Boy Next Door

It’s been about two weeks since I met the guys, and they won’t leave me alone. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing but at least one of them is texting me every night and asking me to hang out after their practices. Usually, I’d go, especially since school is just about over. I just have one more week left. Right now, it’s Saturday morning, 6:30 a.m., the time I head out for my morning run.

I grabbed my very bright sneakers out of my closet, put them on my feet, and tied them. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, leaving my bangs in front of my face. I went over to my black refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water from it, my usual routine. I headed towards the door, turned the knob, and pushed the door open. I turned around to go close the door. As I did, my water bottle went flying out of my hand. I heard a loud smack followed by a soft cry of pain.

“Oh my gosh! I am sooooo sorry I did not mean for the to happen, at all,” I apologized, truly feeling sorry for the person. “Actually, no I completely meant for that to happen. But, you know how the saying goes, no blood no foul, so there is no real damage done, unless I hurt you self-esteem,” I nonchalantly said seeing who the person was.

“Yes, you did hurt my self-esteem, and my shoulder,” Marc whined like a five-year old. He was rubbing his shoulder where I’m guessing he got hit by the flying water bottle.

“Oh I’m sorry, do you need a hug?” I asked him as he pretended to cry. He nodded his head saying yes. “Oh, well that’s just too bad, because I’m not going to give you one.”

“Ouch, that hurts Danielle,” he stated while he put his hand to his heart signaling that he was hurt emotionally by my comment. I just sat there with my arms crossed and a ‘you’re pathetic’ look on my face. We both burst out laughing until someone came out of there apartment yelling at us to keep it down out there. We looked at the man and mumbled an ‘I’m sorry’ to him. Once he went back inside we burst out laughing again. Once we finally calmed ourselves down, Marc asked me where I was going. I told him I was out for my morning run, and politely asked him if he wanted to tag along. He replied with a simple why not and went to go get ready. Once he got back, we drove to Central Park.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Holy crap!” Marc sighed in between his gasps for air.

“What? It was only a short five mile run,” I cutely replied. Ever since I met the guys, I always liked making it seem like I’m more athletic than them, and sometimes, they made it quite easy, just like right now. Marc was lying on my couch completely out of breath and I was standing at the counter in my kitchen just fine.

“I’m a professional hockey player and I’m out of breath after a run. Then there’s a girl in college that plays soccer that did the same run and is completely 100% fine. Something’s not right here,” he complained.

“Oh well,” I sighed as I turned on the TV and started flipping through channels. Marc and I fell a little bit into an awkward silence. The only sound in the apartment was the low hum of whatever random show was on the TV.

I was zoning out into space until Marc asked me something. “Del Zotto, Gilroy, and I are all going to Dubi’s apartment tonight to watch the Penguins Flyers game. They want to know if you want to come.”

“Sure, why not,” I replied with a smile forming on my face. Not a smile of joy that I’m going to be hanging out with four New York Rangers. Now I don’t get star struck whenever I’m with the guys. They know I like them for their personalities and not the fact that they’re professional hockey players. It was an evil smile on my face. Evil because I had a perfect way of torturing them tonight.

“Okay, come by at 6:30,” he told me, not realizing that I had the perfect plan to annoy the crap out of the four of them tonight.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3A, 3B, here it is, 3C. I looked at my outfit one more time before knocking on the door. I was wearing a Jordan Staal Jersey and Pittsburgh Penguins sweatpants. All of it was part of my plan. I knocked on the door and patiently waited for someone to answer.

“Damn! You’re a Pittsburgh fan!” Brandon practically screamed in my ear. He steeped out of the doorway allowing me to walk into his apartment where the guys were playing NHL 09. Matt was playing against Michael and I guessed that Brandon and Marc were waiting to play next.

“Well of course I’m a Pittsburgh fan. They are fucking amazing! They did win the Stanley Cup last year,” I said making a lot of hand motions really emphasizing that I’m a huge fan. What the guys didn’t know was that I am a great liar. I can pretend I like something for a really long time. Some say I’m a great actress, but I just say I’m an amazing liar.

“Even better, she’s a Staal fan,” Marc chimed in.

“Oh. My. God! Jordan Staal is sooooo fucking hot! He is definitely the best Staal of the family!” I said dramatically. Marc looked at me with a hurt expression on his face. It wasn’t a mock one, thanks to my lying.

“Whatever. Can we please just watch Mike kick Matt’s ass?” Brandon said not caring that I’m a Pittsburgh fan. I turned my attention towards the TV noticing that Mike was winning 12-2 and that the game was almost over. I asked the guys if I could play the next round. They of course said yes thinking that they could all beat me with ease. They also informed me that they just started a little tournament for the “NHL 09 Champion.”

“YES! I am the champion!” I said as they handed me the little two-foot replica of the Stanley Cup. I was now the undefeated champion of NHL 09. All of the guys were shocked that a girl who plays soccer could beat a professional hockey player at a hockey videogame. We were all finding a place to sit as the announcers told us that the game would start momentarily. “You’re lucky that I’m such a nice winner,” I told the guys.

“And why is that?” Matt asked me curiously.

“Because I’m going to go make us some popcorn to eat while we watch the game,” I simply replied. They all told me that it was a very good idea and informed me that the popcorn was in the cabinet. I walked into the kitchen, got the popcorn, and put it in the microwave. I walked back into the living room with the bowl of popcorn in my hands. I put the popcorn down on the table and looked at the couch, the only piece of furniture to sit on in Brandon’s living room. All four of the guys were sitting on the couch, leaving no place for me to sit. “And where is the champion supposed to sit?”

“I don’t know, the floor,” Mike said.

“I don’t think so,” I said as I laid myself across all four of the boys, with my head in Marc’s lap. I suddenly felt like this wasn’t the smartest idea, and I was correct. The guys decided it would be funny to shove me off of them and onto the floor. I desperately tried to grab into something, but was too late. I guys pushed me off onto the floor, where I remained for the rest of the night. They laughed at me as I gave them an evil glare. I then realized my plan to annoy them would be making its debut once the game started.

“Don’t’ you think he’s so hot? Ohhhhh, he seems like he has a great personality. Personalities make guys just so much more attractive. He is so so so so sooooo funny. Funny guys get bonus points in my book.” I went on and on like this for the whole first period. During the first intermission the guys finally told me they had enough.

“You guys do know that I was just messing with you, right. I just felt like annoying you the entire night,” I finally told them after it seemed like they had had enough. They all turned to face me and looked at me like I had three heads.

“You suck,” Marc blurt out. I just smiled and replied, “I know.”

The night went by normally for the rest of the night, but the guys were still mad at me for annoying them (And beating them in NHL 09). I figured that they were eventually going to get back at me for it, but I didn’t know when, or how. The Penguins won 3-2, which I was very grateful for since I can’t stand the Flyers. I drove back home with my little Stanley Cup in the passenger’s seat. When I got home I placed the replica on my little trophy room in my living room. Right in the middle so that whenever the guys came here they would see it and remember the night when little 5’6” Danielle Michelle Longola kicked there asses at there own game.