Chapter Text
"Why does practice have to be so long?" Megan groaned, skating around Daniela in circles. Dani rolled her eyes, giggling quietly.
"We just got here, we haven't even started. You definitely need the practice," Dani teased, laughing harder now. Megan stopped her circles, instead huffing and skating away dramatically. Dani quickly went after her, laughing loud enough to echo.
"Lara, beat up Dani for me," Megan pleaded (moreso demanded). Lara raised an eyebrow at Dani, before a whistle blew. All three girls turned to look at the coach, who began yelling off directions for what to do.
Everyone started their warm-ups, with Megan staying near Dani to continue talking.
The two had been playing on the same team for years, starting since they were eight. Dani was instantly a star player, likely from her past with dance that gave her some extra agility and precision. They always practiced together when given the chance, originally starting from Megan's desire to surpass Dani's skill, but then shifting into more of a regular thing between the two.
Even before hockey, they'd been close since they were toddlers. Same town, same daycare, and same worry from their parents that they wouldn't make enough friends to not be socially awkward growing up. Megan was still socially awkward, but probably less so than if she weren't friends with Dani.
"So, hypothetically, what if I liked a girl I met a few weeks ago?" Megan asked.
"Uh, I wouldn't care. Duh. As long as she's not, like, a kid, or terribly old," Dani replied, focusing more on stretching than her conversation with Megan.
"Her name is Yoonchae, she's a year behind us," Megan continued to ramble on, while Dani stopped listening, unbeknownst to Megan.
The team continued their warmups and practice, Megan finding every chance she could to talk to Daniela about her new crush. Dani just focused harder. If Dani wants to be captain next season, she shouldn't be getting distracted by her teammates this season.
Practice ran later than usual that evening, to the utter misfortune of Megan, who did not fail to complain the whole time, no matter how bad she needed the practice. Dani was grateful for the extra practice, not only for the benefit of Megan but for herself as well. She wanted, needed, to improve her shooting. She was one of the fastest players on her team, but what good is being fast if she couldn't shoot accurately?
The next day at school was.. boring. Megan wasn't there, there was no practice after school, and Dani only had her "boring" classes, aka, just the ones she either didn't like or didn't know anyone in.
Dani was walking to her locker when she bumped into someone. A girl she'd never seen before.
A pretty girl she'd never seen before.
Dani rushed out an apology, helping the girl pick up anything she may have dropped. She mumbled that it was alright, quickly gathering her things.
She stared at Dani for a moment.
"Are you Avanzini? The hockey kid?" she asked, tilting her head.
'The hockey kid'? "Uh, yeah. But, hockey kid?" Dani asked back, confused at the new-found title.
The girl shrugged. "Yeah, I've heard that you're, like, all about hockey, I guess," she paused. "Are you sick or something? You look red."
Dani looked away quickly, trying and failing miserably to hide her flushed face. The girl laughed to herself quietly.
"Well, I'm Sophia Laforteza. I've heard you're pretty good. Maybe we can skate together sometime." She turned and walked away, leaving Dani to stare at the now empty space left from Sophia's departure.
"Megan isn't here so you have to hear about this. Oh my God, Manon, this girl is so cute I think I'm gonna explode." Dani was sitting with Manon, who was too invested in her crappy school mozzarella sticks to care much about Dani and her problems. She cared, obviously, just not as much as she cared about her lunch at the moment.
"What's her name?" Manon asked in between bites.
"I'm not telling you," Dani said, suddenly defensive. "You'll either know her or want her for yourself. Greedy little boy."
Manon laughed at her new title, but also at the absurdity of her wanting the girl Dani wants. "Dani, I already have a woman in my life."
"You do?" Dani looked puzzled, raising a brow in suspicion. "Who?"
"Your beautiful goalie, Lara Raj," Manon replied in a mock dreamy voice, clasping her hands together and sighing dramatically, before busting out laughing at herself.
"I'll be sure to tell her she has an admirer tomorrow at practice." Dani was laughing with Manon, who elbowed her in the ribs.
A few minutes passed before either spoke again. "I told you who my crush is. That means you have to tell me yours," Manon insisted, turning herself towards Dani slightly.
Dani groaned, putting her head in her hands. Manon could still see her ears turning pink.
"I think she said her name was Sophia. I don't have a crush on her, though. She's just... really pretty. And I wanna be friends with her. Really bad." Dani lifted her head up, but didn't look at Manon.
Manon shrugged, turning back to her lunch. She wasn't going to push if Dani was just going to push back. And God, was Dani thankful for that mindset of Manons.