school/summer

Now let's make this official.

I'm not going to post anything until summer. I know I keep talking about school and all that, and really, I'm getting overwhelmed, therefore this story is not the first thing on my mind. I've been concentrating on AP tests and going to look at colleges. Don't be offended and don't think this is the end of this story, because it's not. It's just going to take me a little longer to write/finish than expected.

Stick with me. :)

savannah

A lot of you have asked me to invite you to my story, Savannah. It's not that I didn't want anyone to read it, it's just that I had some trolls come on and pretty much degrade my story saying things like I was delusional and I lived in a fantasy world as well as demeaning my writing style. I made my blog private and deleted their comments, hoping that they would just go away, and it worked. A day or two after I pretty much shut down my story, I noticed in my little update scroller that the author of Against All Odds - A Sidney Crosby Story, and, Love Lost and Found, about Kris Letang, had made a post regarding to a KJ person who was trolling on her Kris blog. This was the same person making rude and inappropriate comments on my story about Kris, Savannah. She too made her blog private until just recently.

I've come to the conclusion that this person, KJ, and her friend Julie, who was also being a bitch, are just ridiculously obsessed fans and feel the need to protect Kris, a guy they don't even know, from something that doesn't even affect him. In conslusion, they're probably lonely old ladies who have 63 cats, eat prunes all day and smell like denture cream.

Anyway, the point is, I've made Savannah public again, so enjoy. And if they comment on my blog again, I'll turn their comments into posts and let the whole blogging community see how pathetic they are, and let all of my beloved readers bitch them out. :)

ha, yeah, new story

So, trust me, I feel totally awful that I haven't updated...

BUT. I started a new story. Yes, a new story. It's about one Kristopher Letang.

And the link would be right here: Savannah

You should definitely follow and let me know what you think of it. (and I promise to update before I go back to school.)

Chapter sixteen

OHMYGAWD. An update? Yes, so it would appear. Enjoy. :)

            “How’d you meet Sidney!?” one reporter screamed, shoving a microphone in my face. I wanted nothing more than to shove it up his ass, but I controlled myself and answered the question like a civilized human being.

            “Well,” I started, but Sidney cut me off. I looked at him with questioning eyes, but he just smiled.

            “By chance; we met by chance,” he said, kissing my forehead and pulling me even closer than I already was. I was never one for public displays of affection, and this was way more than I could handle. I took a step back, smile still plastered to my face, and quickly kissed his cheek, hoping to relay the message that I was uncomfortable. He seemed to understand, because the next thing I knew, he was whisking me back out into the hall and apologizing to the reporters profusely. Thankfully, none of them followed us.

            “I’ll go get dressed,” he said quickly as what seemed like half of his teammates filtered out through the doors behind them. I could still hear muffled yelling and cringed at the idea. For some reason, whenever I think about athletes with a ton of reporters crowded around them, it makes my heart ache.

            “Hurry back,” I said softly, letting my arms fall from his torso and sitting down on the bench we were standing in front of. I thought about what had just happened and suddenly remembered I had left Emma asleep in the stands. I hurried back out and saw she was just as I had left her: sprawled out and unconscious.

            I didn’t want to wake her up; I knew she’d be pissed and start screaming, so I let her go and walked back to my bench across from the locker room to continue my watch of the door.

            Letang, Talbot, and Staal all walked out and flashed me the thumbs up within five minutes of sitting on the bench. Kennedy was out next. I got up off my bench to talk to him for a minute.

            “Hey Tyler,” I said, taking a step towards him. I couldn’t help but think that Emma would die if she got to talk to him, but I didn’t go wake her up. If she continues to accompany me on these road trips, she’ll eventually get her chance.

            “Hey Avery,” he said, stopping his forward movement and taking a step back to be equal with me. He had a big grin on his face and I could only imagine he had been giving Sidney shit about me/us.

            “So, tell me truthfully,” I started, fiddling with a hangnail on my finger. He looked a little taken aback and his grin began to fade. He must know what I’m about to ask.

