The match was an unforgettable festival of dynamics and acoustic variety for Lada! A combination of sound flashes struck her. Adrenaline splashed left and right. Emotions ran high. At first, the players' super-fast movements made it impossible to see the puck, let alone catch it. Gradually, she got better at following the action. She even managed to reach for the nimble black disk once. Unfortunately, a poorly timed touch altered a perfect pass. The opposing team intercepted the puck. But at least she tried! She saw P.J. giving her approving gestures.

For a moment, Lada felt she was helping the team. She guided the stick with exactness, the puck obeyed, and her strides stabilized. But then she realized that Puppy was slowing his passes to her to the lowest speed possible. He was also coordinating the game with the experienced players to protect her. And he never took his eyes off her. The guys seemed to form an impenetrable dome around Lada, letting the girl play to her heart's content. Only the small, agile attacker Kitty could break through the defense. A puma's speed matched hers. She would steal the puck from Lada and, in a blink, score on Tory, the inexperienced goalie.

Rocky and Max emerged as masterful athletes, unleashing a barrage of goals. Whenever Lada wasn't handling the puck, she kept her eyes on P.J. Watching him play was as thrilling as watching a car race. Every maneuver combined elegance and strength. It had smooth turns, masterful strikes, and, of course, genuine emotions. His skating not only displayed athletic skills, it was an art that mesmerized and inspired.

At first, the two teams were tied in points. The tension in the stands grew with each passing second. Then Leo made a series of substitutions on his team to attack his brother's players with fresh energy. In the first half, Tory and Lada had a blast under Puppy's watchful eye! Tory was letting fewer pucks through. Lada, under P.J.'s close guidance, was getting better at preventing the team from scoring.

"How are you girls doing?" Puppy sprayed Lada and Tory with a wave of tiny snowflakes that formed from his sudden stop. "Want to take a break during the second half?"

"Yes!" Girls emitted a simultaneous, high-pitched scream, gasping for air.

***

Leo's team won the first half. Tension mounted for the next round as elite players and Tomas took the ice. Some moments on the field seemed deadly to Lada. She shut her eyes, waiting for Tory's assurance before opening them. The worst moments were when P.J. was in the center of the action. Lada's heart would freeze, then pound, as he skillfully emerged with the puck from a chaotic snow cloud. Both girls couldn't believe that a few minutes ago, they had been part of such a dangerous event!

Kitty, who had joined them on the bleachers, kept complaining: "The first half was child's play! Now, during the real game, I'm benched! That the f*ck?".

P.J.'s team was leading when a painful roar echoed through the stadium. The girls turned their eyes back to the rink, forgetting their conversation. A long, sharp whistle from the referee signaled that something bad had happened on the ice. Hearts pounding, the girls leaned against the railing, trying to see what was going on. Teammates helped someone off the ice and to the stands. Large drops of blood formed a trail to the tribune.

"Tom!" Tory jumped up, nearly tripping over her own gear in the rush.

Tom's lip and nose were shattered, with blood gushing from the wounds.

Tory grabbed dry ice and clean gauze from the first-aid kit. She handed them over before the medics arrived to stop the bleeding.

Lada tried not to look at the red blotches, but the concern for friend kept her from fully turning away. She felt her legs buckle, her unsteady stance on the skate blades causing her to lose balance. Her ears started to ring, and everything spun. Puppy and Ray grasped her carefully, lowering her onto the bleachers.

"Don't take deep breaths," P.J. said, holding smelling salts under Lada's nose. They cleared her head immediately.

"Was it serious? How is he?"

"His lip took a bad hit, and there's a lot of blood because the vessels burst, but it's nothing serious. Don't worry."

Lada faced Tom and found him and Tory bursting into laughter at his look. Tormenta had stuffed about half a pack of gauze pads into Tom's nose, making him look like a battered walrus. From the small puddle of blood at his feet, Tory had drawn a neat, symmetrical heart. She covered it with a napkin. Once the blood had soaked in, she had created an impromptu souvenir from the legendary match. They might sell it for a substantial sum at auction. Mrs. Jay was bustling around with a smile. By the time the duty doctor arrived, there was almost no work left for him to do.

Lada exhaled and laughed at her own absurdity. Nothing serious had happened, yet she had already taken a mental tour of the afterlife. In extreme emergencies, she would collapse before arriving to assist.

Lada smiled at P.J. but unexpectedly met his stern gaze. He took her hand and checked his watch. Her blood pressure plummeted, and her pulse hovered at normality's boundary.

"Lada, tomorrow morning we're going on a date! To the hospital! These numbers are not normal; you need help!"

"I'm fine now," she replied as gently and calmly as she could. "I just get scared at the sight of blood. I'm okay."

She patted his shoulder. Then, she extended both hands to him to help her up from the chair. But, P.J. wasn't ready to end the conversation.

"You've been sleeping poorly. Your skin is almost translucent. You're fainting like clockwork... Lada..."

Lada's thoughts stopped at the phrase "sleeping poorly." She blushed with a mix of embarrassment and pleasure, noting that her friend watched over her even when she slept.

"Lada?" P.J. demanded, bringing her back to reality.

"P.J., I've stopped taking my medication," Lada confessed. "My body is adjusting."

P.J.'s forehead furrowed with worry. His eyebrows shot up. His gaze darted between her eyes and lips, hoping she would take back her words.

"Tell me you're joking. Did you do this on a doctor's recommendation?"

"No. I can't live in a numbed state anymore, P.J. I've spent my life feeling like I was observing my own simulation from another world. It didn't bother me when I was studying and doing a boring job with zero friends by my side. But now, with Tom and Tory, our shoots, and... most importantly, you... I want to live a hundred percent of my life. I want to feel all the flavors and sensations, not wander the earth like a soulless ghost in the flesh."

P.J. pressed his hands to his temples, struggling to find appropriate words; none came to mind.

***

Puppy didn't let the girls take part in the third period, as the game had become too dangerous and intense. Leo, however, couldn't shake off his sister, who almost demoted him from the field to the bench herself.

Three friends, and Tom's swollen lip, watched the tournament. Excited and nervous, each of them rooted for their own team. Credit to Kitty, in the third period, she practically single-handedly saved "Leo's Losers" (as P.J.'s fans, known as the "Mad Dogs," had dubbed the opposing team) from defeat by scoring numerous swift goals, giving P.J. a real workout.

The opponents tied the score again, and the final seconds of the match were ticking down. Kitty reached the opposing goal area with a clear intention to score the winning goal. P.J., familiar with his sister's tactics, seized the puck from her grasp. Then, as if flying, he crossed the field and began teasing her near her own goal. The other players seemed frozen, watching the family drama unfold. Leo fixed his eyes on the puck, poised like the king of beasts, ready to defend the goal at any moment. Within seconds, Kitty fell for her brother's trap. With youthful zeal, Kitty chased him, launching a reckless attack. But P.J. was luring her in. By the time Kitty realized why her brother had "gifted" her the pass, the puck had shot from her stick like a bullet into her own team's goal. Kitty had indeed scored the final goal, but it was an own goal.

Leo's stick hit the floor with a loud crack. Kitty, amid P.J.'s laughter, tackled her brother onto the ice, trying to start a rematch with her fists. The stadium erupted in a storm of applause, victory music played, and the cheerful roar of celebrating fans echoed from all sides.

The hockey match ended spectacularly. "Spectacular" varied by the number of intact bones. But, it did not end the day's competitions.