, Malayna sat on her bed, the puck Carter Hart had given her four days ago, in her hand.

She sat upright, lost in her own thoughts as the highlights from the nights' NHL games, were recited. Malayna couldn't stop thinking about the World Juniors. More specifically, a certain boy that plays for team Canada.

Malayna remembers the moment they "met" perfectly. It was etched into her brain the moment his hazel coloured eyes met her own. His smile widened as did his eyes as they gazed at each other. His chestnut coloured hair was tousled and messy, his cheeks a light red due to the temperature of the arena.

He was so cute. The way his face fell when he couldn't get the puck over the glass on his first attempt. The way his eyes widened like he was a deer caught in headlights when she had caught him examining her. He was just so — she didn't know. Malayna couldn't figure out why this boy was so unforgettable. Why she couldn't get him out of her mind.

The part that made the blonde so angry was the fact that to him, she was probably just another girl who had came to support her country. He probably found her reaction to receiving a puck, weird. He was probably with his girlfriend at the moment. Not dwelling or giving Malayna a second thought. He had probably forgotten that he had given her a puck, he's probably done that plenty of times, with plenty of girls. She wasn't anything special, she was just another fan.

No matter how many times she tried to tell herself it was nothing, him giving her a puck was nothing and his lingering gaze was nothing, Malayna couldn't put her mind at ease. It didn't help that afterwards, on the way back to her house right after Canada destroyed Slovakia, her father had decided to bring up the moment with Carter.

"You know, he was checking you out," her father stated bluntly, not bothering to tear his gaze from the road as Malyana played with the puck in her hands.

Malayna's head snapped to look at her father, the sign she was staring at prior to her fathers statement, long gone. "W-what?" She questioned, not knowing if she heard wrong.

"Hart. Carter, he was checking you out."

Malayna opened her mouth and then closed it, her mind racing as the scene unfolded in her mind once again. "I- doubt that," is the best she could come up with.

Her father only responded with a shrug, not caring to continue the conversation. Malayna returned her eyes back to the window, her mind racing with questions she wished to ask her father. She didn't want to make it seem like it was some big deal, because, in reality it wasn't. But to Malayna, the thought of Carter glancing at her even for just a second, made her heart race.

And it was thanks to that conversation that Malayna hasn't been able to stop thinking of Canada's starting goaltender. No matter how many times she told herself the 'moment' they had was nothing, the possibility of Carter checking her out came to mind which brought a smile to her face and millions of thoughts to mind.

She wondered if he had seen her at the outdoor game. She knew she was caught devouring a hotdog, her face appearing on the jumbotron, but she wondered if any of the boys from the two teams had glanced up and seen her. Did Carter? Malayna wondered. Did he glance up and catch sight of her face? Did he freeze, recognizing her, or did he laugh it off, finding the scene funny? She wondered if he thought she was weird, devouring a hotdog like that.

That was the part that was eating away at her insides. What did Carter think of her? Did he think anything? Or was she just another person he had given a puck to?

Malayna shook her head, snapping herself back to reality. She hadn't realized she was sweating until the puck dropped from her hands onto her bed and her hands rubbed together. Taking a deep breath, Malayna stood up, her feet wobbling as she hadn't gotten out of her bed in more than two hours. She was literally driving herself insane. She needed to get out. She needed to clear her thoughts.

It was 10:34 at night when Malayna bounded down her steps, away from her house. The chilly Buffalo air immediately filled her lungs, making the young girl feel better. She felt reenergized. Snowflakes danced from the sky and clung to Malayna's clothes. A shiver was sent down her spine as the flakes melted and ran down her back.

Malayna walked with a smile on her face. The streets were deserted, a few cars driving cautiously down the road, their windshield wipers working furiously. If anyone had seen her outside, they'd probably think she was crazy. It was freezing, however Malayna was prepared. She wore her parka she wore to the outdoor game the night before, a grey pullover hoodie underneath to provide more warmth. She wore black Adidas pants with the three white stripes up the sides of the legs. Her grey toque kept her ears warm and hair dry, though by the time Malayna reached her destination the ends of her hair were drenched from the melting snow, and the trail of footprints her dark brown Uggs made, were already covered up with fresh snow.

Malayna plopped down on the park bench, crossing one leg over the other as looked around. Taking a deep breath, she let her eyes flicker closed for a moment so she could revel in the feeling of being free. This was it. This is where she'd clear her mind and any thoughts of Carter Hart, the amazingly beautiful goaltender representing her country at the World Juniors.