Page 24 of Snowballed

“He’s pretty fucking good,” Rocky says.

“His skating is amazing,” I add. His backwards skating looks faster than my forward skating.

“Who cares if he can skate if he looks like that,” says Helen.

“Any guy is hotter if he’s a good hockey player,” Rocky points out. That goes double here at Moo U, where hockey players rule the campus. Well, the male ones anyway. No guy has ever found me hotter because I play hockey.

“He has this stern look. It’s very male model,” Helen continues.

“Or maybe he’s just constipated,” I say.

Helen ignores this. “What’s it like living with him? How close is his bedroom to yours?”

I sigh. “His bedroom is right beside mine. I can hear every night as he changes into his vampire form and flies out of the house in search of fresh victims.”

She squints at me. “You are a freak.”

“Helen, calm down. Yes, Noah is good looking. In fact, he’s probably the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen in real life. But he’s also conceited, egotistical, and out of touch with real life.”

Rocky asks, “Why do you hate him so much? You barely know him.”

My whole body heats up as I remember how rude he was from the moment we met.Do you have an off switch?I’d like to off-switch him.

“You should have heard him on the way home from the airport. He was so insulting about everything here. He thinks Burlington is some hick village compared to L.A.”

Both Rocky and Helen start laughing.

“Oh my God. Call the Vermont State Police. Someone insulted the Green Mountain State in front of Zoe Meyers,” says Helen.

Rocky nods. “Zee, you are a little cuckoo about Vermont. I think it’s all your work at the tourist bureau.”

“And he’s right. Los Angeles is better than Burlington,” Helen adds.

“Better for what? Muggings? Pollution? Botox?” I ask.

Helen continues to watch Noah like she’s trying to see right through his hockey equipment. “Besides, have you even been to L.A.?”

I don’t have to go everywhere to know how great things are here. Tourists come to Vermont all year round to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the relaxed pace, and the amazing food. Beyond Noah’s words, it’s his attitude. Why did he even come here if he doesn’t like Vermont? He should be open to new experiences.

“I wonder how the men’s team is going to be this year?” Rocky asks.

“They lost some really good players.” Helen counts them off on her fingers. “Adler, Forte, Thomas.”

“Derek thinks they’re good. Depends how things gel.” I watch Noah go coast to coast. He’s really going to solidify their D, which was already strong.

“I wonder how we’re going to do,” Helen says.

“We’re the defending champions, so everyone will be gunning for us,” says Rocky.

Of course, I was happy to be part of a winning team, but I wasn’t a critical part. This year, I hope to play more.

Their practice finishes up with laps. Noah skates as intensely as he does everything else and finishes first. Not that it matters, of course. Once he’s done, Noah looks up at us and nods his head. Because saying hello would be too much effort.

I stand and point at my invisible watch. “Tick-tock, Goodwin. Be ready in fifteen minutes, or I’m leaving without you,” I yell down.

He gives me a mock salute and skates off.

When I turn around, both Rocky and Helen are staring at me with open mouths.

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