Orlando

Val’s POV

Evelyna led me away from the Yard and the Starbucks. She noticed me, the lost hockey player was gazing around, still in curiosity and nervousness. I still earned some skeptical and disgusted looks from the people around, but I began to think that most of them were directed at the woman who was attached to me.

We walked back the way I had come, but instead of heading straight, toward the garage and the student union, my new guide took a sharp turn in the right direction. We quickly crossed the road called Pegasus Circle and then another one that separated the union from a small cluster of buildings. One of the buildings was made of a red brick and circular with the name “Nicholson School of Communication.”

“Welcome to the film or motion pictures...movies...building, Nichy!”

I cocked my head. I didn’t register what she had said and I was still busy gazing around at the new settings around me. I was pulled along with her, over toward a bench in front of the building. There were trees all around it, providing plenty of shade.

To the side, was a group of apartments, for on-campus housing. I saw in the parking lot, a sign that read: “Lake Claire Parking. Must have permit.” I also saw more people walk by, but these folks had gentler facial expressions on their faces. A few waved to us. I raised my free hand and waved back.

“Привет!” I exclaimed, finally cracking my sweet smile once more. “Hello!”

Evelyna’s POV

I sat down on the bench and motioned for him to join me. He did, taking the spot next to me. I saw that his eyes were on my outfit, I had on. I had on a pair of long, bootleg dark jeans and a red Chicago Blackhawks shirt on. The shirt was underneath a black short sleeve cardigan fashion jacket. (Evelyna had ultimately decided on this instead of the UCF jersey shirt.) I placed my Hawaii bag that my mother had gotten me on the bench to the side, opposite of where he was sitting.

I then turned to him, my sparkling blue eyes burning back into his own, bright and shiny ones. We gazed at one another for a few minutes, before I took his hand back into my own.

“Спасиб...uh, thank you!”

“Пожалуйста!” I giggled and smirked, causing him to copy me. “It was no problem. Uh, Это не было проблемой.”

“вы знаете русский? (You know Russian?)”

“только немного. (Only a little bit.)”

Val’s POV

I still didn’t know who she was and I really wanted to know. I was enthralled by this woman who had saved me. I looked away for a second and saw a few students walk by. They smiled and waved at me. I turned back and raised my head proudly. I could do this! I could find out about this mysterious heroine and just who she was! I was brave enough to!

“Я вижу тебя как Чикаго Блэкхокс. Вы в хоккее? Почему вы сохранить Dallas Star, как и я? (I see you like the Chicago Blackhawks. Are you into hockey? Why did you save a Dallas Star, like myself?)”

“Whoa there, Nichy. Slow down, buddy. I don’t know Russian that much.”

I looked down. I looked embarrassed and ashamed.

Evelyna’s POV

It was so adorable how much he cared. He was a sweet, innocent Russian-born young adult. He finally looked back up and just said, “Chicago Blackhawks...you, uh, like hockey?”

I nodded. “О, да, много. Я большой хоккей человек. (Oh, yes, a lot. I am a big hockey person.)”

He smiled once more. “Chicago Blackhawks?” He nodded to my shirt, respectfully not invading my privacy, as he glanced at the symbol displayed on my chest. I followed his gaze and saw it and grinned.

“Oh, this? Да, мне нравится Блэкхокс много. Мне нравится Jonathan Toews и Patrick Kane. (Yes, I like the Blackhawks. I like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.)”

He nodded. “I know them. They are both very talented men. Have you met them?”

It was my turn to look downward. I pouted my lip, depressingly and shook my head back and forth horizontally. “No. I want to though. Нет, я хочу, чтобы все же.”

Val looked away again, as I was sure he racked his brain for more questions to ask me. I could tell that he really wanted to know why I had saved him and was helping him out. If I liked the Blackhawks, why was I helping a Dallas Star out?

“Why did you rescue me?”

I was right! I snapped my head up. My eyes glowed a brilliant sapphire color in the shaded light, coming from the sun shining through the trees overhead. They were really pretty. I could see Val getting lost in them a few times and truth-be-told, I was experiencing the same thing, gazing into his eyes.

“Oh, Val...Nichy, you’re adorable. Honestly, the Blackhawks have a special spot in my heart, as my number one team, but so does a special Star.”

Val’s POV

I cocked my head to the side. I made out a few recognizable words like “Blackhawks, heart and special Star.” But I still wasn’t processing a translation in my brain. The way her eyes sparkled, however, I knew she had paid me a compliment and that was enough of an understanding for me. I blinked and leaned toward her.

She let me, resting her hand on top of mine on the bench. We gazed at one another, before a familiar voice pulled her attention away.

“Kiss him! Kiss him!” the chant came in a sing-songy way.

Evelyna instantly pulled back, nervously pushing at her crimson locks. I turned and saw a girl standing there, with a giant smile on her face. She had thick, dark hair that was braided to the side and a massive strawberry colored flower was pinned, keeping it in place. She had sparkling hazel eyes full of joy and happiness.

