Sequel: Rachael, It's None of Your Business ›
Rachael, It's All or Nothing
You Know, Was a Little Hard Not to Stare
02: You Know, Was a Little Hard [Not] to Stare
When I went back out to the gala, he was gone. Granted, I wasn’t able to look everywhere since the guy from before tracked me down. “Hey,” he said with a smile, “Where’d you go?”
“Um,” I quickly tried to think of something to say. “I had… something to do?”
He dropped his shoulders. “Thank God you didn’t try and lie about having a quickie with another girl.”
That would have been a way better lie. Mine was so unconvincing. Wait –
“What?”
“I know you aren’t a lesbian.”
I gapped like a fish, I’m sure, and I know for a fact I blushed. “I don’t think you can… fairly make that assessment…”
He just grinned. “My name’s Adam.”
“Rachael,” I caved, sighing heavily.
---
At the gala the other night, Kody had won a pair of Blackhawks tickets. Sure, she had paid a fortune for them, but it was all for charity, or so she’d justified it. I had been excited – the Blackhawks had a few hotshot young players that were supposedly going to save the franchise. I had never been interested in my hometown team, but I had been curious to see how well they played now that they had enlisted some guys named Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
However, because I had not been ready the second Kody wanted to leave, she left without me. And with no ticket, I couldn’t get into the arena.
I know, right? Some friend she is.
In a fit of homicidal rage, I decided to wait outside the arena until she came out. And I had been waiting for about three hours. Unfortunately for me, there was a patch of black ice under the snow, and I went careening towards a parked car, until gravity took over and I slid halfway under the car.
It was beautiful. Here I was, dirty marks up the back of my pants and jacket, lying under a car with only my neck and head showing. The owner of the car was scared speechless, to put it politely. He jumped about a foot in the air and asked what I was doing.
“Hanging out!” I snapped. “I come to hockey arenas and lie under cars because I have no life.”
“Rachael?”
I looked up at the sound of the female voice. “Yes?” I replied sweetly.
Kody’s head floated in my vision, but before she could reply, I heard a male snort. “I knew it.”
I slowly pulled myself out from under the car, my body aching, and looked in the direction of the laugh. It was the guy from the other night – the one who had embarrassed me. I immediately narrowed my eyes – he was mocking me again. For what, I didn’t know. But I knew he was laughing at me.
Kody interrupted my staring contest. “Look who I found!” She said, gesturing to the guy.
Why was he wearing a suit? He looked stupid.
“You look stupid,” I told him.
“I think that’s a little hypocritical,” he replied airily.
“Hey!” I defended, pointing at him, “anymore!” I stressed, “I looked stupid, but not anymore!”
He gave me a look. It was disturbing to have him staring at me like that. So I faltered. “You look like shit, then,” he amended seriously.
I squawked, straightening my back. “How rude!”
“Do you two know each other already?” Kody suddenly asked.
I held my wrist up, which caused his watch to slide down towards my elbow. “I have his watch!”
Kody burst out laughing. “This is the guy whose crotch you shoved your head into?”
I was mortified. “I did not shove my head into his crotch! His crotch was there when my hair got stuck to his watch!”
“So your hair was stuck to my watch.”
I turned to him. “Was not!” I shrieked.
By now, the guy had eased into his car and had escaped, unnoticed by me. And, once I took a deep breath and stopped trying to end my humiliation by out-yelling him; I realized that I had grabbed the attention of several people. Great. If I wasn’t blushing before, I was now.
A lot of the people were wearing jerseys with the number nineteen. Toews? Well. I hope the player’s first name isn’t ten. Because then his name would be Ten Toews. That would be awkward – especially if he didn’t have ten toes.
“It’s actually pronounced Tayvz.” I looked at him. Had I said that out loud?
Nonetheless, I was self-conscious again, and I had to make myself feel better. “Well that’s stupid. You are stupid. I’m leaving.”
