Careless

Two boys ran across the driveway, hockey sticks in hand. The older one talked and gave the younger boy pointers on how to hold the stick properly and moves that were easy to execute. The older boy looked up from his hockey stick and smiled at the younger boy and ruffled his blond hair.

Ella smiled as she watched Sidney and her youngest cousin, Noah, playing street hockey in her grandparents' driveway. Her smile quickly turned into a frown when she saw Megan fast approaching the two with a smirk on her face. The smirk reminded Ella of a hawk zeroing in on their target, determined and sneaky.

"I knew you liked him," Jessica stated when she approached Ella. "The look on your face says everything," she continued and smiled at Ella.

Sighing, Ella ran her hand through her shoulder length blonde hair. "I don't get it, why are you so convinced that I like Sid? And what makes you think that Sid likes me back?"

The two girls watched as Megan shamelessly flirted with Sid. Noah rolled his eyes, watching his oldest sister flirt with their childhood friend. He snickered when Megan almost slipped when she stepped on the tennis ball they were playing with.

"I've known Sid for a long time. I've seen the way he looks at girls and the way he looks at you."

"Oh, and how does he look at me?" Ella challenged the sixteen year old.

"Sid looks t you like you're the most amazing thing in the whole world. He looks at you and his eyes light up with excitement, like he's lucky just to be able to look at you. You look at him the same way, only, also like you desperately need him in your life. Like if he isn't there, you'll breakdown at any moment."

Ella gaped and looked at Jessica shocked. There was no way Jessica could have gotten all that information just from knowing and observing Ella for only a few days. "Are you sure you're sixteen?" she joked.

"If it isn't my favourite Fuller girl," Sidney interrupted them and wrapped his arms around the tiny brunette girl's shoulders and gave them a tiny squeeze.

Jessica laughed airily and smiled at Sid. "Congrats on your Stanley Cup win by the way," she said nonchalantly. "I was cheering for Detroit though."

Taking back his arm from Jessica's shoulders, Sidney put his hands over his heart. "You wound me, Jess. You really do, thanks for your support," he said dramatically. "El, you're totally happy for me right?"

Ella laughed. "Yes, I totally support you and your team the…" she trailed off joking about not knowing what team he played for. "The San Jose Sharks!"

Groaning, Sidney rolled his eyes. "The Pittsburgh Penguins thank you very much. And here I thought we were friends."

A laughed escaped Ella's lips and she kissed Sidney on the cheek. "And we are. I'm going to go see if Aunt Melissa or Grandma needs any help in the kitchen," she informed them and got off the ledge they were all sitting on.

Sidney watched as Ella made her way inside the house, his eyes never once leaving her retreating figure. He sighed when he could no longer see her and turned his attention back to Jessica, who was smirking at him. "What?"

"You two are single-handedly the most frustrating people in the world," she commented and watched Megan as she conversed with her friends on the front lawn.

"What are you talking about?" Sid asked. "How are we frustrating people?"

Jessica sighed and scratched her head in annoyance. "Seriously?" she asked and looked at Sidney who just gave her confused look. "You're chasing her, she's chasing you, its one big circle you two are running in," Jessica explained. "And don't you dare deny it!" she accused him and pointed her finger at his face.

He gave her a goofy smile and scratched the back his head. "I wasn't going to. I really like her, but she only sees me as a friend."

"Well, with the way you acted with Megan when we came here, is also telling her that you aren't interested in her."

Sid furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Jessica oddly. "What are you talking about? I wasn't acting like anything," he defended himself. "No offence, but I can't stand your sister sometimes," he admitted.

Jessica snorted. "You can say that again. You know she has a boyfriend? Meg. Nice guy, too bad his girlfriend is all over another boy."

Looking down at the ground, Sid stayed silent. He wished that Megan would get the hint that he was no longer interested in her. For the longest time, Sidney had the biggest crush on Megan growing up and always thought that he was going to marry her. It was one of those stupid things when you were young where you thought it would last forever and that nothing could change it.

Growing up next-door neighbours the Williams and Megan and her family living only a block away, he knew them and was close to the whole family. Even in the sandbox days, Megan was always the unattainable girl that you could never have. So naturally when Sid got his chance to be with her, he took it. It didn't enter him mind that Megan was using him, he was fast gaining the attention of the hockey world and Megan wanted that attention.

Sadly it ruined her. He watched as fame ruined someone who, despite her bitchy first impression, was sweet and incredibly selfless. She became more and more conceited and acted like she owned Sidney. He blamed himself for her sudden change, like he was the one that ruined her.

"It wasn't your fault what happened to her. She let it get to her head, and honestly, no one's blaming you," Jessica reassured him. "Megan's always going to be that girl too far to reach, but you know, Ella's reachable," she reminded him and smiled.

Sid cracked a smile and looked at his childhood friend. "Thank you. So when did my favourite Fuller girl become so adult?" he teased Jessica, trapping her into a headlock and started messing her hair.

Amidst all the giggles and laughers, Jessica and Sidney heard the front door slam shut and Ella running out of the house as fast as she could. Jessica and Sid sat up straight and looked at each other before Sidney jumped off the ledge he was sitting on and went after Ella.

"Ella! Ella! Ella, stop!" Sid begged as he chased after her. He could hear her sobbing and his heart beat wildly in his chest. "Ella, please stop," he begged and managed to grab on to her wrist before they reached the end of the street. He spun her around and his heart instantly broke when he saw her face. "Hey, what happened?"

Ella shook her head and kept on sobbing.

"Ella," he whispered and pulled her closer to him until her tiny body hit his chest.

Tensing slightly, Ella quickly relaxed when Sid wrapped his arms around her. She continued to sob, hitting Sid's chest with her right fist and grabbing his shirt with her left hand. She began to shake. "H-he's d-dead," she stuttered out.

Sidney tensed, his eye brows furrowed. 'Who was she talking about? Who was dead?' he thought to himself. Under his embrace, Sid could feel Ella starting to shake violently, much like the night she told him about her rape.

"M-my dad's d-dead," she stuttered and sunk to the asphalt, taking Sidney down with her. Ella dug her face into his chest, making the t-shirt wet. "He's d-dead," she repeated, her voice laced with sadness and heartbreak.

More than anything Sid wanted to take all of Ella's pains and carry it for her. First her rape, then giving up her baby and now her finding out her father was dead. How much could she take? Why couldn't he just be the one to take it for her?

For the second time, Sidney Crosby found himself holding onto a crying Ella James, helpless and unable to do anything.