Page 22

At eleven sharp, my phone buzzed with a text message. Tyler had left at eight with Kirby, leaving me to my own devices for a few hours. At ten, I had gotten a shower and then dressed. Then I sat on the couch until the text from Lyndsey arrived. Now I darted down the stairs, a little too eager. I had my purse clutched tightly to my body, more in nerves than the cold.

Idling on the curb, I found a large and sleek black Land Rover. The front window rolled down, revealing a blonde girl I vaguely recognized. I assumed it was Tayler. She smiled at me sweetly.

"Halle?" I nodded, grinning back. "Awesome, go ahead and get in the back." I swung the door open. The action revealed a dirty blonde haired girl, who smiled at me. I hopped in, seeing Lyndsey fully for the first time. Tayler turned in her seat, making introductions.

"Ok, driver is Lyndsey. This is Aleksandra. And I'm Tayler." Tayler smiled again. "Ok, girls, say who you're dating now."

"I'm dating...well, engaged, actually, to Alex DeBrincat." Lyndsey laughed at Tayler's enthusiasm as she pulled away from the curb. Her hand momentarily left the wheel to show me the massive diamond on her ring finger. I gasped appropriately. The dirty blonde girl, Aleksandra, waved Lyndsey away.

"Oh enough showing off. I'm goalie-girl. With Elvis. And call me Alex, please." I noted the accent to the darker blonde girl's voice.

"Anddd I'm with Dylan. Strome, that is." Tayler looked at me expectantly, as did Alex. I understood what they were waiting for.

"Ok, my turn I guess. I'm Halle, and I'm...kinda dating Tyler Dewalt?" Tayler gave a cheer.

"You'll get there. We've all been in your shoes. Us hockey girlfriends gotta stick together." Their welcome was a relief. There wasn't any tension here. There wasn't an inherent need to outdo each other. I felt relaxed, at home even.

We arrived at a place called The Shops at North Bridge after a short drive. Lyndsey parked the car, then the four of us tumbled out of its doors. I was glad to see I'd dressed appropriately for the occasion. Lyndsey came to my side, while Tayler sped off with Alex.

"You'll like this place. Those two have endless energy, so I normally just supervise them. It's like watching kids." I laughed at her chiding tone.

"I'm sure it's not too bad."

"Not terrible, but I like to take my time shopping. They rush through every store."

"Me too. I need some stuff anyway. Would you help me pick out some outfits if I try things on?"

"Of course." Lyndsey's eyes gleamed at the suggestion.

We stopped in the first store, a large clothing department with a million different styles to look at. Tayler and Alex followed us in.

Half an hour later, I was knee deep in trying on cute tops, dresses, and pants with the four girls. I'd never clicked with a group so well. We didn't talk about hockey anything. Instead, the it was normal girl talk. Clothes, shopping, and what made our boyfriends happy. I hadn't felt this relaxed in so long. Where was the constant competition to look good? To show off for other guys? Their friendship was so different from how Emily was. Had I been missing this kind of friendship for years?

I was loaded with bags, purchased via Tyler's credit card. I'd felt guilty accepted the rectangle of plastic, but he hadn't taken no for an answer. The result was disastrous. I'd purchased way too much today. And I was nowhere near the amount that Tayler had. Alex was now leading the way to a food court. The food options were fancy and upscale compared to the malls near campus. The four of us claimed a table in the center. Lyndsey stayed with the bags while we scattered to get our orders.

I came back with a hefty yogurt and granola bowl, loaded high with fruit. Tayler had ordered something similar, but with more protein in it. Tayler shoved her phone in my face the second we sat back down.

"Put your number in my phone, add yourself on snap, and follow your account on Instagram." Tayler set an example, and the other two girls did the same with their phones. I typed all my information in. I accepted the three follow requests to my account. Then the Snapchat accounts that had requested to be my friend. Alex immediately snagged my phone.

"Come on girlies. Smile like we all like each other." She pointed the self-facing camera at the four of us. I crowded in, smirking at the little black dot. Next to me, Tayler was pursing her lips. Once she'd taken the picture, Alex kept my phone away from me. When she handed it back, I was rewarded with a pretty selfie of the four of us. It was edited beautifully, and was already on my Snapchat story. She'd added two little gif sticker that read "my best girls" and "girl gang." I laughed.

"That's cute. Good idea Lex." I felt warm and bubbly inside. I didn't deserve to be taken by these girls like this. I hadn't been with Tyler as long as they'd been with their boyfriends. I didn't have the same kind of experience. But here I was, instantly accepted and greeted as one of them. I was beyond grateful that they had made me comfortable.

Lyndsey linked her arm through mine as we finally left the mall. We'd spent the entirety of the daylight hours there. We skipped out on dinner, opting to get something at the United center. Bags were piled high the Land Rover. Lyndsey brought out a bag from the front seat and shoved it in my direction.

"Alex told me to pick this up for you. I think I was secondhand errand runner for Tyler. Anyway, it's new and improved."

I stared at the bright red jersey, with its massive captains's 'C.' I hadn't expected the letter to be so big. A slow grin spread across my face.