As I stalked off, Kody was left to either stay with that guy that she had probably been hitting on, or come after me. Even though I was blushing and still completely humiliated, I took solace in the fact that she chose me.
“Rachael –”
I put my hand out to stop her. “Don’t bother, Kody.”
Of course, she ignored me. “You do look like shit.”
I glared at her, my mouth open to retort, when I heard his voice again. “I can see through your shirt!” he called.
I growled, not bother to look back at him, and continued stomping away.
---
He was right, I noted grimly. I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t have my jacket done up and when I slid under the car I tore the front of my shirt.
He could see my fluorescent pink bra. Perfect.
I labeled him as a pervert because it made me feel better.
I stood in the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I had locked the door, because Kody was laughing at me. I soon drowned out her voice, because I was too busy pouting mournfully at my appearance. Dirt had crusted over in my hair, making it look like a bird’s nest, and I had a huge skunk mark up my back from when I slid on the ice.
A knock at the door sounded. “Rachael, I have something for you!”
“If it’s another bottle of shampoo, you can take it and shove it –”
“It isn’t anything to help your ghastly appearance!” She droned.
Sighing, I unlocked the door and gave Kody a dry look. Wordlessly, she handed me over a card. Not like a birthday card, but like a trading card. “Why do you have this?” Was the first thing I asked.
She rolled her eyes, which meant she was brushing off my question. “Look who it is.”
I looked at it. “It’s that guy from before.”
“Yeah. And?”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head. “Jonathan Toews?”
She grinned. “And?” She prompted with a wave of her hand.
I gasped. “That young hockey player’s name is Jonathan Toews!”
“Get there faster!” Kody snapped.
“I shoved my head in Jonathan Toews’ crotch.” When what I said registered in my brain, I shrieked. “I shoved my head in Jonathan Toews’ crotch!”
Kody looked at me gleefully. “First you shove your head in his crotch. Then you see him looking like you rolled in a dumpster. I think you made my week.”
The only thing I could think, as I slammed the bathroom door in her face, was I shoved my head in the crotch of a famous NHL player. Then I told him I thought he was and looked stupid.
Great. Could I be any more of a moron?
When I went back out to the gala, he was gone. Granted, I wasn’t able to look everywhere since the guy from before tracked me down. “Hey,” he said with a smile, “Where’d you go?”
“Um,” I quickly tried to think of something to say. “I had… something to do?”
He dropped his shoulders. “Thank God you didn’t try and lie about having a quickie with another girl.”
That would have been a way better lie. Mine was so unconvincing. Wait –
“What?”
“I know you aren’t a lesbian.”
I gapped like a fish, I’m sure, and I know for a fact I blushed. “I don’t think you can… fairly make that assessment…”
He just grinned. “My name’s Adam.”
“Rachael,” I caved, sighing heavily.
---
At the gala the other night, Kody had won a pair of Blackhawks tickets. Sure, she had paid a fortune for them, but it was all for charity, or so she’d justified it. I had been excited – the Blackhawks had a few hotshot young players that were supposedly going to save the franchise. I had never been interested in my hometown team, but I had been curious to see how well they played now that they had enlisted some guys named Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
However, because I had not been ready the second Kody wanted to leave, she left without me. And with no ticket, I couldn’t get into the arena.
I know, right? Some friend she is.
In a fit of homicidal rage, I decided to wait outside the arena until she came out. And I had been waiting for about three hours. Unfortunately for me, there was a patch of black ice under the snow, and I went careening towards a parked car, until gravity took over and I slid halfway under the car.
It was beautiful. Here I was, dirty marks up the back of my pants and jacket, lying under a car with only my neck and head showing. The owner of the car was scared speechless, to put it politely. He jumped about a foot in the air and asked what I was doing.
“Hanging out!” I snapped. “I come to hockey arenas and lie under cars because I have no life.”
“Rachael?”
I looked up at the sound of the female voice. “Yes?” I replied sweetly.
Kody’s head floated in my vision, but before she could reply, I heard a male snort. “I knew it.”
