Past Lives

Thinking back, I never expected things to happen like this. I never expected that moving to Pittsburgh would mean reuniting with...him. I figured that once he was gone, he was gone. But here he was, standing in front of me and staring at me like there were lobsters crawling out of my ears. It may have been my Bruins jersey amongst all the ornery-looking Penguins, but I had a feeling it was more along the lines of what I was feeling. The "what are you doing in my city" feeling.

He looked at me and shook his head. "Jamie?"

--

2000

"Adisyn!" I threw a pillow at my roommate. "Wake up before I punch your boyfriend in the face." I was sick of Brooks nearly pounding the door in. I could have let him in...but that would mean crawling out of my bed. There was no way I was moving.

Adisyn groaned. "Whaaaaaat?" She looked up at me blearily and rubbed her eyes. "What the hell do you want?" She heard the knocking and glared at the door. "Who the hell is that?"

My roommate was so eloquent when she was half asleep. "Considering this is about the time hockey practice lets out, I'm going to go ahead and assume it's your man." I flopped back and covered my face with a pillow. "Go let him in before I let him in with a hockey stick in my hand." I wasn't afraid to crosscheck Brooks into next Tuesday. It was Saturday morning and he had pulled me out of a really awesome sleep...and a really great dream. I had been inches from kissing Brooks' teammate, Brian Gionta, when the pounding started. So not amused.

I heard grumbling as Adisyn climbed out of bed. She was just as thrilled as I was. I heard them talking and from under my pillow I asked, "What brings you here at the ass-crack of dawn?" I didn't know if they heard me. I really didn't care.

"Isn't it enough that I missed your shining faces?" I could have killed Brooks.

I growled. "The only thing that will be shining is your eye if you don't let me get back to sleep."

I really hated being woken up on the days I actually got to sleep. Adisyn chimed in. "Be nice."

"Not in my vocabulary before noon." Head still under the pillow, I fumbled for my CD player. I shoved the headphones over my ears and used the music to go back to sleep. I was so over this "awake" thing. I wanted sleep.

--

"BROOOOOKS ORPIK!" Adisyn and I cheered as Brooks netted an assist. There were thirty seconds left in the game and BC was up 6-1. I was smiling for two reasons:

1. Brooks was my friend.

2. The goal had been Brian's.

I was bound and determined to make something happen there. He was the captain, he was adorable and he was friends with Brooks. That had to count for something. Adisyn and I cheered until the end of the game.

Downstairs, we congratulated Brooks. I spotted Brian and gave him a wave. He waved back. I smiled and started to walk over when a trampy little blonde thing wrapped herself all over him. He put his arm around her and a second later, kissed her.

I walked the opposite direction and out of the arena. I wasn't putting up with it that night. I started to walk back to my bed when I got a better idea. I started an hour long walk to Beacon Street. I didn't care how long it took, I just needed to get away from the arena. I had thought things with Brian had been going well. We had gotten along great. We were friends. Brooks seemed to think he liked me.

Yeah. Alright.

I kept walking. I just wanted booze and I wanted it then.

An hour later, I was nearing the bar. I heard a car behind me slow before stopping. I heard someone approaching. In an act of defense, I waited until the footsteps were just a little nearer before turning around and swinging my fist.

"DAMMIT, JAMIE!" I dropped my fist to see who I had punched in the face.

"Rob?"

"YES."

Oops.

I scratched my neck. "You shouldn't have snuck up on me."

"You should learn to look before you swing." Rob Scuderi looked up at me, holding his bleeding nose. "What I was sneaking up to ask you was," he pointed to his car with the hand he wasn't using to stop the bleeding, "did you need a ride?"

I shook my head. "I should be ok."

"Oh really?" Rob crossed his arms. "I know you. When you walk to the bar, you're planning to get trashed." He grabbed my arm. "I'm driving you."

"I haven't had anything to drink yet, stupid."

"No," he said. "But you're going to. And you know what? When you drink, you kind of - and don't take this the wrong way." He looked nervous. "You kind of become a slut."

I thought about hitting him before I realized he was right. "Alright. Fair enough." I climbed into Rob's car. "Let's go."

As he looked for a parking space, I realized that I just really wanted the school year to be over. I didn't want to deal with the Brian drama. I just wanted to get trashed.

Too bad it was only November.