Use Somebody
Nine.
Above all else, seeing a therapist made Abigail feel slightly normal again. Just hearing her tell her that the thoughts running through her head weren't abnormal, and that she was feeling exactly how she should feel made things weigh slightly less on her mind. She didn't feel completely better- after all she had only been there for 45 minutes- but Abigail felt that seeing Dr. Oaks would make things better every time she saw her.
She walked out into the parking lot and the summer day was turning into night slowly but surely. Jordan was sitting waiting in his truck and she couldn't help but smile as she climbed into the passenger seat. Jordan looked over at her and smiled right back- happy she could finally smile and mean it.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" He asked her. "They probably already had dinner at home," he explained shortly. Abigail let her eyes wander out the window for a brief second before turning back towards Jordan and nodding.
"I'm starving," she smiled sheepishly. Jordan grinned widely and started the car. He drove for a few minutes before turning into a diner. Almost as soon as they walked in, everyone already knew he was there.
Being a Staal in Thunder Bay was a big deal, being a Staal who just won the Stanley Cup was an even bigger deal. After the initial reaction Jordan received, everyone calmed down. Abigail was a bit rattled by the reaction but excused herself to go to the bathroom where she splashed cold water on her face and began to feel better.
"Sorry about that," Jordan apologized as soon as Abigail slid back into the booth.
"It wasn't your fault," she shook her head, opening her menu and letting her eyes scan the words. They ordered their meals soon after (being a Staal in Thunder Bay also got you fast service) and Abigail looked across the table, studying Jordan's features. "Why aren't you still in Pittsburgh?" She asked him the question she had been wondering the whole time she was in Thunder Bay.
"I did what I had to do as far as appearances and everything after we won the Cup and then I came back home," he told her. "I miss it here during the season, so as soon as I get a chance to come back I do."
"So how was it?" Abigail asked, sipping her water through a straw.
"How was what?" Jordan inquired, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.
"Winning," she smiled. A wide smile set across Jordan's face as the single word left her lip.
How did it feel to win the Stanley Cup? Words couldn't describe it. It was something Jordan and his brothers had all dreamt about since they were little kids. They would practice lifting make-shift cups over their heads and pretend they were playing Games 7s on their rink outside. As the finals seconds of that game ticked by all Jordan could do was smile. In fact, all he did was smile for about two weeks after that.
"Amazing," he said finally. "But that really doesn't even begin to cover it."
"Marc and I watched the game together," she told him, twirling the straw around in her glass. It seemed that she was always fidgeting in some way or another. Twirling her straw, bouncing her knee, tapping her foot, whatever it was she was always moving, always trying to distract herself it seemed. "I can't even imagine how that feels.." she trailed off, her eyes becoming distant as she stared at the wall just past Jordan's head.
Jordan wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew she wasn't just talking about winning the Cup, it seemed like she was just talking in general, talking about just feeling happy. The look on her face and the tone of her voice told Jordan that Abigail was worried she would never feel excited again, nor content, nor even smile and truly mean it. It worried Jordan slightly that she was silently hinting at all of these things, but his thoughts were interrupted by their food being placed in front of them. Both Jordan and Abigail thanked their waitress and began to eat.
"Are you okay?" Jordan asked about half-way through dinner. To anyone else this question would seem odd, especially because the two hadn't spoken a word to each other in about five minutes or so. But to Abigail and Jordan this question meant everything. It was a question that made Abigail nearly choke on her salad and her heart to start palpitating at an abnormal rate.
"Yeah," Abigail answered maybe a bit too quickly. She nodded vigorously and smiled one of the fakest smiles she could muster. Normally it would have bothered Jordan someone was lying to him, but in this instance it practically broke his heart to listen to her lie hit his ears. Her bottom lip quivered as she set her gaze back down at her salad like she was about to just burst into tears right there at the table, her hands began to tremble and she tapped her fork nervously against the table.
