The Hockey Girl

Chapter 4

            I could hear whispered arguments around me as my body and mind awakened. I didn’t feel like opening my eyes so I simply listened to the banter that surrounded me. A hand was stroking my hair in a repetitious manner which I found to be soothing.

            I was still lying on the couch with my head rested on Nate’s chest. The television was on as background noise and the boys’ voices were becoming slightly louder.

            “Guys, shut it would you? Alara is still asleep.” Nate said. It sounded as if he was right next to my ear; I was still in his arms from the previous night.

            “Speaking of Alara; you look rather comfortable mate, with her resting her head on your chest and all.” Riordan teased.

            “Yeah Nate, anyone would think that you had feelings for our dear Ari.” Riaz badgered.

            “Guys, we all know he likes her, he has done for years. He’s just never been man enough to ask her out.” Drew spoke.

            “Please, I think they both like each other, everyone can tell but the two of them.” This particular statement came from Alexei.

            “Guys, can you stop talking like we’re not even in the room?” Nate asked with a voice that sounded slightly strained.

            “It’s true though Nate, all of us realise it bar the two of you.” Vasic noted.

            I honestly didn’t know what to make of the current situation. I knew that I had feelings for Nate, but I also knew that I wasn’t the right time to act on them, not with the loss of my mum still so fresh in my mind and heart.

Something told me that listening without their knowledge was wrong so I decided to ‘wake up’. I moved my head a little and mumbled incoherently. The voices in the room immediately fell silent and I struggled to fight the small smile that wanted to appear due to that.

            Nate’s body became still under mine as I ‘woke up’ and I opened my eyes slowly. “Morning guys, what time is it?” I asked, implanting a sleepy aspect to my voice.

            A chorus of ‘good mornings’ and other alternatives came from all of the boys and I smiled at them before lifting my head from Nate’s chest and sitting up.

            “It’s about eleven in the morning Ari.” Vasic answered.

            I sighed heavily, “You guys let me sleep in that late?”

            I was sitting beside Nate on the couch now, both of us resting against the backrest. The boys that had stayed the night surrounded us and were all smiling lightly.

            “It’s a Saturday Alara, we thought you could use the sleep in anyway.” Alexei defended.

            “I’ll admit though, I did think about waking you up at one point. You make the best peanut butter pancakes. I don’t understand how you can always make them so perfectly when you hate them yourself…” Riaz mentioned, smiling and looking off into the distance as if imagining those pancakes.

            A laugh escaped my lips and I smiled at the boy who had a knack for getting me to smile. He always seemed to be hungry.

            “We stopped him though; we thought it might be nice if we cooked for you.” Drew said.

            “I don’t mind helping out.” I glanced over at Riaz to see him looking at me with utter hope in his eyes. This of course caused me to laugh again, “Before you ask Riaz, yes, you’ll get your pancakes.”