Melting On Ice

"Okay, I think that's enough sunscreen." I complained to Ben Eager as he put what felt like the hundredth layer of sunscreen onto my back. We were about to enjoy a day on the beach off of Lake Michigan.

"No way. Do you want a repeat of last time?" I shuddered at the memory of the Florida Panther's series when we went to the beach and I had been burned to a crisp.

"Your tiny white girl body can't handle that much burning." I scowled at Buff as he set up an umbrella over my chair.

I took the bottle from Eager and put it into my bag. "It's so dumb that we are even here. We are going to California in a couple of hours and I would much rather go to a beach there." The team was going to play a series against the Sharks in San Jose and since I had finished finals early and was out of college, I could go too. And since Amber was too dumb to even get into college, she unfortunately had to come.

"We don't have time to go there." John Madden said as he walked over to set his sunglasses down. "We've got practice, practice, practice. Oh yeah, and the Western Cup finals to win."

"Besides, I'd like to have a little bit of a tan on my arms when I hoist Mr. Stanley." Brent Seabrook flexed his arms as he spoke.

Jon laid down in the beach chair next to mine. "We're not there yet boys."

"We know. You remind us every practice while we're doing laps." Patrick rolled his eyes. "You coming swimming Em?"

"Yeah right." I said, sitting down in my chair. "Your on crack if you think that I'm getting in that nasty water." I slid my headphones into my ears and tapped my fingers on the bottom of my chair to the beat. Just as I was starting to relax, I felt my weight shift off of the chair. I lifted my sunglasses to find myself in Patrick's arms. "Patrick, what the heck are you doing?"

"Getting revenge!" He started to sprint towards the water line.

"Patrick no! I swear to God I will kill you!" I squirmed and kicked in his arms. "Put me down!! Stop, stop!!" I looked down at my iPod in my lap. "Wait, wait! For God's sakes can't you wait one freakin' minute!?"

"What?" He grumbled as he slowed to a stop.

"Jonny, come here," I waved him over from where he was sitting, watching the fiasco like the rest of the team. I took the headphones out of my ears and handed him my iPod. "Keep this safe and don't let Versteeg take it." I patted him lightly on the cheek and caught a glimpse of Versteeg glaring at me.

"Will do," he said, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he struggled to maintain a straight face.

Patrick rolled his eyes. "Are we done with this little drama episode now?" I narrowed my eyes at him but nodded. He sprinted and stopped right at the shore line.

I screamed loud and shrill as he through me in the water. "Patrick Kane! I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You!!" I sat up to see the entire team, laughing at me hysterically.

"Now we're even." I took the hand he offered to help me stand up. "I wouldn't have opened my mouth if I were you. Who knows what is in that water."

"Your going to be sorry when I die of E coli or something." I brushed the sand off the back of my legs and shuddered. "Ew."

"Your such a girl." Keith slid down his sunglasses so that he could look at me. "It's just water."

"Oh really." I grabbed the sand bucket that Brouwer was using to make a crumbling sand castle. I dipped it into the lake, filling it with water. "So you wouldn't mind if I did this?" I splashed the bucket of water onto him and stood with my hands on my hips in satisfaction.

"Oh your going to get it now!" He stood up, now soaking wet.

"Wait, I'm sorry!" I squealed as he chased me around. Hossa blocked my path but I crawled under his legs and ran straight into Hjalmarsson, interrupting their game of beach volleyball.

"Whoa there." He steadied me on my feet. "Would you care to join us?"

I looked back at Keith who had apparently decided that I wasn't worth it because he had gone back to his previous seat under the umbrella. "Sure."

* * *

"Wait, so am I the red or the white?" Patrick had decided to share a room with Amber so I was sharing a room with his former boarding buddy, Toews. We were in the room playing NHL 2010 on the Wii that he had brought. He said it got him hyped for games or something like that.

"The red, for the hundredth time." He sounded a bit annoyed as he answered. It wasn't my fault though because we had both picked the Blackhawks and I kept getting confused.
It had been a very uneventful plane ride with most of the players falling asleep during the flight. They had the night off tonight since they had practice before we left and without hockey, Jon seemed to have no idea what to do.

"Why do you keep taking the puck from me?" My voice rose with aggravation.

