Just Another Pretty Face in the Crowd

Chapter Seven – A Whole New Feeling

The Coyote’s Den wasn’t really wasn’t that big of a place nor was it really formal. My simple Black Veil Brides T-shirt and skinny jeans that have been wearing all day with my converses were fine.

I applied makeup on, which in my terms is just eyeliner and mascara. I hate those girls that layer their faces with seventy million layers of foundation. They could pass as circus clowns. I put on a little bit of Chap Stick, pocketing it just in case I needed more for my pitifully dry lips.

I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror when I heard someone knocking on the door. I grabbed my jacket. My gloves and hat were already in the pockets.

“Coming!” I said loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear me. “Behave pooch! I’ll see you tonight.”

I opened the door and jumped when I realized that it wasn’t Tony standing in my doorway. It was Sidney Crosby.

“Hi,” he said with a smile on his face.

“H-hi?” I stuttered, slightly confused as to why he was here. “Not to be rude or anything but why are you here?”

He chuckled a little, “Tony asked me to pick up because of something to do with ‘running late from college’.”

“Oh,” I said, simply. I had already pulled on my winter coat and closed the door to my apartment, locking it. “So meet you downstairs?” I asked, looking over at the elevator with disgust.

“I can walk to the stairs with you,” he answered, realizing that I didn't like the elevator so much.

This only made me smile shyly and make me blush a little. Tony was the only guy that ever did that. “Okay,” I said simply. ‘Okay, Drusilla, eventually you're going to have to learn how to form sentences again! Get your head on straight!’

I was so wound up in my thoughts that I didn’t even realize that Sidney was waiting to leave. “Are we gonna go or are we just gonna stand here?”

“Oh!” I could feel the blush that was already on my cheeks darken. “Sorry.”

We walked toward the stairs. He opened the door to the stairwell, which kind of took me by surprise because of the simple fact that no one has really done that for me before. “Ladies first,” he said with a brilliant smile.

“Thanks.” I was pretty much whispering now. It felt like that I was being sent straight back to my elementary years, where whenever I had a crush I wouldn’t ever talk or even look at them. Which is what I’m pretty much doing at this particular moment.

We pretty much walked in silence to his truck, which was parked in the prime spot so that we wouldn’t have to walk so far in the freezing cold. It was only 23 degrees out.

He opened the passenger side door for me and I couldn’t help but feel myself blush again. “Thanks, again,” I said a little bit louder now that I was trying to build up my confidence. ‘Note to self: Remember to slaughter Tony when I see him.’ I completely hated Tony for doing this to me.

“No problem,” was all he said with a smile as he closed the door. I watched his big frame walk around the front of the truck in a few quick steps. Within seconds, he was already in the driver’s seat and starting the truck up once again.

*****

The Coyote’s Den was a little bit fuller than the other night, but it still had enough breathing room for me. I hated being claustrophobic.

I pulled off my winter jacket and placed all my other winter accessories in its pockets.

“Here, let me take that for you,” Sidney said, holding out his hand so I could give him my jacket. I handed it to him, a little shyly. I glanced around the bar room for the rest of the group. I could hear Tony’s big mouth somewhere amongst the crowd but I couldn’t really tell where it was coming from.

“Dru! Sid! Over here!” Someone else called out. It sounded like Jordan. I scanned the room and finally found the massive bodies of the hockey players, who were sitting in the corner of the room, almost completely isolated.

Sidney placed his hand on the small of my back, softly guiding me over to the corner. The four other hockey players didn’t seem to mind that this little action but Tony smirked a little when he saw that for once in my life that I wasn’t resisting a guy’s charm.

“Hey Beautiful,” Max said with a flirtatious smile.

“Hello Maxime,” I said sending him a flirtatious smirk of my own. It didn’t mean anything coming from my side of the flirting. Max Talbot was sweet and all but it would be a little awkward to fall for someone who reminds you some much of your brother.

“Hey, Dru,” Tony said with that same little smirk plastered on his face. “Sorry I couldn’t pick you up. I lost track of time in the library, I was actually studying for once.”

“Right,” I muttered sarcastically as I sat down beside Marc. There were only two empty chairs left, one beside Marc and one that was directly across from it. “You were probably checking out the new library assistant, Ms. Harper.”

