“Why areyoupreparing for this? It’s bound to be a lot worse for me than it is for you. This is your safe space. The last time I came here I had a panic attack,” Wren murmurs, tugging on my hand and looking up at me. Does she have to look so good all the time? Those french braids are doing absolutely nothing for me and rule number three. “Come on, Milesy. You’re a big boy, you can handle it.”
I smile and I don’t tell her how difficult it’s going to be to see the whole team together after the last interview we did all together we did with Carter. I don’t tell her that it’s going to take everything in me not to rip Jake’s head off the second I lay eyes on him. Instead, I squeeze her hand tighter in mine and step up to the door.
With that, the door swings open and the room erupts into cheers and music blasts from the speakers, no doubt with Grey’s playlist playing. The entire hockey team is here, crammed into the living room and the hallway along with a bunch of other random people I’ve never seen before. I know that the interviews take place in the basement that has been soundproofed so there’s no wonder why it’s so loud up here. I pull Wren with me through the crowd until we get to the kitchen, standing on opposite sounds of the island.
“Is it just me or are you getting really vivid deja vu?” I ask, remembering the night of the party. Wren laughs a little, picking up one of the waters that are on the island.
“If only you were choking over the sink again,” she drawls, shaking her head at me. I’m about to make a snarky comment but Xaiver appears, his arm around Michelle as they sport matching NU Bear’s jerseys. Michelle writhes out of his grip and pulls Wren into a tight hug. “Michelle! How are you?”
“I’m fabulous,” Michelle replies, pulling out of the hug and holding Wren at arms length. “Iloveyour hair like this, Wren. Isn’t it so cute, Miles?”
“The cutest,” I say, no word of a lie as I watch her face turn a bright pink. It’s so easy to make her blush and I want to do it all the time. Xavier stands beside me, smiling, as we watch our girls gush over each other’s outfits. Well, myfakegirl. Because that’s all we are. The more I tell myself that, the more I start to believe it.
“Those two are going to be best friends. No matter how you guys end things, you can’t make my girl upset about losing Wren. She’s, like, obsessed with her,” he says, low enough for only me to hear. Yeah, she’s not the only one.
“Can I be honest with you guys?” Michelle says, turning towards me and Xaiver. Wren watches her, clearly unsure about what’s going to come out of her mouth. “Wren is the best person you’ve dated, Miles.”
Wren laughs, throwing her head back. “You can stop with all the compliments, Michelle. You don’t have to try and flatter me,” she says, twisting the end of her braid between her fingers.
Mitch shakes her head. “No. I’m being serious. You bring out the best in him. I’ve seen him through many stages in his life and this is by far the happiest. Losing Carter has been hard for all of us but you’ve managed to make him somewhat happier.”
Wren stands there, frozen. This is what we want. We need people to be invested in us but this feels like we’re crossing a line somehow. I know she’s made me a happier person. Even if this is pretend, the way she makes me feel is so real that it scares me. Not the way that she turns me on or drives me crazy but the way that she talks to me, listens to me and even when she’s trying to push me away, she still tries to make an effort.
Before I can respond to try and save this somehow, Sophia’s voice echoes off the walls. Because she’s one of the most extra people I’ve ever met, she's managed to connect a microphone to the speakers in the house. Now, this is an upgrade from last year.
We can’t see her from the kitchen but there’s no doubt that she’s standing on the table in the living room, making this into a performance.
“Hello, everybody,” Sophia’s voice booms. “I’m so glad so many of you could make it. If you’ve just arrived, refreshments are everywhere and so is the food. We’re going to get straight into it and I’m inviting the first five people into the basement where the group interview will take place. Afterwards, individual interviews will take place. If your name is not called, sit tight and you will be down next. First can I have Xavier Dawson, Harry Butler, Jake Callahan, Greyson Aoki-Park, and Miles Davis downstairs. Please, and thank you!”
Xavier and I look at each other and then back to the girls. “I guess that’s our que,” I say, nodding at Wren to come over to me and she does. “Do you want to stay up here or come down?”
“If Michelle is going then I am too,” she replies, beaming at her new best friend. We start to make our way through the crowds as I hold onto Wren’s hand as we go down the stairs to the basement. It shouldn’t be this nerve-racking. It’s just a stupid interview with my stupid friends. That’s it. “Miles?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“You’re squeezing my hand,” she whispers. “It hurts.”
“Shit. I’m sorry,” I say, releasing her hand so my grip is loose. I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss it as she blinks up at me with those killer green eyes. “Better?”
She nods. “Much better.”
When we get down to the basement, it looks a lot more professional than I thought. On one side of the room, there’s a white wall with a neon light that reads ‘Sophia’s Corner’ behind a couch that’s big enough to fit ten of us on there. On the seats on the couch, there is a sheet of paper with our names on them, which I’m assuming is the order Sophia wants us to sit in. I’m on one end next to Harry, Xavier, Grey and then Jake on the other end. I’ve not even bothered to look in his direction since we got down here, knowing that chaos would erupt if I did.
On the other side of the room there are brown chairs and tables filled with drinks and snacks for the people that have agreed to stand silently and watch the interview up close. Sophia’s director's chair also makes this whole thing feel more official. You’d think we’re about to go live on air not for a graduation video with the amount of effort that she’s put into this.
We all take our seats and Wren and Michelle stand on the other side of the room, lingering around a table near where Sophia’s chair is. I try to get my heartbeat to settle when I notice the team photo that Sophia has hung up on the wall. She has one of all the major sports teams at NU, including the skating team which she probably took for the yearbook. In our picture, it’s the one where we’re celebrating our season win last year, Carter being held up by all of us with the trophy in his hands. I shake off the uncomfortable feeling and try to settle down. I look over at Wren and she does the dorkiest most adorable thing ever, smiling wide as she gives me a double thumbs up.
I can do this.
“Are you guys ready?” Sophia asks, setting up her camera on her tripod and pressing record before mouthing a countdown. “So, we are here with the first interview of the day with some of my favourite players from the North University Bear’s hockey team. We have Miles Davis on your right, followed by Harry Butler, Xavier Dawson, Greyson Aoki-Park and Jake Callahan. What a dream team, I must say.”
“When you’ve known each other as long as we have, it’s hard not to work together so well,” Xavier says, looking up and down the line. Everyone nods in agreement. “Of course, it was different for Haz over here, since he’s only just joined the team in first year.”
Harry groans at the nickname we’ve all got for him and we all laugh. “Just because I didn’t play with you guys in middle school or high school, doesn’t make methatnew to the team,” he retorts.
“How does it feel being the baby of the team, Harry? It must be a lot different to playing hockey in Australia,” Sophia says, crossing her legs and getting into her serious position.
“It feels good. I mean, in my town, ice hockey was pretty uncommon so when my dad said we were moving here, it gave me the best opportunity to try out for a team,” Harry explains.
