Chapter 1 Maya

Another gruesome shift at Hayley's arcade.

I woke up exhausted after staying up late trying to finish other students' assignments along with mine.

It was the only way I could make money and survive at RLC.

I was way over my head, especially now that my mum had dementia and my dad was a big no-show.

I hurriedly got up, threw on some clothes, made a sandwich, and stormed out of the house.

I had to deliver the assignments to the owner before heading to work.

And I was one more lateness away from getting into Hayley's black book.

I rushed to school, distributed each of the assignments as quickly as I could, and hurried off to Hayley's.

"Late again, Maya. It's your fourth time this week," Hayley said, looking at her watch as I walked in.

"I'm sorry. It's just—"

"Traffic? Helping an old lady cross the road? A cat stuck on a fire hydrant?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Okay, okay. I get it," I said, looking at her remorsefully.

"You are always late with a different excuse. You have to keep up, or you leave," she said before walking away.

I stood there watching her retreating figure before sighing and heading behind the counter.

"Tough cookie," Justin said as he wiped the glass.

"Don't start," I said, rolling my eyes.

"What?" he asked, shrugging.

"That thing you're about to say. Just swallow it. I don't want to hear it." I gestured toward his mouth like I was zipping it shut.

"Well, someone's got to tell you the truth," he said, dropping the rag.

"You are overworking yourself. I can tell you didn't even have your bath this morning."

He looked me up and down.

"Is it obvious?" I asked, sniffing myself.

"Honey, you've got to relax," he said.

Then he paused.

"And bathe."

His expression twisted in disgust.

"You stink."

He dramatically blew air away from his nose.

"You don't have to be so graphic," I said, rolling my eyes as I headed to the back room to wash up and change into my uniform.

Today, the arcade was awfully busy, and I barely had time to breathe, let alone take a break.

"Maya, get into my office."

Hayley's voice made me look up.

I walked into her office clutching my chest and silently praying she wasn't about to fire me or, worse, scold me.

Hayley has been like a mother to me since my mum was admitted to the hospital.

She and my mum had been best friends since high school, so Hayley had known me for most of my life.

In fact, she was the first person to notice that something was wrong with my mum.

At first, Mum denied it.

She insisted she was fine, even when she started forgetting things more often.

I didn't want to believe Hayley either, but after she pointed it out, I started doing my own research.

The more I read, the more worried I became.

Eventually, I convinced Mum to go to the hospital for a check-up.

She refused at first.

Then, after several arguments and a lot of begging, she finally agreed.

The doctors confirmed that she had Alzheimer's.

But that wasn't the only thing they found.

She had cancer too.

Mum had known about the cancer and had been hiding it from me because she didn't want me to worry.

I still hadn't figured out how to feel about that.

Everything happened so quickly after that.

Mum was admitted to the hospital, and suddenly, I was trying to keep up with school, money, and everything else on my own.

Hayley stepped in.

She made sure I ate and had decent clothes to wear. She even hired me when I begged her for a job because I needed money to keep up with my school expenses.

She never made me feel like I was a burden.

"So, as you very well know, today is the big hockey game between the Royal Ice Jumpers and the Mountain Dew Skaters," she said, placing her hands on her desk.

The information was genuinely new to me.

No wonder the arcade was packed. Everyone was waiting for the game to start.

"Oh, really?" I said, smiling awkwardly.

"Maya?" she called, looking at me over her glasses.

"I totally forgot about that," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck.

"Well, now you remember. You're going to be working overtime."

"But"

"No buts," she said, waving her hand.

"That's your punishment. And Justin has a date with his boyfriend, so it's just going to be you."

"Justin gets to go on dates?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. He hasn't been late four times this week," she said mockingly.

I frowned.

"Now get out. My show is starting."

She waved me away with the back of her hand.

I groaned and walked back to the counter, already regretting every late morning that had led me here.

I was going to be stuck here until midnight.

By eight o'clock, the arcade was filled to the brim with people trying to watch the game.

