Chapter 25

"Why are we going to a hockey game?" I asked Maya. She didn't seem like the type of person who would be a hockey fan.

"I told Raj that we were going to come," Maya said. "He started a youth hockey league, and he wanted us to come to his first game. Henri and Jack said that they were going to be there too."

"Okay fine," I said. "I'll come. Where is it?"

"Follow me," Maya said. She began walking through the town towards a large building with the sign "Cedar Creek Ice Rink." Maya was still wearing her headphones as she pushed open the door and held it open so I could get in. "I'm getting a hot chocolate before the game," she said. "Do you want one?"

"Do they have mocha frappucinos?" I asked.

"No," Maya said. "Why would you want an iced coffee? It's an ice rink!"

"I like mocha frappucinos," I said.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "I don't think that they have any of those anyways. You're such a stereotypical Starbucks-loving white girl, you know."

"I know," I said. "Caroline always made fun of me for it."

"Ugh, I hated Caroline," Maya said. "That's really hypocritical of her to say though. She went to Starbucks just as much as you did."

"That's true," I said. "Caroline wasn't that bad though."

"Yes she was," Maya argued. "She teased me back in middle school because I liked emo music...then again, you do that too."

"You're so easy to make fun of," I said.

"So do you want me to get you a hot chocolate?" Maya asked me.

"How much is it?" I asked.

"Two dollars," Maya answered. "Three dollars if you want a large."

I took out two dollars, and handed it to Maya. She ran off to buy the drinks, and came back with one for me and one for herself. Maya handed me my drink, and the two of us entered the ice rink.

We found Jack and Henri pretty quickly. The two of them had found a spot near the top of the bleachers, and there was enough room for Maya and I to sit next to them. "Hi Jack! Hi Henri!" Maya said. "What's up?"

"Not much," Jack said. He shivered and said, "Why do hockey rinks have to be so cold?"

"It is not that bad," Henri said. He then held Jack's hand and said, "But I think I can help you warm up."

"Aww, you two are so adorable!" Maya squealed. "Jenri for life!"

Jack just rolled his eyes, while Henri said, "I actually do have some news."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I got a new oboe!" Henri exclaimed. "What should I name her?"

"How do you know that it's a girl?" Jack asked.

"She sounds like a girl," Henri argued. "Sebastian was obviously a boy, but this one's a girl."

"Instruments don't have genders," I said. "This is ridiculous."

"In French, all nouns have a gender," Henri said. "The French word for oboe, le hautbois, is masculine, but that doesn't mean that I can't decide what gender my oboe is. So what do you think I should name her?"

"Name her after me!" Maya shouted. "You could call her Miss Jackson!" She then started singing terribly. "MISS JACKSON! MISS JACKSON! MISS JACKSON!"

"Maya, can you please stop?" I said.

"No, I am not naming her Miss Jackson," Henri said. "I've got it! I'll call her Calypso!"

"That's a pretty name," Jack commented.

"It's not as good as Miss Jackson, but it works," Maya said.

"I like it," I said.

"I'm happy that you like it," Henri said.

"Shh, the game's about to start," I said. The hockey players skated onto the ice, and I spotted Raj among them.

"Raj is Number Ninety Nine, yes?" Henri said.

"Yeah, I think that's right," Maya said. "I think he said that it was a reference to some famous hockey player. I'll have to ask him about that after the game."

"Wayne Gretzky," Jack said. "It's the number of Wayne Gretzky, otherwise known as The Great One."

"You're memorizing sports stats now too?" Maya said.

"No, I just remember that because Raj told you four times," Jack said. "I don't care that much about sports."

Music suddenly started playing as the hockey players started to warm up. "What band is this?" I asked. "This is a good song."

"I know, right?" Maya said. "This is The Cosmic Nomads."

"I've never heard of them," I said.

"Oh, they're so cool," Maya said. "David Bowie and George Harrison are in the band. Freddie Mercury used to be in it, but he got reincarnated a few years ago. You should listen to their stuff. It's so good."

"Cool," I said. All of a sudden, the music stopped and the game started. Raj was playing offense, and he was the first to get the puck. He skated towards the other team's goal, but one of the other team's defensemen took the puck from him and passed it to a forward on the other team.