"Thanks Lynds."

"Come on Halle. Are you ready to be an official Blackhawks Girlfriend?" Tayler was peering at me from the passenger seat. I blinked. Was I?

"I think so." For the first time, I dared to ask. "What's it like?"

"Oh it's hell. But it's worth it." Lyndsey smiled softly at me. "You get the press and even some fans, and some hate online, but once you move past that it's worth it. You'll miss him like hell when you can't go to away games, and you'll be worried about him all the time. But in the end, the home games, the team, and the other girls help you through. They show you what it means to be a family. We support each other like blood sisters. We won't ever leave your side." Alex and Tayler chimed in their agreement.

"You'll love it Halle."

"You'll see. It's fun."

I let Lyndsey bundle me into the large SUV again. From the mall parking garage, we traversed the busy city streets. The closer we drew to the United Center, the more traffic we hit. Tayler started a game of counting how many Blackhawks jerseys or other affiliated clothing was walking around the sidewalks. I adversely counted the number of Pittsburgh jerseys. The number was far less than the striking red.

Finally, after what felt like hours, we pulled into the parking lot. Lyndsey showed a badge to one of the attendants, and we were waved through. Tayler started to explain things to me excitedly.

"You'll get to meet Kris and Brit. They couldn't come shopping, but they're awesome. The wives will be here too, and some of the kids. Donya, Alyssa, Chaunette, the whole bunch. We have a group chat where we say who's going. I'll add you." A moment later, my phone buzzed.

Tayler added you to a group "Main Squeezes ??????"

My phone went crazy with the incoming of messages. While Lyndsey found a spot to park in, I methodically assigned names to numbers. I was nowhere near finished when we came to a stop. It would have to wait until later.

Like before, I linked arms with Lyndsey. Tayler took my other arm. I felt invincible with these strong women beside me. The four of us walked boldly to the doors. Lyndsey flashed another badge, but it seemed unnecessary. The woman checking tickets recognized Lindsey, Tayler, and Alex. Tayler nudged me roughly.

"There's Brit! And Britt." She laughed. "There's two of them, actually. Oh, and there's Kris!" The three women the peppy blonde had pointed out all looked like models. I felt a bit daunted. Especially by the two Brits. One had two beautiful children with her, while the other had an obvious baby bump. They were the definition of chic moms. With the three new additions to our crew, we processed through the United Center. I tried not to act like this was the first time I was inside the massive arena. Which it was. I couldn't be too out of it right now.

We finally stopped in front of a rather large box, which was filled with spectators already. If I'd been apprehensive before, this was nothing. Taylor leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"It's crazy, I know. I didn't expect this many to show up today. Some of the kids are here too. They must've been down at the ice earlier."

I watched as Kris clapped her hands. "Ladies we have a new inductee. You know the drill. I'll say who you're with and your relationship status. And the kiddos, if you want. I'll start with myself." Kris reached for a cup of beer that was sitting on a tray. She held it up, grinning at me. "I'm Kris Murphy. Newly appointed, but I still stole the last name." She was talking about Connor Murphy, right? I didn't dare ask. Kris pointed two women out to me.

"And these are the Brits. Brit Smith with the kids and then Britt De Haan with the belly." The darker haired Britt made a face at Kris, but the peppy woman had already moved on. "You met those three, so don't worry about them." She waved off Lyndsey, Tayler, and Alex. "This is Lauren, she's with Drake Caggiula. And this is Laura, with Slater Koekkoek." Each woman gave me a wide and brilliant smile as Kris passed over them. Finally, the dark haired narrator got to the three women who had older kids with them. "And these wonderful mamas are Chaunette Shaw, Donya Lehner, and Alyssa Saad. There's still some of us missing, but you get the general idea." Kris threw a heavy arm around my shoulder. "Welcome to the family, girl." Her words made me smile shyly.

With introductions out of the way, we all found seats. Tayler, Lyndsey, Alex, and Kris all slipped into hockey conversations. I found myself diving in without prompting.

"Alex says they need to work on the power play. And the kill. Wouldn't that mean more defense?"

"For the kill, yeah." Tayler rose an eyebrow at me. Lyndsey motioned for me to continue. "For the power play it'd be better with forwards. Like the designated lines of forwards that are good at puck possession and scoring. Kane, Dominik, and Tyler. Then switch it out for Alex, Kirby, and Dylan. With those lines it's hard to mess up the power plays, right?"

"But what if you flipped them up? I know it's like Pat and Tyler had some weird invisible connection, but would it mix things up to put Tyler on the second line and pull Kirby up? Could always throw Tyler in when Kirby underperforms. It's happened a lot this season." I blinked. It had?

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Then again, I watch through biased cameras that don't catch everything." Tayler nodded.

"Yeah, tons of times. At least three or four. Kirby will let plays through or miss obvious plays or turn the puck over and Colliton pulls Kirby right out. It never helps that Tyler gets out there after running a heavy shift and still outdoes whatever Jeremy asked him to do."

"It's not like he can help it. Tyler's just a natural. I think Kirby really has to work for his position and gets tired and frustrated quickly." I knew why.

