Page 81 of Hockey Halloween

Maya

Oh boy. The only time I get to see Karl Swanson’s handsome face is when I’m dreaming. In my dreams, he’s smiling and joking around like we used to do at our high school drama rehearsals. In real life, he’s acting like I’m the snake in his Garden of Eden.

Also, he’s a pirate. While I’ve had many role-play fantasies about Karl, this is a first. Except for the sneer on his face, Pirate Karl looks very hot. His white shirt is unbuttoned to reveal a smooth and muscled torso that’s redefining treasure chest . He could shiver my timbers anytime.

Eden and Tyler are both staring. Right, because they just asked us a question. I shake away my ravished-by-the-pirate-captain daydreams.

“Yeah. We went to the same high school,” I admit, since Karl has decided that glaring at me with a curled lip is the best way to participate in this conversation. Jerk . Well, hot jerk anyway.

“Oh, that’s a crazy coincidence,” Tyler says. “Have you guys run into each other before?”

“No. I don’t go here,” I explain. Is that a look of relief on Karl’s face? Seriously? What have I done to deserve that? If anyone has the right to be angry, it’s me. He’s the one who acted like a complete heel the last time I saw him.

“We haven’t spoken since high school,” I add. Since that horrible cast party at the end of senior year.

Unfortunately, this is the moment that Eden’s memory kicks in. “Oh, is this the guy that you?—”

I elbow my friend in the ribs before she can say another word and ask loudly, “So, you guys go to Monarch?”

And the Oscar for most obvious question ever goes to Maya Gordon. But I’m desperate to get this conversation onto a less painful track.

“Yeah. We’re both on the varsity hockey team,” Tyler says, apparently forgetting that he already told us this within five seconds of introducing himself.

I mean, I get why he keeps underlining this fact because being a big-deal hockey star automatically makes you more attractive. Something I know all too well.

“We need someone hot to play Willoughby,” Athena insists. “Otherwise nobody will understand why Marianne keeps pining for him after every awful thing he does.”

“That’s not very nice. Germaine has already been cast,” I protest. Of course, since I’m playing Marianne, I secretly agree. Germaine has been overacting and showing off to the point where I have trouble conveying any attraction at all.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find another part that suits his talents,” she says confidently. But would Germaine give up a juicy role like the handsome cad? Although a broad comedic role like Sir John would be a better fit for someone who loves to ham it up.

Athena, Percy, and I are the three musketeers, bonded since freshman drama. We hang around at lunch, after school, and on weekends. And now that we’re seniors, we run the high school drama department, and we’re determined to make this year’s production of Sense and Sensibility perfection.

“What about someone from the hockey team?” I suggest. “They just got eliminated from the playoffs.”

“Oooh, that’s a great idea. A lot of hotties there.” Athena pulls out her phone and scrolls through the team roster. “And they’ll have the physical presence to really carry off the role.”

“But will they even be able to memorize their lines? They’re jocks. Who knows how smart they are?” Percy asks.

Then I remember this guy in my history class. He’s a hockey player and seems quite smart. He got the highest mark on our last essay. And he’s attractive—if you like men with Scandi bone structure and rippling muscles, which I most certainly do.

“I might know someone. Karl Swanson. I’ve never spoken to him, but I could ask if he’s interested.”

Athena peers at her phone and licks her lips. “Oh yes. Come to momma, Karl.”

Present-day Karl is much less attractive as he sneers at my carefully crafted costume. “How considerate of you to come as Medusa. At least guys have fair warning that you’re going to destroy them.”

We haven’t spoken for a year and a half, and all he does is insult me? I was hoping for more, but if that’s the way he wants to be, then fine.

I look down my nose at him, a challenge since he’s much taller. “A pirate? Were all the man-slut costumes sold out?”

“Oh, please. If there’s anyone who’s an expert on sleeping around, it’s you,” he replies.

Eden gasps, and even Tyler looks shocked.

“What the fuck, Swanny? Why are you being such an asshole?”

At least Karl has the decency to flinch. “Maya and I have history,” he says, as if that explains everything.

“Did you guys go out?” Tyler asks.

“Hell, no,” we both retort at the same time. Well, we’ve always had a certain synchronicity.

“You’re sure acting like you did,” Tyler says.

Eden takes a big swig of her drink and nudges him. “Don’t you think they’re acting like those movies where two people seem to hate each other, but they end up together.”

“Oh, like a hate-fuck?” Tyler replies, and they both start laughing .

Karl physically recoils. “That will never happen.”

“You should be so lucky,” I mutter. He is rapidly plunging down my hot guy list.

He makes a dismissive snort. Now I’m really steamed.

“How’s that NHL dream going? Remind me, is Monarch a Div I school?” Unfortunately for Karl, I do know something about hockey—including the fact that Monarch College is only Div III. He’s far from a pro hockey career.

He winces. I’ve hit a sore spot, but I immediately feel guilty. Back in high school, Karl and I shared our secret dreams even while admitting how impossible they were . I know the NHL is only one chance in a million, Maya, but I can’t help hoping.

“Swanny has the sixth most points on our team,” Tyler informs me, not realizing that he’s damning with faint praise. Karl was the leading scorer on our high school team.

“Oh, so impressive . Congratulations on the stellar season,” I sniff.

“Thanks so much. What about you, Maya? How’s the Hollywood career going?” Apparently, he hasn’t forgotten our aspirational chats either.

I’m certainly not telling him that I dropped out of my college drama program and I’m now working retail.

