I looked at Brandon. "You can't be joking." He stood up.
"I'm not. I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom." I decided to text Sidney back.
Me: yeah. I still like you.
Penguincaptain: really? Or r u just saying that.
Me: no I'm not. I really do still like you.
Penguincaptain: whatever
Me: k later
He came back just as our bill did. "I'll pay," He said.
"Thanks. And thanks for dinner. It was really good." He stood up and hugged me.
***
I got back to the hotel to find Sid camped out on the couch.
"Wakey wakey!" I smiled.
"Wha-? Oh hey." He looked cute when he was sleepy.
"Hi. Did you have a nice nap?" He nodded.
"Yeah. I'm not exactly well rested, but at least I won't be tired later."
***
I went to go change in my new "jersey". (It was technically Sutter's, but oh well.)
"Hey Sid? There's a huge hole in the top of the jersey, like where the logo is. It's like huge." He was slow to get up.
"Coming. Do you want me to buy you a-?" I put it on.
"It looks fine...I guess I'll just go with it."
GAMETIME
I stepped out onto the ice for the first time in a long time. (very very long time. Earlier didn't count because I wasn't playing in a real game.) "You ready?" I nodded.
"Yup. Ready to kick ass." He smiled as the others joined us.
"Hey Kels, good luck." Sutter had joined us.
"Hey, thanks." He hugged me before I left to take the ice.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, your Pittsburgh Penguins!" The crowd wasn't too thrilled, but oh hell, they were about to be.
"Kels, Sutter isn't a goalie. He's a centerman." Oh shit.
"Oh well. I'll have to deal with it."
***
It was about 13:20 left in the first period when I got checked really hard into the net.
Great. Thanks Mackie. I thought. And it did feel like high school again. I mean this time, there's no ambulance. But I did feel a rush of pain wash over my head.
I got up slowly and put my helmet back on.
"You good?" Sidney asked.
"Yeah. Get away from the goal before I slap your ass back to Pittsburgh."
"And the score at the end of the first, Pittsburgh 2, New York 0."
I slowly walked back to the bench. Maybe I should just sit out for the rest of the game. I thought. Nah. I'll be fine. I thought again.
***
I let one of the trainers take a look at me before ruling me out for the rest of the game.
"I'm fine really." I kept saying.
"You took a nasty blow to the head. How in the hell do you feel?" Letango asked.
"I feel fine." Really, I feel like throwing up, my head hurts so bad.
"You sure? You look a little green," Sidney had noticed.
"I feel fine," I snapped.
"Alrighty then, you're sitting out for the rest of tonight's game. I really don't care where you choose to sit, as it is your choice, but you have go to be sitting somewhere." The trainer, whose name tag read Sammy J., was really serious. He was all about me staying in the game or trying to.
***
"Hey you alright? Here's a towel for your head."
Sidney came back into the locker room? How sweet.
"Thanks. I'm okay for now." He put his arm around me and started rubbing my back. I rested my aching head onto his shoulder.
"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" I shook my head.
"I'm not allowed to. I have to stay here." But really, I just want to go to sleep.
"We'll think of something." He said. He kissed the top of my head before leaving.
***
"I'll be alright. I'm not going to puke my guts out." I told myself. I found a bench and laid on it, playing on my phone.
***
"Great game guys! And we owe it all to Kelsey!" I sat up.
"Awe thanks guys."
Sammy J. came back over and checked on me. "I'm good. Really, I am," I reassured Sammy.
***
I let Sidney drive since I wasn't feeling up to par.
"You alright?" Sid asked me.
"Y-yeah. I'll be fine." He put his hand around my shoulder and started rubbing my back.
"I just wish that never happened. Now I'm so sure I can never play hockey again."
"Aw come on now. That's so not true. You are so good at it. Plus everyone loves you at goalie." I closed my eyes to try and remove some pain from my head.
"It's alright. Trust me. I know what it feels like to be in pain." Yeah you're a hockey player.
***
We pulled in and I made a beeline for the nearest bathroom.
"This sucks." I said as I walked out. My face was still a little green, but I didn't care. At least there was no more vomit that was coming out of me.
"There you are. Are you-." I sat down on the couch.
"What's wrong?" He sat next to me. I rested my head onto his shoulder. "You told me you-."
"Well I was wrong. I'm going up to bed." He kept me on the couch.
"No. I mean, I'm coming with you." He was being sweet.
"Thanks."
***
I laid on one end of the couch and Sidney sat on the other end. "How's your head?" I didn't bother to sit up.
"The same. I'm gonna take some aspirin. Do you have any?" He shook his head.
"No. But I think Khris does. Let me go ask him." I fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.
***
"Hey. Wake up!" I jolted up.
"Ow. Fuck Sid!" He sat next to me.
"You alright? I didn't mean to wake you up." He kissed me. Our lips crashed and for a brief moment, I was in a state of serenity. I forgot about being sick for a brief moment.
"Oh my god." I said.
YOU ARE READING
Catch me
Random"Great game last night." I smiled. "Did you watch it?" He asked. "Yes. I saw it on TV." We held each other's gaze for a moment before I stood up. "Hey, it was nice meeting you, but I've got to get to my seat." He stood up at the same time I did. ...
