Page 107 of Penalty Shots

The opposing team's players now make their way onto the ice, and the arena explodes into an intense round of booing, mostly from our female fans.

"Oh, this is going to be a good game."

Who needs a girlfriend cheering you on when you have an entire arena full of super fans?

"Come on, let's skate," I tell the boys, and we all get up and grab our sticks. The equipment managers toss pucks onto the ice for us to warm up our stick handling as we make our rounds around the rink.

I look up to the section where Izzy, Rina, and Jenny usually are. But it's just Izzy tonight.

Where the hell is Rina?

I keep skating past a sea of orange and black jerseys with all my teammates’ numbers.

There's even an entire section that looks like they're all wearing my number.

I keep periodically looking up, but when I pass the section again, I realize they are. There's an entire section wearing only my number. I stop skating and Zane and Ryker both run into me.

"What the hell, man?" Zane complains.

But they both look up to where my eyes are glued.

There, in the middle of an entire section of number nineteen jerseys, is Rina, wearing orange and black face paint and holding up a poster that says."Number 19. Marry me!"

Zane and Ryker both slap me on my back.

"That's Rina," Ryker says.

Fergie stops skating and looks up along with all my other teammates. Each one of them stops, riveted by the loudest group in the arena.

Next to Rina is her father, Beto, holding up a sign that says,Number 19. Will you marry her already!

Elena is also holding up a poster that says,Marry her, but I'm still not giving you my mother's recipes.

I think I'm stunned at the sight of Rina. In my colors. In my jersey. Holding upthatposter.

"Dude, are you going to go up there or what?" Ryker asks.

I look around at all the faces of my teammates.

"What?"

Rina is leaving the aisle and running down the steps.

"Go!" They yell at me.

I finally wake up from my stupor, drop my stick and gloves, and try to find a way to get to her. But the entire arena is surrounded by plexiglass. She approaches the glass closest to me and puts the poster up to it.

"Keelan," she yells through the glass.

Suddenly, the cheers from the crowd die as if a giant sign is flashing somewhere telling them to be quiet.

I look up, and actually, the wordQuiet!is on the screen in bright red letters.

I turn back to Rina, and she says through the plexiglass, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for never giving you the chance. I'm sorry for being too scared. But I'm not scared anymore. You asked me what I want. And it's you, Keelan. I want you!"

A tear escapes and runs down the paint on her face. It wets the number 19 on her cheek and falls onto the jersey.

Myjersey.

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