The Right Kind of Wrong

“So I've been meaning to ask you something.”

Looking up from the book on business law that was spread out over her crossed legs, Emily raised her eyebrow in Chris’ direction as he was leaning against the counter in the apartment he shared with two of his teammates. “What?” she asked curiously.

“Are you coming to the game?” he asked as he picked at the label on the water bottle he held in his hands.

“The game?” she asked slowly, knowing how much their sports meant to athletes, heck she’d even been one herself.

“It’s our first game of the season,” he explained. “We’re playing an exhibition game against University of Manitoba on Sunday,” he told her. “You coming?”

“I wasn't planning on it,” she said softly, nibbling slightly on her lower lip. She knew this was going to happen one day, but it was still just as bad. The second Kelly introduced her to Chay, and he asked her to come to the BBQ where she would end up meeting his teammates, she knew that she would be exposed to the college hockey team, their games and all around craziness that surrounded it, and it had literally caused her some sleepless nights.

Spending time with hockey players was one thing, going to actual games was a totally other thing. A thing she wasn't actually sure she was going to be able to go through with, at least not yet.

“Please come,” he smiled as her. “For me,” he pouted, causing her to laugh slightly.

“I don’t…” she trailed off as she tried to find the right words to use. “Before I came here, there were things that happened that I'm not ready to revisit,” she admitted. “And going to a hockey game is going to bring some of those back. So I really don’t want to go,” she stated.

“Not even if I beg a little?” he frowned.

“Not even then,” she smiled softly. “Really, I’d want to go, I just…I just don’t trust myself just yet.”

“Alright,” he sighed resigned as he sat down in the chair across the table from her.

“Me not being there is not going to change anything,” she pointed out, closing the book and placing it on the table and placing her feet on the floor.

“No, but…” he began.

“I'm not going,” she smiled at him.

“Please,” he tried.

“No,” she shook her head slowly. “But I will watch it on TV,” she promised.

“I can live with that,” he sighed reluctantly balancing the chair on its two back legs.

“Well, you're just going to have to, aren’t you?” she pointed out smartly.

“Smarty mouth,” he mock-glared at her.

“Yeah, well, it’s how they like me,” she shrugged as she glanced over at the clock on the microwave. “I have to get going,” she told him. “I have class.”

“Alright,” he nodded as she stood up and walked over to where she’d dropped her bag earlier. “Call me.”

“I will,” she nodded as she picked up said bag and unhooked her car keys from the small metal loop hanging on the bag. “See ya,” she smiled over her shoulder as she pulled the door open and disappeared out in the hallway.

Watching the 7-1 win over Manitoba on the TV out in the common room with a few lingering people who wasn't all that interested in what was happening, Emily couldn’t help but notice the slightly bitter taste the game left behind. She was happy that they had won – crushed the opponents was probably more accurate – but it didn’t remove the painful fact that the last time she had even seen a match was back at U of M, when she’d still been happily together with Erik…

Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but smile as she noticed the texts she’d received in quick succession, one of them from Chris, all of them asking her to come to the party they were having to celebrate their first win of the season. Sure it was just an exhibition game, but it was a win nonetheless.

Quickly writing a reply, she was surprised to find that she didn’t even think about turning the invitation down and sending the positive response, she disappeared into her room and quickly threw on a change of clothes.

Announcing her departure to the few people still lingering in the common room, she made quick work of getting across the town to where the party was being held. Once again she was amazed at the tolerance of the people living in the vicinities around the houses; she could hear the music before she was even on the street…

Getting a drink shoved into her hand the second the entered the house, the smile on her face grew as she navigated her way through the people on the ground floor and she literally squealed happily as her eyes landed on Chay who was talking to Hexie.

“You scored,” she smiled widely as she reached them, quickly hugging Chay.

“So you did watch the game,” Chay smiled widely.

“Of course I did,” she confirmed. “It was one hell of a goal,” she commented.

“I try my best,” he tried to appear nonchalant about it, failing miserably.

“I scored too,” Hexie pointed out.

“And you would be…?” she frowned playfully, yelping slightly as he caught her in a headlock and royally messed up her hair. “Alright, alright, uncle!”

“You're supposed to be my friend,” she mock-glared at Chay who was laughing at the two of them.

“I'm his captain,” Chay replied smiling.

“And you had a nice goal too,” she surrendered as she turned to Brett who got a smug smile across his whole face. “I shouldn’t have said that, right?” she frowned as she glanced over at Chay.

“Not if you didn’t want him to give you a play-by-play,” he agreed before sipping whatever it was he was drinking and disappearing in the crowd of people that surrounded them.

“Why weren’t you there?” Brett questioned, flinging his arm around her shoulders.

“I just wasn't,” she said simply. “And why is everyone so interested in knowing why I wasn't there, it wasn't even an important game,” she pointed out.

“No, but it’s the kick-off to our season,” he retorted.

“True,” she nodded slowly. “But I'm here now, so why don’t we celebrate your massive, season opening win?” she suggested, looking up at him and noticing just how tanned he really was.

“Done!” he exclaimed happily, grabbing her hand before he took off in a mad dash across the house, pulling her with him as he went, plowing through the many people who were all inside the house.

The more time she spent with them, the more she was sure she was going to go crazy by the end of the year, or at least have some sort of injury before Christmas rolled around.