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I hope you caught the sarcasm.
“LOU! Can you believe the season opener is finally here?!” My roommate’s enthusiastic outburst causes the students mingling around the cafeteria to pause their conversations and shoot questioning glances our way.
The tiger ears and matching tail Stella is sporting on top of her signature black tank and joggers combo might also have something to do with the stares. She managed to rope me into wearing the orange and black stripped face paint, but I put my foot down when the furry add-ons came out. Stella’s school spirit may know no bounds, but mine only goes so far.
“Considering you spent half an hour painting my face this morning, yes, I can believe the opener has finally arrived.”
Whatisunbelievable though, is the fact we’ve already reached the end of September. Feels like just yesterday I was anxiously packing all my belongings in cardboard boxes.
“Pfft,” Stella bats away the comment with a wave of her hand. “I know you secretly love the tiger stripes.”
Rolling my eyes with a smile, I turn to scan today’s breakfast menu. I don’t even bother reading the new vegan items featured on the chalkboard, my meals tend towards the carbohydrate side of the board. It’s not that I don’t like the nutritional section legumes fall under; it’s just given the choice, bagels and fries are going to win over spinach and kale every time.
Thankfully, Taber’s mandatory first-year meal plan takes all diets into consideration. From vegan options to deep fried goodness, this university is one of the rare few who genuinely cares for its students’ gastronomical wellbeing. Whether you’re in the mood for salty fries or a freshly made salad; Taber’s cafeteria has you covered.
We slowly inch closer to the counter when Stella’s phone rings.
“It’s Mo. Can you order my usual?” I nod and she excuses herself from the line. Walking a few steps from the queue, a wave of excitement radiates from my roommate as she answers the phone. I smile at the blatant display of sibling love. Something I’ll never experience but always admire.
“NEXT!” I shuffle forward, placing an order for an extra slathered Screaming Bagel and an extra-large Protein Punch. Elderly eyes asses me from behind the counter, a questioning stare that’s either judging my face paint or the calorie count of those two meals combined. Given the fact she deals with university kids day-in, day-out, I’m going to go with the latter.
“NEXT!” Jumping the slightest bit, I move aside for the next person to shuffle forward. Mrs. Cafeteria may be a tad judgemental, but she’s got efficiency down.
I grab our order and wander over to where Stella’s standing, phone still pressed against her ear.
“… you’re here now? But I thought you weren’t coming until later… No, no it’s fine. We’ll meet you in the bleachers. See you soon.” Jabbing the end button, her furry tail swishes through the air as Stella turns to face me.
“Sorry about that, Mo turned up early for once in his life.” Sighing with exasperation, she grabs the protein shake I’m holding out to her. “A protein punch is just what I need right now. Thank you so much.” Pausing to take a gulp of her shake, Stella gestures towards the nearest door.
“Let’s go hunt down my brother and snag good seats. We need to get a good view of the field, you have a certain rookie to cheer for after all.” I groan good naturedly and link my arm through hers.
“Apparently number twelve is the one to lookout for.” Stella gives a little squeal and I laugh, trying to unwrap my breakfast with one hand.
Unfortunately, the coordination required to eat food single handily is apparently above my skillset because next thing I know, cream cheese is smeared all the way down my shirt and all that’s left in my hand is a depressingly plain bagel.
Handing me her napkin, Stella is barely able to keep her laughter in check, “There is a really dirty joke about cream that I am not even going to touch right now.” Eyeing my non slathered bagel from every angle, I sigh in resignation.
The weather is unseasonably warm for the end of September, and the sun beats down on our faces as Stella and I hike across Taber’s surprisingly large sporting arena. Situated in the far-right hand corner, the lacrosse field is easily the farthest distance I’ve had to walk this year. The best part of going to a smaller university is not having to walk more than twenty minutes from anywhere on campus. This trek is definitely pushing the edge to that time zone, making me thankful I never considered joining a varsity team.
As we wind our way to the wooden bleachers lining the edge of the field, clusters of people begin to form. I knew lacrosse was one of Taber’s more popular sports, but I hadn’t realized how many students would show up to support the team. Orange and black greets me at every turn, the shirts and banners screaming school spirit are as vibrant as the crowd is loud. I even spot a few girls who have the same tiger ears as Stella, but no one else has the flaming orange tail. Stella is in a league all on her own with that one.
Among the sea of stripes, flashes of silver stand out. I’ve never known a school to only be represented by one colour before, but apparently Silverwood Sabers is fond of their metallic mascot.
A black poster catches my eye, and I gasp. The vibrant drawings contrast greatly with the dark paper, making it easy to understand the concept. A tiger lies bleeding out on the ground, severely wounded, with a saber stabbed through his middle. The level of detail in the fallen predator is enough to make my stomach churn.
Looking at the artist holding the poster, the unease grows. The boy looks to be in his late teens, with a pale complexion that almost looks sickly under his shockingly white, blonde hair.
“Skylar Vin,” Stella nods towards the poster holder. “He’s been coming to watch these games as long as me. His older brother is infamous in the USport circuit.” I shudder, tearing my eyes away from the gruesome art.
“What’s he famous for?”
Stella grimaces, “Infamous. Vector Vin holds the record for highest number of players he’s put in the hospital. He’s big, he’s mean, but most of all he’s angry. And that makes him unpredictable.” I whip my head around in horror.
“Has he ever injured a Taber player?”
“A couple, yeah. Mo’s never been hurt, thank God, but our goalie last year got messed up pretty bad. He walked away with a dislocated shoulder and two broken ribs vowing he’d never step on a lacrosse field again as long as that monster is loose.” My eyes flit back to Skylar and his sign, the gory details filling me with more dread than before.
Stella continues, “The worst part is that our goalie got off easy. A defenseman from Coaldale had to get immediate leg surgery after Vector pummelled him to the ground. The guy shouldn’t be allowed to walk in public much less play a contact sport.”
