Just Another Pretty Face in the Crowd

Chapter Eleven – Cautiousness is the Key

I groaned loudly when my alarm started to break through my unconscious state. I rolled out of bed and slammed my hand against the snooze button before curling up under the blankets, where I felt warm and cozy. I could feel Caesar at the end of my bed, all stretched out and clearly not ready to get up either. I was half way to my dream land again, when the same annoying noise started to wake me up.

“Oh my God, shut the hell up!” I yelled, getting out of my bed to slam my hand into the snooze button. I really didn’t want to get up at six in the morning on a Saturday. I rolled on my back and stared at the ceiling blankly. I had a feeling that no matter how hard I tried I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.

I laid there for another nine minutes, just waiting for my alarm to start again. My stomach growled loudly, hungry for something more than popcorn and cheesy nachos. When the alarm finally did start beeping again, I got up and shut it off.

I walked down the hallway to the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator, looking for the milk jug. I got a bowl, the Capt’n Crunch cereal box, and a spoon before sitting quietly done at the kitchen table.

As I lifted the spoonful of the crunchy cereal, I thought about what Sadie said about me and Sidney. I admit I was developing a bit of a crush on the Penguins' captain but I truly doubted that he liked me like that. I mean he was a hockey god that could get any girl that he wanted; why would he waste his precious time on me, Drusilla Thompson?

I glanced at the clock on the microwave which read six thirty. ‘Might as well get ready to take Caesar out,’ I said to myself.

I grabbed a new pair of jeans that were darker than all the other pairs that I owned and a plain white shirt that showed just my shoulders. I decided that my converses didn’t fit this outfit and pulled out my brown suede boots that my mother got me for Christmas. I was feeling fancy today.

“Come on, Caesar. Time for your walk,” I called as I started for my apartment door. Caesar jumped lazily off my bed and followed me slowly. I put on my pea coat, penguin hat, and gloves before hooking the leash onto Caesar’s choker collar.

We jogged lazily down the stairs and walked casually out into the lobby. I nodded at the doorman as he said hello to me. We walked across the street and down the pathway that weaved its way through the park.

Caesar led the way through the park, sniffing at a random tree every once and while. I just stood there patiently till he grew uninterested of it since I had him neutered when I got him. Eventually he relieved himself and we were able to head home.

About halfway back my cell phone started to beep. I furrowed my brow a little at the thought of someone texting me at seven in the morning. No one usually did. I pulled my phone out of my pea coat pocket and checked the caller ID. Sidney.

I opened the message and smiled softly when I read: Morning :).

In all my life, I never once had a guy say morning to me. I was always the one to send the good morning message, since I was the one that was usually up first.

I quickly typed: Good morning to you too :).

Caesar gently tugged on the leash, growing impatient of me standing in the middle of everything. I usually ended up hurting myself when I was texting and walking. “Okay, okay!”

We continued to head back but with him minutes Sid had texted me back: Doing anything today?

I thought about it a little and then texted him back: Have to pick up my paycheck. Other that no. I pocketed my phone and eventually we made it back to the apartment building. I waited till we were in my apartment to answer the next message sent by him.

Wanna hang out?

'Well, isn’t this boy full of surprises?.' I thought as I wondered what was so special about me that he actually wanted to hang out with little ol’ me?

I typed my response out quickly: Sure. Where and when?

I looked down at the clothes I picked out earlier. I smiled a little, figuring that they were perfectly for this occasion, after all it was just a casual get together.

I walked into the kitchen and pulled out a glass from the cabinet. I set it on the table as I searched for the tea cooler that I stored somewhere in the fridge. I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone went off, making me slosh the sweet drink all over the table. “Damn you, Sidney,” I cursed as I capped it and placed it back in the fridge.

I opened the message that he sent: How about I pick you up at eleven?

I really couldn’t help but smile at the message before replying back, quickly: Deal :)

I took a sip of my tea cooler and turned on the TV. I quickly turned to the basic cable channels and watched the local news. Nothing really big was going on. The biggest breaking news was a rash of vandalisms that were happening on the west side of the city. 'Thank God, I lived on the north side.'

I sighed a little when the news switched over to some scripted show about drama that didn’t really happen to anyone but trailer trash. I rolled my eyes and went into the kitchen. I poured some of Caesar’s dog food into his bowl. “There you go, boy.”

He didn’t even waste time digging into the dog food. I left the kitchen and went out to the living room, putting on my winter stuff before walking out of the apartment.

I went down to the sidewalk, strolling casually toward the bookstore. I knew I still had about three more hours till Sidney was due to pick me up. I walked in and smiled at Michael, who was sitting behind the counter reading a book.

“Morning, Mikey,” I said.

“Morning, Dru! How are you?”

“Good, you?”

“Bored. I started work at seven,” he said, wrinkling his nose at the thought of having to get up early in the morning.

“That sucks,” I replied.

“You’re telling me,” he said with a sigh.

I just laughed at him and walked into the employee room where the checks were sitting perfectly. I grabbed them and sorted through them looking for my name. I found mine in the middle of the stack of envelopes. I walked back out and saw Sadie smirking at me.

“Hello, darling,” she said with a devious smirk on her face. “How are the lovebirds doing?”

