I Still Remember

A few days go by and I find out that the wedding is still good to go. My mom wants me to stay in Thunder Bay until winter when I start law school but I’m debating if it’s worth it to stay or go back to Chicago. Sydney, Jared and I are still trying to scheme up some plans to get rid of New Jersey.

This was going to happen.

There’s a knock on my bedroom door. Syd opens it and sees Jared holding a shopping bag. He walks in and closes the door. He sees us writing notes down, in hopes of making a plan to get revenge on the beat down she gave to Sydney. I look at Jared, who has this big grin on his face. “Jared, why are you smiling like a total dumbshit?” I ask him.

“I was at the store.”
“I can tell,” Sydney smiles. “What’s in the bag.”
“Well, we have the annual three on three hockey game today.”

Ah, the annual three on three hockey game. The Staals, Lindsy, and I all began this before school got back in and played every summer. Lindsy said she was going to sit this one out, so she told Sydney to take her place in this game. I knew whatever was in the bag had to deal with today. “I made us sherseys,” Jared smiled.

He took the shirts out and threw them at Syd and I. I look at Syds as she smiles looking at the front. It says “Team Badass” on the front. On the back, it said, “Demolisher” with the number 10 under it. I look at Jareds, who’s back reads, “Punisher” with the number 22. Jared looks at me. “Read you’re stupid,” he says to me. I unfold my shirt and my face changes when I see the following on the back,

Baby Staal the Fighter, 19.

“Baby Staal the Fighter?” I ask. “So you guys get the cool names and I get Baby Staal the Fighter?”
“What, you practically are my little sister.”
“You suck Jare,” I snap, throwing the red shirt on. “Anyways, we have a plan.”
“Oh do tell!” Jare smiled.
“Okay, so Jersey is going to be watching…I can’t do a wrist shot for shit,” Sydney says.
“And mine aren’t that great,” I continue for Syd.
“Meaning one thing,” Syd ends for us.

Our heads turn to Jared, who forms a devious smile to his face. He knows what’s up. He raises his eyebrow and nod. “Okay team badass, lets get this show on the road!” He yells. We then follow him to the kitchen as we hear Crazy Train go off outside. We walk out as the guitar came into play of the song as Jared’s in the middle of us. Lindsy, my mom, Rick, Mrs. Staal, Tanya, and Francesca are sitting next to each other on beach chairs.

Mr. Staal was refereeing the game. I walk past Francesca and give her the death glare. “The Fighter?” She sneers at me. I stop and turn my head. “That’s Baby Staal the Fighter to you!” I yell as Sydney grabs hold of my arm and walks me to the pavement. Sydney grabs the goalie stick, making Jared and I the forwards and defenders. We strap on roller skates and get into position. “Lets go over the rules before we start,” Mr. Staal began. “Team to get five points in twenty minutes wins. If there is a tie, the tie breaker will be a shootout. Any Questions?”

No one says anything and I stand in front of Eric for the face off. He gives me a devious smile. “Sup big brother!?” I say before Mr. Staal drops the puck. I snatch the puck and pass to Jared as I skate to other side of Marc, trying to block him from getting the puck. The three boys strategy went alittle something like this, no goalies, block the goal as much as you can. I catch Marc looking at my ass and roll his eyes. “Ya really had to wear the bootie shorts?” Marc mumbled.

“Does it bug you?” I ask.
“A little, you still look good,” he mumbles back.

I push Marc and skate with the puck, but Jordan grabs it from me and scores on Sydney, making the score 1-0 team Hotshit (yes, that was their team name, Team Hotshit. Their shirts read the following too: Hotstuff Ginger for Eric, Newly Engaged Ginger for Marc, and Hot Blondie. Idiots, I know). The puck drops again and Jared wins the face off, making the goal and score tied at one.

Ten minutes go by and I’m waiting for the puck after getting the look from Jared. Team Badass was leading 3-2 and I needed to get the puck to Jared. Sydney stops a goal against Eric, then gives me the puck. I skate with it and see Jared, who smiles.

I pass the puck and Jared stops it. He begins to figure out his aim and smiles, making a wrist shot that all of Ontario could’ve heard. The puck goes flying and I hear Jordan yell, “Jared how long—WHAT THE!”

“Oh my god!” Francesca yelled.

I smiled, the puck hit Francesca in the face.

“Jared! Why did you do that!?” Mrs. Staal yelled.
“My aim sucks, remember?”
“Jared you dumbass!” Marc yelled pushing him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean too!” Jared said, pretending to sound sorry.
“Jared, you are a dumbass!”
“Well, look who I’m related too!”

Marc looked at Jared as if he were ready to kill his brother after that comment. The gloves came off but Syd and I pulled Jared off his brother. “LET ME AT HIM!” Jared yelled as we told him it wasn’t worth the punch. I look over at Francesca, who’s holding an ice pack to her face. I couldn’t help but laugh. I catch Marc staring at me; it was the damn shorts that were causing him to look at me like this.

Later that day, after team hotshit beat the crap out of us, the three of us sat on the stairs of my deck, sipping beers. Jared holds his bottle up and clears his throat before talking. It was typical for Jared to make a speech after doing something totally evil that the three of us would be able to pull off. “Cheers to Team Badass, may we keep this behavior and shenanigans up in time for the wedding!”

“Cheers!”

We clink our bottles together and take sips out of the bottles. I smile as we watch the sun set. I smile as we hear the door close. We all turn our heads to see Marc standing there. “Gina, wanna go for a walk?” he asks as I nod. We begin walking along the lake but we’re not saying anything. “How’s Francescas head?” I ask, pretending to be sympathetic.

“She’ll be fine, Jared is an idiot.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean that,” I say, still trying to be nice so I don’t bring up an argument.
“You know…” he begins but stops.
“What?” I ask him.
“I…I forgot what I was going to say, that’s all.”

Marc’s face is meer inches away from mine. He moves his lips toward mind. Just as I feel his touch mine, we hear, “MARC!” He pulls away to see Francesca and Mrs. Staal walking towards us. “Marc,we have to go look at the banquet hall!” She yells.

“Coming in a few!” Marc yells back as they walk back toward the house. “This needs to stop.”
“What needs to stop? Marc I know you feel what I feel.”
“I can’t help that I feel like that.”
“Kiss me Marc.”

Marc pushes his lips on mine as my tongue starts to dance with his. He pulls away and we both smile. “You should go,” I say as he nods. I smile to myself as he walks away. Marc Staal admitted he feels the way I feel…

Operation Win Marc Staal over was in the works.

And I liked that it was.