w 1 t n e s s

twenty-two

At eleven sharp, my phone buzzed with a text message. Tyler had left at eight with Kirby, leaving me to my own devices for a few hours. At ten, I had gotten a shower and then dressed. Then I sat on the couch until the text from Lyndsey arrived. Now I darted down the stairs, a little too eager. I had my purse clutched tightly to my body, more in nerves than the cold.

Idling on the curb, I found a large and sleek black Land Rover. The front window rolled down, revealing a blonde girl I vaguely recognized. I assumed it was Tayler. She smiled at me sweetly.

"Halle?" I nodded, grinning back. "Awesome, go ahead and get in the back." I swung the door open. The action revealed a dirty blonde haired girl, who smiled at me. I hopped in, seeing Lyndsey fully for the first time. Tayler turned in her seat, making introductions.

"Ok, driver is Lyndsey. This is Aleksandra. And I'm Tayler." Tayler smiled again. "Ok, girls, say who you're dating now."

"I'm dating...well, engaged, actually, to Alex DeBrincat." Lyndsey laughed at Tayler's enthusiasm as she pulled away from the curb. Her hand momentarily left the wheel to show me the massive diamond on her ring finger. I gasped appropriately. The dirty blonde girl, Aleksandra, waved Lyndsey away.

"Oh enough showing off. I'm goalie-girl. With Elvis. And call me Alex, please." I noted the accent to the darker blonde girl's voice.

"Anddd I'm with Dylan. Strome, that is." Tayler looked at me expectantly, as did Alex. I understood what they were waiting for.

"Ok, my turn I guess. I'm Halle, and I'm...kinda dating Tyler Dewalt?" Tayler gave a cheer.

"You'll get there. We've all been in your shoes. Us hockey girlfriends gotta stick together." Their welcome was a relief. There wasn't any tension here. There wasn't an inherent need to outdo each other. I felt relaxed, at home even.

We arrived at a place called The Shops at North Bridge after a short drive. Lyndsey parked the car, then the four of us tumbled out of its doors. I was glad to see I'd dressed appropriately for the occasion. Lyndsey came to my side, while Tayler sped off with Alex.

"You'll like this place. Those two have endless energy, so I normally just supervise them. It's like watching kids." I laughed at her chiding tone.

"I'm sure it's not too bad."

"Not terrible, but I like to take my time shopping. They rush through every store."

"Me too. I need some stuff anyway. Would you help me pick out some outfits if I try things on?"

"Of course." Lyndsey's eyes gleamed at the suggestion.

We stopped in the first store, a large clothing department with a million different styles to look at. Tayler and Alex followed us in.

Half an hour later, I was knee deep in trying on cute tops, dresses, and pants with the four girls. I'd never clicked with a group so well. We didn't talk about hockey anything. Instead, the it was normal girl talk. Clothes, shopping, and what made our boyfriends happy. I hadn't felt this relaxed in so long. Where was the constant competition to look good? To show off for other guys? Their friendship was so different from how Emily was. Had I been missing this kind of friendship for years?

I was loaded with bags, purchased via Tyler's credit card. I'd felt guilty accepted the rectangle of plastic, but he hadn't taken no for an answer. The result was disastrous. I'd purchased way too much today. And I was nowhere near the amount that Tayler had. Alex was now leading the way to a food court. The food options were fancy and upscale compared to the malls near campus. The four of us claimed a table in the center. Lyndsey stayed with the bags while we scattered to get our orders.