Elliot ditched his jock reputation after high school. He happily traded his cleats and shoulder pads for college cafeteria food and seminars notes. Now, without the distraction of football, he has managed to find success at the University of Minneso...
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When Elliot was seven, his mother had taken him and his sister to see The Nutcracker ballet at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. He could still remember the celestial, chime-like song of the Sugar Plum Fairy and how delicate the dancer swept across the stage. It had left such an impact on his young mind that he wouldn't wear anything but glitter for the eight weeks that followed. Too enamored with the dream of being a star to entertain reality no more than a few seconds. Maybe that's how Pierce would've felt if he ever saw Gordie Howe win a Stanley Cup.
Minnesota hockey and Russian ballet had a lot of similarities - graceful maneuvers, perilous balancing techniques, exaggerated gender presentations, impossible weight guidelines, cut-throat hierarchies, good podiatrist recommendations. And very, very tight buns. A classically astute style of dance and a brutish, chilling sport. Equivalents with different faces, like Pierce and Elliot.
Click-clack collisions of pucks and wooden hockey sticks served as Elliot's metronome, although there was no music to measure, only the sharp sound of skates slicing along ice and shouts from shameless fans.
The hockey arena was adorned with red-and-gold pennant banners. From the lofty ceiling to the boxed-in penalty bench, the university spared no expense when showcasing school spirit. Elliot's blue hair unfortunately did not match the aesthetic, but he wasn't alone in his irregularity. Nicki sat beside him, wearing a faux-fur halter top and striped bell bottoms pants. She was too busy vlogging to shiver, but she paused to cheer whenever Blake blocked a goal - which was rare.
Quinn was on the other side of Elliot - with an expression colder than the entire ice rink. She had one skinny braid at the top of her head - like a zipper leading to a perfectly taut knot. Contrary to popular belief, she was not a robot in a mask.
Beside her, Hayden sat with a poster covered in sparkly ink. Go Gophers! She was bouncing a leg to keep warm. Unlike Quinn's leather garb, Hayden was bundled in knitted mittens, a hat, and a thick scarf - all thrifted or organic, of course.
"How long are we staying?" Elliot asked.
"We're not," Quinn claimed, moving to leave.
Hayden clamped down on her shoulder. "Sit down. We're here to support Wyatt." She had forced Quinn to come with her, and Quinn had forced Elliot to join. Nicki was just there for the clout.
