Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
ninety-six
After we finished eating, Penny, Vero and I made our way to the house to grab some the desserts that were waiting to be eaten.
We were filling three platters with tarts, cupcakes and squares, when someone knocked on the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" I asked out loud.
"I'll go answer it," Penny said. "You finish with the platters."
"Thanks," I smiled.
"Maybe it's that creepy person who keeps sending you texts," Vero suggested. I gave her a look that said drop it. "Or maybe it's your parents."
"Yea, my parents," I said. "That's a good one, Vero. I highly doubt it's my parents."
"What about Max's parents?" Vero asked, taking a bite of one of the tarts.
"I don't think so," I shook my head. "We just saw them a week ago."
"Hmm," Vero thought, finishing off the rest of her tart. "These are really tasty."
"Thanks."
"Maybe it's another guy from the team."
"I think everyone is here already," I said. "TK and Jasmin. You and Marc-Andre. Letang, Max, Sid and Geno. Jordan and PA. That's everyone, right?"
"Yes, I believe so," Vero nodded.
"Uh, BM-dubs, someone is here to see you," Penny said, walking into the kitchen. "He's standing outside and I closed the door on him, so I don't know if he is still here."
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Um, I think he said his name was Sean," Penny replied, scrunching up her nose. "What an awful name, Sean."
"Do I know a Sean?" I looked at Vero, who shrugged. "What did he look like?"
"His hair was really, really short," Penny told me. "He had a roundish face. Blue eyes. About my height, maybe a little taller."
"Avery," I hissed.
"Who?" Penny raised an eyebrow.
"Sean Avery?" Vero scrunched her nose. "What the hell does he want?"
"I don't know, but we better get one of the guys," I suggested. "Max would be a good choice. Maybe Jord or Letang or TK."
"I'll see who I can round up," Penny said, rushing out the back door.
"Come with me," I instructed Vero. We walked down the hall together looked out the peephole to find Sean still standing at the door, rocking back and forth on his feet, whistling. I swung the door open. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to visit," Sean smirked. "I heard about a barbecue and couldn't pass up the opportunity."
"Where did you hear this from?" I asked.
"Marc told me," Sean shrugged.
"Marc?" I raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down.
"You know, Marc Staal," Sean clarified.
"He didn't know about the barbecue," I said, catching him in a lie. Then a light bulb clicked. "It was you!"
"I did what?" Sean asked.
"You've been practically stalking me this summer," I said. "And sending me spooky text messages."
"I don't know about that," Sean replied. "I have sent a few messages, on occasion, but you never answered any of them."
"One, I didn't know who you were," I spat. "And two, they were creepy. Who in their right mind sends someone a message saying I saw you today, hope to see you again tomorrow?"
"I thought it was a nice way of saying hi," Sean shrugged.
"Were you even in Pittsburgh this summer?" I asked.
"I was, as a matter of fact," Sean nodded. "And I did see you around."
"Why didn't you act like a normal fricken human being and walk up to me and say hi?"
"Is everything ok here?" I heard Max ask from behind me.
"Avery," Tyler breathed.
I looked to my left and saw that Marc-Andre had his arms around Vero's waist, protectively. Tyler was standing beside him with an angry look on his face. Turning to my right I noticed Jordan and Kris standing there, ready to pounce if Sean took a step forward. I felt Max's arm snake around my waist as he stood beside me.
"Aww, isn't this cute," Sean smirked. "You're like a great big family."
"And your like a great big nutter," I countered. "Would you leave, please? I'm sick of hearing and seeing you, so leave before I have to call the authorities. And believe me, they would be here faster than you can say ketchup."
"Why is that?" Sean asked. "Been in trouble before?"
"It's possible," I replied. "Now get the fuck away from this property."
"I see that I'm not wanted anymore," Sean said, turning away from us and heading down the sidewalk to his car. "I'll see you on the rink, boys."
We were filling three platters with tarts, cupcakes and squares, when someone knocked on the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" I asked out loud.
"I'll go answer it," Penny said. "You finish with the platters."
"Thanks," I smiled.
"Maybe it's that creepy person who keeps sending you texts," Vero suggested. I gave her a look that said drop it. "Or maybe it's your parents."
"Yea, my parents," I said. "That's a good one, Vero. I highly doubt it's my parents."
"What about Max's parents?" Vero asked, taking a bite of one of the tarts.
"I don't think so," I shook my head. "We just saw them a week ago."
"Hmm," Vero thought, finishing off the rest of her tart. "These are really tasty."
"Thanks."
"Maybe it's another guy from the team."
"I think everyone is here already," I said. "TK and Jasmin. You and Marc-Andre. Letang, Max, Sid and Geno. Jordan and PA. That's everyone, right?"
"Yes, I believe so," Vero nodded.
"Uh, BM-dubs, someone is here to see you," Penny said, walking into the kitchen. "He's standing outside and I closed the door on him, so I don't know if he is still here."
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Um, I think he said his name was Sean," Penny replied, scrunching up her nose. "What an awful name, Sean."
"Do I know a Sean?" I looked at Vero, who shrugged. "What did he look like?"
"His hair was really, really short," Penny told me. "He had a roundish face. Blue eyes. About my height, maybe a little taller."
"Avery," I hissed.
"Who?" Penny raised an eyebrow.
"Sean Avery?" Vero scrunched her nose. "What the hell does he want?"
"I don't know, but we better get one of the guys," I suggested. "Max would be a good choice. Maybe Jord or Letang or TK."
"I'll see who I can round up," Penny said, rushing out the back door.
"Come with me," I instructed Vero. We walked down the hall together looked out the peephole to find Sean still standing at the door, rocking back and forth on his feet, whistling. I swung the door open. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to visit," Sean smirked. "I heard about a barbecue and couldn't pass up the opportunity."
"Where did you hear this from?" I asked.
"Marc told me," Sean shrugged.
"Marc?" I raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down.
"You know, Marc Staal," Sean clarified.
"He didn't know about the barbecue," I said, catching him in a lie. Then a light bulb clicked. "It was you!"
"I did what?" Sean asked.
"You've been practically stalking me this summer," I said. "And sending me spooky text messages."
"I don't know about that," Sean replied. "I have sent a few messages, on occasion, but you never answered any of them."
"One, I didn't know who you were," I spat. "And two, they were creepy. Who in their right mind sends someone a message saying I saw you today, hope to see you again tomorrow?"
"I thought it was a nice way of saying hi," Sean shrugged.
"Were you even in Pittsburgh this summer?" I asked.
"I was, as a matter of fact," Sean nodded. "And I did see you around."
"Why didn't you act like a normal fricken human being and walk up to me and say hi?"
"Is everything ok here?" I heard Max ask from behind me.
"Avery," Tyler breathed.
I looked to my left and saw that Marc-Andre had his arms around Vero's waist, protectively. Tyler was standing beside him with an angry look on his face. Turning to my right I noticed Jordan and Kris standing there, ready to pounce if Sean took a step forward. I felt Max's arm snake around my waist as he stood beside me.
"Aww, isn't this cute," Sean smirked. "You're like a great big family."
"And your like a great big nutter," I countered. "Would you leave, please? I'm sick of hearing and seeing you, so leave before I have to call the authorities. And believe me, they would be here faster than you can say ketchup."
"Why is that?" Sean asked. "Been in trouble before?"
"It's possible," I replied. "Now get the fuck away from this property."
"I see that I'm not wanted anymore," Sean said, turning away from us and heading down the sidewalk to his car. "I'll see you on the rink, boys."