"Okay, honey. It's my time to clock out," Justin said, packing his bag.

"Justin, please don't leave." I gave him my best pleading eyes.

"I wish I could stay, baby," he said, taking my hand.

"But it's been two months without my boo bear, and I promised him tonight before he goes back to Wisconsin."

He gave me a pitiful look.

"I'll make it up to you."

Then he walked out.

I groaned before grabbing the remote and turning on the small TV in front of the counter.

If I couldn't go home, I might as well join the buzz and watch the game.

"Let's welcome the Mountain Dew Skaters onto the rink!"

The opposing team skated onto the ice to a chorus of boos.

I joined in.

I honestly didn't like them.

They played rough, and they were always running their mouths about the Royal Ice Jumpers.

Last week, Reagan, their captain, had made a post about the Royal Ice players being too weak to make it to the finals.

He'd even made a mean sticker mocking the last time they lost to the skaters.

I knew it was just a tactic to get into their heads, and it wasn't fair.

Not that I cared about the Ice Jumpers.

I just liked it when a game was fair.

And, honestly, what did I know about hockey?

"And here comes our home team, the Royal Ice Jumpers, with their captain, Jason Whiteson, leading them onto the ice!"

The crowd erupted as the Ice Jumpers skated in.

Jason raised his hockey stick in the air, wearing that smug smile I had grown to hate.

I wanted to punch a hole straight through his face.

But I didn't want to get arrested for physical violence or murder, so I clenched my fists instead.

"After the gruesome game last month between these two teams, will the Royal Ice Jumpers be able to redeem themselves tonight?"

The whistle blew.

The game began.

"It's looking like a battlefield out there, with Reagan refusing to give Jason an inch at the face-off!"

"You know, Charley, I feel like there is a lot at stake for Jason if he loses this match again," the female commentator said.

"You're right, Hannah. His career is on the line with this one. It's only three games until the finals, and if he loses this match, it could make qualifying much more difficult."

Jason had the puck.

Reagan immediately blocked his path.

"Jason is pushing through! Reagan is right there with him!"

Jason maneuvered around him.

"He's through . . . and he scores!"

The arcade erupted.

The Royal Ice Jumpers had scored first.

I found myself cheering with everyone else before remembering who I was cheering for.

I quickly folded my arms.

Reagan didn't look bothered by the goal.

He simply smiled.

Something about that smile made me uneasy.

The second period started, and Jason took possession of the puck.

The whistle blew.

The game resumed.

The two teams went at each other relentlessly, neither willing to give an inch.

Then the Mountain Dew Skaters struck.

The puck slammed into the net.

"WHAT A SCORE!"

The arcade erupted again, this time with groans from the Ice Jumpers' supporters.

I sighed and got up to grab a drink from the vending machine, taking a bag of Doritos with me.

By the time I returned, the third period had already started.

"This is the final period for the Ice Jumpers to prove they have what it takes to make the finals," the commentator announced.

"The Dew Skaters don't look like they're planning to make it easy for them," Hannah added.

Jason and Reagan stood face-to-face as the players prepared for the restart.

The whistle blew.

The game exploded into motion.

Jason chased the puck, but there was a collision.

For a split second, he lost focus.

Reagan took advantage.

He knocked Jason off balance, sending him crashing onto the ice.

Before Jason could recover, Reagan seized the puck and scored.

"WHAT A GOAL!"

The arcade erupted.

"Mountain Dew Skaters have once again proved they can perform under pressure!"

I stared at the screen.

Jason slowly got back on his feet.

He looked furious.

Then he skated straight toward Reagan.

My eyes widened.

"Jason, don't," Chad said, trying to grab Jason.

He punched Reagan hard in the face.

Reagan collapsed.

Gasps filled the arcade.

Jason tackled him before anyone could react, throwing another punch.

"Stupid motherfucker!"

The coach and several players rushed toward them as the commentators shouted over one another.

Then the screen went black.

The coach had killed the feed.