Jordan's goal was never to make her cry, but he was going to make his goal to have her stop crying before the summer was over.
She walked out into the parking lot and the summer day was turning into night slowly but surely. Jordan was sitting waiting in his truck and she couldn't help but smile as she climbed into the passenger seat. Jordan looked over at her and smiled right back- happy she could finally smile and mean it.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" He asked her. "They probably already had dinner at home," he explained shortly. Abigail let her eyes wander out the window for a brief second before turning back towards Jordan and nodding.
"I'm starving," she smiled sheepishly. Jordan grinned widely and started the car. He drove for a few minutes before turning into a diner. Almost as soon as they walked in, everyone already knew he was there.
Being a Staal in Thunder Bay was a big deal, being a Staal who just won the Stanley Cup was an even bigger deal. After the initial reaction Jordan received, everyone calmed down. Abigail was a bit rattled by the reaction but excused herself to go to the bathroom where she splashed cold water on her face and began to feel better.
"Sorry about that," Jordan apologized as soon as Abigail slid back into the booth.
"It wasn't your fault," she shook her head, opening her menu and letting her eyes scan the words. They ordered their meals soon after (being a Staal in Thunder Bay also got you fast service) and Abigail looked across the table, studying Jordan's features. "Why aren't you still in Pittsburgh?" She asked him the question she had been wondering the whole time she was in Thunder Bay.
"I did what I had to do as far as appearances and everything after we won the Cup and then I came back home," he told her. "I miss it here during the season, so as soon as I get a chance to come back I do."
"So how was it?" Abigail asked, sipping her water through a straw.
"How was what?" Jordan inquired, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.
"Winning," she smiled. A wide smile set across Jordan's face as the single word left her lip.
How did it feel to win the Stanley Cup? Words couldn't describe it. It was something Jordan and his brothers had all dreamt about since they were little kids. They would practice lifting make-shift cups over their heads and pretend they were playing Games 7s on their rink outside. As the finals seconds of that game ticked by all Jordan could do was smile. In fact, all he did was smile for about two weeks after that.
"Amazing," he said finally. "But that really doesn't even begin to cover it."
"Marc and I watched the game together," she told him, twirling the straw around in her glass. It seemed that she was always fidgeting in some way or another. Twirling her straw, bouncing her knee, tapping her foot, whatever it was she was always moving, always trying to distract herself it seemed. "I can't even imagine how that feels.." she trailed off, her eyes becoming distant as she stared at the wall just past Jordan's head.
Jordan wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew she wasn't just talking about winning the Cup, it seemed like she was just talking in general, talking about just feeling happy. The look on her face and the tone of her voice told Jordan that Abigail was worried she would never feel excited again, nor content, nor even smile and truly mean it. It worried Jordan slightly that she was silently hinting at all of these things, but his thoughts were interrupted by their food being placed in front of them. Both Jordan and Abigail thanked their waitress and began to eat.
"Are you okay?" Jordan asked about half-way through dinner. To anyone else this question would seem odd, especially because the two hadn't spoken a word to each other in about five minutes or so. But to Abigail and Jordan this question meant everything. It was a question that made Abigail nearly choke on her salad and her heart to start palpitating at an abnormal rate.
"Yeah," Abigail answered maybe a bit too quickly. She nodded vigorously and smiled one of the fakest smiles she could muster. Normally it would have bothered Jordan someone was lying to him, but in this instance it practically broke his heart to listen to her lie hit his ears. Her bottom lip quivered as she set her gaze back down at her salad like she was about to just burst into tears right there at the table, her hands began to tremble and she tapped her fork nervously against the table.
Jordan's goal was never to make her cry, but he was going to make his goal to have her stop crying before the summer was over.
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i kinda like this chapter. it pretty much sets up the rest of the story and from now on things should be a bit more consistant with jordan and abigail interacting.i hope you like it! lemme know in a comment :)
xoxo.