Page 143 of Hockey Halloween
“How’s that NHL dream going? Remind me, is Monarch a Div I school?” Unfortunately for Karl, I do know something about hockey—including the fact that Monarch College is only Div III. He’s far from a pro hockey career.
He winces. I’ve hit a sore spot, but I immediately feel guilty. Back in high school, Karl and I shared our secret dreams even while admitting how impossible they were. I know the NHL is only one chance in a million, Maya, but I can’t help hoping.
“Swanny has the sixth most points on our team,” Tyler informs me, not realizing that he’s damning with faint praise. Karl was the leading scorer on our high school team.
“Oh,so impressive. Congratulations on the stellar season,” I sniff.
“Thanks so much. What about you, Maya? How’s the Hollywood career going?” Apparently, he hasn’t forgotten our aspirational chats either.
I’m certainly not telling him that I dropped out of my college drama program and I’m now working retail. Thanks to streaming, I can’t even work in a video store like aspiring actors and directors of yore. Instead I’m selling wedding dresses, which may be the worst possible job for someone who has turned her back on romance.
“I’m still acting,” I reply, then glance nervously up at the ceiling in case lightning strikes me dead for that whopper of a lie.
“I guess I missed your big movie debut. What exactly are you acting in these days?” he presses.
“Just local theatre.” The best thing about acting experience is my ability to lie plausibly. “Look, as fun as it’s been catching up, I’m going to get another drink.” I raise my Solo cup, which luckily is red and doesn’t reveal that it’s still three-quarters full.
I push my way through the crowd. My costume is attracting a fair amount of attention—all of it negative. Many people are afraid of snakes, even dollar store ones. I already had the costume from a play, but as I explained to Eden, Medusa is the perfect symbol ofboth feminine strength and sexual oppression. To which she replied, “All I see is someone who doesn’t want to get laid.”
Once I get to the drinks table, I steer around it. All I really wanted was to get away from Karl. I can’t believe that I ever thought he was a sweet guy back in high school. What am I going to do now? Eden is the only person I know at this party. And I can’t even go back to her place since I don’t have a key…or a good sense of direction.
“There you are. Come on,” Eden steers me far from the party rooms until we find an enclosed cellar staircase that’s quiet and slightly creepy with a closed wooden door at the bottom. We sit side by side on a step.
“You don’t have to babysit me. I know you like Tyler. Go ahead and hang out with him,” I say.
“No way I’m leaving until I get the full story here. What on earth is going on between you and that Karl guy? Tyler told me he’s never seen him like that, he’s usually pretty chill. And respectful to women.”
I groan. “I have no clue why he hates me so much.”
“So is he that guy you liked, who seemed to like you back, but suddenly rejected you?”
I nod. Eden and I met when we were counsellors at a summer drama camp right after high school. I was still reeling from everything that happened, so I unloaded on her.
“Well, apparently he’s still upset about…whatever the heck happened,” she concludes. “It’s your chance to finally solve the mystery.”
The night of the cast party everyone was celebrating since the play had gone so well. I’d recently broken up with my boyfriend, and I felt light and unencumbered. Karl and I were talking—we were friends before, but it felt like there was potential for more. He really seemed to like me. But later that night, I saw him making out with some random sophomore. So clearly I didn’t know him at all.
“Maya, I saw exactly how upset you were back then. Go figure out exactly what went down. Maybe you’ll finally get some closure,” Eden says.
I shake my head. “I’m not doing a deep dive into one of the worst nights of my life. Besides, he clearly doesn’t want to talk to me.”
She sighs. “Yeah, he seems like a huge jerk. Okay, what should we do? Do you want to ditch this party and find another one? Or maybe go out for pizza or something?”
I grab her hand and squeeze affectionately. “Eden, you’re the sweetest, but you should go and enjoy yourself. Just give me your house key, and I’ll go back.”
“Sisters before misters! If Tyler really likes me, we can go out another time. This weekend is supposed to cheer you up.”
Eden’s support feels like a warm hug—she’s a great friend. I stand and pull her up. “Fine, let’s go.”
“Okay, but I’m not pulling a Cinderella. I have to say goodbye to Tyler and exchange numbers,” she says. “Come with me?”
“Please, no. If I never see Karl Swanson again, my life will be perfect.”
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Eden quips.
But before she can insist that Karl and I talk things out, I give her a push. “I’ll wait right here. Swap digits with your hockey god, and then we’ll go.”
She nods and disappears. I sit back down on the step and lean against the wall. I’m emotionally exhausted. Despite my insults, I admire Karl for continuing to go after his hockey dreams. The only acting I do these days is reassuring nervous brides that everything will go perfectly when I’m the world’s biggest cynic about love.
