Still Remembering

CH. 1:

Tonight was my first hockey game in 8 years. I had gone all the time with my parents when I was little, but my step-mom had gotten sick when I was 13 and we stopped going. When my step-mom passed away I had really fallen away from the sport and when we moved away from my hometown I distanced herself from everything that reminded me of that place including my best friend, Tyson. He was the reason I had gotten into hockey, I used to watch him play all the time and his mom and grandpa were the reason my parents had started taking me to NHL games when I was 8. I loved the atmosphere of the games, me and Tyson would constantly eat way too much cotton candy and almost always went home with a stomach ache. I smiled to myself recalling the memories as I waited for my best friend, Jessi to come pick me up for the game. Jessi and I had worked together since I first moved to Colorado 2 years ago and we had become friends almost instantly. When Jessi said she had an extra tickets to tonights Avalanche game I jumped at the chance to go. I missed the fun of the games, and I had missed hockey itself. I hadn't followed hockey at all since I left her hometown, so I was very much out of the loop of all the teams and how they played and how rules had changed and such. I was excited to learn as I went though, hoping it wouldn't take too long to get up to speed.
  "Are you ready?" came Jessi's voice from the other side of my door and I shook her head laughing. She didn't even bother to knock. I opened the door to my blonde bubbly friend shoving a jersey in my arms.
  "What's this?" I asked holding it up.
  "I had an extra jersey, thought maybe you'd wanna wear it so you didn't stick out like a sore thumb." Jessi smiled before grabbing my hand and dragging me towards her car.
  "Come on or we'll be late to warmups. Put it on in the car." I huffed but followed Jessi quickly sliding the jersey over my head as I walked.
 When we got to the arena we were through security and in our seats quickly enough before Jessi said she was running to the bathroom and to get a drink.
  "Hey you're the one who wanted to see the warmups, you're going to miss them."
  "I'll be back before they start." I rolled her eyes and sat down in their seats to wait for warmups. Jessi was a season ticket holder and her seats were right by the glass where the Avalanche came out of the locker rooms. I was sitting there bouncing my leg nervously when the announcer said the team was coming on the ice for warmup so I jumped up and got my phone out to take pictures. Jessi got back right as the whole team exited the tunnel and she cheered loudly and began pointing out all the guys for me so I wouldn't be lost.
  "And number 17, that's Tyson Jost." I choked and looked up at Jessi, face red.
  "Tyson what?" I said trying to catch my breath.
  "Jost, why?" I wiped my hands down my face and groaned.
  "He was my best friend while I was growing up. He's the reason I got into hockey. I haven't talked to him since I moved away from home." I said suddenly more nervous than I had been. I mentally scolded myself telling myself to get it together. He wouldn't even notice me, he'd be focused on the game and even if he did happen to look over at me there is no way he would know who I was. I looked way different at 21 than I had at 15 when I saw him last.                                                             Tyson POV:
 Warmups were getting close to being over when I looked over and saw her. I had to do a double take because I didn't believe what I saw. I skated passed her and she smiled painfully at me. Just then the buzzer sounded and I skated to the bench and walked down the hallway in a daze.
  "Yo, Josty whats up you look like you saw a ghost." JT said sitting down in the stall next to mine.
  "I might have. You remember that girl I told you about that was my best friend until I was like15 and then she up and left and I never saw her again." JT nodded. "She's here."
  "What? You saw her out there?" I nodded.
  "She's right on the glass outside the tunnel. What is she doing here? I haven't seen her in 6 years." I put my face in my hands.
  "Look Josty you gotta calm down, worry about the game and then we'll talk." he slapped me on the back as we lined up to go out onto the ice for the game. I sighed. He was right, I needed to focus on the game. I took a deep breath as we stepped onto the ice and I skated passed her trying and failing not to look her way before skating up to the blue line for the national anthem. I'd have to find out why she was here..but how?                                                                Jana's POV:
 My stomach was in knots during the whole first period, I watched Tyson everytime he was on the ice and I couldn't help but be so happy for him living out his dream. He had always talked about his dream to play in the NHL. When we had sleepovers we would make up crazy scenarios and try and guess what team he would play for when he finally made it. I smiled to myself remembering how his face would light up and he would excitedly exclaim he would dedicate his first goal in the NHL to me, because I was his best friend.
 Before I knew it the first period was over and the boys were walking back to the locker room, I smiled sadly at Tyson as he walked passed and this time he gave me a small smile back. It wasn't hard to see the pain in his eyes and I felt my heart break and the guilt eat at me. I had always regretted leaving him behind, and felt bad for never even calling to explain to him why I had cut him out of my life. I knew if I called him though, I wouldn't have been able to leave him, and I really needed to get away from that place.
  "You okay?" Jessi asked putting her arm around my shoulder. I nodded.
  "Yeah, just realizing how much I suck." I smiled sadly at her and put my head down on her shoulder. We sat and watched the intermission games and reports and laughed and I loosened up before the 2nd period started. I was going to find a way to tell Tyson I was sorry. I didn't care if I had to add him on some kind of social media and message him, I would figure out a way to talk to him.
 The game ended with the Avalanche winning 4-1 and I cheered louder than Jessi when they announced Tyson as the 2nd star of the game. The guys all threw a puck into the crowd when they skated out when they were announced and Tyson was no different. He skated over to where we were sitting and threw a puck over the glass pointing to me to make sure I got it. I smiled at him and looked down to see he had taped a piece of paper to it.
"We need to talk. Call me" and it had his number written on it. I took the paper and shoved it into my jeans pocket before putting the puck into my purse.