THE HOCKEY STAR
1593 Words
Sienna woke up to the sound of Maya's alarm blaring across the room.
She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.
“Turn it off.”
Maya reached for her phone.
“You're the one who said you wanted to be productive.”
“I lied.”
“You're going to be late.”
Sienna opened one eye.
“For what?”
“Your first journalism lecture.”
She sat up immediately.
“Oh, crap.”
Ten minutes later, Sienna was rushing across campus with her backpack hanging from one shoulder and a piece of toast between her teeth.
Maya jogged beside her.
“Slow down!”
“I can't!”
“You're the one who woke up late!”
“You were the one who set the alarm!”
“That makes absolutely no sense.”
Sienna ignored her.
They reached the journalism building just as the bell rang.
“Made it,” Maya whispered.
Sienna pushed open the door.
“Barely.”
They slipped into two empty seats near the back.
The professor began speaking almost immediately.
Sienna pulled out her notebook and tried to focus.
For the next hour, she managed to forget about hockey, the community project and Luca Bennett.
Until the professor mentioned campus sports.
“For your first assignment,” Professor Daniels said, “you'll be writing a short profile about something happening within the university community.”
A few students groaned.
“You may choose anything,” she continued. “A club, organization, event, student group or athletic program.”
Sienna started writing.
Then she heard someone whisper behind her.
“You should write about the Wolves.”
She turned.
A girl sitting behind her smiled.
“Everyone is obsessed with them.”
Sienna smiled politely.
“I'm not.”
The girl looked surprised.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Then you're probably the only person here.”
Sienna laughed quietly.
“Maybe.”
When class ended, she packed her things.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Luca.
LUCA:
Practice at four. Don't forget we need to talk to the athletics office.
Sienna frowned.
She had completely forgotten.
She typed back.
SIENNA:
I'll be there.
LUCA:
Good.
SIENNA:
And don't call me Suitcase Girl.
A few seconds passed.
LUCA:
Wasn't planning to.
Then another message appeared.
LUCA:
For now.
Sienna shook her head.
He was impossible.
---
At 3:50, Sienna arrived at the athletics complex.
The building was much bigger than she'd expected.
Students moved through the halls wearing Westbridge jerseys and sweatshirts. Posters of past hockey teams covered the walls.
She followed the signs until she reached the rink.
The sound hit her before she even opened the door.
Skates scraping against ice.
Pucks hitting the boards.
Coaches shouting instructions.
Sienna stepped inside.
She had never been this close to a hockey rink before.
The ice stretched across the room beneath bright lights, and several players were already practicing.
Then she saw him.
Luca.
Number 17.
He was moving across the ice faster than she expected.
He received a pass, controlled the puck and sent it toward the goal.
The shot went in.
The players around him shouted.
Sienna blinked.
Okay.
Maybe he was actually good.
She crossed her arms and watched.
Luca skated backward, listening to the coach before taking off again.
There was something different about him on the ice.
Off the rink, he was relaxed.
Always smiling.
Always teasing.
But here, he was completely focused.
Every movement looked deliberate.
He didn't seem like the same guy who had annoyed her outside the library.
“Sienna?”
She turned.
A tall guy wearing a Westbridge jersey stood behind her.
“Hi.”
“You're here for Luca, right?”
“For the project.”
The guy smiled.
“Right.”
Sienna recognized him from the previous meeting.
“Ethan?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice to see you again.”
“You too.”
He nodded toward the ice.
“First time watching him play?”
“Yeah.”
“You picked an interesting day.”
“Why?”
Ethan smiled.
“Coach has been riding everyone pretty hard.”
Before Sienna could answer, another player skated past them.
“Ethan!”
“What?”
“You coming?”
“In a second.”
The player looked at Sienna.
Then at Ethan.
Then back at Sienna.
“Who's she?”
“Luca's project partner.”
The player grinned.
“Ah.”
Sienna frowned.
“Why does everyone say it like that?”
Ethan laughed.
“Don't worry about it.”
The player skated away.
Sienna looked suspiciously at Ethan.
“You're all weird.”
