Chapter Text
Chapter two - The Fall
It was exactly six in the morning when my alarm went off. The sun was just beginning to rise, and somewhere outside a few birds were chirping like early mornings were actually enjoyable.
I groaned and pulled the blanket tighter around myself.
I hated mornings. It was cold and all I wanted to do was close my eyes again.
Calling myself a night owl was an understatement. My brain only really started functioning after eight p.m., which made the Briar hockey schedule feel like a personal attack.
Still, today was important.
It was my first real test-filming day. I wanted to experiment with camera settings, lighting, and angles before the actual games started so I could figure out how to capture hockey properly on film.
So, despite every part of me begging to stay in bed, I forced myself up and searched my room for something to wear.
It had to be comfortable and practical, but since it was technically my first official day filming the team, I also wanted to look at least a little put together. Sweatpants were reserved for the point in the semester where I completely gave up trying - probably in three weeks.
I pulled on a pair of oversized gray jeans that looked about two sizes too big and paired them with a simple spaghetti-strap top. Over that, I threw on my favorite cardigan because I already knew the rink was going to feel like the Arctic.
My auburn hair was a wavy mess, but honestly, I didn’t care enough to fix it. I wasn’t the one who had to look at the back of my head all day.
I grabbed my cameras and a small portable light, shoved extra batteries into my backpack, and hurried out the door.
I had always loved the beginning of a school year. The late summer still lingered in the warm air and on everyone’s tanned skin, but autumn was already knocking on the door with the leaves slowly changing. There was something nice about the first few weeks of a semester, while everyone still believed this year would somehow be different.
The Briar University Ice Arena wasn’t close enough to walk to, so I had to take the small campus shuttle.
I didn’t really mind though, it gave me an excuse to sit by the window and listen to music, which was one of my favorite things to do.
While I was doing exactly that, my phone suddenly started ringing.
Beau is calling.
Oh my God. Why were all these athletes awake so early?
“You know that under normal circumstances I would literally kill you for calling me at six in the morning,” I answered groggily.
“Good morning to you too, Kenzie,” a warm, calm voice replied from the other end of the line.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. “You normally don’t call me this early.”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to ask if you’re already done editing the pictures from media day. The girl running our socials is on my ass about them, and I’ve already pushed her off twice. I don’t mean to rush you, I just wanted to ask.”
Shit.
I had completely forgotten about the football photos.
After importing them onto my laptop, I hadn’t opened the folder even once.
“I’ll get them to you before Friday, I promise,” I said quickly. “I’m just really busy with the whole hockey thing.”
I heard him laugh softly.
“Right. Never in a million years would I have expected you, of all people, to end up involved with the hockey team.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, adjusting my headphones. “Me neither.”
“Don’t get too into your own head about it,” Beau said. “The guys are actually really nice, and I bet you’re going to have a great year.”
I snorted.
“I love your optimism, Maxwell, but I’ll just be grateful if I survive. They’re a group of male athletes with massive egos, not exactly my cup of tea.”
“Don’t forget I’m part of that species too,” Beau laughed.
“Well,” I said dramatically, “sometimes I make exceptions.”
“Wow. I’m truly honored.”
I smiled and leaned my head against the shuttle window.
“Seriously though,” he added, his voice softer now, “you’re going to do great Ken and if they are being shitty to you, you can always tell me, I know that you`re fully capable of handling yourself but sometimes you are allowed to ask for help you know.”
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“Alright, we can talk later, okay? I’ve got lifting now.”
“Okay. Bye, Beau.”
“Bye, Ken.”
The line went dead, and I slipped my phone back into my bag.
Beau Maxwell was probably the closest friend, well the only friend, I had at Briar.
During my photography and videography job for the football team last year, he had been one of the only people who actually tried talking to me outside of practice. Most athletes either ignored me completely or only acknowledged me when they needed pictures edited faster.
But Beau was different.
We didn’t talk every day, and we weren’t the kind of friends who constantly hung out, but I knew that if I ever was in trouble, I could call him, and he would show up without making me feel guilty for it.
And honestly?
That meant more to me than most people would probably understand.
The moment I stepped into the arena, cold air hit me instantly while loud chatter echoed across the ice.