“Yea, that too,” he said with a beaming smile now on his face.

“You’re hopeless,” I replied, rolling my eyes at him.

“Keep rolling your eyes and they might fall out,” he said in a serious voice but I could tell that he was still smiling at me.

His answer just made me roll my eyes even more.

“Dru, how was school?” Marc asked, showing that he was a little curious about me.

“Okay,” I replied, shrugging a little. "Nothing I can't handle."

“Smarty pants,” Tony coughed into his hand.

I raised my eyebrow at him, “Hey, I don’t want to hear it from you. I’m not the one that doesn’t bother showing up and is failing.”

“Be quiet.” He looked down at his draft beer, once again feeling dejected by the fact that he was failing the math class.

I sighed at myself and ran my hands through my hair, disappointedly. I knew I crossed the line, Tony wasn’t the brightest kid but he was smart enough to pass the class if he at least tried. But like I said: it’s not my fault that he doesn’t bother showing up anymore.

“Did you hear from your brother at all?” Jordan asked, changing the subject.

“Not yet,” I replied, thankful that the awkwardness from the table was broken. “He’ll call soon, I know he will.”

The waitress from a few days before walked over. Her boobs were pushed up to highest point possible and her makeup was laid on thick. She took Sidney’s order ignoring me until I coughed purposefully to get her attention.

“Stupid bimbo,” I mumbled under my breath when she walked away and toward the bar area. I had a feeling that she would completely forget about my Coke and just bring back his drink.

“What did you say?” Sidney asked. He must have heard me mutter under my breath, something that I really didn’t like people hearing. It was nothing really horrible. It was just my personal thoughts that refused to stay inside my brain.

“Nothing,” I replied, blushing slightly at the thought that he did hear me.

He just smiled, “You know you’re really cute when you blush.”

I didn’t have a chance to respond when Max jumped in the conversation, “She’s cute all the time!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his outburst in the conversation, “Thanks guys.”

The waitress did come back and as I expected, she forgot about my damn order. ‘Well, someone’s not getting a tip from me,’ I thought to myself. I was seriously not in liking this chick.

“I’ll be right back with your Root Beer,” she said with a fake smile.

“Coke,” I replied in false cheeriness. "I ordered a Coke."

“It was Root Beer. I think I know what you ordered,” she said, her damn fake smile was still forced on her face.

I pretty much dropped the façade, “It was a Coke. I’m the one who ordered the damn drink. I think I would know better your fake ass.”

The waitress and pretty much everyone else at the table gaped at my outburst. Tony just sat there, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Fine, I’ll get your Coke,” she answered harshly, emphasizing on the word ‘Coke’.

“Okay, you go do that.”

She scuffed at me, turning on her heels and walking towards the kitchen area. I really didn’t care if I got in trouble for cursing at her. She deserved in my eyes. All she wanted was a piece of hockey player ass and then be on her way. She was one of those people who prided themselves in being a whore.

“Wow Dru, you’re finally starting to get a backbone!” Tony said, taking a sip of his beer that he ordered when we got here.

“She annoyed me the first time I came here. Now she's just pissed me off,” I replied, leaning back in my chair.

“Maybe you should just calm down? All she did was forget your drink—” Marc began.

“Which she got wrong,” I cut in before he could finish his sentence.

“Besides that fact, that’s all she did,” Marc tried to reason.

I just rolled my eyes, “It’s whatever.”

The waitress came back with what looked like a permanent scowl on her face. In her hand was the glass of coke that I had ordered. “Here’s your drink,” she spat, not even looking at me. She then turned on her heels and went over to the big biker guy that was bartending.

“Well,” I said, bitterly watching her bitch about the customers (most likely me) she had to serve tonight.

“She wasn’t the best waitress to begin with,” Sidney said, shrugging his shoulders as he took a gulp from his draft beer. A small smirk formed on my lips as I silently looked down at my soda, stirring it out of habit. “What you doing tomorrow?”

“Pretty much nothing. I was gonna use tomorrow as a study day,” I said, looking at the dark-haired man that sat across from me.

“Maybe you could come to the arena tomorrow and watch practice me?” Sidney suggested.

