Love in Ice

I sat in my seat, momentarily frozen. I was at a Blackhawks game with my best friend, celebrating my birthday, and my favorite player (and goaltender, nonetheless) was on the ice. How much better could this get?

Oh yeah. Maybe snatching the lead would be nice.

A smile spread across my face, watching him make a few saves. I heard Sam say to me from my left, "Alex, stop smiling like that. You look like a creeper."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one smiling like that, Mrs. Ben Eager," I prodded, looking out of the corner of my eye to see her face slowly turn a color that could rival her hair color.

Minutes later, I internally winced watching the puck awkwardly bounce into the net behind Niemi. Now the score showed the visitors with a five-point lead. I silently prayed to myself, hoping that Niemi would save the puck for the rest of the game.

Being the fan that I was, I placed my faith in the rookie goaltender's ability to defend his team's net. I knew he would be strong the rest of the game.

Or at least the time he stayed on the ice.

Most of the fans around us worriedly watched the game, not making much noise. I turned to Sam, suggesting, "Why don't we encourage the Blackhawks? I mean, we're right behind them. Besides, I think they'll hear us since the fans around us are quiet."

The smile from earlier spread across my face once more. Sam had a pretty similar grin, and I knew that she agreed with me. "Let's get our 'Hawks to win a game!"

Sam and I chanted simultaneously, rising to our feet, "FIGHT THOSE FLAMES! FIGHT THOSE FLAMES!" Sure, the people behind us might have thought we were crazy--or drunk--or maybe even both. Who cared though? We were loyal Blackhawks fans, and the two of us would be crazy (as far as we were concerned) if we did not cheer for the team we love.

Our cheering did not go unnoticed. A few players turned around, but then they caught their teammates' attention so they could look at us. Players switching onto the ice skated with a newly found confidence. The others getting off watched us before sitting down and resting on their bench.

Improvement was seen play by play, and everything, including the players' team chemistry and spirit, fell into place. Finally, after a slow five minutes, Madden placed us on the scoreboard. The crowd around us stood up and cheered, elated at the goal. Sam and I celebrated, already on our feet.

I stole a look at the glass in front of me, grinning back at a smiling Toews, who was seemingly grateful our successful attempt of encouragement.

The scoreboard above us counted down the seconds until the end of the first period, which in its entirety was nerve-wracking. I clenched my fists, watching as a Flames player skated across the ice with the puck towards Niemi.

"Come on, come on, you've got this Niemi," I muttered under my breath, not even taking a chance to blink. Said goalie caught the puck in his trapper, causing the fans, including myself, to howl in excitement.

The last ten seconds of the first period ticked away, and the buzzer sounded. Sam and I released tense sighs we most likely held in for the last minute of the period. Looking at each other, we laughed loudly, knowing we would do so at the last minute of the next two periods.

Twenty minutes easily passed by talking with Sam and other fans sitting around us. They didn't seem to think the Blackhawks had a chance of coming back, even if the game was only entering its second period. I turned Sam so she faced the ice, instead of the fan she was about to enter a verbal match with, having her calm down.

The Blackhawks sat back on their bench, with the exception of two lines and Niemi, who skated onto the ice. Sam and I continued cheering, fans around us beginning to chant along with us. I was feeling the excitement, and it felt great.

Encouragement from fans really did help. I realized that as soon as Keith scored the goal that tied the game at five points. Sam and I naturally jumped around, screaming in excitement. All that was left for the Blackhawks to do was to get a goal and take the lead, or keep the score tied to go into a nail-biting overtime.

I spoke for the Blackhawks fans, and without a doubt the players, when I said I preferred the former choice. However, it ended up being the latter choice, Niemi making fantastic saves either way. Sam stood next to me, pulling on her hair while I fidgeted in place, watching the players on the ice.

Versteeg. Stolen for a moment. Seabrook. Taking it back and shooting.

Sam and I screamed, Seabrook scoring and winning the game for the Blackhawks. The players on the bench climbed out and happily celebrated on the ice, the screams of the fans blending in with the sounds of the goal horn and the Chelsea Dagger.

That was certainly the best game I've ever been to. So far, that is. Especially when they were down by five. They made such a great comeback. I watched with a grin on my face as the players rose their sticks in the air, thanking their fans for their support.

I turned around and started to grab my things when Sam told me, "Hey Alex, I think Toews is trying to get your attention. Look!"

I felt a pair of eyes on me, and sure enough, when I looked up, the captain nodded in my direction. Not without difficulty, I managed to understand what he was saying.

