11. adoring fans

Kitt stripped out of the blue velvety dress and into a big t-shirt and pj shorts and climbed into bed before climbing into bed. She was tired, but she saw a notification from Leo on the ride home, she had saved it for when she was alone. Some how it felt private.

L- we won! Axel got like eighteen penalties, as usual, but Tim stepped up and we won.

L- how was your night?

L- the guys are going out fir wings, even though we have to be back on the ice for nine! They are going to feel that in the morning!

K- sorry I didn't reply earlier, I just hot home.

K- congrats on your win, sending you a celebration hug! Glad Tim could step up. How does Axel still have a position on the team? He spends more time in the penalty box, than on the ice!

L- hey! I have money idea. I mean he is a great player, he just has a hot head.

K- you play at nine tomorrow? That seems early!

L- the first game is at seven! I'm glad we didn't get that one.

K- wow. I wouldn't want that one either, but we did 5am practices for a couple of weeks so I guess 7 is better. Lol

L- yeah, ouch.

L-what are you up to now? Still out partying?

K- bah, we decided to make it a whole weekend type thing so we are turning in early tonight so we can get an early start in the morning.

L- what are you going to do?

K- we decided on a little road trip for the weekend. Just spending some time together.

L-that sounds like fun. I bet it was Josie's idea. She is a bit of a wild one.

K- ACTUALLY! It was my idea.

L-look at you letting your hair down!

K- ew! No! I never put my girls down, it would touch me!

L- you will gave to show me one day so I can see what you mean.

K- I only gave it down in the shower, so unless you plan on joining me in the shower, it is unlikely you will see it.

L- I accept!

K- shut up! You knew what I meant.

L- yeah, you invited me to shower with you and I accepted.

K- I don't usually shower with my friends.

L- I do, all the time.

K- that's between you guys and maybe your therapist.

L- after every game or practice.

K- I still shower alone.

L- have you never heard of conserving water? Shower with a friend?

K- Fine, if we are ever on the same team you can join me.

L- that is now an ironclad contract.

K- sure why not. We will never be on the sane team, so it doesn't matter, does it?

L- that sounds like a challenge

K- sure.

L- I wish you could come watch us play.

K- wouldn't you be distracted? With my awesomeness in the building?

L- I never thought of that.

K- you will just have to try to earn my respect on your own.

L- I do eh? I promise to try.

*

J- any word on the guys team?

K-they won so they play at 9am

J-what?? 9am!! That means we have to leave at like 6am!

K-more like 7

J-thats not better! Hockey is over I want to do all the sleeps!

K-you can probably sleep in the car!

J- these stupid boys better appreciate it!

K- I hope so!

J- you just want Leo to appreciate it.

K - fuck off

J- yep I knew it.

K- we are FRIENDS

J- YEP

K- shut up see you in the morning

***

K- What are you up to now?

L- just chilling in the room

K- who are you rooming with?

L- my line

K- sounds fun

L-what are you doing?

K- I'm snuggled up in bed, I might put on a movie, I should be studying though. I have a mountain of work.

L- snuggling up sounds nice though.

K- it gets my vote.

L- shit, I think my roommate is drunk. Coach will bench him for sure. I will message you tomorrow after the game.

K- k. Good luck.

***

Kitt was awake before her alarm. The group that were going promised to meet in the parking lot at seven so if she wanted a shower she had to be up by six.

They agreed to wear their old Knights jerseys, the matching ones to the boy's team. Hopefully it would make them feel supported.

Kitt piled her long hair up in a messy bun on top of her head and added a temporary tattoo of the school mascot to her cheek. She was excited to go to the game.

The group chat was a mixture of grumbles about the early morning hour, and questions about what people were wearing for pants.

Kitt left the dorm unseen as most other people were still asleep. She picked up a golf cart and went to get her friends.

By the time they were on the road, the music was blaring, and everyone had a Timmies drink of their choice. The nine girls that had both decided to go and actually got up in time, filled three cars. They set out in a convoy, and the mood was high.

Kitt listened to Josie and Alex debate the merits of different anime powers, Keisha was asleep with a pillow against the window and her headphones in. Kitt looked out the window as the world went by. She was perfectly content in that moment.

***

They arrived early. The team would be in the warm up rink still. The girls didn't want to give away their surprise to soon so a group went in search of another Tim Hortons and the rest saved parking spots.

"Oh! Wanna go check out the Dollarama with me?" Kitt spotted the signature green sign.

"Sure!" Alex agreed right away.

"Snacks!" Josie nodded unfolding her legs from under her.

"Key, we are going to the store." Kitt tapped her sleeping friend. She waved her off.

"I have an idea." Kitt smiled at her friends.

"Of course you do." Alex laughed rolling her eyes.

"What?" Kitt looked at Josie who was also laughing.

"You and your ideas get us in the weirdest situations sometimes." Josie grinned.

"Sorry." Kitt looked at her feet a little embarrassed that she was known for her antics.

"Don't be we love it." Alex assured her.

