The Only Exception

“What do you mean I can’t pick up my ticket?” I questioned, standing in front of the will call window at Compuware Arena and glaring at the man who decided to give me a hard time.

“I’ll get your ticket as soon as you tell me the name of the person that left it for you,” the man, Reid, said not even bothering to hide the annoyance from his voice. We had been through this conversation once before.

“I told you, Tyler Seguin. He’s my best friend’s house-guest and he told me that he'd leave me a ticket in case I decided to come to tonight’s game,”

“Do you know how many girls come here telling me that exact same story hoping I’ll believe them? I’ve worked here long enough to see right through your lies. Seguin never leaves tickets for anybody,”

“It’s the truth,” I argued, annoying Reid a little more. “I don’t see why you can’t check to see if Tyler left tickets, how hard can that be? If he didn’t leave any then I’ll admit I screwed up and be on my way but if he did, you can check the name against my ID and see that I’m not a liar,”

“Why check when I know he didn’t? He never does and I’m sure he wouldn’t leave them so some fan girl can bother him,”

“I’m definitely not a fan girl. I’m going so I support the team because they have a big game tonight,”

“Game’s nearly half over by now,”

“And I had a speech to write for graduation tomorrow. I’m graduating from Plymouth High School where, in case you don’t know, Tyler also attends. True story,” I shot back, pulling my Droid out of my purse. “I’ve got the number of his billet family right here so you can either check to see if he left me anything or I can call and they can come out here and make you check,”

“Give me a minute,” Reid huffed, walking over to the desk behind him and sifting through a pile of envelopes before coming back to the window with one in his hand. “Guess you were right. ID?”

“Told you,” I said, pulling my driver’s license out of my wallet and sliding it under the window so he could look at it.

“There could be a dozen different Melindas and since he didn’t specify on the envelope that these are for Melinda Jacobs, how do I know they’re for you?”

“Because how many other Melindas come asking for tickets Tyler left? If he never leaves tickets what are the odds another Melinda is going to show up and bitch at you when she finds out you gave her ticket away? It’s not going to happen; I’m the Melinda he left it for,”

“I work here and you don’t so I have the right to withhold will call tickets. If you want to get in you’re going to have to buy a ticket,”

“Why would I do that if, like I told you, I already have one?”

“Like I said, I have the right to withhold tickets without an explanation. The ticket window is to your right, buy your ticket and you can go in,”

“Does it look like I just carry money on me at all times?”

“Am I supposed to know your financial situation? If you’re telling the truth come back with Seguin after the game and we’ll reimburse you the money you paid,”

“I want to talk to the person in charge,” I demanded only to be met with a chuckle.

“I am the person in charge and seeing as I have nothing else to say to you this window is closed,”

**********
I was getting ready for bed around 11:40 when my phone buzzed loudly from the nightstand. Sighing, I finished sticking the last curler in my hair before walking over to it, not surprised when Camille’s name flashed under the ‘one new text’ notification.

Camille: Get on Skype, asap.
Melinda: Okay, but this better be good.

After I finished typing my response, I walked over to the computer desk to fire up my laptop. It took a few minutes for it to start up but when it did I logged on and started Skype, waiting a couple more minutes while my computer loaded everything it needed to run. I hadn’t been on Skype for more than a couple of seconds when it began to ring and ‘Call from Camille’ flashed on the screen along with her picture. When I pressed the talk button I was horrified to see Camille with Tyler in his room.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was going to be a part of this?” I asked, turning the video off and suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my appearance. I probably looked like a mess.

“He wants to talk to you," Camille explained and Tyler nodded in agreement. "Now turn your video back on because Skype isn't fun without it,"

I sighed and reluctantly pressed the 'turn video stream on' button. “You couldn’t have at least texted to warn me? I look like shit,”

“He was afraid if I mentioned that he was going to be here you wouldn’t get on. He thinks you’re mad at him over the whole ticket thing,”

“Mad at him? No, I’m not –“

“Great! Then I’ll leave you two to talk it over,” Camille smiled mischievously before exiting the room.

