Page 178 of Say Yes to the Nemesis

Coach T and Mrs. T are looking on from their front-row seats. I skate over to them, tapping on the glass and then flashing them a heart made with my gloved fingers. Coach T smiles and puts his arm around his wife, who is beaming. She cups her hands around her mouth. “We love you, Ryan!”

God, them being here is just the icing on the cake. My mom may have ditched Ellie and me, but the Thompsons were the best substitute that I could’ve ever dreamed of. I grin and point at them each again.

“You’re the best!” I shout.

Coach T looks away, uncomfortable, and mumbles to himself. I imagine it’s something like “Love you, too.” Evelyn kisses his cheek and pats his hand. I skate backward, my heart racing.

All my favorite people are here right now.

I watch Ellie fire a puck into the goal with the focused intensity she brings to everything. She’s wearing a Hope Pantry jersey too, but hers says “TEAM CAPTAIN” on the back. When I asked if she wanted to be part of this charity game, she said yes before I could even finish explaining what it was for.

That’s my sister. Always ready to help, always ready to step up. Even when stepping up means playing hockey on live television with a bunch of reality show contestants who barely know how to stop without hitting the boards.

“You nervous?” I ask her.

“About playing hockey? Please. I could skate circles around half these people in my sleep.”

“About the cameras.”

She considers this. “A little. But Wren said they’d mostly focus on the game, not on individual people. And Jake will be taking photos for the behind-the-scenes stuff, so at least one camera guy won’t be a stranger.”

Her boyfriend Jake gives a little wave from where he’s adjusting his camera settings. He’s been documenting everything today, partly for the show and partly because Ellie asked him to. I like that about him. He shows up when she needs him, no questions asked.

“Besides,” Ellie continues, “this is for Hope Pantry. This matters to you, so it matters to me.”

“I can’t believe Wren put this together,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s way better than I could have done.”

This whole event exists because Wren loves me enough to make my dreams happen. I mentioned to Wren that I wanted todo something for Hope Pantry. The next thing I know, here I am. That’slove.

“Ryan.” Wren appears beside me like she was summoned by my thoughts. “We’re about to start. You ready?”

I kiss her on the lips simply because I can. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good. Because I have a surprise.”

Before I can ask what she means, she skates out to center ice and taps the microphone that’s been set up there. The crowd quiets down, and the cameras focus on her.

“Hi, everyone,” she says, her voice carrying clearly through the arena. “Thank you all for being here today to support Hope Pantry. This organization does incredible work in our community, providing food and support to families who need it most.”

She looks beautiful out there. Confident and poised in a way that makes it hard to believe this is the same woman who used to hide behind clipboards and production schedules. She’s wearing a Hope Pantry jersey over leggings, and her hair is pulled back in a ponytail that swishes when she moves.

“I could stand here and tell you statistics about food insecurity,” she continues. “I could talk about the importance of community support. But there’s someone else who should speak today. The person who made this event possible because this cause means everything to him.”

My stomach drops.

“Ryan Haart,” she says, turning to look directly at me. “Would you like to say a few words?”

The crowd starts applauding, and I realize I don’t have a choice. Wren is holding out the microphone with a look that says she believes in me completely, and suddenly I’m skating toward her without really deciding to.

“I hate you,” I whisper as I take the mic.

“No, you don’t,” she whispers back, squeezing my arm before skating away.

I look out at the crowd. Cameras, lights, and faces I recognize, and faces I don’t. My mouth goes dry.

“Um,” I start, and my voice cracks a little. “Hi.”

Smooth, Haart. Real smooth.