"Look who finally learned how to dress for a hockey game," I yell the second I walk out of the locker room. People rush toward me, mostly student journalists and people still hyped from the game but I dodge them all and head right for Francesca. I used to love the attention from everyone when I walked out of the locker room but now I would rather just hang with Francesca and hear what she has to say about my game.

We are playing Michigan State this weekend so today we played at home while last night we played in Detroit. I knew Francesca wasn't going to the game but I was more than pleasantly surprised when the game was over to see a couple of texts from her talking about the game. My favorite was when I got sent to the box and she sent a picture of me pouting and said I look like a toddler in timeout. Fridays are her quiz grading day so I felt honored she took time out of grading to watch the game on her phone.

"You literally brought me your hand-me-downs Thursday! I got the hint." Today she is wearing an old oversized jersey I had laying around. Most of the guys' parents usually frame their old jerseys or keep them but mine just sit in a pile in my bedroom. Since I needed to clean up and make space for the rats new home I decided to donate some stuff to her so she could stop showing up and embarrassing me. It is rough seeing pictures on twitter of me and her talking and she is wearing not a single shred of hockey apparel to a hockey game.

"Finally. To the pet store?"

"Don't you need to talk to your fans? Give them that annoying smirk or wink you do."

"I do neither of those things!"

"Oh my god you fucking liar, yes you do, all the time."

"Do not," I grumble. "Anyways, are we going or not? I am pretty sure they are going to start rioting if I don't get them a bigger cage soon."

"Have you been exercising them," she scolds me as we both make our way to the door. I stop for a few pictures but continue to talk to Francesca while I do.

"Yes but I am not exactly home all that much, remember. Why don't you come over and play with them since you're so worried about me over feeding them."

"I will," she counters stubbornly. I turn away from her to snap a few more pictures and give my usual we played hard and it paid off bullshit to the same student reporters I told the same shit to last game. When I turn back around she is talking to a little kid who keeps getting edged away from me by students and reporters.

"Hey," I greet the little boy who gets shy and looks at Francesca for help.

"Ryder, this is Ben, he was wondering if you'd take a picture with him."

"Of course Ben," I tell the boy whose mom quickly steps in to snap a few pictures. I take my hat off my head and grab a sharpie from whatever hand is shoving it toward me. Signing the hat I hand it to the little boy whose eyes are huge now.

"Thank you," he stammers before running away to show off his new hat. His mom thanks both me and Francesca before following after him.

"You're basically a politician, do you also kiss baby heads?"

"No, but I give pretty good head," I reply as we both continue to walk out of the arena.

"Doubtful," she counters.

"Guess there is only one way to find out," I tell her, throwing her a wink. The same annoying wink she just accused me of doing. I curse immediately as she smiles like the fucking Grinch.

"Ha," she yells triumphantly as we both get in the car and she continues to harass me the entire ride to the pet store.

When we get to the pet store I reach into my backseat and grab my spare hat. "God how many of those do you have? You know hats cause balding right?"

"I like my hats, leave me alone you bully!"

"Fine enjoy hair plugs and fake teeth."

The other day we had a 45 minute fight about hockey players teeth and Francesca almost made me call my dentist to prove all my teeth are real. Even now I don't think she believes me but they are, I wear a mouthguard for that very reason. Not all guys wear one and I will admit it can be annoying but I have friends with missing front teeth and I would rather not end up like that. My teeth are one of my best features.

Both Francesca and I went a little crazy the past few days looking up everything we would need for the rats and while the pet store close to campus had what we needed we didn't like the brand food they had or the types of cages so we drove 20 minutes away to a better store. Penelope, Sofie, and Elle are already extremely spoiled by us and there is a large multi level cage on hold that only further proves that point.

Walking into the pet store we head right to the rodent section knowing exactly what we want. We debated on what food they should eat. I used to just feed Penelope what the school supplied but that wasn't good enough for Francesca. We grab the food we agreed on, along with the bedding, some cage furniture, toys, and other things we need for proper care. We even get a small carrier so we don't have to transport them in a bag ever again.

"Is that all of it?" I ask while Francesca checks over our list.

"Yeah," she nods, pocketing her list as we head for the checkout line.

I can already see her grabbing for her wallet but not a chance in hell I will let her pay. I know a little about her family, not much, but enough to know that if she pays today it isn't coming from their account but her own. Unlike me who is just pissing away daddy and mommy's money. In all honestly the $300 for rat stuff is the least they can do after the years of shitty parenting and neglect.

Before the cashier even tells us the total I have shoved my credit card in the slot and Francesca gives me a disapproving look. "My rats," I say justifying what I just did.

"Two of them you got because of me."

"My rats," I repeat even though we basically had a custody battle at practice Thursday because Francesca didn't want to not see them from May to August when she is back in New York and I am here. We decided that since we can't separate them we will have weekly facetimes where she can see them and I will send daily pictures.