“Hey Melinda,” Tyler greeted, managing his best smile. I noticed the cut on the right side of his chin as well as how tired he looked and felt bad for him.

“Hi Tyler,” I replied, giving him a sympathetic smile in return. “I’m sorry I look like shit. Like you already heard, I had no idea I was going to Skype with you,”

Tyler shook his head and laughed softly in the before saying anything. “No Mel,I look like shit. You look fine,”

“I take it the game didn’t go well?”

“You know how it is when we play London. It’s aggressive, rough, and sometimes things happen,” Tyler sighed. “Kinda sucks, especially since I’m gonna have this cut in all my pictures tomorrow, not to mention it’ll scar,”

“That sucks,”

“Yeah, but not as much as what happened to you. All Camille told me was you couldn’t pick up your tickets. What happened?”

“It’s a long story and I wouldn’t want to bore you,”

“Try me,” Tyler challenged, looking at me expectantly. I shifted in my chair so I could prop my feet on the desk before sharing the details of what happened between me and Reid.

“So he sent you away, just like that?” Tyler asked, his face becoming unreadable when I finished.

“Yeah, said he had the right to hold back tickets and he didn’t like me so I wasn’t going to get the one you left. I would’ve bought a ticket if I brought money with me but since I didn’t think I’d need it I only had $5 and what wasn’t going to get me anywhere. What can I say? People at will call can be douches,”

“I’ll talk with them and make sure they apologize to you. Why didn’t you call Camille?”

It was times like this that made me wish we were on the phone or doing anything but Skyping because while I fell silent, contemplating something to say, Tyler looked at me expectantly. A few minutes passed and when I still couldn’t think of anything, I used the first lame excuse that came to mind. “I didn’t want to bother her,”

“You didn’t want to go,” Tyler stated, looking straight at me.

“Tyler, of course I wanted to go,”

“If you didn’t want to go, you can be honest with me. I won’t be offended. I just called because Camille sounded so upset about the whole thing and I thought it was probably because you were,”

“I’m fine though Camille would be upset and you’ll laugh at why. She’s got this master plan of trying to hook us up and it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s plotting how to get us together now. I really wanted to go though, I did,” I sighed

“I take it Camille does that a lot?”

“It’s her hobby, she enjoys it, and I’m sick of being the victim,”

“It doesn’t work out?”

“Yeah, four of the guys I dated this year cheated on me,”

“Do I know any of them?”

“Tyler, you don’t have to do this. My life probably bores you and you don’t have to pretend like you’re interested because you felt bad about today,”

“I’m not pretending, Melinda. I’m really interested. If you don’t want talk about this we can talk graduation. Are you nervous?”

“More like terrified. I don’t want to screw up do something that’ll make me look like an idiot, you know?”

“I thought someone like you would be fearless,”

“You’d be surprised after all I went through,”

“I think I have an idea,”

“Then it wouldn’t surprise you to know I’ve got a tight grip on reality,”

“If I was in your position I’d feel the same way. You’re just so strong, I wouldn’t have guessed,”

“It’s not something I share,” I yawned. “Anyway, while I appreciate your call, it’s close to my bedtime and if I don’t try to sleep I’ll be up worrying all night,”

“If it happens, you know where to find me,”

“Goodnight, hockey star,”

“I sing country,” Tyler blurted as I was about to hit the end call button.

“Excuse me?”

“When I’m nervous I sing country music,”

“You, Tyler Seguin, are not supposed to get nervous,”

“And you’re Melinda Jacobs, there’s nothing that stops you from doing anything,” he replied, shooting me a smile.

“You listened to my speech,”

“You didn’t believe me? This was our senior year, you know. I was gonna make sure I voted for the person who wouldn’t screw it up… much,” Tyler laughed. “Anyway, don’t lose sleep it. Whatever happens, happens but like I said, you’ll knock ‘em dead,”

Keep it comfortable, distanced. None of this is worth the risk. I told myself, lying in bed long after he ended the call. Tomorrow, he'll be too busy with his friends that he'll forget this ever happened and it'll be like it was all a dream.