“I’m not going to kiss him, Kylie,” the young lady stammered, hiding behind her nervousness of getting caught with a guy. Her eyes remained focused on the ground, not making eye contact and she twirled the strand of her hair in her finger.

“Say what you will, Eve, but I saw you gazing into his eyes, longingly! You’re in love with him!” She stomped her feet, giggling madly. She was more excited than a porcupine meeting a pineapple.

“Uh, I, uh…”

I bit my lip. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do or say.

“So where’d you find this hunk of white meat?” the white girl asked, striking a pose with her hand on her hip.

Ilooked awkwardly at the woman who had saved me. She was bright red in the cheeks and the color matched her hair.

I decided to speak up. “She saved me.”

“Oh really? From what? The college life.”

“сумасшедшие подростки,” I responded in Russian, earning a raise of the eyebrow from the brunette.

“From Brock and his crew,” the redhead managed to get out, finally lifting her head up.

“Brock? Oh that son of a bitch! He’s a serious asshole in need of an ass whooping!” the brunette snapped, rolling her eyes.

“He’s a bully and I just can’t stand him. I was walking to the class, when I saw this poor guy getting beaten up….and Rick had the bat out too!”

“How horrible!” She pouted her lip, showing concern for me, the blue-eyed man. She walked up to me and patted me on the head like a dog. I didn’t mind it and let her. I wasn’t Tyler Seguin. “Aww, he’s so cute. Who is he?” She looked over me, eyeing me with a keen interest.

“Hi, I’m Val Nichushkin, приятно познакомиться. (Nice to meet you.)”

“Valeri Nichushkin, the Dallas Star.” Evelyna looked down again. Her face went redder. It was as though she was embarrassed by me. To be honest, I thought her shy, awkwardness was adorable. I was feeling the same way. Especially since her friend was practically manhandling me. She was still standing to my side, observing me and also touching my face every so often. It was like this woman thought I wasn’t human. Like I was a robot.

“Oh, that hockey player you like?”

Evelyna nodded, keeping her head down for a few more moments, before snapping her head up and gaping at her friend, attempting to tell her something, but only managing a small, soft squeak.

“I have to admit, they always look hotter in person, right?” Kylie joked, finally sitting down. She nuzzled against my arm like a little kid trying to beg their parent for ice cream or an extra cookie. Her hands were clasped together and she pushed into me a tiny bit.

“Yeah. I suppose so, but he can’t stay here and it isn’t right. If we keep him here, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn will come after him with pitchforks and torches ablazing!” the redhead spoke, sorrowfully. “I don’t want Tyler coming here...I won’t be able to stand the girly squeals that sound, saying, “Ooh he’s sooooo cute, I want him to marry me!” and “I’d tap that”...shit like that! It’ll drive me insane!”

“And then I’ll kick Seguin’s ass!” Kylie teased, getting a shake of the head from me, who happened to understand her statement. “He’s not scaring me!”

“Ooh, Ky, you know what you could do to really piss him off?”

“What?”

“Touch his hair.”

“Really?” The brunette’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Yeah. No one touches Tyler Seguin’s hair, but him. Right, Nichy?”

I was looking between them both, snapping my head back and forth. I knew they were talking about my teammate behind my back and I didn’t exactly like it. “Segs is a good man, he is normal.”

“But he is a show-off and he isn’t as cute and adorable as you are!” Evelyna cried and threw her arms around me, before she realized what she was doing and backed off. She tucked another strand of hair behind her ear and apologized with an awkward smile.

I shrugged. “It’s okay.”

We sat on the bench together a little while longer, until I broke the silence once more with, “So how do you learn Russian?”

“How did I learn Russian?” Evelyna repeated, slowly and correcting my English mistake. Kylie rolled her eyes, playfully and sighed. She tapped her fingers on the arm of the bench, before getting to her feet.

I nodded.

“Well, I just kind of taught myself. I used an online program.”

“Oh.”

Kylie was tapping her foot nervously and anxiously. She glanced at her phone screen, checking the time. “Eve, we have a class remember. You can bring him in, I think, but make sure he sits in the back and doesn’t attract attention.”

“That’s gonna be kind of hard, Kylie. I mean, look at him…” She put her arms around my neck. I gave her a look, before looking to her friend. I had a rictus displayed on my face...a sweet, innocent rictus.

“Yeah, you’re right. Oh well, we’ll deal with what the professor says! Now come on or we’ll be late!”

“Right. Come on, Val. давай, Nichy!” Evelyna remarked, giggling. She jumped to her feet and turned around to me.

I got up from the bench and followed the two girls into the building. And at that moment, I didn’t care about my trip anymore. Disney World wasn’t going to happen. I wanted to hang out with my savior. I wanted to spend my last free week with Evelyna Knight.