He was telling us to come meet him and the other guys.

I looked at Sam, who smiled back at me. "I think we should! How often do we get to meet the Blackhawks?"

I turned back to Toews, nodding with a smile on my face. He smiled back and mouthed, "See you soon."

"Ready to go Sam?"

No response.

"Sam? Are you ready to go," I asked, turning to see if she was still there. Sam was still next to me, staying perfectly still. That wasn't normal.

After a few more tries of getting her attention, she finally answered, "Ben Eager just winked at me." She lightly sighed, starstruck.

"Catch me, Alex, I must be dreaming."

I pinched her arm, making her shout out in pain. When she asked me why I pinched her, I shrugged and replied, "If you were dreaming, then you needed to be woken up so you don't sleep walk to the players' locker room."

Two and two seemed to finally click in her head. Sam grabbed my hand and tugged on it before resorting to dragging me again. She asked, "Then what are we waiting for? My future husband is in there, and I bet you anything that your future husband is in there too!"

I screamed out, startled by the sudden loss of balance. I never knew meeting new people could be so dangerous. Oh wait, I was with Sam. Anything was possible.

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After nearly losing our way around the UC, all credit going to Sam there, we finally made it to the Blackhawks locker room. I stood against the wall, waiting patiently with my best friend pacing back and forth in front of me.

Sighing, I asked, "How's your digging project going?"

I got a light shove in response. Security was in front of the locker room, and we had agreed to wait until the captain came out of the locker room. Well, I agreed on behalf of both of us--Sam wanted to fight the security, so I had to hold her back.

When I heard a door open, I looked up to see Jonathan Toews at the locker room door. He smiled at both of us and said, "Come in, you two. Nothing to be worried about, all of us are decent enough."

I smiled back at him, tugging Sam's hand to get her to stop pacing. We followed the young captain inside the locker room, noticing immediately that everyone had turned to look at us.

"So, you two were the ones cheering us on." I shifted my gaze to Andrew Ladd, who gave us a comforting smile.

Sam stuttered, hiding behind me, "S-She got t-that idea, all h-her."

I snickered, pulling Sam back next to me. I said to her, "Come on, where's the hyperactive Sam I saw outside?"

I replied, steadily holding Ladd's gaze, "Yeah, that would be us."

"I'm pretty sure you know all of us, but we don't know you two beautiful ladies," a voice said behind us. Brent Seabrook smirked and wrapped an arm around our shoulders. Sam still seemed a bit nervous, but didn't complain.

I smiled at Seabrook, saying, "I'm Alexandra Lainasen, and she's my best friend, Samantha Rosley. Great goal, Seabrook."

I patted his arm, signaling that I wanted it off. He kindly obeyed, doing the same with his other arm. He must have sensed my friend's discomfort. Duncan Keith shot in a teasing tone, "How does it feel to be shot down, Seabs?" Laughs resounded around the guys assembled, the little bit of tension gone completely. Seabrook playfully threw his gloves at his teammate, and I noticed that Sam was finally relaxed.

Toews turned to Sam and I and said, "Thanks for cheering for us. It really got us playing at our best, knowing that some people still believed in us when the odds were against us."

Sam finally found her voice, saying, "No need to thank us. There's no one else we'd rather cheer on than the Blackhawks!" A few guys, including Ben Eager, hollered in approval. Sam's face turned a few shades darker.

I added, noticing a pair of icy blue eyes from my left shift to watch me, "That was an amazing game! I wouldn't have been anywhere else."

"I wasn't going to let you stay at home on your birthday, Alex!" I shot a look at Sam, shocked at how fast she recovered.

"I've decided that we should have a party! For our so-dubbed 'amazing game' and for our new friend Alex's birthday," Adam Burish piped up, blue eyes shining brightly. Murmurs of agreement rose around the locker room.

I was about to say something when Burish continued, "We're not taking 'no' for an answer, so you might as well come."

"Yeah, when the word party finally registers in Bur's mind, nothing will steer him away from the idea," Sharp jabbed, chuckling when a certain person's fist purposely flew over his head.

I looked over at Sam, her excited grin contagious. We found some new friends in these hockey players. I met the light blue eyes from earlier and felt my breath leave me. The hope that flashed in them positively startled me, and I felt all my arguments of not celebrating with the team dissolve.

I nodded with a grin, cheers stimulating the energy in the room. This was, so far, turning out to be the best birthday I've ever had. I quickly looked at the owner of the light blue eyes, my grin unwavering.

A rare, but still handsome smile spread across his face.