You Raise Me Up (Artemi Panarin)

4| Got It Bad

Artemi

"So new guy, how are you liking Chicago" one of my teammates and often times practice linemate Patrick asks as I tie up my skate for practice. We had just started up here at the beginning of September and I was excited to get my first taste of the NHL.

"It's pretty cool. A lot different than what I've seen in Russia but it's something that I can easily get lost in. I haven't been out much yet but I like what I've seen so far" I smirk.

"Ohhh did you see any cute girls yet. This place is full of them" he claims as he raises his eyebrows up and down. Good to know that no matter where I play hockey the guys will always be the same.

"Actually... there is this one girl. She's so incredibly beautiful, has long blonde hair and bright brown eyes. She's a tiny little thing, probably almost half a foot shorter than me. She even lives next door to me" I start to explain.

"Ohhh a girl next door, how romantic" he claims.

"Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated than her just being the girl next door" I sigh.

"What? Is she fake or something" he asks.

"No, she's real. At least I think she is. The first time I met her I literally ran into her, so she's pretty real if you ask me. But it turns out she has a disease where she's not really allowed to be around people a lot or touch anyone otherwise she will get really sick. But she's so smart and so kind, she just loves life even though she doesn't get to live it. And she wanted to try to work things out between us so we've just been passing notes under each other's door for about a week now" I explain.

"Why not just text each other" he wonders.

"This way is more interpersonal. I can keep the notes for a long time and maybe one day we can look back at them. There's more work that goes into writing it and it makes it more special" I shrug.

"Well what's she like" he wonders and I smile.

"She's great. She looks so stunning, unlike any girl I've ever seen, and she has a good heart to go along with it. She does this blog thing where talks about her life and everyone else's. People sends in questions and she answers them or she just explains some things about life to her camera" I explain.

"You moved in next to Valerie Walker" he asks and my eyes go big.

"You know her" I gasp as he laughs at me.

"Everyone in the Chicago area does. She's done a lot for this city, brought attention to deeper issues and provided solutions for them too. A lot of the sports organizations use her things for psychological trainings and she does a lot of work in the schools around here. She's basically like this cities psychologist, but it's also bigger than that. She's world wide, but this is the place that created her. She might not be this big thing in Russia but around these parts she's a big deal" he claims.

"I had no idea" I admit.

"Well you're a lucky man. She's a sight to see" he admits.

"Do you watch her videos" I ask a bit stunned. He didn't seem like he had any type of confidence issues, whatsoever.

"No. But my girlfriend loves her. And so does Jonny so you better watch out for him" he warns and I laugh.

"Trust me, she's not easy to get ahold of" I insist.

"Right. How are you two... doing whatever it is you're doing" he asks.

"Usually just the notes or face time. I can go over to her place for a little but she can't come to mine. Everything is so clean in there it shines. And I can't be that close to her but we still talk. It's only been a little over two weeks so not much has happened" I admit.

"Well best of luck to you, you're going to need it" he claims getting up.

He heads out to the ice and I shrug him off. If it's hockey advice I need he's the first person I'm going too, but if I need life advice I'll just go to Valerie for that. After he goes I finish getting ready and join everyone else at practice.

The practice comes and goes and I get closer to being able to play. I've been sidelined with a knee injury since I've been here and wouldn't be playing competitive hockey just yet, but Q did want me in a few preseason games before I start my career here in Chicago.

After practice concludes I start to head home to relax for the night. Everything is so new to me and I didn't want to get lost so I usually just stayed home. Along the way I stop driving when I see a bunch of flowers on the side of the street in a little shop. I get out of my car and find the prettiest bouquet of flowers in the whole building. I purchase them before hopping back in my car and heading home. Once I get there I say hi to the kid that works at the front desk and he eyes the flowers.

"Are those for Valerie" he smiles and I let out a dry laugh.

"Yeah. Is it too cheesy" I ask him and he shakes his head.

"No. She's going to love it" he assures me.

I get out of the elevator and go straight up to Valerie's door. I knock a few times and eventually it opens.

I see Valerie appear in the other side of the door and I smile big. I get butterflies in my stomach as she smiles back at me.

"Hey Artemi, how are you today" she asks.

"Good now that I've got to see you" I claim and she starts to blush.

"That is very sweet of you" she nods causing her long blonde hair to fall off her shoulders.

"I uh... I saw these flowers and thought they were really beautiful so I thought of you" I say handing them to her. I roll my eyes once I realize how lame that sounded but she smiles up at me anyway.

"I love them" she says softly as she reaches for the flowers. Her hand touches mine and I jump a little. "You're fine Artemi" she says as she rests her hands on top of mine. They we're so cold but still made me feel good in the inside.

"How do you know whether or not you're going to get sick" I ask.

"I never know. But there's no outcome if there's no risk" she smiles as she takes the flowers.

"I'm almost done with my next note" I tell her before I end up saying something stupid again.

"I can't wait to read it" she admits.

"Are you doing a livestream tonight" I wonder and she laughs.

"Yeah" she says. "I didn't think you followed all of that" she admits.

"It's interesting stuff" I claim.

"I like to think so" she agrees.

"Well I'll be watching" I assure her.

"Good. And thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful" she insists.

"Of course" I nod.

She closes the door and I let out a long sigh. Man, I've got it bad.