Got A Secret?

“Rachel Keller has been seen quite frequently in downtown Toronto. Rumor has it that the female hockey play bought a condo in the heart of the city [Maple Leaf Square]. We have also seen her turning up at random areas across the GTA going to public skates and doing the occasional guest appearance and workshop”.

“Keller, what the fuck? You just left? No goodbye? Nothing? As soon as this season is finished I’m going to come to Toronto and kick your ass! They broadcasted where you live now, by the way Maple Leaf Square condo’s? I hear you get a suite in the ACC, plan on cheering for Toronto? Either way, I’m going to kick your ass. I’m not even joking it’s going to happen and it’s going to hurt like hell. You will finally know what it’s like to fight a giant, I’ll show you what years of sod farming did for my strength whether you have a Y chromosome or not! That’s right I’m pulling Grade 11 Biology out for this message.

Seriously though you couldn’t say goodbye? I think Max almost cried! Even Sidney looks bummed even though he apparently knew, this is his fault I know it. Tear up that contract and get your ass back to Pittsburgh I don’t care if you’ll have to give them your first born for changing your mind!

With that all said I miss you, but I’m still pissed who’s going to sneak out with me? We finally perfected how to get past Pascal, how could you leave me now? Come back please? If you don’t I’m going to tell my Mom your coming for a visit this summer. You met her once, she loved you, I’ll give her your number and she’ll harass you until you end up having to stay for the rest of you life. Yeah I’m pulling out the big guns. Call me back, bye.”

I stare down at my phone letting out a small noise; I don’t know if it was a laugh or a whimper. I had been expecting this, that’s exactly why I had waited until now to check my message. A whole week I had ignored calls, anytime a team mates name hit the screen I pushed ignore sending it straight to voice-mail. I knew they all had something to say; I had gotten a rather lengthy e-mail from Evgeni. Yes, lengthy he’d conned someone into writing for him obviously, as it went into great detail about his disappointment in way I knew he didn’t know how to express himself in English.

The next message was worse: “Princess?,” That was just the calm before the storm though. “Seriously? Has that name gone to you head? What are you fucking Cinderella? How could you make me think you were staying? You should have said something! Well I got news for you, I have your lulu sports bra you forgot that and your iPod cover. They’re being held ransom until I see you again. You really couldn’t think of anything else? You had to go and make the most drastic change in hockey history? Okay, I’m being dramatic but seriously. I’m pissed, and an e-mail! YOU WROTE ME A FUCKEN E-MAIL! C’est des conneries! That’s bullshit and you know it, how could our friendship mean that little to you? We went shopping together, the bonding that happened those days will bond us forever! I tried on leather pants for you!

I-I can’t even find words to describe how… disappointed I am. I’m not even mad anymore I’m just upset as hell! I even practiced this conversation in the mirror! You should see how upset Flower is, you broke his little heart. You know better then to mess with Marc he’s delicate!”

There’s a scuffle on the other end and a few French cusses before Max’s voice returns. “As I was saying he’s delicate, call me soon I rather guilt you in person. With that said, I miss you Princess, if you come back even just to see a game I swear I’ll never steal your stuff again! Please ma belle, we need you, we needs our little firecracker, we need the presence of breasts in the dressing room we’re all used to averting our eyes when we get changed! We need you to blast Justin Beiber to annoy us! Kris misses you so much he put on the Jonas Brothers today! It wasn’t the same without you, without you we’re just a room full of guys with questionable sexuality! If you don’t come back I’m going to come to Toronto and drag you, I swear I will. Do you want to sit by me for a whole flight while I scold you? Think about it.”

I take a deep breath and advance to the second last message I had received that day.

“The guys are a little pissed,” Sidney sighs into the phone, “some more then others but I think they understand. Actually I think Max understands the most and he keeps glaring at me. I miss you; I didn’t realize how normal your presence had become. I mean even when you were out you were still at ever practice, every team meeting, always in the dressing room or out by the ice… Now… now you’re gone. I know you did this for me and I can’t even begin to… No one’s ever done anything like that, its more then I would ever ask for someone. I’ll call you after the game tonight, I love you.”

The message made me smile and I was beginning to feel better about my decision. The girl who threw an open Coke at me when I was shopping downtown yesterday was a thing of the past. She was wearing a Pens jersey with my number on it, apparently she had just bought it and was now pissed that she had to buy a new one. Some people over-react.

I hit the next button groaning when the next message started to play. “Keller you sneaky, I let you know Bruce think you funny but I sure that only last until he meet you. You no skate but you still be here if we make final. You Cap now, I paint face for you when you come to game. Told you we play together again, I call you soon to plan summer.”

Stupid Ovechkin.

____________________________________________________________________________

I hear a knock at the door and seriously considering ignoring the person on the other side. There wasn’t many options as to who it could be, only my family knew where I lived and then of course Sidney, not the others though since they were pissed at me. Them and Kessel, out of all people I lived in the same building as Kessel, though there was something extremely satisfying about yelling ‘Leafs suck’ at him when I saw him in the lobby.

“OPEN THE DOOR BITCH I KNOW YOU LIVE HERE”

I bite back a laugh walking from the living room and into the short hall to the doorway. Upon opening the door I’m greeted with the amusing site of my only female best friend who had a scowl gracing her features.

“Nice of you to inform me you were home,” Amanda fumed strutting through my front door under my arm. I roll my eyes sighing deeply before closing it behind her and turning to face my doom. “-of course I only found out when I stopped by to hang out with your Mom yesterday. She was a little confused as to why you had forgotten to tell one of the only people you can tolerate in this city that you were home.”

Ignoring her little rant I decided to only focus on one comment she had made, “You went to hang out with my Mom? You loser.”

Letting out a short laugh I slump behind her into my living room trying not to glare when she took the seat I had just vacated. Amanda and I had been best friends since high school, and in all honesty she was probably one of the only girls I could handle. Playing on teams mostly with boys and growing up with a brother I tended to have a hard time relating to girls at times. I wasn’t manly, and I did have a few girl friends from university and Team Canada but Amanda was probably the closest girl friend that I had.

I was crap at communicating though and usually just e-mailed her when I had a spare moment. We didn’t talk much on the phone I think one of the last times being back just when the season had started, a few calls briefly after games when she’d call drunk from some sports bar screaming about how awesome I was, other then that though our ‘girl-talk’ was pretty limited. That and she went to school for Classics as well, only now a days her time was spent digging up artifacts which she pursued her Masters Degree.

“Yeah yeah, I’m lame I get it. I don’t have much of a life okay? I just got back from a dig in Greece and have to go back in a few weeks. Needless to say I was shocked when I heard not only had you bought a place in Toronto but also you were already home. What the hell girl!”

I just shrug in response before launching into my story, ignoring her frequent interruptions about how I was ‘too cute’, needed too be more selfish and how I should ditch hockey because I was causing too much drama.

“You left without saying goodbye? God you are a shitty friend. Come on Rache these people haven’t known you forever their not used to that kinda shit from you. You should call them back, tonight.” she orders shoving the phone into my hand. I shake my head; it was only a few hours ago that I had reviewed the voice mails I wasn’t facing that yet.

Amanda sits back, plopping her feet down on the glass coffee table making me frown. I didn’t want her sweaty feet smudging up my pretty, clean, glass table.

“Yeah I see you haven’t grown that pair of lady balls like I suggested. You’d think being around testosterone twenty-four seven would have helped but I see it hasn’t.”

“You’re such an ass” I joke kicking her feet down onto the floor giving her a hard look.
“Missed you too buttmunch.”