It's Friday. I absolutely love Fridays. Of course, everyone on the team likes Fridays, they can't wait to go out and party all weekend and they don't have to worry about teachers and tests, for one night, at least. I, however, enjoy this particular day of the week because it's our date night. Yes, Connie and I, in our senior year at Eden Hall Academy have achieved the illustrious mild stone of the unspoken Friday night date. That's right, I don't have to ask her anymore, we know we're going out on Fridays. So here I am, it's my favorite day of the week, and school just ended. All I have to do is make it through hockey practice and I have the rest of the night to do what I like. As I enter the locker room, I see exactly what I like. She's standing there, still in her school clothes, talking to Julie. Her back is to me and I take the opportunity to stare at her long dark hair. She wears it down a lot at school; it's almost past her waist now. I walk up beside her, she says "hi" and continues her conversation. I don't say anything. I just open her school bag to the part where she keeps her hair brush and take it out. I stand behind her and gently begin to brush the silky strands into place. Julie is smiling strangely.

"What is he doing?" she asks Connie.

"He likes to braid my hair," says my Connie, in mock annoyance. I smile and kiss her neck. They continue their conversation. I'm not listening to it, I'm busy twisting the long strands together. I'm surprisingly good with hair. I finish the braid, put an elastic on the end and stand back to admire my work. I return the brush and hug Connie around the waist from behind. She's finished talking now and Julie has gone into the girls change room. She twists around in my arms and glances around the locker room to see if anyone of importance is looking before giving me a short, but passionate, kiss on the lips. She breaks free of my embrace and heads for the change room, giving me a playful slap on the ass as she passes. "Get ready!!" she yells over her shoulder. It takes me a minute to remember who I am and what I'm supposed to be doing. I put on all 200 pieces of hockey gear in about 2.8 seconds. Then I sit on the bench, lacing up my skates and wondering why girls take so long to change. Some of the guys sitting around me are talking. I don't pay much attention, I'm staring at the wall thinking about Connie getting undressed behind it.

"So what about you Guy?" someone has asked me something. Who? What?

"Huh?" I mumble, shaken out of my reverie. The guys laugh.

"I asked you what you were doing tonight," said Fulton.

"Oh," I know this one, "I'm going out. With Connie." Duh.

"Cool," Charlie adds, "where are ya going?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out tonight." Great, that sounded really romantic. Maybe tonight I'll surprise her. Flowers. Candy. Candlelight dinner at a romantic restaurant. On my budget? Naw. How about a candlelight dinner at my house? Perfect, my parents will be out this evening. I'll cook it myself, some complicated pasta dish, that she'd never expect me to be able to make. She doesn't know I can cook. She'll find out tonight. I mull over the details of the evening while I wait. About a million years later, Connie comes out of the change room. She grabs her skates and walks towards me. She sits down next to me on the bench. She raises her eyebrows as I get up and sit down in front of her, on the floor.

"What are you doing?" she asks, playfully. I just smile and start putting on her skates. "I have put on my own skates before, you know," she laughs, "several times, in fact," but she doesn't stop me as I lace them up.

"That tight enough?" I ask as I finish.

"Yeah," she says, standing up, "what's the special occasion."

"It's Friday," I answer.

"I love Fridays," she says, and puts her arm around my waist. I put my arm around her shoulders and we head out onto the ice together.