The Right Kind of Wrong

Sitting in the library, her iPod playing on shuffle as she was taking down notes from one of those annoying books you couldn’t actually take out of the library, you could only read them there, Emily was resting her head in her hand, her fingers tangled in her long hair. School had only been in session for a few weeks and they were already swamped in homework (she’d been so sure she’d been done with that when she graduated high school) and assignments, all which required an insane amount of research and attention.

Gently tapping the pen against the page of the large book, she jumped slightly as she noticed a presence on the other side of the small table and quickly snapped her head up, regretting it the following second. Her neck hurt in a way it probably shouldn’t and she frowned slightly before pulling the small buds from her ears as her eyes landed on the blonde woman before her.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” the woman smiled apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” Emily assured her. “I was just…far away,” she frowned slightly, that was probably not something you should say to someone you didn’t know.

“It happens to me all the time,” she smiled, a secretive smile across her lips. “I was just wondering, are you using this book?” she asked, pointing at the closed book lying on the table.

“Oh,” Emily let out. “No, you can take it, I just haven't been to hand it back yet,” she told her. “Do I know you?” she asked carefully, sure she had seen the girl before.

“I think we’re studying the same major,” the unknown girl nodded slightly. “We have business law as well as marketing strategies together,” she remembered.

“I sat behind you last Wednesday,” Emily nodded in remembrance. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”

“No harm done,” the girl assured her. “I'm Kelly,” she introduced herself as she switched hands holding the book and reached out, shaking her hand.

“Emily,” she replied. “Nice to…officially, meet you,” she smiled slightly.

“You too,” Kelly smiled widely. “You done with the assignment?”

“Hell no,” Emily shook her head. “I got two paragraphs done thought, think he’ll go for that?” she asked hopefully.

“If I know Professor Davis there’s not a snowballs chance in hell,” Kelly rolled her eyes annoyed. “It’s like they don’t even appreciate that the summer has barely ended and that we actually do have lives that don’t necessarily revolve around our classes,” she said.

“Tell me about it,” Emily agreed. “I think they’re all just out to torture us, or bring us back to high school,” she frowned.

“True that,” Kelly nodded smiling. “I’ll have to go, but I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you then,” Emily nodded before Kelly left and she went back to her notes. Groaning softly as she recognized how much she had left to do before she could even think about returning to the dorms, she slumped even further into her seat.

Sometimes she really hated college…

For whatever reason, Emily had been out walking around the campus, getting an even better understanding of the layout and where everything was. She’d so far been getting by great on the new campus and had only gotten lost a handful of times, none of which had been very bad if she was honest. But it was never anything wrong with trying to get to know your town better.

Wandering around, she’d found herself outside of the large arena and a small sign on the door claiming open practice had pulled her inside which was why she currently was sitting in the stands watching the school’s hockey team practice. The past years she had never actually gone to a single practice Erik had had and sitting there now that realization surprised her.

She’d always loved going when they were younger. It was something special seeing hockey being played in a serious, but yet still playful manner, and she’d gone to practices as soon as school and football…soccer practice allowed her to when she was in high school…

The sleeves of her long sleeved shirt pulled over her hands in the chilly air inside the arena, she watched as the boys she wasn't really sure of the names of skated around on the ice below. Just being back in the atmosphere she’d loved was a battle against the emotions that threatened to escape and she silently wondered if she was ever going to be able to appreciate the game of hockey without thinking about Erik, about the way he’d hurt her.

Scratching the bridge of her nose slightly, she froze momentarily as she felt a presence beside her and she looked over, quickly recognizing the woman standing there, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“Kelly,” she said as she looked up at her.

“I thought it was you,” Kelly smiled as she took a seat next to Emily. “I haven't seen you here before,” she commented as she made herself comfortable.

“I walked by and something told me to go inside,” Emily shrugged slightly, not 100%sure herself as to why she was even there. “I used to watch practices like this all the time when I was younger,” she let slip.

“Really?” Kelly asked evenly, a slightly spark of concern in her eye.

“Yeah, my boyfriend played and I always enjoyed watching them goof around,” Emily smiled faintly. “It was years ago now.”

“So you’d belong on the girlfriend section,” Kelly decided smiling.

“I guess…” Emily frowned slightly as she looked over at the woman beside her.

“I was just around and I saw you,” Kelly began. “I got a little worried that you might be…like them,” she added, nodding towards the over-styled girls hanging around in a group a several feet away from them.