"What's going on?" Henri asked. "This game is so confusing."

"You're Canadian," Maya said. "Aren't you supposed to like hockey?"

"I thought that we already found out that I don't know anything about hockey," Henri said. "Also, I'm an American now."

"Whatever," Maya said.

"It's not that hard to follow," I said. Then again, maybe that was just because I was always watching Caleb's basketball games when I was alive.

"Yes it is!" Henri said. "Why do people like this thing?"

"At least it's better than football," Jack said. "I just don't understand the appeal of that sport at all."

I continued to watch the game. Raj had taken the puck back, and he passed it to another forward on his team while he skated ahead. The other forward skated towards the goal and then passed it back to Raj, who aimed the puck and prepared to shoot. Raj shot the puck towards the net, and the goalie tried to block it, but he couldn't. The puck just slided in. I watched as the scoreboard changed to 1-0.

"GO RAJ!" Maya screamed.

"Yeah, nice job Raj!" I yelled.

Raj and a few other players skated off of the ice, and a group of new players went on. I kept watching the game, but Maya, Jack, and Henri started talking amongst themselves. The other team scored a couple of goals, but it was clear that Raj's team was much better. By the beginning of the third period, the score was 4-2.

The other team scored another goal in the middle of the third period, making the score 4-3. The game was close. There were only two minutes left on the clock when one of the other team's forwards skated towards the other end of the rink and shot at the goal. However, the goalie blocked it, and sent the puck flying towards the other end of the rink. With only one minute left, Raj took the puck and skated towards the goal. He shot just seconds before time was up, and he managed to score. All of us cheered just as the buzzer went off.

"Raj said that he would meet us in the lobby," Jack said as the four of us headed in there to wait for him.

"That was a good game," I said. "Raj played really well."

"Yeah, he did," Jack said.

"I can't believe that they played Blank Space between second and third period," Maya said. "I need to make a playlist for them. Maybe that will improve the hockey team's music taste."

"Hey, I like that song!" I exclaimed.

"Well, you have bad music taste," Maya said.

"Hey everyone," Raj said. He was carrying his hockey bag, and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He also had a big, goofy grin on his face. "What's up?"

"Ivy has the worst music taste ever," Maya complained. "She still thinks that Taylor Swift is good."

"You're so negative, Maya," Raj said. "Don't worry about Ivy. It doesn't matter what she likes and what she doesn't."

"Yes it does!" Maya exclaimed. "Her taste in music is horrible."

"Congratulations Raj," I said, hoping to change the subject. "You played really well today."

"Thanks Ivy," Raj said.

"Yes, you played very well," Henri said.

"He wasn't actually watching the game at all," Maya said.

"Hey! You didn't have to tell Raj that!" Henri said.

Raj laughed. "It's okay. I know that you guys don't love hockey as much as I do, but it was nice of you all to come."

"It was your first game," I said. "We had to come."

"How have you been, by the way?" Raj asked. "I haven't seen you since I left the waiting room."

"I've been alright," I said. "How about you?"

"I've been doing great," Raj said. "I've made a ton of new friends, and I've been doing odd jobs for the Professional Heavenly Hockey League. I miss everyone back home though."

"Me too," I said. "I'm a photographer for the Cedar Creek Celestial Post, and I'm enjoying that. I'm living with Maya, and...that's a bit rough, I guess."

"I'm living with my uncle," Raj said. "I never got to know him when I was alive, but he's actually really cool."

"That's neat," I said.

"Why don't you like living with Maya?" Raj asked.

"She just gets on my nerves," I said. "I guess you can say that we don't really get along."

"Maya's alright when you get to know her," Raj stated.

"I agree," Jack said. "Then again, I've known Maya for years. I've gotten used to her."

"I'll try being a little bit nicer to her," I said. "As long as she does the same for me."

"That's good enough," Raj said.

"Anyways, we should probably get going," I said. "Great game Raj."

"Thanks for coming," Raj said. All of us went out the door and started heading back home. I certainly did have some fun that night, and in a way, I was glad that Maya had dragged me to the hockey rink after work. However, when I got home and flopped down on the couch, all I wanted was some well-deserved rest.