"But I don't mean to make things weird for people." Kitt tried to explain as they crossed the parking lot to the dollar store.

"You don't, well not too much." Josie dropped an arm around her friend.

After they got their supplies, they returned to retrieve Keisha from the car. The other group had returned with trays of the signature red cups filled with steaming hot caffeine.

"Come on ladies, Kitt had an Idea." Alex greeted the group holding up their bags.

"Kitt! Have you checked your phone?" Daria asked excited. The other girls that had gone to the coffee shop looking at her excitedly.

"No, we went to the dollar store." Kitt was instantly weary of the attention.

"Check!" One of the girls prompted.

Kitt rolled her eyes before handing her bags off to waiting hands.

"What am I lookin-" She cut herself off. She had over a hundred notifications. Most were sending her an article written about the Barley Bobcats. The team they had beat for the championship trophy only a week before.

"The first place Bobcats were beat-" Kitt started to read out loud.

"No get down to the interview part near the bottom." Somone interupted.

"Ok ok.

~ Carmen Pfizer of the Bobcats gave us an insight into her experience playing the self proclaimed Puck Princesses, formally known as the XOU Knights.

'I wasn't sure what to think, these girls went viral for beating their boys team only a few days before entering the tournament. They call themselves 'Princesses' we expected them to be self centered and difficult.' Carmen shared on Monday.

'We didn't get much of a chance to interact with them before we played them for the final. They were undefeated essentially. Just like us. But we really got to know what kind of people they are when we learned that they had broken into our dressingroom before the game.' Pfizer told the Gazette.

Kitt nearly vomited. She looked up at the faces of her teammates who were all watching as she read aloud.

'We went into our dressingroom before the game with our heads down and our hearts full of determination. For our seniors it was their last game, and for many they would be hanging up their skates win or loose, so we as a team felt that. We were not expecting what we saw when we arrived for the game though.' Carmen was emotional remembering the game.

'Our room was decorated with hand made signs, one for each of us. Encouraging sayings and quotes, our team colours in balloons and streamers. A giant banner read "bobcat pride" 'women's hockey 2024'. Our coach cried. Then to top it all off there were cards at each locker. Thirty in total, thanking us for being there, for playing in the game and telling us that we were champions win or lose because we chose to play. They cards were signed 'love the CFAA'. At first we didn't know what that was or why they would do this for us. After the game started our trainer Marsha Matlock looked it up. An association started at XOU by Kittridge McCoy and her teammates for the equality of athletes.' Carmen shared.

CFAA (Collegate Female Athletes Association) is an organization at XOU created to fight for the equality of all female Athletes. They proved their goal is personal when they showed encouragement and support of their opponents during the championship game. If you wish to support the CFAA or inquire about chapter enrollment, please contact coach Tenzine At the XUO-

What is even happening?" Kitt stopped reading, tears in her eyes.

"You have done it now!" Keisha grinned.

"See? That's what we mean when we say your antics get us into shenanigans." Josie gestured wildly at Kitts phone.

"I just wanted them to know someone cared." Kitt said a little lost for words.

"Well we better get in there if we want seats." Daria waved the group towards the entrance.

"And we need time to do our little project here." Alex held up the bags again.

"Our what?" A voice asked, but Kitts mind was swimming.

"I'll show you." Alex said leading the group through the doors.

Once they were all seated in the bleachers Alex handed out Bristol board, stickers, markers and glitter pens.

"Time to make some signs!" Josie grinned pointing at the supplies they had purchased.

"Fun!" A voice filled with excitement made Kitt smile finally.  Just maybe not all her ideas were crazy.

***

The Knights took to the ice to a chorus of cheers. Kitt looked around to find the other people cheering to see if she recognized any of them.

Trevor! They made eye contact and she waved excitedly before gesturing for him to come down and join her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a wide grin.

"My roommate Vinny is on the team, number seven." He looked so relaxed. At school he always seemed on edge.

"I had no idea. Do you like hockey?" She asked turning back to watch the Knights line up for the national anthem.

"I know a lot about it because of Vin, but I probably wouldn't watch it alone." He admitted.

"Makes sense." She nodded.

"Why are you guys all here?" He asked looking around at the other Princesses standing waiting for the anthem to start.

"We thought they could use some good cheer." She shrugged.

The anthem was sung by a school choir. It was adorable. They all cheered for the group of kids as they crowded around for the photo op with the players.

Axel smiled and put on his charm, winking at a twelve year old making her blush a bright crimson.

Kitt looked for Leo. He seemed to be absent from the ice. Her stomach dropped, was he hurt? Sick? Dead? She pulled her phone out to see if he had left her a message.

Nothing.

The introduction and formalities were over, the carpet was being rolled up and the teams were taking their positions, still no Leo. Kitt was about to go investigate when she saw him. He was entering the ice with the assistant coach talking and checking his stick.

Kitt wanted to smack him for making her worry. After all, he was her friend, she would worry about any of her friends the same way.

She wasn't sure her heart would skip a beat when she saw them the way it did for him though.