Call Me Your Fool, But I only Wanna be With You

“So Valentine’s Day is coming up.” Ryan remarked out-of-the-blue on an uneventful Saturday afternoon. Marc and Nigel were out getting the groceries for the week, Ryan was lazing on the couch and watching television, and I was in the kitchen, making myself a grilled cheese sandwich. A week had gone by since they had found out about Sidney and I, and I was glad to say that things had calmed down. I don’t think they were completely used to the idea, but now they would call him Sid instead of Crosby. It was a step up.

“Yup.” I said, focusing on the sandwich cooking in the pan.

“Are you doing anything with Sid?” he asked, slowly and innocently. I Frowned.

“No, he has a game against the Islanders that night. We’re doing something the weekend after when we’re both free.” I replied. He just nodded and turned his attention back to The Office episode playing on the TV.

“Well, at least Valentine’s Day is just a Hallmark Holiday, right?” Ryan laughed half-heartedly. I let out an “mmhmm”. I tried not to let it bother me. This was a price that we both had to pay, and we knew that. But it still sucked that the closest I’d get to be with Sid during February 14th was through a TV screen.

“That’s why you’re taking Amy out to that Italian Place and bought that $175 Tiffany necklace right?” I asked, keeping my focus on the sandwich in the pan.

“You know,” Ryan said after a brief silence, “I’m just trying to make you feel better, but if you don’t want me to-”

“I know, I just like pushing your buttons.” I grinned, looking up at him. He turned to face me on the couch and glared.

“You’re mean.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“You’re annoying.”
“You’re even more annoying.”
“Well, YOU are a smelly pirate hooker.”
“Thanks Ry, I’m glad to know that we aren’t so different after all.”

“Ok, you know something?” Ryan said, getting up from the couch in dramatic fashion and walking up in front of me with his hands crossed over his chest. I mimicked the pose and glared. We both tried not to laugh, but ended up failing miserably.

“We’re back! What’s so funny?” Nigel asked, walking into the door with Marc, groceries in their arms.

“Nothing. Ooh what’d you guys get?” Ryan asked excitedly, jumping over and looking in the bag Marc was holding.

“Chicken and pasta. We play the Islanders tomorrow remember?” Marc asked. I bit my lip. I really didn’t want to go against the Islanders. For one it would be at the coliseum, and two, I couldn’t stand playing them. When the topic of rude hockey players came up, many of my thoughts go to them.

“Your favorite huh, Holls?” Nigel joked. I grumbled and took the sandwich out of the pan, only to have Ryan grab it and quickly take a bite. I fumed.

“Are you serious right now?!” I yelled, going to grab the sandwich. Ryan giggled.

“Do you know you make a mean grilled cheese sandwich?” Ryan replied, mouth full. I growled and chased him around the house, causing him to shriek and run away from me and into the hall.

“Well,” Marc said sighing, “At least everything is back to normal.”
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“Nikki pass the puck!” Scott yelled, flying down the ice. Nikki barely made a flick with his wrist and the puck went smoothly to Scott’s stick, allowing him to take the one-timer.

“And there it is!” I yelled, throwing my arms up and skating over to the group hug behind the Islanders net. 4-2 with 29 seconds left, and the boos were music to my ears.

“Way to be Scotty!” Paul cheered from the front of our handshake-line, “That’s three times this season we have beat the Islanders!”

“Ah!” I turned my head sharply to see Scott on the ground, slightly curled in a ball with Nielsen skating away from him, stick in hands.

“Hey!” I yelled, skating away from the line and to Nielsen. I grabbed him by the jersey and spun him around. “What the fuck is your problem?!”. He laughed.

“What are you going to do about it? Slap me in the face?” he asked as a crowd started to gather around the two of us.

“I’ll PUNCH you in the face if that’s what you’re looking for!” I yelled back, having to have Nazzy hold me back.

“I’d like to see you try. What are you even doing here? Go be an Ice Girl where you’d actually be useful.”

I felt my heart stop as my teammates started cursing out Nielsen and Petr even pushed him against the boards.

“Holly, you ok? Holly?” Nazzy asked, shaking me a little. I snapped back into reality and nodded.
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“Good win tonight everyone, really great.” Chris tried his best to smile and lighten the mood, but nobody was happy. Scott had to be taken out on a stretcher and was getting examined at this moment, and Nielsen’s comment lead to a really big fight at the end of the game.

I threw my gloves into the cubby and furiously began to take off my white away jersey. My teammates just stared. I let out a shaky breath and felt my shoulders slump. My teammates all shared glances with one another.

“Holly are you alright?” Wade asked, concerned.

“I’m fine.” I said, my voice more high-pitched than normal.

“You’re the worst liar ever, I hope you know that.” Aaron said coming up to my side, and leaning on the cubby next to mine, his hands resting on the top shelf of said cubby. I let out an angry sigh.

“I just want to know what I have to fucking do to get people to recognize that I DO deserve to be here!” I yelled, slamming my hand against the back of my cubby. I let out a frustrated sigh and placed a hand against my forehead.

