3rd POV...

Andy sat at his desk in his dark office and scrolled through Sydney's Instagram page, viewing all her pictures. Examining them closely, one by one.

The reflection of her pictures appearing in the lenses of his glasses. Andy wrote things down on his note pad, taking in all the little details in her pictures from the captions.

He then tapped on his phone, making a call, "Hey, she's perfect. Yes, I'm serious, I'm literally looking at her Instagram right now," He paused briefly, listening to the person on the other end of his phone. "Well, I am serious, she is perfect. The Gazette will absolutely love her face on their cover," Once again, he paused. "Yes and Sports Illustrated. And Vanity Fair, I'm 100% positive she'll be a perfect fit for this."

Once Andy hung up the phone, he closed his computer, grabbed all his belongings, leaving his office space, going back to his apartment.

Sydney's POV...

The two of us were behind the benches like usual, going through our photos on the SD cards, trashing the blurry pictures while drinking our morning coffees together, and chatting about things we saw on our main feed on Instagram.

Sidney and Jake would come to the benches for water and we would always tap on the glass to chat for a bit before going back to the ice.

Kris, like the jokester he always was, blew me a kiss from on the ice before taking a shot. The puck blasted past Tristan's glove and into the net making me do a round of applause for him and his shot.

The two of us went our separate ways, Bri was having fun taking pictures of Jake laughing on the ice while I was following Sidney around, snapping his handsome sweaty bright face.

"Sydney."

I turned around to see Andy walking up to me, "Andy, is there something wrong?" Taking my camera away from my face, my lips dropped out of concern.

"No, no," He smiled, Andy was finally happy for once, "I need to talk to you," Gently taking my upper arm, he led me away to sit down. "Sports Illustrated Magazine, Vanity Fair, and The Post Gazette are all coming today. The company wants you to be on the cover and be our female face."

Halfway through Andy talking, I blanked out, "Wait, run that by me again?" I then scratched the bridge of my nose.

"The company wants you to be our female face and be on the covers." Andy ran a brief summary of his question over again, but slower.

"Why me though?" Shaking my head, blinking a few times, I huffed at the information. "I'm no model. I certainly don't have a pretty face or am I the proper weight for doing something like modeling."

"I showed my superiors your Instagram pictures," Andy tapped on his phone to pull up my personal Instagram page, clicking on my latest photos, which were the ones from my first day in front of the Lemieux statue. "And they think the same about you," Andy then put his phone away. "So, what'dda say?"

I really don't know if I am ready to do something like this. I'm not perfect, or glamorous, or in shape like they may think I am, "Will Bri be coming with me?"

Andy let out a chuckle, "Why did I know that you were going to ask the question?"

"Because you know me all too well."

"Yes, she's coming with you. Same with me, but after lunch, the three of us will be taking a leave of absence from our positions to attend the shoot, so be prepared to leave."

Andy then stood up, leaving with me and my thoughts. I was absolutely terrified but at the same time excited. Vanity Fair. Sports Illustrated. The Post Gazette. I was going to be on the cover. My "ugly imperfect" face would be on the cover. My stomach then flipped over which made me crunch my stomach, slightly hunching over.

"Syd, what's wrong?" Bri rushed over to me, lightly patting my back.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," I mumbled, still clutching on to my stomach before I ripped my camera off my neck, giving it to Bri before I rushed out of the practice arena and to the closest bathroom.

I really was gonna be sick, "Syd! Wait!" Bri pleaded as she rushed after me, calling my name from behind me.

It was like delivering a baby. When your water breaks, you better hope and pray you don't give birth on the side of the road or in your house because that baby would come out no matter what.

I practically kicked down the bathroom door and shoved the stall door open before dropping down to my knees on the tile, letting everything out in the toilet bowl.

Brianna came in a few seconds later, coming in my stall to take my hair and hold it behind my head in a ponytail, "It's ok Syd, let it all out." With her free hand, she rubbed circles on my back.

Then a few other girls came into the bathroom, lightly whispering from outside my stall.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I let out the last of my vomit from my gut before I started huffing, my chest taking deep inhales and exhales while I propped my hands up on the side of the toilet bowl.

"Someone go get a wet paper towel," Bri asked the girls behind the two of us.

Someone then came back with a wet paper towel and Bri helped me stand up, letting go of my hair in the back, she handed me the paper towel to wipe the remaining vomit around my lips.

"What's wrong, Syd?" Bri rubbed my shoulder.

"Nothing, it's nothing, Bri." I huffed while wiping my mouth.

The girls in the bathroom left so it was only me and Bri. She leads me over to the sink so I could wash my hands.

From the soap dispenser, it put a small amount in my palm before I started rubbing my hands together to spread it around, "I'm gonna be on the cover of Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, and the front page of the Gazette." Lacing my fingers together, I put my hands under the faucet so I could rinse the soap off.

