crossways: a jack hughes story

chapter 9

carly's text says: cole asked if during christmas break if i wanna go to new york because he plays the islanders. he said i could bring you if i want.

you type back, omg yes i'm going

imagine if i meet barzal says carly

you send back a rolling eyes emoji as you click your seatbelt into place.

your flight lands back in wisconsin. you have a flight back home to florida the next day, and you need to grab some more clothes from your dorm room before you go back home.

cara isn't there when you walk in. you text jack that you made it safely back to your dorm room.

you fly back to florida and enjoy thanksgiving with your family, you haven't seen them since you went away to college.

you eventually go back to school and work on your classes. you have a hard schedule, and math is giving you the most trouble. you get through the next month and it's time for christmas break. the islanders are playing the canadiens december 27, right after christmas. after spending christmas in florida with your family, you catch a plane to new york. you meet up with carly and get an uber to the hotel. jack is away in vegas playing a game, but you two are going to hang out in new jersey for new year's.

before the canadiens vs. islanders game, you and carly see the sights new york city has to offer. the statue of liberty, times square, and many museums.

game day arrives. after you and carly both get ready, you wear cole's jersey that brock gave you when you went to the first canadiens game. carly wears her barzal jersey with mom jeans.

"i hope mat notices me." says carly with a big smile on her face.

"i doubt it." you say. carly pouts as you laugh.

"you have cole obsessed with you, can't you see that? don't get distracted by a guy who doesn't know you exist."

"he doesn't know i exist YET." says carly. you roll your eyes.

"whatever."

you pack your purse as you and carly kill time in the hotel before the game. you get an uber to the coliseum, and show the passes cole gave you and carly to get in early to see them practice.

you walk into the stadium and see the players skating around. cole spots you and carly, and skates over to the section you're at.

"hey guys. hey! you're wearing my jersey, thanks."

cole points to your jersey, a smile on his face.

"oh yeah, i had nothing else to wear." you say.

"why are you wearing that piece of garbage jersey?" cole asks carly.

"hey shush, i'm an islanders fan, you know that." carly tells cole.

all of a sudden, the canadiens coach shouts to cole, "hey! caufield! stop flirting!" you and carly start to giggle as cole skates away, laughing and shaking his head.

the game is fast paced, the score staying close the entire time. you have seats right behind the bench, and cole keeps looking back at carly, just like jack does when you go to his games.

the islanders win the game, and carly is so happy.

you and carly wait for cole to get changed and come out of the locker room after the game. he tells you and carly that some of the islanders are going to a bar and we're invited if we want to come. you both agree, and hop in cole's tesla as he drives to the club.