“Aww Holl-bags.,” Brandon said softly, hugging me tightly from behind, “we recognize-”

“What if he’s right?” I whispered, ignoring Brandon’s sentiment.

“You take that back RIGHT NOW.” Chris said sternly, “I won’t have that come from anyone on this team and ESPECIALLY not from you. You work too hard and are way too talented to have some goon tell you a pack of lies! Don’t ever let yourself think that way.”

“Yeah Holl-bags, we love you too much.” Ryan said, coming up to hug me.

“Yeah, you’re great.” Aaron said, smiling wide and hugging me from the other side. I smiled as I felt the tears well in my eyes.

“Are you about to cry?” Brandon asked curiously, looking down at me. I nodded a little.

“I’m just touched… That’s all.” I said.

And I was. I really realized right there that I was the most fortunate person in the world to have group of teammates who are as caring as mine are.
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“She’d definitely like that…Well she IS a girl they always like that kind of stuff.”

I rubbed my eyes tiredly. I had fallen immediately asleep once we had gotten home, and was now woken up by the voice coming down from the hall. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and gazed at the clock. 12:55. Who is talking at 12:55 in the fucking morning? I got up from my bed quietly and walked over to the door, pressing my ear against the crack to hear what was going on.

“Oh yeah, THAT.” that was definitely Marc’s voice. I’d be able to catch that annoyed tone anywhere. “Well, Nielsen, being a douche that he is, just said some really nasty stuff to her and made her upset.”.

“Don’t forget to mention the Ice Girl part!” Ryan’s voice interjected, “They’ll wanna hear the Ice Girl comment!”

“OH YEAH SO!” Marc said, getting angry, “Nielsen told her she should just go be an ice girl- OW do you HAVE to yell in my ear?! I know you’re mad and everything but- No we know how you feel, in a different way of course but we’re all pretty pissed. She’s fine now, Holly is really really tough, this won’t get her down too much. Don’t worry.”

I didn’t dare to make a sound. I didn’t know who they were talking to, but my thoughts went to either Eric and his teammates, or Jordan and his, which meant possibly Sid as well. I didn’t want him worrying about me though. The last thing I needed was yet ANOTHER person to be concerned over my being, when I was perfectly able to take care of myself.
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“Any plans for tonight?” I asked Nikki as we walked back to the locker room after practice. Valentine’s Day had come much quicker than I had wanted it too, but playing hockey was what kept me sane throughout the day.

“Ya, Jessie and I are going out to dinner… Then dessert at my place” Nikki grinned innocently. I chuckled.

“Just don’t go overboard ok? We do have a game tomorrow.” I reminded him as we walked into the locker room.

“Shh she’s here!” Freddy whispered, rather obnoxiously. I raised an eyebrow at my teammates who were standing around my locker with big grins on their faces.

“Yes?” I asked cautiously. They stepped aside and the sight made my jaw drop.

“Someone really likes you if they sent you two dozen roses for Valentine’s day.” Steve smiled knowingly.

“It came with a note! Open it, we want to know who it’s from!” Paul said, holding the note in between his fingers. I blushed intensely and took it from his fingers, opening the small note carefully.

Holly,
Roses are red, violets are blue…I can’t rhyme for my life but I tried just for you! Happy Valentine’s day! You’re the best!
Love,
Y.K.W

“YKW?” Colton asked, reading the note over my shoulder, “Who’s YKW?”

“Who in God’s name has initials LIKE YKW?” Blair asked curiously.

“Well who’s it from?” Chris asked, all smile. I blushed and held the note to my chest.

“Holly has a crush!” Ryan joked, covering up for me. I rolled my eyes.

“Probably nobody.” I said quietly, staring at the flowers in front of me.

“I’ll bet you have a boyfriend and you’re not telling us!” Petr yelled out obnoxiously.

“Nah, if Holly had a boyfriend we’d all know.” Hank smiled. God bless that Swede for covering my ass. I smiled at the sight. Way to know how to make me smile Sidney Crosby.
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“Wow, 5-0 and it’s only the end of the first period?” Marc whistled as we turned the TV on once He, Nigel, and I got home from dinner, “They’re really going all out on them aren’t they?”

“Well they’re incredibly awful too.” Nigel said in reference to the Islanders, “I’m honestly not surprised.”

“Well I’m glad, they deserve to have their faces smeared in the mud.” I huffed, placing my purse down on the kitchen table.

“…And here comes Crosby, up the ice towards Nielsen and… Crosby and Nielsen have dropped the gloves! Look at that! I’ve never seen Sidney Crosby fight like this before! Incredible! He’s fighting like a regular pro out there!” I froze as Doc Emrick’s voice yelled over the TV. I turned my head to see Sidney being taken off of Nielsen by an official and preceding to curse out Nielsen as they were both escorted to the penalty boxes. Nigel turned the TV off and turned to me, large smile on his face.
“Well, well, well, vengeance is sweet eh?” he asked.

“Did- Did you guys tell him about what happened last week?” I asked.

“Glad to see that he knew to act like a proper boyfriend and show him not to fuck around with his girlfriend. Guess he’s not so bad after all.” Marc smiled.