"Because Tyler's not an emotional player. He channels his emotion into the drive of his speed and shooting. Not worrying about how he's performing or what other people think." Words of another announcer from months ago rushed into my mind. "And he's not afraid to get dirty." Lyndsey looked up at me thoughtfully.

"Ya know, I never thought about it like that. It makes sense when you think it over. I've never seen Tyler take a cheap shot or anything irrational at another player. He's levelheaded."

"That's why they made him captain, Lynds." Alex pointed out. I immediately turned my attention to her goal-tending boyfriend.

"What about Elvis? What's his thing? I haven't watched much of him outside this season to know how he plays." Alex's face lit up. She must love talking about him.

"He's definitely emotional. There's no doubt about that. And all goalies have to be a little bit over the top and crazy." Donya cleared her throat from in front of us.

"I can agree with that one." We all laughed.

"Yeah, they're both totally crazy. But they're both good. Robin has a lot of weight to throw around, so he's not as afraid of getting slammed. But Elvis doesn't have as much weight. He always blames it on fast metabolism. I think he just doesn't eat enough. Anyway, he likes to play the puck more than letting his teammates come back. Gives him a better view of the ice and he gets to yell—" the sound of the announcer cut Alex off. Her momentary disappointment was erased by glee. She clapped her hands. "Oh good, they're going to come back on." I craned my neck to try and see what she was talking about.

Instead of a clear view, my sight was obstructed by the darkening of the lights. One single spotlight radiated from a spot by the bench. The announcer's enthusiasm was contagious.

"Hello Chicago! Get ready for your starting lineup!" The women around me emitted a mixture of clapping and cheering. I did the same. The announcer's voice dropped before he announced the names. "In goal, please welcome number ninety, Elvis Merzlikins!"

Aleks whooped loudly, waving a scarf over her head. She wasn't the only one. It felt like the whole arena was cheering for the goalie.

"On defense, number two, Duncan Keith!" We cheered with everyone for the older defenseman. "Also on defense, number fifty five, Nick Seeler!" The girls besides me tensed as we waited for the forwards to be called. "Now make some noise for your starting forwards! On the right, please welcome number eighty-eight, Patrick Kane! And on the left, number twelve, Alex DeBrincat!" Lyndsey shrieked loudly in my ear.

"Oh, good. Sometimes Dominik starts over him." I nodded, not really paying attention to her. My eyes were on the screen, where a stone-faced figure was completely familiar to me.

"And finally, here's your center and your captain, number one, Tyler Dewalt!" I opened my mouth and cheered as loud a possible. I'd never felt this kind of energy at a game before. Then again, I'd never been to a home game and had this much interest in the playing.

Tyler looked stellar in person. He was completely confident as he slid onto the blue line next to Alex. We remained standing for the national anthem, then sat back down once it was concluded. I shivered in anticipation. My eyes never left his number. Tyler approached the center of the ice to face off against the Penguins legend. I watched with anticipation. When the puck dropped, I couldn't tell who won it. I guessed I wasn't familiar enough with the speed of the game to know who won it. My knee bounced as the flying players immediately dove into action.

On first glance, I would've said that the line was all over and had no order. But the more I watched, it was obvious Tyler's line worked like a well-oiled machine. They shifted when they needed to. They passed without really needing to look at each other. The speed of Tyler and Pat was well matched by their defense. I watched Alex flying up the sides, then sliding into the center as Ty pinched over with the puck. It left Alex open in the center, and Pat to the right. I held my breath at Tyler drifted the puck off to Alex. The pass was immediately redirected to Pat. The older forward slapped to puck to the net so fast I didn't see it. Somehow the Penguins' goalie did. He stuck a glove out, robbing Pat of the chance. I groaned. So close.

The next scoring chance wasn't for us. It was the Penguins deadly forward line. The three were older, but they still had speed and skill to outmatch Alex and Pat. And the first line wasn't on the ice. I mentally cursed as Sidney Crosby laid Dylan out. Tayler let out a yell.

"Don't let that old man push you around Dyl." She threw her hand in the air angrily. The check had allowed Jason Zucker to retrieve the puck. As soon as Crosby was cleared from checking Dylan, he took the pass back and went for the score. I held my breath. There was nothing to worry about when Elvis was there. He pulled a crazy move, spinning like a pinwheel to kick the puck out of the air. Alex let out a squeal.

"Yeah baby! Damn...what a save." She was pumping the air enthusiastically. I had to smile at her happiness. It was pretty cool. He'd kicked the puck right out of midair and sent it to Connor on the side. Now Tyler was jumping off the boards. I was confused. Hadn't he just been on? Lyndsey answered my question.

"Uh oh. Jeremy pulled Kirby again. He knows that every time he does it turns out well." As if on cue with her words, Tyler broke out from the Penguin defenders. I leaned forward nervously. The break was clean. Tyler looked like he was absolutely flying as he caught up to the puck. Everything moved in slow motion. Tyler tapped his stick on either side of the black circle as he closed on the goalie. Somehow he faked the goalie out, leaving the net open for the taking.

Stick to puck. An elegant flip. And it was in. Score!