Rise and Fall

Max sat at the kitchen table of his girlfriend’s apartment. His head lied in his hands, and he looked exhausted. “So, how was practice?” Brooklyn asked, nervous for the answer. Max had come over ten minutes ago after having finished a three and a half hour practice.

“Brutal,” Max said simply.

“Is your new coach that bad?” Brooklyn asked. The team had hired Dan Bazarra as their interim coach, and Brooklyn didn’t think he seemed like too bad of a guy.

“He worked us pretty badly, but he wasn’t the worst part,” Max told her looking up at her. She gave him a quizzical look, and he continued. “Sid,” he said.

“Sid? What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

“He won’t lay off. I know he’s angry that we’re losing, but we all are. And he keeps telling us that we aren’t working hard enough. He’s really starting to piss off half of the guys on the team,” Max told her.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Brooklyn asked.

“No,” Max said. “Not that it would matter that much. You know how he gets during the season. He’s like a completely different person, especially when we’re losing.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Brooklyn admitted, pulling back her blonde hair and putting it up with a clip.

“Some of the guys think that he needs a girlfriend,” Max said as Brooklyn’s little sister, Jocelyn, who she shared the apartment with, came walking through the front door.

“Who needs a girlfriend?” Jocelyn asked as she set her bag down on the couch and took a seat next to Brooklyn.

“Sid,” Max told her. “Know anyone who’d like to apply for the position?” he joked.

“Are you really that desperate to find him a girlfriend?” Jocelyn asked in disbelief. “He’s the captain of the Penguins!” she exclaimed. “I’m sure if you’d just walk outside right now, at least a hundred girls would offer to go out with him.”

“Yeah,” Max said. “But, we need someone who can handle him right now.”

“What do you mean?” Jocelyn asked.

“Sid’s not the greatest person to be around when we’re losing,” Max admitted. “In fact, it’s gotten so bad right now that most of the team is refusing to even help him when the other team is roughing him up a bit.”

“I thought he was one of your best friends, though,” Jocelyn said. “And I always hear the two of you say what a great guy he is.”

“He is, but he’s a completely different person during the season. The guys are getting sick of it, and they asked me to find him a girl to get his mind off of losing and get off all of our cases,” Max confessed.

“I’m sure it’s not that hard. I mean, I’m sure any girl would love to go out with him,” she said as she grabbed her bag and walked towards her bedroom.

Max continued to stare at her, a plan formulating in his head. Brooklyn knew exactly what he was thinking, and she looked at him and simply said, “No.”

“No? No what?” Max asked.

“Jocelyn is not dating Sid,” Brooklyn stated.

“What? How did you even know that’s what I’m thinking right now?” Max asked.

“Because I’ve been dating you for over a year, and I know you. And, Jocelyn is not dating Sid,” she repeated.

“Why not?” Max asked. “She’d be the perfect girl. She wouldn’t take his shit, and I think they’d really be good for each other.”

“Max, you said yourself that he’s a completely different person during the season. Plus, he’s kind of a jerk when you guys are losing, which you are right now.”

“Thanks for rubbing it in,” Max joked.

“Max, I’m being serious right now. I don’t want Jocelyn dating him.”

“You don’t want me dating who?” Jocelyn asked, walking into the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

“Sid,” Brooklyn answered.

“Why not? Are you the only one allowed to date a hockey player?” she joked.

“I didn’t think you even wanted to date him,” Brooklyn told her.

“I’m not begging for a date, but it’s not like I’d completely turned him down if he asked me,” Jocelyn explained.

“You’d consider dating Sid?” Max asked.

“Sure, why not?” she asked shrugging.

“Really? Because I think you’d be the perfect person to date him so he’ll stop focusing on us losing so much,” Max told her.

“I don’t know if I’m the perfect person,” Jocelyn said laughing. “But, I can give it a shot. I can’t promise that it’ll go anywhere, though.”

“Jocelyn, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Brooklyn said.

“Why not?” Jocelyn asked.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt. I think you have this image in your head of Sid, and he’s completely different during the season, and when you actually meet him, it’s going to be shattered.”

“Or, we could fall madly in love and marry each other in a big ceremony out on the ice at Melon Arena,” Jocelyn joked. “We don’t know, Brook. But, it’s only one date. It doesn’t mean that much. Nothing’s going to happen. And I promise, if he is a complete jackass to me, I’ll kick his ass,” she said with a smile.

Max looked over at his girlfriend. “Come on, if this actually works out, then everyone will be happy. Your sister, Sid, the entire team. Can’t we just give it one shot?” he asked.

“Fine, but I am not having her go out by herself with him to begin with,” Brooklyn told him.

“So, what do you plan on them doing?” Max asked.

“I don’t know,” Brooklyn admitted. “Aren’t any of the guys planning on a party soon? If so, they can meet up there,” she suggested.

“Well, Letang’s having a party this weekend, but I can’t guarantee Sid’ll show up. I mean, for all we know, he could be hanging out on the ice practicing some more.”

“Well, make sure he’s there, and we’ll test out this little plan of yours,” Brooklyn told him.

“You really don’t think this is going to work, do you?” Max asked.

“No, I don’t,” Brooklyn admitted. “I just don’t see Sid giving up any of his time for some girl, especially during the season.”

“Well, I’m hoping that Jocelyn will change his mind, and he’ll just lay off of us,” Max told her.

“Don’t worry, Brooklyn,” Jocelyn said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

Brooklyn stood there, silent, not wanting to say out loud all the bad scenarios that were currently running through her mind.