"What are you two going to do next year?" Emma asks me as she releases her black curls from her hat and peels her gloves off, revealing her beautiful brown skin. "Cole will be a few hours away at the University of Michigan. Are you guys doing the long-distance thing?"
"That's the plan. Cole wants to play in the NCAA and get drafted in two years. It's a short drive. We can make it work for that little while."
Olivia studies me skeptically with her blue eyes. Her long, silvery blond hair looks perfect under her hat, and I feel mine sticking up everywhere when I take mine off.
"You know college isn't like our small-town high school. There will be a ton of girls there, drooling all over him. A pro hockey player is a top catch," she tells me with a hint of a sneer.
All I can do is shrug. Oliva's words echo what I've been saying to myself for months. We're close to graduating high school and have one summer to savor before reality hits.
My day-to-day life won't change too much. I'm attending a local community college in our small town in Western Michigan. I have no idea what I want to be "when I grow up." My family doesn't have the money to throw at a university while I figure it out. Cole will be moving on to a completely different life. I will lose the person who means everything to me, and I must prepare myself for that.
I stare at the floor, lost in my thoughts and barely noticing that players are starting to pour into the waiting area from the locker room until a pair of sneakers comes into view. I look up into the smiling face of Cole's best friend, Foster Holland. His shoulder-length brown hair is hanging down wet, and his rich, brown eyes are smiling at me.
I jump out of my seat to wrap my arms around him. "That was a great game. What a beautiful goal. You skated circles around those guys."
He wraps his long arms around me and plasters me to his hard chest.
"Thanks. Are you coming to celebrate with us tonight?" He asks when I break away from the hug.
Before I can answer, Olivia steps in. "All three of us will be there."
"Good, I can't wait to see you there," Foster gives me a wink, completely ignoring Olivia.
While I watch Foster walk away, I'm suddenly being lifted off my feet by solid arms, much thicker than Foster's. I turn my face to meet Cole's sparkling blue eyes.
"Hi baby, that was a great game," I tell him.
"I know," he smiles and gives me a quick kiss.
I scrunch my nose at him. "You need a shower."
His laughter shakes me from behind before he sets me back on the ground. "You're right. I'm going to head home and get ready. I'll pick you up at eight. We can grab something to eat before the party."
I nod my agreement. He and Foster head out of the arena, discussing the game they'd just played.
"The girls at Michigan will be lucky with those two on campus," Olivia says, grating on my nerves again. We've been friends since middle school, but I won't be sad to leave her toxicity behind when we graduate.
A countdown begins in my head, with only five months until everything changes.
Music blares around me as bodies grind together on a makeshift dance floor in Coach Ward's large living room. I stand to the side, sipping my bottle of hard cider, and try to escape the chaos.
Emma and Olivia are both out there dancing and having a great time. I look past them to the open kitchen, where I can make out Cole and a few of his teammates playing a card game while doing shots. I watch him laugh and have a good time with them, and I feel a little self-conscious.
I'm like a troll next to Cole. His height dwarfs me, and there's never a golden blond lock on his head that's out of place. My wavy hair is a darker, almost muddy blond and is hard to tame. His eyes are the baby blue people swoon over. Mine are nearly gray instead of blue. He takes pride in his appearance, even when watching movies on the couch. I can pull myself together but usually prefer my worn, comfortable jeans and a T-shirt. To those on the outside, we are mismatched, but to us, we make perfect sense.
A finger boops my nose and takes my attention away from watching my boyfriend, and I turn to the guy standing next to me. A big smile stretches my face when I focus on Foster. His brown hair is now clean and dry, sweeping almost to his shoulders. His warm chocolate eyes take me in, and I notice a smear of red lipstick across his mouth. I giggle at him.
"Hey there beautiful, what are you doing in the corner by yourself?" he asks me.
"Parties aren't exactly my scene."
"Then why are you here?"
I tilt my head to Cole, partying it up across the room.
"Yeah, the golden boy needs the attention of his adoring fans." His voice is heavy with sarcasm, confusing me.
Foster moved to Springbrook the summer before our freshman year. He and Cole had become fast friends, bonding over their love of hockey and other boy stuff. Foster has always been easygoing and happy, so his caustic tone catches me off guard.