I walked down the same concrete stairs Logan had shown me yesterday and stopped behind the thick glass separating the rink from the stands. Not only was filming going to be difficult, but the tiny openings in the glass also made it nearly impossible to get good angles or clean shots.
As I began setting up my camera equipment, I noticed the blond asshole skating toward me.
Please no.
“Hey, camera girl,” he said, running a hand through his hair like he was in some sort of hair commercial.
“What do you want?” I replied without even looking at him, still unpacking my camera.
“You know, normally people greet someone back when they say hi.”
I ignored him.
“So… about yesterday,” he started awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything, it’s just-”
“Yeah, no. I’m going to stop you right there,” I cut him off. “I know you’re probably trying to apologize because one of the guys told you to, but ‘I didn’t mean to offend you’ is not actually an apology. So no, I don’t accept it, and you can go back to your team now, thank you very much.”
The blond guy looked at me like I had just declared war.
“You can try again tomorrow,” I added coldly. “Maybe read Communication 101 first though.”
A loud laugh came from somewhere behind him.
“Oh man, she absolutely destroyed you.”
Dean just shook his head before skating away without another word.
Honestly?
That felt incredibly satisfying. I wasn`t going to let him off that quickly.
Once practice had officially started and the players got a short five-minute water break, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Filming through the glass was annoying the hell out of me, and it completely ruined half the shots.
How slippery could this ice really be?
I looked down at my platform Converse and shrugged.
Slowly, I walked toward the small entrance leading onto the rink when a voice stopped me.
“That is a terrible idea.”
I turned around and saw Logan leaning casually against the doorway, his fluffy brown hair slightly damp and his annoyingly gorgeous smile firmly in place.
He studied me for a second, amusement written all over his face.
“I don’t think I’ll fall,” I said confidently as I carefully lowered one foot onto the ice.
“Oh, you absolutely will,” he laughed.
I loved proving people wrong.
So I slowly placed my second foot down and straightened up proudly.
“See?” I grinned. “I’m practically a pro already. This is so ea-”
Those were my last words before I completely lost my balance.
One second I was standing, the next, my feet slipped out from under me, and suddenly I was flailing across. My left foot slid away from me, throwing me backward so fast that I barely had time to react.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
I braced myself for the painful impact of my head smashing against the ice.
But it never came.
Instead, strong arms caught me around my waist before I could hit the ground.
Still frozen in shock, I looked up.
Bright blue eyes locked onto mine.
Logan’s face was way too close.
His grip tightened slightly around my waist, and a small smile spread across his lips. I could see the strand of hair loosely falling into his face and the tiny scar on his left cheek. I could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against mine and the warmth of his fingers lingering against the exposed skin of my waist.
“See?” he murmured. “Told you.”
For once, I was the one too stunned to speak.
Slowly, he helped me back onto my feet, though one of his hands stayed on my waist a second longer than necessary.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
There wasn’t even a hint of judgment in his voice, despite the fact that he had literally warned me this would happen.
Why?
“Yeah. Yeah… I think so,” I stuttered.
“If you wanted to learn how to skate, you could’ve just asked, you know,” Logan teased lightly. “No need to nearly kill yourself out here.”
I could tell he noticed how embarrassed I was because his tone softened immediately after.
I smiled uncertainly. “Yeah, maybe I should add skating to my already very large skill set.”
“Oh, I bet it’s huge,” he nodded seriously, though the grin on his face completely ruined the act.
“Yeah, I’m kind of naturally talented at everything,” I joked. “Except skating.”
He laughed.
“Yeah. Definitely except skating.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Well,” he said after a moment, leaning casually against the boards beside me, “if you actually want to learn some basics, and improve the shots you can take of my immaculate skating skills, I could teach you.”
I blinked at him.
“T-teach me how to skate?” I raised an eyebrow.
Logan shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Sure. Think of it as helping your documentary, well and making me look better.”
“Oh, of course,” I said dryly. “Completely selfless.”
“Exactly.” He placed a hand against his chest dramatically. “I’m basically mother Theresa just a bit younger and hotter."
Coach blew intro his whistle and the practice continued.
"Think about it." Logan said while skating away.
Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn`t. I just wanted to survive this day.