THE HOCKEY CAPTAIN'S SECRET GIRL

FREYA.

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to convince myself not to go. Every time I looked at the black invitation lying on my desk, I wanted to tear it into tiny pieces and throw it away. Then Cassie's voice would come back into my head, reminding me exactly what she had promised to do if I refused. I hated that she had trapped me like this. More than anything, I hated myself for being too scared to walk away.

By the time evening came, I found myself standing outside the hockey arena with hundreds of other students. I kept my hood pulled low and stayed near the back of the crowd, hoping nobody would notice me. The air buzzed with excitement as people shouted, laughed, and waved bright blue flags above their heads. The loud music from the speakers mixed with the sound of whistles and cheers until my ears started hurting. I had promised myself years ago that I would never waste my time watching hockey, yet somehow I was here anyway.

"I told you Maddox is going to score tonight!"

"No way! Their defense is too strong."

"Just watch him!"

The crowd suddenly exploded with screams so loud that I jumped.

"Maddox!"

"Maddox!"

"Maddox!"

I sighed and stood on my toes just enough to see through the people standing in front of me. For only a second, I caught a glimpse of him skating across the ice. He moved so fast that everyone else seemed frozen around him. A moment later, he slammed the puck into the net, and the arena shook from the cheering.

"Oh, come on," I muttered under my breath. "It's just a game."

The girls standing beside me looked like they were about to faint.

"He's so perfect."

"Did you see that?"

"I swear he's even hotter when he scores."

I rolled my eyes so hard they almost hurt.

"I don't get it," I whispered to myself.

To everyone else, Maddox DeLuca was some kind of hero. He was the fearless captain who never seemed afraid of anything. Teachers liked him. Students worshipped him. Every girl wanted him. Even my grandfather talked about him as if he were already playing professional hockey.

To me, he was just Maddox-Draven's loud, annoying best friend. The guy who acted like the world belonged to him. The guy who somehow smiled through everything.

I had seen him enough times at our house to know he was far too confident for his own good. He laughed too loudly, teased my brother too much, and somehow made every room brighter the moment he walked inside. Everyone loved him.

I didn't.

Or at least that was what I kept telling myself.

The final buzzer echoed through the arena, and another wave of cheering burst into the night. Fireworks exploded above the building, lighting up the dark sky with flashes of blue and silver. Students poured out of every entrance, celebrating as if they had just won a championship instead of a friendly match. Someone shouted that the after-party was starting inside the school hall, and suddenly the crowd began moving in one direction.

My feet stayed frozen.

I could still leave.

Nobody was forcing me.

I looked down at the invitation in my hand, then I thought about Cassie. With a shaky breath, I followed everyone else.

The school hall barely looked like the place where we normally attended assemblies. Colorful lights flashed across the ceiling while loud music pounded through giant speakers. Balloons, banners, and decorations covered every wall. Students danced in groups, laughing so loudly they could barely hear each other. Drinks filled long tables near the entrance, and I could already smell alcohol floating through the crowded room.

"This was a terrible idea," I whispered.

I almost turned around.

Instead, I pulled at the hem of my short black dress, wishing it would somehow become longer. I never wore dresses like this. I always chose oversized sweaters and jeans because they made me feel safe. Tonight, I hardly recognized the girl staring back at me in the glass doors. My hair was curled, my lips wore soft pink lipstick, and my brother would probably have a heart attack if he saw me dressed like this.

I felt completely out of place.

Nobody paid attention to me, which should have made me feel better.

Instead, it somehow made me feel even lonelier.

I slowly made my way toward the drinks table, keeping my head down. Earlier that afternoon, I had stopped by a pharmacy near campus. I had told the pharmacist that my grandfather couldn't sleep and needed something mild. The small bottle of sleeping pills now rested inside my purse.

I touched it nervously.

"This is crazy," I whispered.

I wasn't planning to hurt Maddox. I wasn't planning to sleep with him.

I only needed him asleep.

If he passed out somewhere private, I could call Cassie. She could come running, believe whatever she wanted to believe, and leave me alone forever.

Nobody would get hurt.

At least that was what I kept repeating to myself.

The music suddenly became louder as students began shouting.

"Captain!"

"Speech!"

"Speech!"

Curiosity pulled my eyes toward the center of the room.

There he was.

Maddox stood surrounded by his teammates, still wearing part of his hockey uniform with his jacket hanging over one shoulder. His dark hair looked messy from the game, and sweat still glistened along his forehead. He laughed at something one of his teammates said before grabbing a bottle of water instead of alcohol.

Someone groaned dramatically.

"Seriously, Maddox? Water?"

He laughed.

"Coach would kill me if I showed up to practice hungover."

His teammates laughed with him.

Another player threw an arm around his shoulders.

"You worry too much."

"I like being alive," he answered playfully.

The room filled with laughter again.

Girls crowded around him so closely that they practically pushed each other aside.

"Maddox, dance with me."

"No, dance with me first."

"You promised me a picture."

He smiled politely but somehow never looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't promise anybody anything."

"Liar!"

"I have witnesses."

He laughed again.

Watching him from across the room confused me more than I wanted to admit. This wasn't the arrogant show-off I had imagined all afternoon. He thanked people who congratulated him. He smiled at the cafeteria workers who had helped prepare the party. When someone accidentally bumped into him and spilled a drink across his jacket, he simply laughed and told them not to worry.

Why was he being... nice?

I frowned.

"No," I whispered. "Don't fall for that."

I reached into my purse and wrapped my fingers around the small bottle of pills. My hand was shaking so badly that the bottle rattled softly against my palm. I looked toward Maddox again as another group of girls surrounded him.

Five minutes.

That was all I needed.

Just five minutes with him unconscious.

Then Cassie would leave me alone.

Then this nightmare would finally end.

I took one slow breath after another, trying to calm the storm inside my chest. My fingers tightened around the pills until they almost hurt. Every instinct screamed at me to run out of the hall while I still could, but fear kept my feet rooted to the floor. Keeping my eyes locked on Maddox across the crowded room, I swallowed hard and whispered to myself, "You can do this, Freya. You only need five minutes."