Fated By Moonlight

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ass shards on my arm and the scent of peppermint seared into my memory. But

n omega cramming for academic domination. My hair was piled into a messy bun, my raccoon-eye mascara an unintentional fashion statement, and my pyjamas resem

air. Her skintight black jeans and impossibly tall-heeled ankle boots contrasted sharply with my comfort-first ensembl

rking." I held up my open textbook, hoping th

drumming on the armrest. "You have an exam in

shamelessly with sweaty strangers who smell like" I paused, aware of

sparkled. "Tha

erson. I prefer historical walks and cafes with quinoa salads." I

hy you need this. You've been holed up in here since M

ly Alexis could beg with such puppy-dog sincerity. "Fine," I mut

he remote, tossing it onto the nearby coffee

on't give me that look," I scolded, as her twitchy nose surveyed the pellets. She wasn

abbed the yellow-and gold-hoodie Alexis had insisted matched the Polar Blades' team colors, plus a loose pair of legg

eet into slip-on ankle boots. Alexis a

d?" she said, on

huffed and grabbed her leather ja

h excited commentary about which players she thought would be there tonight. I pretended to be capt

ashes at the guards. I shuffled behind, clutching my small bag. The roar of the crowd hit me like

"Right by the home bench. Maybe they'll toss us a puck!" She bounc

t thundering. The ice below gleamed under the spotlights, pristine and promising chaos.

e swarm of play

air. He's practicall

on the puck and not the thighs beneath the pads. M

cross the rink, tracking that tiny black disc. It moved at dizzying speed. I let out a s

keep your eye

o smile. "Keep the pe

sterone could be good for my GPA. She chatted nonstop about strategies, star players, and the sheer exhilarat

n I felt it: a rush of air, a crackling so

ead snapped toward the barrier. For an instant, I saw a mass of pads a

g of peppermint as a voice I recognized o

ything we

sweat-dampened hair hovered above me as he murmured apologies. My arm throbbed, and distant bells rang in my ears. I tried to