"Because that is the point of the game. Keep it down, there are other people in this hotel you know." As he easily skated past my guys, I started to get a feeling that he didn't accurately tell me all of the rules.

"Just for that, I'm going to make you check yourself." I used my Toews to check his Toews against the boards.

"You're so weird." He rolled his eyes as the screen showed my Toews getting sent to the penalty box. After the face-off, which he won, he scored yet another goal on me. The score was 2-0 with his Blackhawks winning and we were only about five minutes into the first period.

"That's it. Huet is off my team." I paused the game so that I could switch him out for Niemi.

"Why? It's not his fault." He walked over to the mini fridge in the corner of our room. "You're the one controlling him."

"Yeah and maybe I would be doing a better job if someone had told me how to play correctly." I shot him an accusing look.

He chugged the entire water bottle before answering, "I did. It's not my fault if you don't listen."

"So how do you shoot then?" I had tried several of his suggestions and not surprisingly, not of them had worked.

"I think we've had enough for now." He walked over to shut off the Wii.

I watched as he grabbed the remote and turned on Sportscenter. "Do you think that Patrick and Amber are sleeping in the same bed?"

He laughed slightly under his breath. "Why? Are you jealous?"

I blushed deeply as I stared at the ceiling. "Why would I be jealous?"

He smirked at me. "Because you like him."

"Do not." I rolled my eyes.

"Do to."

I walked up over to the mirror and watched myself pull my hair up into a ponytail. "Are you in first grade? I do not."

"Do to." He mocked, as he flipped through the channels.

I stared at myself for another minute in the mirror before walking over to the bed. "Fine, maybe a little."

"I knew it." He smirked at me. Like he really needed an ego boost.

"But don't tell anyone okay?" I watched as the TV rapidly changed channels.

I felt him roll his eyes. "Like they don't all already know."

"Is it that obvious?" I bit my lip slightly.

I heard the bed shift underneath his shrug. "No, it's just cliche you know?" I looked everywhere around the room except his eyes. "Why don't you just tell him?"

I sighed, laying down on the bed. "It's complicated. I mean why would he choose Amber over me?"

"You way cooler then Amber." He assured me. "And way less annoying."

"I know right!?" He laughed slightly at my reaction. "One day I will get up the courage to go up to him and say, 'Patrick, who has come to everyone of your games, of you practices even? Who has always been there for you and always will be? Who really loves you?'" My voice started getting softer and softer towards the end of my rant.

Jon stared at me a long time and I bet he expected me to break down crying right there in front of him. Like that was going to happen. "Am I really your favorite player?" He said finally.

I looked up at him in surprise. "You know about that?"

"Are you kidding?" He smiled. "What else do you think we have to talk about in the locker room? Kaner will not shut up about that stupid guy your dating, Derell."

"Derek," I corrected. "Yeah, he doesn't seem to fond of him does he?"

He laughed and shook his head. "The only thing that I can think of that he loves to talk about more is his hate for Crosby."

I laughed. "So enough about me." I sighed. "How's your love life?"

"Nonexistant" he mumbled to himself, his mood changing instantly. I swear, I would not be surprised if I found out that he was bipolar.

"Really?" I stood up and walked to sit on the edge of his bed. "Why not?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Too busy with hockey I guess."

"I could help with that." I perked up. "My roommate Miranda is totally adorable. You'd love her!"

We both heard a knock on the door and he went to go answer it. "I don't know Em."

"Why? She's a huge hockey fan. What could go wrong?" By the way he was looking at me I could tell he was thinking, "everything."

"Kaner? What are you doing here?" They both came into view as Patrick let himself in.

"Amber was painting her nails and the smell was making me sick." He made a face as he went to turn the Wii on. "You wanna play?" I nodded as he threw me a remote.

"I'm gonna go check on Burish to make sure they haven't got any pranks planned for us tonight." Jon winked at me as his not-so-subtle hint that he wanted to leave Patrick and I alone. I looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Alright see ya." Patrick waved to him as he sat down on the bed next to me. "I call the Hawks."

"Fine." I pouted. "I'll be the Penguins."

"Ew, why?" He side glanced at me while he made his roster.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I've always had a thing for Sidney Crosby."