Page 78 of Staying Selfless

“I’ll sit with you,” I tell my friend, not wanting her to be alone.

“No, you’re not,” Eli quickly cuts in with an edge of desperation. “I need you behind the bench.” He turns to Ali. “I’ll see if Goody has an extra ticket. His seats are right next to mine.”

“Honestly, I’d rather sit in the student section tomorrow,” Ali says again. She’s not trying to be helpful here. She truly wants to sit in a different area altogether.

I look to Marc, noting the disappointment on his face. I know what he’s thinking. It’s the same thing that’s on my mind.

“Bertoli, I’m going to need you to stop being such a little wuss and woman up,” Eli tells her, saying precisely what Marc and I are thinking. “Mary is not that scary, and for my brother’s sake, you need to try.”

Ali’s smug expression instantly softens. “Shit.” She looks to Marc with regret. “I’m sorry. I’m being such a bitch.” She gives my best friend a nudge with her shoulder. “Yeah, Maddison, if you can ask if Goody has an extra seat, that’d be great.”

“No nachos today?” I tease Ali as we take our seats behind the Minnesota bench.

The arena is packed and noisy as hell already. This is the most fans I’ve ever seen from a visiting team. I wouldn’t say it’s quite 50/50. But 60/40 looks about right. The usual sea of maroon and gold is peppered with plenty of scarlet and gray, and Ohio State’s fans seem just as loyal as the home team’s.

“I’m too nervous.” Ali settles into Goody’s spare family seat. She tucks her hands under her thighs as she begins to bounce on the toes of her Doc Martens.

I know for a fact that Ali isn’t nervous about Eli’s game. She still has no fucking clue what’s going on during a hockey game. What she’s anxious about is the arrival of Jack and Mary.

Mostly Mary.

Okay, only Mary.

Their last-minute flight was cutting it real close to the game’s start time, so Marc drove to the airport to pick them up. That way, they wouldn’t have to waste time getting a rental car.

“Don’t be nervous. Just be yourself. What would my Ali do in this situation?”

She pops her shoulders in a shrug.

“Alison Bertoli,” I say in a suggestive tone.

“She’d probably go get some nachos.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m getting some nachos,” she confidently says as she stands from her seat.

“Go get those nachos, girl.”

“Nacho lady, I’m coming!” Ali makes her way up the arena stairs.

Once Ali is up and out of sight. I look around the arena again. At this point, I’m pretty sure the only four open seats left are the ones surrounding me.

Suddenly, Eli comes out of the players’ tunnel and hops the board and bench. I don’t know why he’s out here right now. Both teams are still in their locker rooms, waiting for the lights to dim and for the music to start before they skate out for warmups.

As soon as Eli makes his way to the glass opposite of me, I see the anxiety and nervousness spread across his drained face.

“Hi,” he says, taking a deep breath.

“Hi, baby. Are you okay?”

Before he can reply, the crowd around us stirs from seeing Minnesota’s star forward just in front of them.

As he looks around, even more worry forms on his features.

“Eli, you’re fine,” I reassure, trying to calm him down. “You do this all the time. This is just another game.”

The section around me grows even louder with fans trying to get my boyfriend’s attention, that I almost can’t hear his response.

---