            “What are the reporters asking Sidney?”

            “It’s not about his game, that’s for sure… They just keep asking about you and how long you two have known each other and why you haven’t been at any of the games before this and it goes on and on…” he trailed off, his goofy smile spreading once again across his face. I forced a weak smile on my lips and grinned back.

            Too many people occupied with me at once made me anxious. I was always that girl in high school that kept to the shadows and never really stole the spotlight. I was inconspicuous and guys didn’t look twice at me. Now, to have a guy like Sidney proclaim his undying love for me in front of what seemed like a million reporters, half of whom had video cameras, I was a little overwhelmed. Not overwhelmed enough to run away, but overwhelmed enough to where I had to sit down on the bench I had just occupied.

            I put my face in my hands and took a deep breath to calm myself. I could handle this. It wasn’t a big deal. I kept telling myself this, as Tyler, who seemed to not know what to do, sat next to me. I watched as more people walked out of the locker room, reporters among them, but not Sidney. I was calm by now and had realized that this wasn’t as big of a deal as I was making it.

            It was just Sidney. I could be myself around him. He’d protect me from whatever happened. This, I felt confident of.

            “You think he’s still in there?” I asked Tyler after a few minutes had passed of silent thought.

            “Probably. He’s always the last one out. It’s safe to say you could go in there and get him. Everyone else is out,” he told me almost sympathetically, his eyebrows raising just a bit to go along with his sappy half-smile. He had no idea how happy I was and how much I just wanted to see Sidney, even if I was just, you know, a tad bit overwhelmed.

            “Thanks Tyler,” I said, patting him on the back quickly before making my way through the door and seeing Sidney standing with his back to me rummaging through his bag, a towel around his waist.

            I snuck up behind him and placed my cold hands just above the towel wrapped around his waist. He jumped what seemed like six inches in the air before turning around to look at me.

            “I didn’t expect you to come in here,” he said to me, a smile spreading across his bee-stung lips that I wanted so badly to kiss.

            “I was worried you got confused taking a shower, and thought that, I don’t know, maybe I could help?” I asked, batting my eyelashes and wrapping my arms around the back of his neck. I could see the internal struggle happening with the thought of us having it off in the locker room.

            “The hotel’s five minutes away,” he whispered in my ear, pulling my hands from around his neck and placing them by my side, where I proceeded to cross them almost angrily across my chest. I liked my plan much better.

            “What’ll we do with Emma?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t be in the same room as us. “And your roommate?” I asked again, now panicking, thinking this wasn’t such a good idea after all. I felt heat rush to my face and I began to freak.

            “Calm down,” he said, buttoning up a blue plaid dress shirt. “We’ll get Emma her own room. It won’t be hard, I am Sidney Crosby after all,” he said, placing a peck on my lips, instantly calming me. “And I’ll take care of Tanger. He can go stay with someone else. He’ll understand,” he said knowingly with a wink.

            “Okay…” I said, reluctance filling my voice. I wanted him so bad, and all this planning was just putting a damper on my mood. “I’ll go wake Emma up.”

            “I’ll be right out,” he whispered in my ear before placing a kiss on my neck, bringing the mood right back. “I love you.” Those three words seemed to be the sweetest words in the world.

I walked back out to where Emma was passed out. Drool was spilling from her mouth and she was crinkled up into an awkward position with her head at a 90-degree angle resting on her shoulder. I giggled a little to myself and nudged her shoulder. Her eyes sprung open and she sat up in her chair with a start.

            “What happened? Does he love you?” she slurred, wiping the drool off her chin with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. I couldn’t help but smile. She looked like a little kid.

            “Yes, he loves me,” I said, sitting down next to her.

            “So sitting in a car with me for however many painful hours was worth it?” she asked with a yawn, resting her head on my shoulder.

            “Yes, it was worth it. Thanks for forcing me to come,” I said with a laugh.

            “So where is he?” she asked closing her eyes again and snuggling into me.

