Page 37 of Just a Footnote

The pain he felt at the museum is forgotten and long gone as he spends the remainder of the afternoon with Liam. It’s easy spending time with Liam. He laughs more than he recalls ever laughing with a friend before. Sometimes at Liam, but also sometimes at his own expense which Liam doesn’t seem to mind all that much. Liam has a way of making things funny even when Aiden doesn’t really want to laugh. He gets it now, why Archer is best friends with him.

Liam pulls up outside Aiden’s dorm radiating nervous energy but Aiden can’t understand why. He gets out of the car, pretends to leave, then ducks his head back through the door to pin Liam with a stare.

“You’re coming up aren’t you?”

Aiden has never seen Liam move so fast.

The Frozen Fourtakes place in Boston the second week of April. The team flies out a few days beforehand to get ice time and settle in. Skye and Aiden fly out the day before the games start. Their hotel is only a few blocks away from the one the team is staying at but Aiden wishes they were staying at the same one. At least then he might have the opportunity for a little sneaking around.

“Feels weird that this will be the last Frozen Four we attendtogether.” Aiden hikes his duffle bag a little higher up his shoulder as they walk into the hotel.

The plane flight left him feeling more tired than usual. Planes always make him feel anxious. The first time he ever flew on a plane was after the worst Christmas he’d ever had. He tries not to think about that though. It’s not the time for it. The last thing he wants to do is have a panic attack now.

Skye drags her noisy rolling luggage behind her. “Yeah but we’ll have NHL playoffs to attend. They’re better. Think of the first time Ollie, Archer, Liam, or Miles win the Stanley Cup.”

Yeah, that is nice to think about. Not Miles maybe, because he’d bring it up any chance he could, but the idea of Archer or Liam winning it is kind of nice. Even Ollie too.

The hotel room is nice thanks to the cheap rate Aiden booked the minute they knew they would be coming to the Frozen Four. Aiden likes nice things but he likes them affordable. A side effect of growing up without much of anything at all. He’s too afraid to spend the little money he does have left over after his scholarship funds go to tuition and living expenses.

“Too bad we can’t hang out with the guys tonight,” Skye says sadly. “Liam has them all on lockdown. In their rooms by nine tonight.”

“They all don’t seem to mind it,” Aiden points out, staring up at the hotel ceiling in thought.

“Because they all love him. It’s impossible to not love Liam.”

Aiden hums, not knowing how to respond. He spins his phone around in his hands a few times. He thinks about texting Liam, but decides against it. Of course, just then his phone vibrates. Thinking it’s probably Archer checking that they made it in safely, he swipes the message open.

It’s not Archer.

Your brother is trying to get me to switch rooms with Ollie so him and Miles can have their own room

Aiden wrinkles his nose in disgust.

could’ve gone without knowing that

Now Archer is mad at me because I said no

I don’t want to say this but…you cockblocked him so of course he’s mad

We have a very important game tomorrow. Everyone needs their heads in the game

lol

why lol?

…heads in the game

anyway…what are you wearing tomorrow

clothes?

are you wearing Archer’s jersey

no?

wear mine

absolutely not

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