Smile

7. Thursday

Today was the day that I was going to finally see Arabella after almost 3 weeks. Last night we played the Blues which we lost to. And then tomorrow we’re playing the Coyotes and I’m hoping that we could win that game. Practiced just finished and I was taking my gear off.

“So Johnny boy, seeing Mystery Girl today?” Burish asked laughing from across the locker room. I shot a glare at Kaner for telling them.

“Finally!” All the guys shouted at him throwing their towels.

“Well I couldn’t help it that we were on a two week road trip.” I said putting my hands up in defensive.

“Excuses, excuses.” Kaner said shaking his head which earned him a slap from me.

“Shut up.” I said before going to the showers where I could take a nice cold one. I didn’t want to find Arabella and then be all smelly.

The olympics were just about 2 weeks away from today yet it really isn’t hitting me yet. Like it feels like December and I have months until the thing. Six of the guys are going to be on an olympic team which is pretty neat. Kaner for USA, Hossa and Kopecky for Solvakia and then Sebs, Keith and I for Canada.

“Dude it’s four-thirty.” Kaner said as I started to get dressed. That meant I had only half an hour to get to the Newberry.

“Thanks. Bye guys.” I said walking out of the locker waving behind me. As the door was closing there were a ton of cat calls from the guys.

I got in my car and headed off to Newberry praying that I would make it there on time. It only took me 15 minutes to get there because of all of the traffic. I got out of my car and headed up the stairs and walked on in. At the desk that I went to the other day was a guy flipping through a ESPN magazine.

“Hello, I was wondering if Arabella is here today?” I asked the guy who looked up at me.

“Dude, your Jonathan Toews! Wait, why are you looking for Ara?” He asked taken back by the fact that I was looking for her. His name tag read Dean.

“I need to ask her something. Is she here?” I asked getting annoyed how everyone that works here basically avoids answering questions.

“No, sorry she covered me yesterday. She’ll be here Saturday.” He leaning back in his chair. I just sighed thanked him and left the library.

I drove home to my apartment I couldn’t believe that I missed her. I was starting to think that I would never find her in Chicago. So I called Kaner to get out and have dinner some where.

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After class I went to park to take some pictures. The project that we had to do was to have pictures of places that you hang out at in Chicago. So far I had pictures of the library, United Center, a small cafe, and now the park. The photography class that I was in had to deal with black and white films. That meant after I took my pictures I had to go and develop them in the lab.

“Hello?” I said picking up my phone.

“Hey Ara, it’s Sam. You want to go get some lunch?” He asked. I guess he just finished his class.

“Sure, where should we go?” I asked packing my camera into its case.

“Um, how about the soup shop?” Sam recommended which sounded really good right now. The weather was horrible, I wanted to go back the apartment and curl up in bed.

“Perfect. See you there in 10.” I said hanging up the phone. I didn’t have a car and neither did Sam so we had to walk, take a taxi or catch the metro to get some where.

The weather outside was horrible and I couldn’t wait to just get inside and warm up. Over lunch we talked but mostly complained about school and things like that. I guess your average student that works. For lunch Sam got chicken noodle soup and I get French Onion Soup. Thankfully Sam had a pack of gum waiting for me after I ate the soup.

“What time are you going to come home?” He asked as we made our way out of the restaurant.

“Probably around 9:30ish. I’ll call when I leave the Alexanderoff.” I said saying good bye to Sam and walking around some more.

I just walked where my feet took which and started to take pictures. The pictures I was taking the whole time I was praying that they would come out nice. Since I couldn't see what I was taking it was all a risk. I stopped around 5:30 to go and the dark room building.

The pictures were starting to come out and I really liked them. For only taking most of them today I was glad and happy about everything. Of course I had to re-print picture a few times but it was worth it. By the time I was done with everything it was 9 o’clock.

“Hey Sam, I’m leaving Alexandroff now.” I said as I was closing the door behind me.

“Okay, see you soon then.” He said. Even though Sam was a gay man, you couldn’t really tell when first meeting him. He looked like your typical All-American boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I was so grateful that we became fast friends after our second year in college. Since that’s when we went apartment shopping.

I put my white ear phones and started to listen to ‘If We Ever Met Again by Timbland feat. Katy Perry’. I stopped at the sidewalk and pressed the button to allow me to cross. The walkman sign came on and I started to cross the street when a car slowly pulled up. A car waiting at the crosswalk always made me nervous. Like somehow the car was going to hit me. But it didn’t.

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Kaner and I went to have dinner, grabbed a few drinks and shot pool. By the time I sobered up because I knew Kaner would be a lost cause if he was a designated driver we left the bar. It was nine and we had a game the next day so we had to sleep by 10 at the latest. As I was pulling up to a cross walk a blonde haired girl was crossing the street. The girl turned her head to somewhat glance at the car with her green eyes and there was Arabella crossing the street.

“Patrick! That’s her.” I said pointing at her back as she was walking down the sidewalk.

“You need to stop shouting and pointing at her, dammit just go and get her. Before I do because if her frontside looks anything like her backside she must be hot.” He said annoyed at me. I pulled the car to the side and put my safety blinkers on.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” I said getting out of the car and running to find Arabella.

“Arabella!” I called out but she just kept on walking. I guess she had on her earphones or something.

“Arabella!” I called out one more time but I had caught up to her and turned her around.

“Jon?” She said with a small smile on her lips as she took out one of her earphones.

“You are literally the hardest person to find.” I said laughing as we stood out in the cold at night.

“Yea I guess. But what are you going to do now that you found me?” She asked digging her hands into her pocket. It was past 9, cold, windy and overall miserable but somehow she looked pretty while I probably looked like shit.

“I was thinking that maybe you would want to come to my game tomorrow?” I asked her hoping she would say yes.

“Sounds good. I’ll just leave you a ticket in the box office so you just have to say your name and you should get the ticket.” I told her praying that there would be an extra ticket in the front row across our bench.

“Actually you don’t need to do that, just ask Sharpie why tomorrow. I know you found me and all but I really have to get home, I have class at 7 tomorrow.” She said really regretfully like she felt bad that she was leaving me.

“Okay I’ll ask him. But it’s okay my friend is in the car up the street so I better go too. Can I have your number?” I asked her feeling for my phone by realized that I left it in the car.

“Sure, here I have a pen.” Arabella said pulling out at black sharpie from her bag which I just noticed that she was carrying. I pulled up my sleeve and she wrote her number on her arm. I did the same thing to her.

“See you tomorrow night?” I asked handing back Arabella her sharpie.

“Can’t wait.” She said, I kissed her on the cheek goodbye and left.

That night after I dropped Kaner off at his apartment not before getting interview with a shit load of questions. I went to my apartment took a shower and laid on my bed. Just as I was drifting off to sleep my phone buzzed from its charger. I went to go and read the message it said:
hey, jon. good luck tomorrow:) -Ara