Take Me as I Am

Two Weeks Later

Olivia and Jonathan had quickly become really good friends over the last two weeks. Every time they were on the road, they made sure to spend at least some time together after the games while the rest of the team went out to the bars.

“So,” Summer asked Olivia as they were packing up all their things to head back home after the game tonight. “What exactly is going on between you and Jon?”

“What do you mean?” Olivia asked, turning around to look at her.

“Well, either I’m losing my best friend to him or you have a thing for him,” Summer said with a smirk.

“I do not have a thing for him!” Olivia exclaimed.

“Okay, so I should go kick his ass for stealing my best friend?” Summer asked jokingly.

“Sum, seriously, we’re just friends.”

“Yeah, yeah, for now,” she muttered under her breath. Olivia rolled her eyes and continued packing. “Liv, why don’t you just admit that you like him?”

“Fine, I like him,” Olivia said quickly. “But, that doesn’t mean that he likes me. I mean, to him, we’re friends. And what about you?”

“What about me?” Summer asked, glancing over at Olivia.

“Oh, come on. What’s happening with you and Pat?”

“Nothing!” Summer yelled as her eyes went wide. “Liv, you know I can’t stand the boy! God, he’s so arrogant!”

“Don’t tell me you don’t think he’s hot,” Olivia said with a smile.

“Okay, I admit, he may be attractive. But, that does not mean I like him!”

“Whatever!” Olivia told her.

Seven hours later, Olivia and Summer were boarding the plane after a come-from-behind win by Chicago against the Minnesota Wild. As they got on the plane, Summer noticed a seat next to Jonathan. She looked back at Olivia and said, “Sit. I’ll see you after the flight.”

“Thanks,” Olivia said with a smile.

“Hey,” Jonathan said as she sat down next to him.

An hour later, they were deep in conversation about Olivia’s friendship with Summer. Olivia had no idea how they had gotten on that subject, but Jonathan seemed to be extremely interested in it.

“So, how did you two meet? No, let me guess. I bet it’s one of those stories where you’ve been best friends all your lives, that your mothers were best friends, and that you lived next door to each other. I bet you guys have been inseparable since birth,” Jonathan joked.

“Ha ha,” Olivia said sarcastically. “You shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Actually, our story's nothing like that.”

“So, what’s it like?” Jonathan asked, looking over at her.

Olivia leaned forward to look next to Jonathan, trying to see if Kris Versteeg was asleep beside him, which, indeed, he was. She wasn’t exactly comfortable telling just anyone the story about how Summer and her had become friends, but she felt she could trust Jonathan.

“You really want to know?” Olivia questioned.

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, part of your assumption was true. Our mothers were really good friends, but Summer and I weren’t always so close. In fact, we didn’t even talk to each other until we were fourteen. We ran in different crowds, and we didn’t exactly like each other,” Olivia told him.

“So, what changed?” Jonathan asked with interest.

“When I was fourteen, my mom died,” Olivia explained. “They were going to send me to some orphanage, when Sum’s mom and dad took me in and adopted me. I moved into their house, and Sum and I were pretty much forced to get along. Eventually, we just sort of bonded, and she became my best friend,” Olivia said with a smile.

“So, when people say that their best friend is like their sister, you can actually say that’s true?” Jonathan joked.

“Yeah,” Olivia said with a laugh as the pilot announced the plane was about to land. “She really is my sister. Her parents are basically my parents.”

“Hey, I want to ask you something that I’ve been wanting to ask you this entire road trip, but I haven’t been able to,” Jonathan said, changing subjects.

“Yeah?” Olivia asked, looking over at him.

“Would you like to go out with me sometime?” he asked quickly.

Olivia just stared at him, while her brain tried to make sense of what he just said. Had he really just asked her out on a date?

“Or not,” Jonathan said slowly as he looked down.

“No, no, sorry,” Olivia said quickly. “I was just trying to figure out if this was real or if I’m dreaming.” Jonathan laughed a little as the plane landed. “I’d love to go out with you sometime,” Olivia told him smiling.

“Great,” Jonathan said as they both unbuckled their seatbelts and began to get off the plane.

Olivia waited for Summer as she got off the plane. “Hey, Sum, how was the flight?” she asked as a huge smile appeared on her face.

“What’s up with you?” Summer asked as they walked to baggage claim.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re all chipper,” Summer said. “What happened on that flight?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Just Jon asking me out,” Olivia told her nonchalantly.

Summer immediately stopped walking. “Seriously?” she asked. Olivia nodded her head. “Aw, I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks,” Olivia said. “And, don’t worry. I’m keeping my eye out for a hockey player for you, too,” she joked.

Summer just rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she said pulling on Olivia’s arm as she weaved through the sea of people to get to baggage claim.