"I know, Andy told me. I just didn't want to say it with the other girls around," Bri stood close by, leaning against the countertop with her arms folded and her camera around her neck. "Syd, I know you're nervous but I'm gonna be with you the entire time."

I huffed, my head drooped down, looking at myself washing my hands under the water, "I know."

"Let's just try to keep our bearings and get through today," Bri suggested while walking over to get a paper towel for me to dry my hands off.

She then handed me the paper towel, drying my hands, she then gave me my camera before the two of us walked out of the bathroom together, shoulder to shoulder.

The two of us continued with our day until Andy came to get us for the shoot on the other side of the building.

Clothing racks being rushed around by people, makeup artists at a giant mirror getting makeup and curlers ready, photographers getting camera stands and backdrop set up.

Andy left the two of us to walk up to a tall blonde, showing her over to us, "Hi my name is Jolene, you must by Sydney."

The two of us shook hands, the badge she was wearing was from Sports Illustrated, "Yeah."

"Your much prettier than what I imagined, but we're gonna have you go to wardrobe and get changed." Jolene directed me to the wardrobe which I left all my belongings with Brianna and Andy.

I walked over to a group of people near some racks, clearing my throat, "Hi, um, Miss Jolene," I turned around and discreetly pointed to Jolene chatting with Bri and Andy. "Directed me over, I'm Sydney, the model for the shoot today."

The group didn't take a second look at me before they shoved me into the changing room.

"No! Jolene wants a bikini you dumb ass!" I heard one of the wardrobe workers yell from outside the changing room.

A guy poked his head into my changing room with a bikini, throwing it at me, "What shoe size are you?" He had more of a feminine voice.

"Uh, 9." I stuttered like a deer in headlights with the bikini in my arms.

"Thanks, doll, just start getting that on." He gestured to the bikini in my arms before closing the curtains.

I held up the bikini which made me get self-conscious about my body fat and stretch marks. The bikini wasn't too bad, it was more of like a sports bra with matching bottoms and white outlining the fabric. The Penguins logo plastered on my ass up towards the top and stretching across the top.

I started stripping off my clothes and undergarments, putting them in a pile on the chair nearby before I looked at myself in the mirror.

My love handles hung out so I pulled up the bottoms by the sides, hoping they would cover my handles which they somewhat hid.

I poked my head out of the changing room and got the attention of a wardrobe manager, asking them if they could get me a robe of some sort so I could cover myself. I was given my robe and a pair of black bedazzled pumps with the Penguins logo on them.

I slipped on the pumps which made me a whole foot taller. I really wasn't used to wearing this high of heels so I wobbled out of the dressing room before Bri helped me over to the makeup so I could get my hair and makeup done.

Tons of people stuck brushes in my face and started curling my hair. The crew of both men and women doing my hair and makeup were like a pit crew changing a tire on a race car.

When I was all ready, my makeup was sexy just like my bikini. Smokey eye with ombré red lipstick and someone shoved a Penguins beanie on my head.

Bri and I stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the camera crew get everything ready for me.

"Do you think my hair looks streaky?" I ran my fingers through my curled hair.

"No, it looks great Syd." Bri shook her head, examining my hair.

"I just feel like it's so streaky cause they put extra layers in my hair." I rambled, still running through my hair.

"Stop it, your gonna ruin your hair, Syd." Bri brought my hand down from my hair.

"Well, maybe I'm trying to so I can prolong me from being half-naked on camera," I mumbled, lightly digging my heel into the floor.

Andy was helping some of the crew set up when he flagged me over, "We're ready!"

"Do I have to?" I whined, only so Bri could hear me.

"Yes, now gimme your robe your dumb ass, and go." She yanked on my sleeve which made me take my robe off and automatically cover my chest with my arms.

"Awe she's shy." Jolene cooed as I stepped into the spotlights.

Andy stood behind the cameras next to Jolene, "Sydney, I just want you to think of things that make you happy and I want you to get comfortable with your poses. Play around with space you're in."

"Oh, ok." I stuttered, I then started thinking of the things that make me happy which wasn't working because the room was really quiet.

Bri looked at me and automatically knew what was wrong and why I wasn't unwinding, she plugged in a speaker and started playing songs from my phone which helped me calm down and bring my arms away from my chest.

"Yes! Show those pretty teeth!" One guy shouted, encouraging me to smile wider.

"Ugh, look at that smile! So pretty!"

"Your eyes are sparkling!" A girl sang.

"Come on! Laugh it up! Bite that lip!"

I did different poses for the camera crew, finally coming out of my shell before I started my sitting poses.

"Think of someone who makes you laugh!" Andy screamed from the back.

I then started thinking of Sidney. His smile. His laugh. I started blushing and really coming out of my shell.

"Yes! Keep going!"

The cameras started really flashing as I thought of Sidney.