“Yea!” Jordan agreed, jumping into the conversation. “That would be awesome!”

I could help but smile at his outburst, “What time?”

“Our practice starts at nine and ends around noon. So maybe eleven?” Sidney suggested once again.

“Is ten thirty okay?” I asked before double thinking everything. “Actually, I can be over there for the start of it. I wake up almost every day at 6:00 to take Caesar out for his walk.”

“That’s fine too,” Sidney said, smiling.

The night continued on with casual talk, random semi-flirting smiles, and obnoxious laughs. Before anyone noticed it was nearing ten in the evening.

“Well, I’m gonna hit the hay,” Tony said, letting out a fake yawn.

“Aren’t you taking me home?” I asked, confused as I saw him stand up and head for the exit of the Coyote’s Den.

“No but I’m sure Sidney would love to take you back to your apartment,” Tony said, shrugging on his Carhart jacket. “See you guys!” With that, he left.

‘Bastard!’ I looked at Sidney with pleading eyes, “Will you take me home? I really don’t wanna walk back.”

Sidney pretended to think about it before faking an aggravated sigh, “Fine.”

“Thank you, Sidney.”

“When do you wanna head out?” he asked, downing the last of his beer. He didn’t show any signs of being drunk. Of course, he only drank three sixteen ounce beers throughout the night, unlike Max and Jordan who decided it would be fun to have a drinking contest.

“Whenever you want to,” I said. I started spinning my straw in my soda, which I had gotten refilled a couple times but by a different waitress.

“We could leave now,” he suggested.

“I don’t mind,” I said, looking at him.

“Come on,” he said, standing up. I quickly took a big sip through the straw and slowly stood up.

“Where are you guys going?” Marc asked, looking at the two of us suspiciously.

“I’m going to take her to her place, then I’m gonna go home,” Sidney said. I walked toward the door where my pea coat was hanging.

“Oh well, night guys,” Marc said with his addicting smile.

“Night,” I said with a smile of my own. Kris just nodded in my direction.

I pulled on my pea coat, slipped on my gloves, and then placed my knit winter hat on my head. Sidney was standing beside me and was putting on his leather jacket.

He led me to the truck and opened the passenger door for me, “Thank you.” I got in and buckled up. Before I could even snap the buckle, Sidney was already in the driver’s seat, turning the engine over.

The ride was comfortably silent between the two of us. The radio was silently playing some music that I really wasn’t registering because I wasn’t really interested in it. All I knew was that I was enjoying that I was with Sidney.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize that we had pulled up to my apartment building till he shut off the truck. Before I could even thank him for taking me home, he was already at the door, opening it up for me. I got out and he placed his hand on my lower back. I felt safe and protected whenever he touched me, even if it was just placing his hand on my back and leading me toward the warmth of my apartment building.

We both walked up the stairs to my floor. I sighed a little, knowing that he would have to leave when we reached my apartment door.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at him with a small, thankful smile on my face.

“You’re welcome,” he said returning my smile. “You’re still coming to the practice tomorrow, right?”

I nodded, “Yea, I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

He smiled at my reply, “Good.”

We stood there for a moment or two in silence. It was the same kind of silence we had in the truck.

“I guess I should get inside before Caesar freaks out,” I said with a small smile. I felt a little pang go through me when I said it. I don’t know why but it made me a little sad that he wasn’t able to stay longer.

“Yea,” he said. There was something in his voice, something that I didn’t quite recognize.

I was about to turn around and open my door, when I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. I felt a new warmth around me. I smiled and hugged his massive body back. It is impossible to describe his hug. I felt like nothing could get at me when I was hugging him, like he would protect me from anything. All my worries and fears vanished.

I could smell his cologne. It wasn't overbearing like how some men wear it. His was the perfect amount. The scent was embedded in my mind. That was probably the only thing that could register. That, and the feel of his massive arms wrapped around me.

Unfortunately, he broke the hug, making me want me more of his warmth but I knew I shouldn’t complain about it. “Night,” he said, barely above a whisper.

“Night,” I replied. I managed to open my door but watched his retreating body board the elevator. I closed the door and let out a little squeal, earning a strange look from Caesar. That’s when I realized something.

“God damn it! I didn’t get his number!”