At the Thunder Bay International Airport, Carter Hutton rolls down the building with his luggage and a smile. Up ahead in the crowd, he sees his two Thunder Bay buddies: Robert Bortuzzo and Matt Murray.
"Ayyyyy!" Carter calls out as he extends his free arm up in the air. "Robert! Matt!"
The two catch whom they are waiting for and wave back.
"Carter!" Robert shouts.
"Hutts!" Matt exclaims happily.
Carter rushes down the straightaway, which is thankfully crowd-free, and joins his buddies in a group hug.
"I'm glad you're able to make it!" Robert tells Carter once they pull apart.
They turn around and begin to walk toward the exit of the airport building.
"It's gonna be so much taking part in the charity tomorrow!" Matt says with a huge grin. "Us three Thunder Bay buddies doing good for our city! It's an once and a lifetime experience--!"
Before Matt could continue speaking, a group of girls rush up the three, yelling: "Hutts! Bortz! Matt!"
They three stop and turn to them.
The girls go up to Carter excitedly. "OMG, Bortz, can we get a selfie with you?"
Carter eyes them oddly. "Ummm..., I'm not--"
Too late, they already take the selfie.
The girls then swarm over to Robert. "OMG, Hutts, can we have a selfie with you?"
"Wait, but you just--"
Before Robert can finish up his protesting, they take the selfie.
They then huddle over to Matt. "Can we take a selfie with you?"
Matt beams. "Sure!"
They take the selfie perfectly. Then with one last giddily wave, they strut off, leaving the three hockey players behind in some degree of shock.
"That was fun!" Matt chuckles.
Carter turns to Robert. "They thought I was you!" he gasps out.
"I thought that was a Beau thing, knowing how he is," Robert mutters, rubbing his stubble-covered jaw.
"Why would they get us mixed up though?" Carter cries. "They didn't get Matt mixed up with us-- Just us two!"
"Well...," Matt starts, scrutinizing the two, "...I must admit, you two do look pretty similar..."
Carter and Robert stand side-by-side so that Matt could compare their facial physique easily.
"Really?" Robert asks, raising his eyebrows. Carter eyes him, saying the same thing with his expression.
"Yeah, um: big, round eyes, facial hair, a full set of dark brown hair, eyebrows--"
"I HOPE we have eyebrows," Robert says flatly.
Matt steps back. "Carter is a bit shorter than you, but other than that, you guys can be mixed up easily by fans--"
"--and Beau," Carter adds in with a sigh. "But I mean, we've been like this for a while; why is this such a big deal now?"
Matt's eyes widen while lost in outer space. "The charity..." He reverts his eyes at the two. "You guys are gonna be at the charity and-and they could get you guys mixed up! That would be a disaster if they get you two mixed up! It'd be best if one of you guys change your appearance--"
"What? Dye my hair neon green?" Carter asks with a shrug.
Robert slides his face into his hands. "Something not too loud."
"I was joking."
Matt's eyes light up. "I got it: one of you guys can shave!"
Robert perks up and Carter freezes for a moment while processing the proposal. Then:
"Oh no, no, no, no, you don't how long it took for me to grow this beauty," Carter tells him anxiously while petting both sides of his hairy jaw.
"I don't think Beau would recognize me without a beard," Robert informs Matt hesitantly.
"Well, do you guys have any other ideas of how people could tell you two apart?" Matt crosses his arms, waiting for an answer.
"Ummmm..." Carter's face lights up. "Our eyes! Bortz has brown eyes, I have gray eyes!"
"That didn't work," Robert mutters, eyeing him.
Carter's face drops. "Oh."
The mundane sounds of the bustling airport takes over the conversation for a moment.
"So the facial hair it is?" Matt asks, putting the conversation back on track.
"Oh no..." Carter grasps onto his jawline with wider eyes.
Robert sighs. "Who's willing to shave?" He turns to Carter. "Me or you?"
"Not me," Carter squeaks.
"I don't want to either..."
Matt flicks his eyes from side to side. "One of you guys have to do it."
"Ohhhhhhkay!" Carter straightens up quickly. "I got it: Rock, Papers, Scissors!" He turns Robert. "Loser out of three rounds has to shave!"
Robert smirks. "You guys it, Hutts."
Matt stands perpendicular to them, outside of their huddle. "And I'll be ref. Got it?"
The two of them nod their heads, already having their game face on.
"Ready..." Matt starts, "Set... GO!"
Carter and Robert start pounding their fists against the palm of their hand in unison to what they're saying: "Rock, paper, scissors-- SHOOT!"
Then at the same time, they hold out what they choose with their hands: Carter's hand is extended, meaning paper; Robert's hand is still in a fist, meaning rock.
"Hah! I won!" Carter exclaims as he covers Robert's fist in his hand.
"Winner!" Matt extends his hand out at Carter. "Hutts!"
"Round two," Robert grumbles, pulling his hand back to him.
And then they go at it again: "Rock, paper, scissors-- SHOOT!"
Carter holds out his extended hand, symbolizing paper. This time, Robert is holding out his index and middle finger out, symbolizing scissor.
"Whoop, whoop!" Robert calls as he pretends to cut Carter's hand in half with his "scissors."
"Winner!" Matt holds out his hand at Robert. "Bortz!"
"Round three, baby...!" Carter gets a bit pumped up, hopping in place.
Then they go at it one last time: "Rock, paper, scissors-- SHOOT!"
Carter holds out scissors and Robert holds out...rock.
"Yeeeeeaaaahhhh!" Robert bumps his "rock" against the top of Carter's "scissors."
"NOOOOOOO!!!" Carter bellows, stumbling backwards with his head thrown back with agony.
"Winner of keeping his beard--" Matt holds up Robert's hand in the air. "Bortz!"
Carter cups his hands on his cheeks. "No...my beauty..."
Robert places his hand on Carter's shoulder. "Do you want people to keep calling you by my name?"
"No...," Carter groans wearily.
"Then shave."

---

The next day is a perfect day to hold a charity outside.
Robert, Matt, and Carter (who no longer has his facial hair), are meeting up with fans.
"Hi, Carter!" a fan exclaims nervously to Carter. "Can I have a picture with you?"
"Sure!" Carter happily takes the picture with the fan.
"Bortz! Can you take a picture with me?" another fan asks Robert.
"Yeah!" Robert agrees. He then takes a picture with the fan.
"Hey, Matt! Can I take a selfie with you?" a different fan asks Matt.
"Why, certainly!" Matt pops into the fans' picture.
After many pictures, the wave of fans dissolve, leaving the three alone.
Robert turns to Carter with a small smirk. "Nice shave."
Carter runs his knuckles down his smooth jaw. "Hehe, yeah... Something I gotta get used to again..."
Matt gazes at Carter. "But it's nice for people to call you by your name, right?"
"Yeah! I guess it's worth it!" Carter smiles. "At least I can grow it back!"
Robert clears his throat. "Um, Carter...?"
"Huh?"
"You're gonna be hanging around with me a lot now, since you're in the Blues." Robert peers at him. "I don't know if you'd be able to keep your beard for a while if you want people to tell me and you apart..."
Carter slowly turns away from Robert and stares ahead with an expression of trepidation.


The End.

Notes