"I am the godmother," Francesca tells the lady as we grab all the stuff on the counter.

I drive us back to the house and we get started assembling the cage. Well correction, I get started while Francesca lays in my bed playing with the rats. When I finally get the stupid thing built I turn to my bed to show her only to find all 4 of them sound asleep.

I snap a quick picture, the rats have all piled themselves in the crock of her arm by her face while she sleeps in a little ball in a my oversized hockey jersey. I don't want to wake any of them so I finish setting up the cage on my own. It takes longer than I should because I keep pausing to look at them all asleep on my bed.

When the cage is finally done I nudge Francesca and pick the rats up. "Is it done?" she yawns sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Complete."

She surveys it while I patiently wait for the ok to put the rats in. I want her approval before they explore their new home. "Perfect, welcome home ladies."

With her approval I place them inside and they all scatter in different directions checking out their new home. We both watch them for a while laughing as they already begin to pull apart all the work I just put in.

Once we have had our fill of the ladies we decide to join our teams at the sports bar a former UMich hockey player owns. It is the team's favorite spot because no one IDs hockey players. According to the 100s of texts we both have gotten Parker and Bray are not behaving and our presence has been requested to handle them.

The whole drive over Francesca and I try to figure out why they hate each other. Bray seems to have this weird fixation on Parker, ever since that first night. Bray is usually super easy going but Parker seems to just tick him off in ways I can't even begin to understand. But according to Francesca, Bray seems to have the same effect on Parker. Parker can't even go to hockey games because he just heckles Bray and nearly gets beat up by fans. Whatever it is, things are getting worse by the day and as our two teams get closer their fights seem to get more catastrophic. Eventually something is going to give and I am worried what that day will bring. Shit has already gotten physical between them once already.

When we arrive the teams are completely blended together except for Parker and Bray who have been strategically placed as far away from each other as possible. "Fryder is here," Luna yells and everyone cheers.

"Welcome Fryder," Stan laughs, raising his beer to us. The rest of the group imitates this while Francesca and I just stand in the entrance confused.

"What is a Fryder?" Francesca whispers to me, assuming I have an answer.

"A type of french fry?" I have no idea but it seems everyone else does. "Does anyone want to explain what a Fryder is?"

"You two," Bray says like it is total common sense. "You two are like our parents and now always together, so we needed something shorter to refer to you by because constantly saying Francesca and Ryder was too wordy."

"Fryder," I repeat, testing it out. I like it but Francesca is looking at her friends completely horrified. I don't bother asking now what the face is about as we join everyone else at the tables they have moved together. I let Francesca take the last open seat and stand behind her resting my arm on the back of her bar stool.

"I'm gonna open a tab, want anything?" I lean down to ask her.

"Yeah a vodka cran, please." I nod and turn to walk away. As I do I feel something being pushed into the back pocket of my jeans. I pull out the rolled up money that we have been passing back and forth for weeks and finally accept it to pay for her drink.

The two teams have completely overrun the bar, stolen the tvs to put on hockey, taken over the music and have more food and drinks at our tables than I have ever seen before. It is really cool to see actually. From prank war to actually getting along, not that the prank war is over but now it is less about revenge and more just for laughs. Except for Bray and Parker, they're still fully in it for revenge which is why they are no longer apart of the official prank war and instead have their own war between just the two of them.

By 2am everyone is tired and drunk so we all head out. The plan was never to spend 6 hours at the bar tonight but now here we are as players from both teams stumble out while others help them. Figure skaters are carrying hockey players and hockey players have tiny figure skaters latched onto their backs like monkeys. I smile watching the site as a tipsy Francesca laughs next to me. I have my arm around her not wanting her to get hurt on the icy sidewalk in her slightly drunk state.

"Tristian, you good to drive?" Tristan stopped drinking around the time I did at 11pm but he was there longer so I feel the need to check in before letting people pile into his car.

"Yeah I only had one drink before you arrived so I am good. Figure skaters if you need a ride get in my car," he yells and the group finally separates from one to two teams again.

"This is nice," Francesca looks up at me.

"Agreed, who knew our two teams would get along so well."

"Such an unlikely group," she giggles. I finally drop my arm from her waist as we near Tristian's car.

"Do you have Valentine's day plans," I ask out of curiosity. I am the only person right now that doesn't have plans and I am starting to feel pathetic. I mean I could have plans, finding a date wouldn't be hard but I don't really want one, I just don't want to be the only dude at the house not doing anything either.

"Nope, it is a dumb holiday," she declares with the same strong look she has about a wide variety of other weird topics.

"Want to have an anti Valentine's day with me and the ladies? Movies and steal the house's gifts to eat them ourselves?"

"Now that sounds like a plan. We don't have practice so I will come over when you're home?"

"We don't either, come over after your writing class we can order dinner too if you want."

"Perfect, see you then Ryder."