The District Lights

Nina woke up curled up in the uncomfortable chair she had been sleeping in the previous night and a jacket over her body. The smell of Abercrombie cologne mixed with soap reached her nostrils, making her cuddle closer to it until she realized where she was. The bed Calla had occupied was empty and the chair beside her was also empty.

She was about to get up and look for Patrick when she heard raised voices at the other side of the door. Nina tried not to eavesdrop, but it was difficult when Patrick and Jonathan were being loud.

"How could you just fucking leave her like that?" Patrick yelled angrily. Nina could almost see Patrick's nostrils flare, and eyes flash with anger. "You know she was looking for you when she woke up and you weren't there. That's low, man."

"I'm sorry okay? I needed to get away," Jonathan said miserably.

"You don't just leave her! You knew she was sick yet you just left her. Maybe her staying with you is a bad idea. Maybe she would be better living with James again."

"I'm sorry okay? As if I don't feel like an asshole already," Jonathan tried to defend himself.

The two were so busy arguing that they didn't realize that Calla and the doctor were right behind them, until the doctor spoke. "Is there a problem here?" he asked, a little annoyed.

"Nothing," Patrick mumbled. "When can she leave?"

"She can leave now if she wants. I'm going to go sign her release forms. Calla I want to see you tomorrow for your results."

Nina carefully watched as the sickly girl entered the room. Nina felt bad for Calla, Jonathan wasn't there when she needed him most, and it must have hurt a lot. She watched Calla gather her things, and start looking for her sweater, which Nina easily spotted.

"Here," she said, handing Calla her sweater.

"Thanks," Calla mumbled without looking at Nina.

"Come on Calla, I'm going to take you home to James. I think its best you not stay with Jonathan for now," Patrick said furiously. His face still fuming.

Nina ignored the rest of their fighting as she kept her eyes on Calla who was now trembling. In a way Patrick was right, maybe it was best that she stayed with her brother, but that was completely up to Calla. It wasn't for hers or Patrick to make that decision.

"That's enough!" yelled Nina, snapping the two out of their arguments. "Please, when you two stop showing each other up, take a look and realize that you're upsetting her."

Nina was fuming. Them arguing was just adding to Calla's already upset mood. She didn't need them arguing about her. What she needed was sometime to be by herself and to think things through.

"I'm going to take her wherever she wants to go. Both of you go home, I'm sure that you have practice or something," Nina walked over to Calla and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Come on."

*

Entering her apartment, Nina was instantly greeted by her brother and best friend Kyla. Jack started asking her where she went and why she didn't come back. She explained that she was just helping out a friend, which Jack just took as an acceptable answer and went back to playing his game.

"Patrick Kane, huh?" Kyla asked smugly.

Nina just gave Kyla a deadpanned look. "Shut up," she told Kyla. "How did you even know I was with him?"

Kyla shrugged and put on her coat. "He called ten minutes ago," she replied and left the apartment.

Contemplating on whether to call Patrick back or not, she decided to call him because he probably called to ask about Calla. She didn't wait long as he answered on the first ring.

"Hello?" he asked eagerly.

"Were you waiting for me to call?" she asked, amused.

"How's Calla? Did you drop her off to James' apartment?"

"I wish I did," she replied truthfully and sat down on her couch. "But she wanted to go back to her house with Jon."

Patrick swore under his breath. "You couldn't have just forced her to go or just drove her there," he said forcefully.

Nina just rolled her eyes and rested her head on the couch. "Yes, because I know where her brother fucking lives. Patrick, maybe you shouldn't tell James about what happened, at least not yet," she suggested.

"Why the hell not?" he asked her angrily. "If that was my sister I would want to know."

"Calla told me that her parents and brother was against her moving into Jonathan's house at first."

"With good reason," he interrupted her.

Furrowing her eye brows in frustration, Nina sighed loudly. "Will you let me talk?" she asked in an annoyed voice. "Anyways, just don't tell James. I think Calla would be embarrassed to go home to James because of a fight. She would look like a failure and she's already in a fragile state of mind," she tried to convince Patrick.

There was a long silence on the line; Nina could tell that Patrick was thinking the situation through. He was probably imaging his sisters and how they would feel if they were in Calla's situation. His relationship with his sisters paralleled Calla and James's relationship.

Patrick sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're right, but if it happens again, I can't promise I won't tell James about it."

Nina smiled at how much he cared about Calla. She only hoped she would find someone that cared just as much about her. It was nice, knowing that someone was thinking about you, that someone cared enough to worry about you.

"That's all I'm asking."

"Hey Nina?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow if you're not busy," he said nervously.

Nina could picture Patrick rubbing the back of his neck like he did whenever he was nervous or shy. It was funny because when she first met Patrick, he came off as some cocky and arrogant guy who thought that he had the world in his hands. Seeing him vulnerable and more human, definitely changed Nina's idea of him before she met him.

Suddenly he wasn't this arrogant jackass that just seemed like he wanted to get into her pants and screw her. Suddenly he wasn't the guy that lived and breathed hockey, sex, alcohol and parties that she first thought he was.

He was charming in his own way, and it was obvious that he was loyal to his friends and cared a lot about them. She had more respect for him that she ever did before. His smile for some reason always got to Nina. It was the boyish kind of smile that made him look innocent, that she found adorable.

After a long silence Nina didn't know she allowed to happen, she sighedn. "Yeah, I'd love to," she smiled and heard Patrick let out a sigh of relief.

"That's great!" he exclaimed loudly and then caught himself. "Huh, I mean awesome," he said more coolly. "I'll, uh, pick you up tomorrow at 7:30."

"Sounds good," she agreed, getting off the couch with a smile on her face.