            “Getting dressed. He said he’d meet me out here when he was done. We’re going back to the hotel,” I said, and before she could say anything, I continued. “We’ll get you your own room where you can pass out at awkward angles and drool however much you want.” I giggled a little, and she shook with laughter.

            Within minutes her breathing was steady and I could tell she’d fallen asleep again. For fear of getting drooled on, I eased myself out from under, letting her head fall on her shoulder. She didn’t seem to notice and went right on sleeping with her mouth gaping open.

            “Thank you Emma,” I said to her unconscious body. “I owe you.”

NEW

SO. I've made a new blog, just to talk about hockey and stuff like that, and maybe about how much I hate AP Biology. :)

fabricated air

You should follow me, and don't worry, I'm more than half way done with my next chapter. :)

Chapter fifteen

“Avery, get out of the goddamn car,” Emma snapped at me after 5 hours of driving that day and 8 the day before. Needless to say, we were both a little sick of each other’s company.

Emma somehow talked me into getting into my little 5-speed Soul with her and driving 12, let me emphasize that, TWELVE hours with her over 2 days, just to get to Raleigh to see Sidney. I don’t know. She said something about finding myself and living in the moment.

            The first day of driving wasn’t too bad, driving through cute little towns like Berkeley Springs in West Virginia. All I could think about was Radiator Springs from Cars, one of the best movies ever made by Pixar, let alone made. We stopped in Winchester, Virginia for some Taco Bell and continued on down through the rest of the state to Richmond where we spent the night in some cheap little hotel with homeless people living on the sidewalk outside it. The day was mostly filled with off-key singing and riding with the windows down, one of my favorite things to do with Emma, no one else.

            The day we made the trek all the way to Raleigh, we didn’t leave until around noon. The morning was spent doing constructive things of course, like Emma flirting with the concierge to try and get us free things. Once we got into North Carolina, we were flying. We only had one little hang up with the beltway. The numbers went from 4 straight to 327, which confused us a bit. We got ourselves back on the right track and eventually ended up at an Applebee’s five minutes from the arena around 5:15, two hours and fifteen minutes away from seeing Sidney play.

            Now, I was being banished from the car to go find a scalper with two tickets. I always hated those guys. They gave me the creeps. I always thought that when I pulled out my wallet to pay them, they’d grab it and run away laughing. And I always wondered who would go to the game and willingly sell their tickets. It always seemed like such an incredibly silly concept to me.

            “Two tickets,” some guy, whom I assumed was a scalper, with no front teeth said to me as I walked by. If I was going to buy these stupid tickets I wanted to do it from someone with teeth. I felt like I was doing a drug deal or something. After walking by at least three more toothless men, I found a decent looking guy with decent seats.

            “One hundred twenty dollars,” he barked at me, making me jump a little. I grabbed my wallet out of my purse and pulled out the bills Emma and I had stuffed in there the night before. I handed him what he asked for, took my tickets and speed-walked back in the general direction of where I had come from. I pulled out my phone on the way and called Emma, trying to see where she ended up.

            “Did you get them?!” she shrieked into the phone without even saying hello. People were running everywhere and some guy had a Penguins flag he was running around the parking lots with. He ran up to me and gave me a high five upon seeing my Crosby jersey. “Avery!? Don’t ignore me!” she yelled. Every time we’re put into a stressful situation, she basically has a freak out and starts getting nervous.

            “Calm down,” I reasoned with her. “I just had to high five some guy, and yes, I got the tickets.”

            “But you didn’t high five me!?” she shrieked, on the verge of hysteria.

            I was not doing this now. “Emma, I’m talking to you on the phone. I can’t high five you. I’m going to go wait for you in front of the entrance,” and with that, I hung up on her before she could complain some more.

            I stood there with our tickets, waiting for Emma, being jostled around by Hurricane fans and getting booed by complete strangers when I finally wondered why I was standing here in unseasonably humid weather waiting for my psycho friend. Yeah I wanted to be here and I wanted to see this game, but really? I could have just waited for Sidney to get home and accept the fact that he has some crazy pregame ritual. Just as I was about to start off to find the car and leave, having wasted one hundred and twenty dollars on tickets, Emma grabbed my arm from behind.

