Trip to Your Heart - A Hockey Fanfiction

The Silent Treatment

Sid dropped me off with a smile at the hotel, "It was nice to see you again, Stella. Make sure you keep in touch."

"I will, Sid. Don't worry. Thanks for everything. Please send my love to the team," I gave him a hug and hopped out of the car. He'd lent me pair of sweats and a shirt to wear back into the hotel so that I looked less like I was doing the walk of shame, but I wasn't sure where his logic was coming from since his clothes were way too big for me because he was taller and broader than I was, but I wasn't about to complain. I was counting on not walking into Claude on my way in and I was thankful that Sid was willing to get up so early to bring me back to the hotel.

I slipped through the lobby and onto the elevator. I had my clothes from the night before with my phone and other personal affects in a string bag that Sid had also given me. It thumped gently against my lower back as I walked down the hall to my room. I let myself in to the dark room, moving quietly. I didn't turn a light on, I just let my eyes adjust to the dimness of the room. Cara was sleeping in her bed and a pair of dark eyes studied me from the armchair in the corner. I frowned, grabbing my suitcase and pulling it toward the hotel bathroom.

"So, what we said twenty-four hours ago meant nothing to you?" Claude asked, rising from the chair he had been occupying and taking a few steps to catch me, but I was already in the bathroom. I shut and locked the door, no longer caring about being quiet; I'd apologize to Cara later if I woke her up. I turned the fan on to block out anything else Claude would say; I didn't want to hear it.

I showered, changed, and got ready for the day of travel. Claude tried pounding in the door a few times, but after no answer, he stopped. I yawned as I dried my hair, not having had a restful night, even with Sid in the other room. He'd come in at four in the morning and shaken me awake. Neither of us went to bed again and we sat up in his kitchen with mugs of coffee talking about the dreams and then anything else that came to mind. It was six now and our flight left at 8:15 AM for Toronto.

When I walked out of the bathroom, Claude was gone and Cara raised a sleepy eyebrow at me, "You didn't even say 'hello'?"

"No, but hello, Cara," I smiled brightly.

"Why are you in such a good mood? Aren't you and Claude having a spat or something? Please tell me you and Sid didn't-"

"Oh, God, Cara, no! He's like my brother. That'd be so weird," I shuddered at the thought.

"And anyone else? Robert?"

"No, he was about to, but..."

"About to what?" She prodded, but then our door opened and we whipped around. Claude stood there with all of his stuff.

He looked at me expectantly and I turned to Cara, "I suppose we will talk later."

"Secrets don't make friends," Claude said darkly. I resisted the urge to laugh at his childish remark,  he didn't deserve the laugh when he had started a fight with my friends.

"Are you ready to leave, Cara?" I asked.

She sighed, "Let me get my stuff together and then yes."

We walked down to the elevator and out into the lobby in silence. Cara didn't feel like stirring up more shit with Claude, so she didn't try to broker a peace between the two of us.

The rest of the team was waiting for us and they smiled upon seeing me, then frowned at the stormy expression I assumed was on Claude's face. Coach told everyone to start heading out and Steve pulled me aside, "Where'd you go last night?"

"Out with friends," I replied, "What about you?"

"Don't pull this shit, Stella. Stop acting like nothing is wrong between you two. I don't want to see this team in shambles because the captain is upset," Steve told me.