“One, we are not lovebirds. Two, hello to you too,” I said with a smile.

“What do you have planned today?” she said with that same devious smirk on her face.

“Depositing my check and hanging out with someone," I replied, cautiously. "Why do you ask?”

“Mikey, I bet you any money that she is going to be with Sidney Crosby,” Sadie said, turning her attention to the boy that sat behind the counter.

“And how would you know that this person is Sidney Crosby?” I asked.

“I have my ways. Plus there’s that look in your eyes that just screams that you are going to be hanging out with him.”

“There is not!”

“There is too!”

“There is not!”

“Actually there is, Dru,” Mikey interrupted before our voices escaladed.

“See! Even Mikey agrees with me! Everyone knows that I know when people like each other. And trust me, Dru, you and Sidney are like magnets,” Sadie said with a smirk playing on her face.

“I really doubt that.”

“Believe what you want, Dru! But one day I will be dancing around you singing ‘I told you so’.”

I just rolled my eyes and walked out of the store. I went a little further down the street to where the bank was and walked inside.

“Morning!” the teller said as I went to the middle section where they had pens for someone to sign their name on the back of the check. I nodded at her then ripped open the envelope and pulled the teal green check out.

“I would like to deposit this, please,” I said, politely, after I filled out the deposit slip.

“Okay,” the teller, whose name was Belinda, said. She ran the check through the scanner and handed me the receipt. "Here you go!"

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re welcome. Have a nice day.”

“You too,” I said as I pushed the door open. I walked down the street, past the bookstore. Sadie was standing at the window, staring at me with that devious look on her face still. ‘Sometimes that girl creeps me out.’

I eventually made it back to my apartment. I glanced at the clock and realized that it was only eight thirty.

“Its eight thirty and I don’t have anything to do!” I said to myself. I looked around my apartment, looking for something to do. There were no dishes in the sink, since I didn’t eat anything at home that often. I didn’t feel like vacuuming the carpet.

I sighed and sat down aggravated and bored. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and placed it on the table. Almost instantly it started vibrating and playing the ringtone Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold. I scrambled to pick it up without looking at the caller ID, knowing it was my brother.

“Hey!” I said, smiling like an idiot.

“Hello, my darling sister, how are you?” he asked. I could tell he was smiling as well. We were always close, despite the fact that we were in constant spats with each other. We were no different

“I’m good. How are you doing? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“I’m same as usual, tired and busy. Sorry about that, by the way,” he said, apologizing.

“It’s alright. I know you’re busy with the practices and games.” I always understood that, just like he understood that I was busy with my softball during the summer.

“What have you been up to lately?” he asked.

“Sadie and I have been going to the Pens games recently and somewhere along the line, Tony has befriended them outside the hockey rink.”

"Are you saying that you've been hanging out with Penguins hockey players?" Dustin questioned, a little confused at the conclusion that he came up with.

“Yes." I said, smiling. "Surprisingly, Sidney and I are two peas in a pod." The thought of him made me smile even more.

“You like him, don’t you?” Dusty asked, out of nowhere.

“What?”

“I can tell when my baby sister likes someone, Dru.”

“You are only older by three minutes!” I shouted, hoping to change the subject.

“Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds,” he corrected. “And don’t change the subject, you like Sidney Crosby.”

“And how would you know?”

“Because I’m your twin and I know this shit! You probably get butterflies when you see him and you probably are constantly smiling and–”

“Enough!” I shouted. I hated that Dusty could read me so well. He made it a point to let me know.

“Told you, you like him,” he said. I could tell that he was smirking at me.

“Be quiet.”

“How long have you known this guy?” Dusty asked.

“Since the beginning of the week,” I said, quietly. My emotions were always fast acting. I heard him sigh and I knew what was coming, “Dusty, you know I’ll be careful.”

“You know how hockey players are. I just don’t want you to end up like some puck bunny. I don’t want you to end up like that, you are better than that,” he said, gently.

“I know and I don’t want to be like that either,” I said, standing up. I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. “So, how’s Cleo?”

“She’s doing good. I hardly have time to take her on her walks anymore. How’s Caesar?”

“Lazy as ever,” I replied, a smile returning to my face.

“That sounds like him.”

“I know, right?” I said, laughing a little.

We continued talking about everything and anything, updating each other about our lives. Before I knew it I heard a knock on the door and quickly checked the time on the TV, ten fifty.

“Shit!” I muttered.

“What?” Dusty said, sounding confused.

“I didn’t realize the time and Sid’s here,” I replied as I ran across the room to the door. I looked there the peep hole and saw Sidney standing there. I opened the door and signaled him that I would be a minute and that he could come in.

“Ooo!”

“Shut up!”

“Dru and Sidney sitting in a tree—” Dusty began singing.

“Really mature, Dusty.”

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”

“Good bye, Dustin,” I said before I hung up. I glanced at Sidney who was smirking at me. “What?”

“Dusty finally called,” he said amused.

“Yea, pretty much kept me from killing myself from boredom,” I said, pocketing my phone.

“Well, remind me to thank him,” Sid replied, making me furrow my brow. “Can’t have you going AWOL on me without kissing you at least once, now can I?”

I felt my face heat up, “I guess not.”