Plié and Clout

Chapter 60: Welcome Back

fml I forgot the intro in this chapter, it's 2am, I gotta write smthn. Hey bitches! I'm back! I'm stressed! I don't know what the fuck I'm doing for college!

(EDIT 11/20: plot holes) (also yeah june me you still don't know what you're doing for college)

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AUGUST

My heart is still in my throat from breaking off from a kiss and immediately seeing Steph's best friend and backup goaltender sprawled across my kitchen chairs. I know Rocket well enough, we're friends, but goddamn I thought I was going to die.

"Stephan?" I knock on the bathroom door and it opens to him struggling to pull on a Wolves shirt in a panic.

"Yeah?" He looks over at me, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders.

"When are you back? We still have to talk."

That earns me a little stressed-out groan, his hand digging into his hair. "Uh, I'm off at six and I gotta eat and check on Jilly, probably seven? If that's alright?"

"Yeah, I'll plan for seven." I grab his collar and kiss his cheek. "Now, go. Play hard."

"I love you." He splurts again, bending over to give me a real kiss. Chaste, just a quick peck against my mouth, but soft.

"Mhmm, love you too, now don't make me the reason you're extra late." It feels weird to just say that again right off the bat but it feels like what I should say and I definitely still do love him, we're just going through a little something. 

He gives me a nod and then is gone with Rocket in a flash, grabbing his slice of toast with eggs on the way out.

Sometimes, he's like dating a teenager.

I finish up breakfast, going over the very eventful night I had and then clean up the kitchen.

I hang the jacket he wore here yesterday on my hooks, a very old Firebirds Bauer jacket. Considering I'm pretty sure he played for the Firebirds before he turned 18, it's at least 7 years old. I think it's a comfort jacket for him. He wore it home for Christmas and he wore it on our second date. It's definitely comfort clothes.

Then I collect his shirt and sweats from last night and stack those on my dresser.

Sometimes, Gabby likes to get detailed about her life between the sheets with Zak around me. Lord knows I don't mind it at all, I love my best friend and she's funny, but after I got more serious with Steph, she started needling me for my own stories. Now, Gabby and Zak have known each other forever, well, not really. She's from Saskatoon, he's from Chicago. They met in California when she was sixteen. Zak was with Jorgen at his other Uncle's summer house. That Hadley is the brother to Jorgen's dad but not the coach of the Wolves. They kept up with each other for a month after that, then it faded. Here comes the fun and slightly criminal part. Zak got in trouble with University of Illinois Chicago and they transferred him out of country for some reason. He made up some fun story which involved flirting with the Headmaster and bingo, he's in Canada: more specifically, in Gabby Dewalt's 10am advanced economics class, flirting with her like no tomorrow because she didn't remember him and he very much did. 

And it's not like-

My thought train is cut off. 

"August! Steph! Clothes on! Your favorite best friend is here!"

I laugh at Gabby's choice of words and look out into the kitchen, she's got her hands over her eyes.

"Steph's not here." I say, knitting my fingers together in the sleeves of his jersey.