“You'll get used to us.”
“I don't think that's happening.”
A whistle blew.
Ethan headed toward the ice.
“See you later.”
Sienna nodded.
She turned back toward the rink.
Luca was standing near the boards.
He had noticed her.
He skated over.
“You came.”
“You told me to.”
“I wasn't sure you'd listen.”
“I'm not that difficult.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“That's debatable.”
Sienna rolled her eyes.
“Are we meeting the athletics coordinator or not?”
“In a minute.”
He leaned against the boards.
“You've been watching.”
“I've been waiting.”
“You were watching.”
“I was observing.”
“That's a journalist word for watching.”
She looked away.
“Whatever.”
He smiled.
“You think I'm good?”
Sienna glanced at him.
“I didn't say that.”
“You didn't have to.”
“Don't get carried away.”
He laughed.
A teammate skated past.
“Bennett! Stop flirting and get back here!”
Sienna's eyes widened.
Luca looked annoyed.
“Shut up, Noah.”
Noah laughed and continued skating.
Sienna looked at Luca.
“Flirting?”
“He's an idiot.”
“Sure.”
“I wasn't flirting.”
“I didn't say you were.”
“You were thinking it.”
Sienna smiled.
“Maybe.”
Luca stared at her for a second.
Then the coach shouted his name.
“Bennett!”
He turned.
“Coming!”
He looked back at Sienna.
“Wait here.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to finish practice.”
“I can leave.”
“No.”
The word came out too quickly.
Luca seemed to realize it.
He cleared his throat.
“I mean, we still have the meeting.”
“Right.”
He skated away.
Sienna watched him return to practice.
She couldn't explain why she was smiling.
---
Practice ended nearly an hour later.
Sienna sat in the stands working on her notes while she waited.
The players slowly left the ice.
Luca came over carrying his helmet.
“You waited.”
“I had work to do.”
“Still counts.”
He sat one row below her.
“You're taking notes?”
“About the project.”
“Not me?”
“No.”
“Disappointing.”
She laughed.
“Do you ever stop talking?”
“Not usually.”
He leaned back.
“You should see Noah.”
“I've met him.”
“You haven't really met him.”
“I think I've had enough.”
Luca smiled.
“Fair.”
They headed toward the athletics office together.
As they walked, Sienna noticed the difference between Luca and the other players.
People constantly stopped him.
A freshman asked for a picture.
Someone else congratulated him on practice.
Two girls passing by whispered his name.
Luca acknowledged everyone politely, but he didn't seem particularly interested in the attention.
Sienna found that surprising.
“You're popular.”
He looked at her.
“Is that a complaint?”
“No.”
“You sound like it.”
“I just noticed.”
He shrugged.
“It's been like that since I got here.”
“Doesn't it bother you?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
“Because people think they know me.”
Sienna looked at him.
“And they don't?”
“Not really.”
She didn't know what to say to that.
For the first time, she wondered how much of Luca Bennett was actually real.
---
The athletics coordinator approved their plan and promised to help them get several players involved in the charity event.
When they left the office, it was almost seven.
Sienna checked her phone.
Maya had sent six messages.
WHERE ARE YOU?
ARE YOU ALIVE?
DID LUCA KIDNAP YOU?
SIENNA???
Sienna laughed.
Luca glanced at her screen.
“Your friend?”
“Maya.”
“She doesn't like me.”
“She doesn't know you.”
“She knows enough.”
Sienna looked at him.
“You're very confident.”
“I've been told.”
“By yourself?”
“Mostly.”
She laughed again.
They reached the entrance.
“I'll see you Thursday,” Luca said.
Sienna nodded.
“Thursday.”
He started walking away.
Then stopped.
“Sienna.”
She looked back.
“What?”
He smiled.
“Don't tell anyone I was nice to you.”
She laughed.
“I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.”
“Exactly.”
He walked away.
Sienna watched him for a moment before turning toward her dorm.
She had spent most of the day telling herself that Luca Bennett was nothing more than her project partner.
But after watching him on the ice and seeing the quieter side of him afterward, she wasn't quite as certain anymore.
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