            “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” she snapped at me before pulling me back in line to get inside. Just looking at her reminded me of why I was here. She hadn’t convinced me to come down here; I had done it out of my own free will. I wanted to see Sidney and I wanted him to accept that I was going to be with him the rest of the playoffs. I wanted him to know that what I was feeling for him was more than just a fling. I didn’t do flings in the first place, but if I had to pick anyone to have a fling with, it’d be him.

            “Thanks Em,” I said, turning around to face the arena with her. We kept each other in line. I kept her from doing stupid things and she kept me from being a prude. For that, I love her.

            “Now where are our seats?” she asked, still slightly hysterical.

            “Well, I think they’re up near the top. At least that’s what the scalper said,” I reiterated, glancing down at the tickets in my hand that each had a picture of Eric Staal on them. I’d much rather have ones with Sidney on them, but beggars can’t be choosers. I shifted the tickets in my hand and shuffled forward in line.

            There were some crazy metal detectors inside the doors. It was like going through airport security. Who would want to bomb a hockey game? It’s only Raleigh anyway. They made us do the whole thing where you take everything out of your pockets, stick it in bins and shove it through an X-ray machine. I’ve never quite known what those things were called.

            On the other side of the metal detectors, some guy was handing out free towels that said “Woooo!” on one side accompanied by a Hurricane’s logo. He half-heartedly extended his arm to me to wordlessly ask if I wanted a towel. I shook my head no and kept walking.

            “Are they free?” I heard Emma ask when I was two or three paces ahead of her. I turned around to see her looking excited at the prospect of getting something for free. I stared at her like she was crazy and turned around, not wanting to be associated.

            “Avery look! I got a free towel!” she called after me as I began walking around the arena looking for our section. “Wait, look!” she yelled, waving the towel at me when I turned around to look at her. I couldn’t help but smile at her cheap self.

            We once went to the movies and she ordered a small popcorn. The guy working the counter asked her is she wanted to make it a large. Her reply? If you do it for free. He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a large popcorn for the price of a small. She wouldn’t let me have any of it.

            “I see it Emma, now let’s go find our seats,” I said, linking my arm through hers and guiding her around the curving arena. After walking up two more flights of stairs, we reached section 316, at the top of the arena, a little above the suites.

            “Let’s go down to the ice before all the players go back into the locker room,” Emma said, starting to walk away towards the stairs down. I grabbed her arm before she could get very far.

            “No, let’s stay here,” I said, sitting down and watching Sidney from afar.

            “But don’t you want to see the look on Sidney’s face when he knows you’re here?” she questioned, taking a step back towards me. I know she wanted to go down to the ice, and I was tempted to tell her to just go by herself.

            “I don’t want to freak him out and then have him do a shit job,” I stated, pulling her down into the chair next to mine. She seemed to understand, but sat there sulking until the game started, then it was a different story. She was standing and screaming and yelling at Carolina fans all before the Penguins even scored a goal.

The first goal of the game was scored by Matt Cullen of the Hurricanes, which shut Emma up pretty quickly, but only until Geno scored about two minutes later on a power play. She was up and screaming after that, and even got popcorn thrown on us at one point. Sure, I yelled when Geno scored, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never yelled louder in my life than when Sidney scored late in the first period to put them up 2-1.

            Pregame curse. Psh.

            The rest of the game seemed to crawl by. I just wanted it to be over and the Penguins to be 3-0 in the series, so I could go down and wait outside for like all the other creepy stalker people.

            The final horn sounded with a score of 6-2. I felt kind of bad for the Hurricanes, but not really. I wanted the Penguins to win the Stanley freaking Cup, and if barreling over the Hurricanes meant winning the cup, I was all for it. I looked at Emma who was red in the face and could barely talk. This is the definition of playoff hockey: driving 12 hours to see your favorite team pummel another, not being able to talk after said pummeling and waiting for the players after the game is over.

