Cinderella in Skates

chapter TWENTY





Six months later -- June





I'm nervous.

More nervous than he is, I think. My palms are sweaty, my chest is breaking out into hives and I'm pretty sure I'm going to puke all over myself.

Shane has just gone backstage to the green room and I'm sitting a few rows up in the crowd next to his parents and Ivy in a place that I hadn't thought I'd ever be just six months ago.

We have no idea what to expect tonight but the execs invited him back to the draft so hopefully it turns out better his second time around. I'd really like him to get selected.

It's the end of June now. Hockey's over for me -- I started for seven games while Erica was out with her concussion, but Coach Dobrov replaced me once Erica was healthy. We made the playoffs, but only advanced one round. That actually hurt more than I thought it would, but I had fun and gained love for a sport and a pretty great guy. So I guess it wasn't a total wash.

I'm staying in Wisconsin for the summer, but I'll be moving to Arizona in the fall to start college. Shane supports me in that and I know we'll find a way to make it work for as long as we can.

But that's still months away and there are way more important things happening now.

The lights dim in the auditorium and the commissioner of the league walks out onto the stage. The churning is back in my stomach as he opens the draft and announces the Canadian team that's on the clock first.

I want Shane to get selected, but I'm scared he's going to go to some crappy team that's far away from Arizona. Or to another country. But that's just me being selfish.

The commissioner is back a few minutes later to announce the pick and I hold my breath but the name he reads isn't Shane's. Some guy from the University of Colorado walks onto the stage to raucous applause to accept his jersey and put on the hat of the team that chose him.

The knot in my stomach grows. That's one less chance for Shane but I know he's going to get picked. There's no way he can come back from this happening twice: it's his last shot in the draft at all and he's back in the same place he was two years ago when his hopes got crushed.

And then the commish is back on the stage one more time, ready to announce the pick of the team from Southern California. I close my eyes and cross my fingers.

"With the second pick of the draft, the Los Angeles Lions select...Shane Stanford, forward, University of Wisconsin."

I let out the breath it feels like I've been holding since we pulled up at the venue earlier today as I jump to my feet along with his parents and and cheer and clap wildly. I hug his mom, then turn to watch.

Shane comes out onto the stage, the smile on his face huge and perfect and unlike anything I've ever seen from him before. He accepts his new blue-and-white jersey and puts the Lions cap on his head, and looks out into the audience.

He locks eyes with me and the next thing I know, he's running up the stairs toward me and then I'm meeting him in the aisle and he's picked me up in his arms and spins me around.

"You're amazing," I tell him. "I knew you'd do it."

"I know," he replies, and I lean down to kiss him, the smiles still etched on both of our faces.

"You know what else?" he says as he breaks the kiss and sets me down.

"What's that?"

"LA is closer to Phoenix than Wisconsin."

"I think you might be right about that."

"Looks like your plan to run away failed. I think you're stuck with me now."

"I guess I am." I lean in to kiss him. "And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way."