Closing Time
One and Done
Closing time..
It was over. There were no more games to be played, chants to be shouted, screams to be yelled. I sat in my seat staring out onto the now empty ice. Most of the fans had since left but I couldn’t find the will to move. I was over the loss by now. It was done and that song kept playing through my head.
I inhaled the sweet arena’s scent as the memories rushed back to me. All of the games I had watched from this exact seat my brother loyally in the seat beside me. The playoff games that caused us to lose our voices for days, the losses that made me want to bawl my eyes out, the laughs that will always be in my mind.
I could remember everything so clearly. I could remember the days when no one wanted to go to Penguin games, when they were never sold out and you could get tickets on the side of the road for $40. My brother’s laugh filled my mind as I placed my gladiator clad feet onto the red seat in front of me. It had been almost a year since we had attended at game together. He was gone, watching over me from somewhere up in that lofty world in the clouds.
It hurt to remember everything that had happened in this arena. It hurt even more knowing that that feeling of being close to Zach every time I was sitting in this seat would go away. I looked to my left down onto the empty runway which was littered with paper and used stick tape. Closing my eyes I felt the familiar goose bumps I got every time I entered this building rise on my arms.
Eleven months ago Zach and I sat in these exact same seats cheering on our favorite team. That was just hours before he took his own life. Before he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed him. It still made no sense to me. Why he did it, why he would do something like that while he had so much of his life ahead of him.
There was a loud bang from the zamboni entrance as it slowly made its way out onto the ice for its last run in this building. I watched it with tears in my eyes as I crossed my jersey covered arms across my chest trying to hold my emotions intact. Soon enough I knew the staff members of the arena would be approaching me asking me to leave.
Closing time - 0pen all the doors and let you out into the world
A single tear fell down my cheek as I sat there savoring the feeling of being with Zach. I could feel someone watching me as I quickly wiped the tear away. Turning towards the runway my eyes met the somber ones of Evgeni Malkin. A small gasp escaped my lips as I began to wonder how long he had been watching.
Without saying anything he set his bag down and slipped through the small space between the glass and the black bars where the security guards usually stood. Climbing up the stars he took the seat beside me. His hair was slightly damp as I looked over questioning his actions. His eyes weren’t looking at me, slightly glassy they searched the ice below us. I turned my eyes back to the ice and leaned back in my seat.
I had that feeling again, that someone was watching me. I looked towards Evgeni his head slightly tilted looking at me, silently asking me what I was still doing here. “Just not ready to leave yet, I guess” I answered his unasked question. He shook his head turning back towards the ice.
Silence overcame us once again, there was the sound of another bag dropping and I turned towards the runway to see Max Talbot slipping through the same space that Evgeni had about ten minutes ago. He climbed up the steps and over a few rows before taking a seat. Before I knew it Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Kris Letang had all joined us sitting in the bleachers.
Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
“Excuse me, we’re getting ready to shut the arena up for the night” an older man spoke to us. One of the guys thanked him and the man disappeared down one of the tunnels.
No one spoke, just sitting there staring onto the freshly cleaned ice. Just like they came, one by one they left. Max first, then Sidney, Jordan after him and then finally Kris. The two of us just sat there. Evgeni’s loud steady breathing the only sound between us, finally he opened his mouth to speak. “You leave?”
I looked at him and nodded my head slightly. “I probably should” I began to stand and he stood right next to me. I looked down at the two seats that I had known my entire life. Back from the time when my father used to swap off the tickets, having us take turns going. Another single tear fell down my cheek and I took my seat once again. “Goodbye Zach” I spoke looking down at his seat.
Evgeni wrapped his arms around my waist as I choked out a sob. His muscular arms pulled me into his chest I felt the tears start to fall steadily. I wondered to myself why this NHL hockey player was caring about this girl he found crying in her seat after they lost in the second round of the playoffs.
So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have found a friend
Evgeni bent down grabbing my purse from underneath my seat, he grabbed my hand and led me down to the runway. I couldn’t even argue with him as he pulled me down through the halls and out the player’s entrance to a large SUV. I didn’t want to go home, I knew that as soon as Evgeni bid me goodbye I would be off to a bar, drinking until I was numb and I couldn’t remember why I was sad anymore.
Somewhere inside of me I wished that that wasn’t what I was going to have to do. Somewhere inside of me I hoped that the song was true.
Closing time every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
His arms wrapped around my body again and I was brought into his strong chest. He soothingly ran his hand up and down my back, softly rubbing my head. I pulled back and our eyes me. I felt myself push onto my tip-toes and my eyes began to close.
I know who I want to take me home
Our lips touched and a shock ran through my body. My hands entangling themselves into his curly brown hair. Just like all those movies I felt a rain drop hit my tear stained cheeks, we broke apart his arms still around my body. “Take me home” the words barely escaped my lips as his covered my own again. He opened the passenger door letting me climb in before he shut it and made his way to the other side.