Thanks to streaming, I can’t even work in a video store like aspiring actors and directors of yore.

Instead I’m selling wedding dresses, which may be the worst possible job for someone who has turned her back on romance.

“I’m still acting,” I reply, then glance nervously up at the ceiling in case lightning strikes me dead for that whopper of a lie.

“I guess I missed your big movie debut. What exactly are you acting in these days?” he presses.

“Just local theatre.” The best thing about acting experience is my ability to lie plausibly. “Look, as fun as it’s been catching up, I’m going to get another drink.” I raise my Solo cup, which luckily is red and doesn’t reveal that it’s still three-quarters full.

I push my way through the crowd. My costume is attracting a fair amount of attention—all of it negative.

Many people are afraid of snakes, even dollar store ones.

I already had the costume from a play, but as I explained to Eden, Medusa is the perfect symbol of both feminine strength and sexual oppression.

To which she replied, “All I see is someone who doesn’t want to get laid. ”

Once I get to the drinks table, I steer around it.

All I really wanted was to get away from Karl.

I can’t believe that I ever thought he was a sweet guy back in high school.

What am I going to do now? Eden is the only person I know at this party.

And I can’t even go back to her place since I don’t have a key… or a good sense of direction.

“There you are. Come on,” Eden steers me far from the party rooms until we find an enclosed cellar staircase that’s quiet and slightly creepy with a closed wooden door at the bottom. We sit side by side on a step.

“You don’t have to babysit me. I know you like Tyler. Go ahead and hang out with him,” I say.

“No way I’m leaving until I get the full story here. What on earth is going on between you and that Karl guy? Tyler told me he’s never seen him like that, he’s usually pretty chill. And respectful to women.”

I groan. “I have no clue why he hates me so much.”

“So is he that guy you liked, who seemed to like you back, but suddenly rejected you?”

I nod. Eden and I met when we were counsellors at a summer drama camp right after high school. I was still reeling from everything that happened, so I unloaded on her.

“Well, apparently he’s still upset about…whatever the heck happened,” she concludes. “It’s your chance to finally solve the mystery.”

The night of the cast party everyone was celebrating since the play had gone so well.

I’d recently broken up with my boyfriend, and I felt light and unencumbered.

Karl and I were talking—we were friends before, but it felt like there was potential for more.

He really seemed to like me. But later that night, I saw him making out with some random sophomore. So clearly I didn’t know him at all.

“Maya, I saw exactly how upset you were back then. Go figure out exactly what went down. Maybe you’ll finally get some closure,” Eden says .

I shake my head. “I’m not doing a deep dive into one of the worst nights of my life. Besides, he clearly doesn’t want to talk to me.”

She sighs. “Yeah, he seems like a huge jerk. Okay, what should we do? Do you want to ditch this party and find another one? Or maybe go out for pizza or something?”

I grab her hand and squeeze affectionately. “Eden, you’re the sweetest, but you should go and enjoy yourself. Just give me your house key, and I’ll go back.”

“Sisters before misters! If Tyler really likes me, we can go out another time. This weekend is supposed to cheer you up.”

Eden’s support feels like a warm hug—she’s a great friend. I stand and pull her up. “Fine, let’s go.”

“Okay, but I’m not pulling a Cinderella. I have to say goodbye to Tyler and exchange numbers,” she says. “Come with me?”

“Please, no. If I never see Karl Swanson again, my life will be perfect.”

“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Eden quips.

But before she can insist that Karl and I talk things out, I give her a push. “I’ll wait right here. Swap digits with your hockey god, and then we’ll go.”

She nods and disappears. I sit back down on the step and lean against the wall.

I’m emotionally exhausted. Despite my insults, I admire Karl for continuing to go after his hockey dreams. The only acting I do these days is reassuring nervous brides that everything will go perfectly when I’m the world’s biggest cynic about love.

“Hey, snake girl. Whatcha doing all by yourself down here?”

There’s a guy dressed as Batman with fake built-in muscles. He sits right beside me, and I can smell the booze and sweat on him. Euw.

While indulging in my pity party, I forgot the basic safety rules of college partying. I’m alone and giving off vulnerable vibes. I straighten up and state firmly, “I’m waiting for a friend.”

“I could be your friend.” He reaches over and fingers one of the snakes on my head, letting his palm rest on my bare shoulder. “I like your costume. You’re a Marvel villain, right? ”

Okay, not only is he gross and oblivious, but he has zero knowledge of classical myths.

“Look, I told you. I’m waiting for a friend. My boyfriend, actually. He’s huge and he gets jealous really easily, so for your own safety, you should go.”

My words are having zero effect. He strokes my arm with his knuckles “accidentally” grazing my breast. I shudder and recoil. His pupils are dilated and I’m pretty sure he’s on Molly. And he’s being way too handsy. I try to snake out of his grasp, but he hangs on tighter.

“Aww, come on. You need to be friendlier,” he whines.

“Back off,” I warn. Ordinarily, this is when I’d deliver a well-aimed knee to the nuts, but my Grecian gown and precarious position on the staircase prevent any self-defence moves. “Read my lips: I have a boyfriend.”

His eyes narrow. “I call bullshit on that. What guy leaves his girl alone at a frat party? Especially someone as pretty as you.”

Then he reaches out with his other hand to pull me into him. As I try to twist away, I see Eden, Tyler, and Karl staring from the top of the stairs. I take a desperate chance.

“I warned you—my boyfriend’s here now. Karl, help me,” I call, beseeching him with my eyes.