            “Let’s go Em,” I said, walking down the stairs towards the ice where Sidney was doing an interview with a blonde lady. I practically sprinted all the way down. If I could let him see me, maybe I wouldn’t have to stand in the heat and wait for him. Maybe he would pull me back into the locker room and give me a passionate kiss. I was just hoping I wouldn’t have to stand outside, and if he kissed me, that would just be a plus.

            I got all the way down there, just as he was finishing the interview. He glanced up at the people crowded around the entrance to the locker room to give them all high fives. When he got to Emma, who was panting, and myself, he paused for a second to try and take in the fact that I was standing there in front of him with my best friend. His eyes said it all. How are you here?

            “I’ll be right back,” he said only loud enough for me to hear before continuing on into the locker room.

            I looked after him and breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until that point, but just hearing him speak, and without an angry edge to his voice, made me relax. I stepped away from the railing and slouched down into the nearest chair to wait for him to come back.

            The kids that were crowded around began to disperse and Emma and I were left alone before long. None of the workers tried to clear us out; they just cleaned around us, and after what seemed like an eternity, Sidney emerged from the locker room without his pads and skates on.

            I didn’t get up. I was drained, emotionally and physically. Believe it or not, driving 5 hours, and screaming for your boyfriend who may or may not be mad at you is exhausting. He walked up the few stairs to me and pulled me out of my chair into a soft, sweaty hug before kissing me, like I was hoping for.

            “Pregame superstitions are dumb,” he said, resting his head on top of mine and wrapping his arms around my waist.

            I rested my head on his chest and breathed in the smell of dirt, sweat and water; not my favorite smell, but right then and there, it was. Everything felt so right. It felt like I was supposed to be there right then and there hugging him with Emma passed out asleep on the chair next to us. Everything was falling into place.

            “I love you,” I said softly, tightening my grip around his lean waist. He backed away for a second, and I thought he was going to run from the look in his eye, but instead, he surprised me and swept me off my feet, literally.

            “I’ve been waiting for you to say that for the longest time,” he said, looking at me with piercing eyes. I couldn’t help but look away and blush.

            “How long?” I asked breathlessly.

            “Since the day we went paint shopping,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Ever since I we went on that incline. Ever since we went to that coffee shop. You’ve always been what I want.”

            “Then why haven’t you said anything?” I asked, slightly ticked at him, even though he was holding me in the most romantic way possible.

            “If I said something first, you would have run. You would have been gone the next day and I wouldn’t have ever heard from you again. I needed to wait for you, and that’s what I did. Because I love you, Avery Jones,” he said kissing me. I reached up and pulled his head down closer to me. One hand around his neck keeping me from falling, and one in his sweaty hair. All I wanted was him at that moment. I wanted everything he had to offer, but he leaned back, forcing me out of the kiss, and leaving me wanting more.

            “And I also needed an interior designer,” he said, lowering me back towards the ground and lightly setting me on my feet. “If you had run, I’d have been left with an ugly house.”

            “Oh shut up,” I said, smacking him across the bicep.

            “Hurt your hand?” he asked me with a playful tone before leaning down to kiss me quickly. “I need to go. I told everyone I’d be back in five minutes. I’m pretty sure it’s been longer than that,” he stated, backing down the stairs towards the locker room. “I love you,” he said, a grin spreading across his boyish face. I was grinning myself. I couldn’t help it. I had a boyfriend I loved, and he loved me back. “On second thought,” he said, like he had just come up with it, “Come with me.”

            When I hesitated and looked back at Emma asleep in her chair, he came back up to me. “It’ll be quick. She’ll never know you’re gone.”

            “Okay, fine,” I said warmly, taking his warm hand in my cold one and walking down towards the locker room. “We’re going into the locker room?” I asked skeptically once we reached the door.

            “Yeah, don’t worry,” he breathed into my ear, making me melt, and putting me at his will. His breath on my ear had around the same effect as me having six drinks in an hour and a half. I was intoxicated.

            “Okay,” I managed before he opened the door for me and lead me through. Reporters were everywhere and once they saw I was holding hands with one Sidney Crosby, they were all around us.

            “Sidney! Sidney! Who is she!?” one reporter screamed at him, holding out a tape recorder.

            “Let me make a general announcement,” he began, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me towards him. I put my hand on his chest like those picture perfect couples do. “This girl, Avery Jones, is my girlfriend,” he said leaning down to kiss me softly. Flashbulbs went off all around me, but I couldn’t have cared less. Sidney was all that mattered to me at that moment; my world. He pulled away and looked at me with those hazel eyes. “I love you,” he breathed, intoxicating me again. That was the third time he’d said it in the last fifteen minutes, and every time, it was like the first time all over again. I was soaring, and miracle of all miracles, I loved him.

Chapter fourteen

            My apartment seemed like a barren wasteland when I walked through the door a few days after our curtain adventure. I hadn’t been there in so long, everything had a thin layer of dust on it. I spent the majority of my time with Sidney or at his house, that now, my apartment looked abandoned. I threw my keys down on the hall table, dislodging a pile of dust from its new residence. I walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch only to have more dust particles scatter around me. I grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on, to see Sidney’s face stare back at me. Oh, FSN. It made my insides go kind of gooey even though it was just the TV, and a picture at that. Is this what I’ve been reduced to? One of those girls that gets excited when I see my boyfriend’s face?

            Before I could think about it too much, I heard a knock at the door. Who the hell knows I’m here? For all my neighbors know, I’m dead. It’s not like I’ve been here.

Emma, of course.

            “How’d you know I was here?” I questioned as I stepped back to let her in my apartment.

            “God, have you cleaned?” she asked accusingly, swiping a finger across my kitchen counter.

            “I haven’t been here in a few days. Now how’d you know I was here?” I asked, cocking one hip out and crossing my arms across my chest before leaning on the counter. It was pretty dusty…

           

            “Oh, you know. I asked your neighbor, Paul? Is that his name?” I nodded as if to say, continue. “Yeah. I asked him to call me when you came home. I’m pretty sure he thought he would get a date out of it,” she finished, opening my fridge and helping herself to a can of Coke. She’s unbelievable. I just shook my head, knowing she meant well. I mean, what friend asks your neighbor to stalk you for them? Only Emma.

            “Thanks for your concern?” I said it like a question, as I pushed myself off the counter and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a coke for myself.

            “So tell me,” Emma started, drawing out every syllable for emphasis. “Where have you been?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me over her coke. I just couldn’t lie to her, and even if I did, she’d know I was lying. I could feel my face turning red, and averting her gaze, looked down at the floor.

            “Sidney’s,” I mumbled, almost inaudibly, but she heard. Oh, she heard me. She took a sharp intake of breath before attacking me with inquiries.

            “Sidney’s!?” she screeched at me. The anger I assumed she would have didn’t seem to be there, and instead, she seemed almost excited. “What did you do there? Have you really been there this whole time? How is he in bed?”

            “Emma!” I managed, giving her an incredulous stare and a slight smile. Always so subtle when she wants to know something.

            “What? I want to know!” she said, sitting down at my bar and crossing her legs before smoothing her pencil skirt out.

            “He’s, well, he’s amazing,” I said, pulling at a piece of hair and twirling it around my finger absently, then examining it for split ends. I was doing anything to avoid her eyes; they cut like knives.

            “I KNEW IT! He just looks like he would be amazing…” she said, sounding like she was struggling for words to continue. “You know,” she stated, winking at me and gesturing wildly around her head.

            I just nodded and smiled, gazing around at my dusty apartment before heading back into the family room where FSN, and Sidney were still on, advertising his game in Raleigh, game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Emma followed me, Coke in hand.

            “So is he strong?” she asked, and I knew what she was referring to.

            “Em, I’m not going to discuss my sex life with you,” I said defensively, plopping down on the couch. Emma took her usual seat in my recliner and just looked at me. I’m going to tell her eventually. I’m one of those people that tells everyone everything that happens to me. Well, maybe not everyone, just my good friends.