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home
It was over. There were no more games to be played, chants to be shouted, screams to be yelled. I sat in my seat staring out onto the now empty ice. Most of the fans had since left but I couldn’t find the will to move. I was over the loss by now. It was done and that song kept playing through my head.
I inhaled the sweet arena’s scent as the memories rushed back to me. All of the games I had watched from this exact seat my brother loyally in the seat beside me. The playoff games that caused us to lose our voices for days, the losses that made me want to bawl my eyes out, the laughs that will always be in my mind.
I could remember everything so clearly. I could remember the days when no one wanted to go to Penguin games, when they were never sold out and you could get tickets on the side of the road for $40. My brother’s laugh filled my mind as I placed my gladiator clad feet onto the red seat in front of me. It had been almost a year since we had attended at game together. He was gone, watching over me from somewhere up in that lofty world in the clouds.
It hurt to remember everything that had happened in this arena. It hurt even more knowing that that feeling of being close to Zach every time I was sitting in this seat would go away. I looked to my left down onto the empty runway which was littered with paper and used stick tape. Closing my eyes I felt the familiar goose bumps I got every time I entered this building rise on my arms.
Eleven months ago Zach and I sat in these exact same seats cheering on our favorite team. That was just hours before he took his own life. Before he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed him. It still made no sense to me. Why he did it, why he would do something like that while he had so much of his life ahead of him.
There was a loud bang from the zamboni entrance as it slowly made its way out onto the ice for its last run in this building. I watched it with tears in my eyes as I crossed my jersey covered arms across my chest trying to hold my emotions intact. Soon enough I knew the staff members of the arena would be approaching me asking me to leave.
Closing time - 0pen all the doors and let you out into the world
A single tear fell down my cheek as I sat there savoring the feeling of being with Zach. I could feel someone watching me as I quickly wiped the tear away. Turning towards the runway my eyes met the somber ones of Evgeni Malkin. A small gasp escaped my lips as I began to wonder how long he had been watching.
Without saying anything he set his bag down and slipped through the small space between the glass and the black bars where the security guards usually stood. Climbing up the stars he took the seat beside me. His hair was slightly damp as I looked over questioning his actions. His eyes weren’t looking at me, slightly glassy they searched the ice below us. I turned my eyes back to the ice and leaned back in my seat.
I had that feeling again, that someone was watching me. I looked towards Evgeni his head slightly tilted looking at me, silently asking me what I was still doing here. “Just not ready to leave yet, I guess” I answered his unasked question. He shook his head turning back towards the ice.
Silence overcame us once again, there was the sound of another bag dropping and I turned towards the runway to see Max Talbot slipping through the same space that Evgeni had about ten minutes ago. He climbed up the steps and over a few rows before taking a seat. Before I knew it Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Kris Letang had all joined us sitting in the bleachers.
Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
“Excuse me, we’re getting ready to shut the arena up for the night” an older man spoke to us. One of the guys thanked him and the man disappeared down one of the tunnels.
No one spoke, just sitting there staring onto the freshly cleaned ice. Just like they came, one by one they left. Max first, then Sidney, Jordan after him and then finally Kris. The two of us just sat there. Evgeni’s loud steady breathing the only sound between us, finally he opened his mouth to speak. “You leave?”
I looked at him and nodded my head slightly. “I probably should” I began to stand and he stood right next to me. I looked down at the two seats that I had known my entire life. Back from the time when my father used to swap off the tickets, having us take turns going. Another single tear fell down my cheek and I took my seat once again. “Goodbye Zach” I spoke looking down at his seat.
Evgeni wrapped his arms around my waist as I choked out a sob. His muscular arms pulled me into his chest I felt the tears start to fall steadily. I wondered to myself why this NHL hockey player was caring about this girl he found crying in her seat after they lost in the second round of the playoffs.
So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have found a friend
Evgeni bent down grabbing my purse from underneath my seat, he grabbed my hand and led me down to the runway. I couldn’t even argue with him as he pulled me down through the halls and out the player’s entrance to a large SUV. I didn’t want to go home, I knew that as soon as Evgeni bid me goodbye I would be off to a bar, drinking until I was numb and I couldn’t remember why I was sad anymore.
Somewhere inside of me I wished that that wasn’t what I was going to have to do. Somewhere inside of me I hoped that the song was true.
Closing time every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
His arms wrapped around my body again and I was brought into his strong chest. He soothingly ran his hand up and down my back, softly rubbing my head. I pulled back and our eyes me. I felt myself push onto my tip-toes and my eyes began to close.
I know who I want to take me home
Our lips touched and a shock ran through my body. My hands entangling themselves into his curly brown hair. Just like all those movies I felt a rain drop hit my tear stained cheeks, we broke apart his arms still around my body. “Take me home” the words barely escaped my lips as his covered my own again. He opened the passenger door letting me climb in before he shut it and made his way to the other side.
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home
♠ ♠ ♠
(: