out of breath. I still couldn't believe I got here on time. I was almost late because of the room incident, but I felt a lot better now that we had cleared things up.

I walk to the changeroom, going as fast as I can. Ian had a mini-game, and I didn't want to miss it. He would never miss any of my competitions. Even if I couldn't see him in the stands, I would know he was there. Plus, with all the comments he made when I finished, I knew he was paying attention.

I sit down and lift one of my legs, wiping the snow off. I think about Ian and how he always carries a cloth for wiping his skates.

I do the other one and feel a sharp pain in my finger. Then I saw blood. I inhaled sharply at the cut; it was stinging.

I carefully take my skates off, not wanting to get blood on the pristine white material, walk in my socks to the sink, and grab some paper towels.

I stop the bleeding with the tissue and go on with my stuff, putting my skates away, changing into my shoes, packing my bag, and putting it on my shoulder.

On my way to the hockey rink, I stop at the front desk, get a bandage, and put it on.

I walk into the arena just as his team steps on the ice, taking their places for the game to start. I made it.

I found a good seat and started to watch the game.

Ian's Blue Sharks team was facing the Yellow Tigers team.

Dylan, Hayden, and Blake lined up right in the middle of the rink, each facing an opponent. Ian and another player were behind the boys in the middle, in front of the goalie. Finn had his gear on, right in front of the net, ready to block goals from the opposite team.

Ian's team was great; they had great chemistry. They allowed each other to make passes and assists. They were gonna do great at their hockey academy; even if they hadn't decided which one yet.

It was cute how they met through hockey and became best friends. I remember going to all their games when I was younger, and it's the same now.

The referee blows the whistle, and they start. Hayden got the puck and advanced, passing it to Blake. Hayden skated, getting past their defence as Blake slid the puck back to him. He controlled the puck, trying to get rid of the other player, but the opposition wouldn't budge.

Hayden passed it to Dylan, who hit it to Ian. They moved the puck around until it came back to Hayden. He was back in the middle of the rink, but he sprinted to the goal, elbowing another player as he skated past. The player fell as Hayden got past the goalie and scored a goal.

The referee blew the whistle, making the penalty gesture and signalling that Hayden had to sit out for five minutes, meaning his goal wouldn't count.

Hayden speeded to the bench, slamming the door shut. He sat there, watching the game the way he always had to.

I noticed that Hayden never really played; he was always benched, and when he did play, he got a penalty. Sometimes he deserved it, sometimes he didn't. All the players were a bit aggressive.

The Tigers sprinted around; they were fast, but they didn't have possession of the puck.

The Sharks made their way around the rink, scoring a goal. This time, it counted.

Half the arena cheered, including me, as Hayden's time was up. He got up and skated to his team.

They all high-fived and celebrated briefly before the game resumed, and the crowd went quiet again.

The Tigers finally had the puck, but not for long as Hayden found a blind spot and hit the puck to Ian. They passed it around in a triangle formation, the way they did at practice, and Blake scored.

The crowd roared in excitement. Some yelled "Go Blue Sharks!" and some encouraged the opposite team to do better.

The game went on, and it was almost half-time when Hayden got subbed off. I wasn't sure why; their team was doing great, and no one was tired or injured.

He went off, and another player went on. He took over Hayden's position, but he wasn't as good. He couldn't get the puck from the other team; they passed it around and scored.

The other half of the audience cheered because we were still in the lead. 2-1.

I really hoped their coach would realise Hayden was the reason they scored and put him on again, but I doubt it.

They played more, with the Tigers gaining more possession of the puck. They needed better defence and someone to get the puck back. They needed Hayden, but he was still on the bench.

Just before the half-time buzzer went off, an opposing player went behind Finn with the puck and scored.

I watch as the players exit the rink, getting water and taking off their helmets. I waved to Ian, and he looked happy to see me.

They took their break and went back on the ice. Everyone in their previous positions, not including Hayden.

I watched the close game as both teams fought to score, occasionally glancing at Hayden to see how he was doing. It must be frustrating not being able to be on the ice with his team. He went to every practice and did his best, yet he barely got to play.

The puck slid from team to team. The game wasn't going anywhere, and time was almost up.

The yellow team tried a different approach, getting the puck close to the goal and shooting, but Finn was faster. He blocked the puck with his knees.

Finn passes to Blake, then Dylan gets the puck, hitting it to Ian, and he scores.

"Go Blue Sharks!" I yelled, proud of my brother. He threw his hands up in celebration, high-fiving his teammates.

There were a few minutes left, as the yellow team scored. They had really had a pep talk and a plan after half-time.

I watch as the blues get a hold of the puck and the buzzer sounds, leaving it as a draw.

The two teams shake hands and exit the rink as I wait for my brother and his friends. They were my ride back home.

They get changed, and I meet them in the car. I get comfy in the backseat as Hayden sits beside me. Dylan called Shotgun even before the game, and Ian was driving, leaving Blake in front of me and Finn beside him.

The car ride was dead silent, and it was getting to me.

"At least it was a tie." I say, trying to lighten the mood but immediately regretting it.

"A tie is the same as losing." Dylan rolls his eyes, and I get glares from all the boys in the car except for Ian.

The car goes silent again, and I start playing with the bandage on my hand. I would have to check on it when I get home.

I feel Hayden's gaze drop to my hands.

"What happened?" He asked, concerned. I didn't want to tell him because it could've been easily prevented, but I told him anyway; we were on good terms, and I didn't want to ruin it.

"It's stupid, but I cut myself when I was wiping the snow off my skates," I whisper to him, not disturbing the rest of the vehicle. They needed their rest and quiet time, especially after 'losing' the game.

I expected Hayden to scold me for doing that because I knew better, and Ian was always reminding me to use a cloth or something, but he stayed quiet. He reached into his bag and pulled out some gauze and a wipe.

"Can I?" He asks, reaching for my hand, and I nod. Hayden takes off the blood-soaked bandage and sucks in some air in response to the wound. It looked pretty bad.

He put the wipe on my finger, removing the blood and disinfecting at the same time. Then he wrapped my finger in gauze and secured it. I had to admit, it felt a lot better after getting the right treatment.

"Thanks," I say as we pull into Dylan's driveway.

"You're welcome, Jules. Be careful." He reminds me.

I nod and smile at the use of my first name. I would cringe, but it didn't sound so bad coming from Hayden; it was what he used to call me, and I kind of missed it.