Never Ending Equation

I was ten when I asked her to come to one of my hockey games.

School had just ended and we were walking out of the classroom together. I was a nervous wreck all day as I tried to gain the confidence I would need to do this.

"Doyoumaybewanttocometomyhockeygametonight?" I asked her in one big rush, almost out of breath.

"What was that, Jordan Staal? I couldn't hear you," she smirked.

I let out a big breath as I looked to the floor, avoiding her eyes. "Will you, uh, come to my hockey game?"

Nicolette let out a little giggle, clearly finding pleasure in making me repeat myself. "Hockey's stupid," she told me.

I felt my shoulders slump and my face fall. "Will you just give it a chance?" I begged her, pouty bottom lip and all. "For me?"

Nicolette let out a big, dramatic sigh. "Fine, I'll go as long as I don't have to sit next to your smelly self on the way back home."

My smile had to be huge as my mood had been turned from worried to dejected to excited. "Great. I guess we'll pick you up later," I told her.

"Good. I thought I was going to have to walk there or something," she replied before heading off in the other direction.

~!@#$%^&*()_+

"I'll see you boys tomorrow at practice. Good job tonight," my coach told us, slapping a hand on our goalie's back before heading out of the locker room.

I pulled off the rest of my gear and stuffed it all in my bag before saying goodbye to some of the kids on my team. I pushed open the doors, looking around for my family and Nicolette. I found my mom and dad easily, but Nicolette was another issue. She wasn't near the trophy case, not with my parents, and she wasn't at the snack bar.

"You sucked out there, Jordan," she told me as she punched me in the arm, coming out of nowhere.

"Gee, thanks," I replied, hoping she was kidding. "I was looking for you. Where were you?"

"Oh, I was talking to Tanner from school," Nicolette told me. "You smell awful, too. Don't they let you take a shower or something after? I have some perfume if you want to try and cover up that stench."

I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed my sweaty forehead all over her shirt. "This is what winners smell like," I said.

"Ew!" she squealed, pushing me away from her. "I thought you promised you wouldn't come near me if you were all gross."

"Doesn't your brother play hockey?" I questioned, receiving a nod from her. "Then shouldn't you be used to this by now?"

"I've never been to a hockey game before now. I don't understand the rules or why boys like hitting each other into boards. It's just stupid," Nicolette shrugged.

I found it strange that she had lived in Canada the whole ten years of her life and had never even seen a full game of hockey. It was practically unheard of. I wasn't sure if she said she would come to my game because she didn't want to say no and upset me or because she actually hoped to find some interest in the sport, or both.

"Did you at least have fun?" I asked her as we sat down on a nearby bench, waiting for my parents.

Another shrug. "The popcorn was good. And when that one boy on the other team, number fifteen.. He did that cool move with the puck and got a goal."

I shook my head at her, trying to keep myself from frowning. "I scored. Did you see that?"

"I think I missed it," Nicolette replied, scrunching her nose up as she thought about the events. "Yup, I had to pee. When I came back your mom said you got a goal. I, uh, I'm sorry I missed it."

I could honestly say that I was disappointed. I asked her to come and watch me play and she missed my only goal. I thought she would enjoy it, but she clearly had more fun saying hi to Tanner. I didn't know if I should invite her to see another game again or not.

"Okay, kids, let's get going. It is a school night after all. I'm sure you two have homework to finish, too," my dad stated, straying away from the group of parents.

"I'm sorry I made you come here. You should have told me you didn't like hockey," I mumbled out to her as we followed my mom and dad outside to the car.

"Do you like figure skating?"

"What? Not really," I replied.

"Good, because you're coming to my next competition."