I slowly pulled myself out from under the car, my body aching, and looked in the direction of the laugh. It was the guy from the other night – the one who had embarrassed me. I immediately narrowed my eyes – he was mocking me again. For what, I didn’t know. But I knew he was laughing at me.
Kody interrupted my staring contest. “Look who I found!” She said, gesturing to the guy.
Why was he wearing a suit? He looked stupid.
“You look stupid,” I told him.
“I think that’s a little hypocritical,” he replied airily.
“Hey!” I defended, pointing at him, “anymore!” I stressed, “I looked stupid, but not anymore!”
He gave me a look. It was disturbing to have him staring at me like that. So I faltered. “You look like shit, then,” he amended seriously.
I squawked, straightening my back. “How rude!”
“Do you two know each other already?” Kody suddenly asked.
I held my wrist up, which caused his watch to slide down towards my elbow. “I have his watch!”
Kody burst out laughing. “This is the guy whose crotch you shoved your head into?”
I was mortified. “I did not shove my head into his crotch! His crotch was there when my hair got stuck to his watch!”
“So your hair was stuck to my watch.”
I turned to him. “Was not!” I shrieked.
By now, the guy had eased into his car and had escaped, unnoticed by me. And, once I took a deep breath and stopped trying to end my humiliation by out-yelling him; I realized that I had grabbed the attention of several people. Great. If I wasn’t blushing before, I was now.
A lot of the people were wearing jerseys with the number nineteen. Toews? Well. I hope the player’s first name isn’t ten. Because then his name would be Ten Toews. That would be awkward – especially if he didn’t have ten toes.
“It’s actually pronounced Tayvz.” I looked at him. Had I said that out loud?
Nonetheless, I was self-conscious again, and I had to make myself feel better. “Well that’s stupid. You are stupid. I’m leaving.”
As I stalked off, Kody was left to either stay with that guy that she had probably been hitting on, or come after me. Even though I was blushing and still completely humiliated, I took solace in the fact that she chose me.
“Rachael –”
I put my hand out to stop her. “Don’t bother, Kody.”
Of course, she ignored me. “You do look like shit.”
I glared at her, my mouth open to retort, when I heard his voice again. “I can see through your shirt!” he called.
I growled, not bother to look back at him, and continued stomping away.
---
He was right, I noted grimly. I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t have my jacket done up and when I slid under the car I tore the front of my shirt.
He could see my fluorescent pink bra. Perfect.
I labeled him as a pervert because it made me feel better.
I stood in the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I had locked the door, because Kody was laughing at me. I soon drowned out her voice, because I was too busy pouting mournfully at my appearance. Dirt had crusted over in my hair, making it look like a bird’s nest, and I had a huge skunk mark up my back from when I slid on the ice.
A knock at the door sounded. “Rachael, I have something for you!”
“If it’s another bottle of shampoo, you can take it and shove it –”
“It isn’t anything to help your ghastly appearance!” She droned.
Sighing, I unlocked the door and gave Kody a dry look. Wordlessly, she handed me over a card. Not like a birthday card, but like a trading card. “Why do you have this?” Was the first thing I asked.
She rolled her eyes, which meant she was brushing off my question. “Look who it is.”
I looked at it. “It’s that guy from before.”
“Yeah. And?”
My eyes almost bugged out of my head. “Jonathan Toews?”
She grinned. “And?” She prompted with a wave of her hand.
I gasped. “That young hockey player’s name is Jonathan Toews!”
“Get there faster!” Kody snapped.
“I shoved my head in Jonathan Toews’ crotch.” When what I said registered in my brain, I shrieked. “I shoved my head in Jonathan Toews’ crotch!”
Kody looked at me gleefully. “First you shove your head in his crotch. Then you see him looking like you rolled in a dumpster. I think you made my week.”
The only thing I could think, as I slammed the bathroom door in her face, was I shoved my head in the crotch of a famous NHL player. Then I told him I thought he was and looked stupid.
Great. Could I be any more of a moron?