            “You’ll tell me when you’re ready,” she stated blankly before turning to look at the TV. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she broke it.

            “So why aren’t you at his house now?” she asked, turning back towards me in her chair and leaning over her legs.

            “He went to Raleigh.”

            “Ah! How could I forget? I’ve been waiting to watch this game forever! I want them to sweep. I think they’ll sweep,” she said, going off into hockey mode Emma, but coming back to nosey mode Emma quicker than I would have liked.

            “So why didn’t you go with him?” she prodded, and just for emphasis, actually prodded me.

            I didn’t want to talk about it. Not with her, not with anyone. Sidney made me mad when it came to these playoff games. I wanted to punch him in the face at times. I know he meant well, but just the way he did it pissed me off, like he was the almighty hockey player and I was just his interior designer slash girlfriend on the side.

-

“Hey, why don’t I go with you to Raleigh?” I had asked him the previous night, acting on a whim and leaning into him, causing him to stop his packing and kiss me.

            “Eh, I’m not too…” he paused to let out a soft content moan. “Sure about that.”

            “Why not?” I questioned, taking a step back and looking at him. His hands were still resting on my lower back and they were slowly working their way around my waist to pull me closer to him. I dug my heels into his white burber carpet and resisted any forward movement towards him.

            I thought I was making great progress, opening up to him, and now, I wanted to go to Raleigh with him, but he basically shot me down. I wanted to cry and pout and make him let me go with him, but I never won any battles if it involved arguing with him.

            “I just don’t think it would go well with my preseason routine…” he stated lamely, shrugging his shoulders and smiling a little.

            “Alright, whatever,” I said, backing away and raising my hands. “Whatever you want Sidney.”

            “No, Aves, come here,” he said, dropping the oversized suits he had in his hand and covering the space between us with two strides. “Look, I really want you to come.” I shot him a look and he continued. “Really, I do. You’re just going to have to believe me when I say that I would really like you there.”

            “Then let me come.”

            “I can’t. I’m almost done with the season. Just wait a few more weeks and you’ll have me all to yourself. I promise,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.

            I just stood there, pretending to be enthusiastic about the fact that in a few weeks he would be mine. I wanted him now. I was consumed in him. There was no other way to explain it.

            “Okay,” I said, trying to mask the sourness in my voice.

-

            “I don’t want to talk about,” I replied, glaring at her.

            “Come on,” Emma whined like a four year old, oblivious that I didn’t want to tell her anything. “Tell me.”

            “He didn’t want me to go to Raleigh with him,” I said bluntly, getting up from the couch and walking back into the kitchen to get a beer. This is why I never dated before Sidney.

            Emma’s mouth was hanging open and I could pretty much see her tonsils, which, call me crazy, I did not want to see.

            “Close your mouth,” I snapped at her before taking a swig of my beer and feeling my head rush a little when I turned back to the fridge.

            “You don’t seem happy,” she stated, flipping the channels on my TV nonchalantly.

            “No shit I’m not happy. My freaking boyfriend didn’t want me to go with him on a road trip. A ROAD TRIP. That pretty much screams hey, let’s just have sex the whole time,” I said with a raised tone. I couldn’t remember the last time I was so mad. And the reason I was so mad?

            “I fucking love him Emma, and he acts like this is nothing. Here I am, pouring out my heart and soul to this guy, and getting nothing in return when I offer to go with him on a road trip.”

            She was up off the couch and at my side before I could blink. I knew she’d be there for me when I needed her. “Does he know… you, you know, love him?” she asked, sitting at the bar and looking at me with her ever-knowing eyes. I shook my head at her and just lowered my head, feeling sorry for myself.

            “Well, you know what this means don’t you?” she asked me with a hint of adventure to her voice. I knew this wouldn’t end well.

            “No, Emma, I don’t know what this means, but I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway,” I said with no enthusiasm.

            “It sounds like we need to go on a road trip of our own.”