“Oh god, no,” Emily stated as she looked at the girls she’d seen a few days earlier. “Hockey players aren’t that great,” she noted. “They’re not even that good in bed.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kelly laughed. “You dated a hockey player?” she wondered curiously.

“My last boyfriend,” Emily nodded slowly. “He only had time for three things, well four; school, me, hockey and parties, not necessarily in that order,” she smiled darkly. “I haven't been at a rink since before we broke up,” she admitted softly, her eyes following the players on the ice as they all skated off the ice. “Your boyfriend, is he playing on the team?” she wondered, not wanting to dwell more over her own, broken love life.

“Yeah,” Kelly smiled proudly. “He’s captain this year, he’s really excited about it.”

“I can imagine,” Emily nodded slightly before glancing down at her watch.

“If you hang around a bit I can introduce you to him,” Kelly suggested as they both stood up and slowly walked towards the doors.

“I don’t…” Emily hesitated. “Why not,” she decided, there was no harm in making new friends.

“Great,” Kelly smiled widely.

Walking out of the arena together, they chatted about most everything and as they were standing around on the steps outside the doors, Emily realized that she was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe she was going to be able to heal and maybe UND was exactly the right place to be at.

“Hey babe.”

Watching the tall, messy haired blonde greet Kelly with a hug and a loving kiss, Emily pressed her lips together as she looked away, not really wanting to be reminded of perfect love. Cause really, that had been her and Erik just a year earlier.

“I want you to meet someone,” Kelly smiled up at her boyfriend. “This is Emily, we have a few classes together. This would be the boyfriend, Chay, also the captain,” she beamed as she looked over at Emily.

“It’s nice meeting you,” Emily smiled politely, shaking Chay’s extended hand.

“You too,” Chay agreed. “So you're also a business major?”

“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “I transferred here this summer,” she revealed softly as she looked up at him. Now him she knew she’d seen before…

A loud bang caused Emily to sit straight up in her seat, looking around bleary eyed. Blinking a few times, she realized that she was in the library and that the sound had been made by a book being dropped onto the desk she’d most probably been draped over…sleeping. Looking up, she frowned slightly as her gaze landed on the smirking face of Chay Genoway.

After first meeting him outside the ‘famous’ Ralph Engelstad Arena, she’d met him on several occasions as she and Kelly grew steadily closer. They were rather similar and had taken to hanging out a lot. Kelly also introduced her to some of her friends, making her own group of friends in the new school grow by the day.

“What?” she frowned as he picked up his book again.

“Sleeping? In the library?” he smirked down at her. “I thought you were a responsible young woman,” he joked.

“You have no idea,” she retorted, sending a playful glare at him.

“You got some…” he motioned towards his cheek, causing her to frown even deeper.

Looking down at her books, she noticed the damp spot in her notebook and she quickly reached up, rubbing her cheek in an attempt to remove the ink apparently present. “Good?” she asked hopefully.

“Good,” he nodded.

“So what are you doing here?” she wondered as she shifted slightly in the seat, her back was killing her.

“Borrowing a book,” he stated obviously, motioning towards the thick book he had in his hand.

“Right,” she blushed as she looked back down at her books. That was a rather stupid question really.

“What are you studying for?” he wondered, not mentioning her obvious embarrassment.

“I have to make a ten minute presentation about the evolution of the…the push-up bra for my English class,” she revealed.

“What?” he exclaimed surprised.

“Don’t ask,” she closed her eyes momentarily, “I think the professor must have been high or something when he got the idea,” she smiled softly.

“You don’t say,” he agreed, nodding slightly. “Anyway, we’re having a BBQ/party kind of thing tomorrow night at Pony’s house, you should come,” he said as he shifted the books in his arms.

“I don’t…” she hesitated, she really wasn't sure she wanted to head down the path of knowing more hockey players. After all it hadn’t really turned out well out before.

“Come on,” he insisted smiling. “It’ll be fun, I’ll be there, Kell will be there, there’ll be loads of alcohol…”

“All the makings of a good party, huh?” she smiled up at him. “Alright why not,” she agreed.

“Great,” his smile widened. “I’ll have Kell text you the address.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

“I have to get going, we have practice, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, nodding slightly towards the door behind him.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” she smiled softly.

“And good luck with the presentation,” he winked before turning around and walking away.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Emily tried with all her might to not think about the presentation she had to do the following day. How in the hell would she stand in front of a class of some forty students and explain the ‘evolution of the push-up bra’? There was no doubt in her mind that the professor had either been stoned when he thought up the idea as well as the different subjects, or that he was just a sadist, who wanted to watch them suffer.