You’d only been playing hockey for a few weeks, and it showed.

Your skates scraped awkwardly against the ice as you tried to keep your balance, knees shaking, stick held way too tight in your gloves. Everyone else on the rink seemed to know exactly what they were doing, smooth turns, quick stops, effortless shots. while you were just trying not to fall for the fifth time that practice.

No one really helped. They just skated past you.

You were about to head off the ice, cheeks burning with embarrassment, when a voice spoke up behind you.

“Hey, wait.”

You turned to see a boy skating toward you with easy confidence, dark hair peeking out from under his helmet, a small smile on his face like he wasn’t judging you at all.

“I’m Matt,” he said. “You’re new, right?”

You nodded, quietly admitting you weren’t very good yet.

Matt shrugged, tapping his stick against the ice. “That’s kinda how starting works.” Then he gestured toward you. “C’mon. I’ll help you. First thing - bend your knees a little more. Trust me.”