Free In Dreams by J. Sterling Page B

watch Danny warm up. And I also want to get a good seat. People on this coast actually like hockey, you know.”
    Katherine appeared out of the bathroom, “Okay, I’m ready.”
    At the rink, Katherine followed Taylor into what she considered perfect seats and sat. She breathed in the cold air and smiled.
    “I just love being in here,” Taylor told her with a smile. “Oh, I see Danny!”
    Katherine looked around the ice for Cooper. When she spotted him she noticed him wink at her through his facemask. Her insides fluttered.
    The seats quickly filled up and before Katherine knew it they had formed the “girlfriends section.” It was the area of the rink where all of the girlfriends of the guys on the team ended up sitting. All the other girls knew exactly who Taylor and Katherine were, and exactly who they were there to watch play. “Hi, I’m Kristie. I’m dating Tommy. He’s number 39.”
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Katherine.”
    “Hey, I’m Taylor.”
    Introductions went all around and Katherine thought to herself that it was the first time other girls were actually being nice to her when it came to Cooper. She relaxed her shoulders and attempted to watch the game she knew nothing about.
    The crowd went crazy when the team skated onto the ice but nothing was louder than the cheers for Cooper when they introduced him over the loudspeakers. Katherine felt a glow of warm pride inside her.
    Cooper skated around on the ice effortlessly. The way he moved and stopped was as easy for him as walking. This was a side of him she didn’t see everyday. Being a hockey player brought out his tough edges. He couldn’t walk around and punch people on campus but on the ice it was a different story. He could be rough, aggressive, and powerful. And he was. She watched him slam people into the sides of the rink and wondered how they didn’t get hurt.
    She noticed the other team was always very aware of where he was and they tried their best to stop his every move. But no one could stop Cooper Donovan on the ice. He made goals, assisted with goals, and led his team to victory. Now she understood why people treated him the way they did. He was like a god when he played and it was incredible to watch. People wanted to be part of it because it was special.
    After the game the girls followed the other girlfriends downstairs into a secluded tunnel area. There was a door that led to the locker room and it was the only way in or out.
    Katherine turned to Taylor and whispered, “Do you think Cooper’s parents are here?”
    “I didn’t even think about it, but I bet they are,” Taylor looked around.
    The door swung open as Danny and Cooper walked out together, smiling widely. Cooper’s eyes darted into the crowd as he looked for familiar faces. He spotted Katherine and his face softened. She started to walk toward him when she noticed a couple motion him over. He kissed the short, dark-haired woman on the cheek and gave the older, gray-haired man a hug. He looked back at Katherine and waved her over. She started to shake nervously with each step.
    “Mom, Dad, this is Katherine.”
    “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Donovan. It’s nice to meet you,” Katherine said with kindness.
    Cooper’s dad welcomed and greeted Katherine with a warm hug, “It’s nice to meet you too, Katherine. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Katherine shot Cooper a surprised look.
    “Yes, Katherine. Nice to meet you,” Cooper’s mother reached out her hand to greet her with a firm shake. Her tone of voice was cold and unfriendly. Katherine noticed Cooper’s eyes narrow in disapproval.
    He turned to Katherine before his mother could do any more damage and said, “I’m going to grab some dinner with my parents. I’ll call you later. Thanks for coming to the game,” he bent down and kissed her lips with longing.
    Katherine blushed. Embarrassed, she quickly responded, “Of course. It was a lot of fun. ’Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Donovan. It was nice to meet you.” She