Sticks & Spirals

The guys left around midnight, and I immediately went to bed. I was so jet-lagged and my knee was beginning to swell. The painkillers I had to take knocked me out cold until a certain blonde hockey player started jumping on my bed. “VANNA!”
I screamed and threw all my pillows at his face, ultimately knocking Kris off my bed. He moaned in pain on the floor while I laughed hysterically. “That’s what you get, stupid!”
Kris pouted. “Come on. You’re coming to practice with us. And Rhyne’s coming so she’s taking me home after. You don’t have to put up with me until tomorrow.”
“I have to say, Steeger, I’m actually going to miss you.” I laughed, than realized what he said. “Your girl is coming?”
Steeger blushed and began to walk out. “She’s not my girl.”
I instantly felt bad for saying what I said. It’s obvious that she’s a sensitive spot for him. I’m going to have to be careful with what I say. I don’t usually monitor what I say often. That’s probably why I get myself in trouble so much.
I sighed and got out of bed and quickly changed. The chilly November air made me pull on some sweats. I can’t wear my jeans with my brace, so I guess I’ll be meeting some smokin’ hot hockey players looking like I just rolled out of bed.
I fixed my hair and the little makeup I wear despite my sloppy look, and pulled on Andrew’s Blackhawks sweatshirt to add onto my rolling-out-of-bedness.
“Vanna, hurry up! There’s muffins on the counter. Let’s go go go!”
“I’m coming!” I muttered, grabbing two muffins and rushing out of the apartment behind the two hockey players.
The drive was short and sweet, and I was bouncing up and down by the time we made it to the United Center. The minor boy himself was just walking in, and waved slightly at us before heading in. “I like him. Can he stay?”
“He’ll probably be brought up full time next year,” Andrew said lightly. “He’s good, but he just needs to improve a little more.”
I understood that. Hockey is a lot like figure skating. It takes a hell of a lot of skill to make it big. I’m hoping to make it to the Olympics, and hopefully training here in Chicago with one of the best trainers will get me there.
I followed the two boys in, and immediately I saw the short, brown hair, brown eyed girl with glasses that I saw on Kris’ phone. Kris tensed next to me, and I saw the small smile that appeared on his lips.
“Go over to her,” I whispered shoving him ever so slightly.
Kris swallowed so loud that even I could hear him, and he went over to her. I watched with a grin as she looked up and smiled an adorable smile at him. I instantly liked her. And I can definitely tell how sweet she is just by that smile.
“So that’s her?” I asked Andrew as I followed him to the locker room, leaving Kris with the girl.”
“Yeah. Be nice to her, ok? Try not to scare her away. He really likes her and she’s very shy. She doesn’t get along with people well. I think Kris mentioned that she was teased in school or something.”
I scoffed. “You make me sound like I’m horrible!”
Andrew glanced at me and smirked. “Well, you do tend to scare people sometimes.”
I hit him. “Shut up!”
He laughed and shooed me away. “Wait here for Rhyne. Steeger will bring her down and then she’ll lead you to where you can wait to watch practice.”
I nodded and watched my cousin head inside the locker room, just as a tall, brown haired, brown eyed man walked out in all gear.
“Hell, Captain!” I said happily, instantly recognizing him.
Jonathan Toews blinked in surprise and then smiled. “You must be Vanna.” He held out his hand and I shook it with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too! Finally.”
I got the captain to chuckle a bit. I know he’s Captain Serious, even at this ripe young age of twenty. “You waiting to meet everyone?”
“Nope, I’m waiting for Steeger’s friend to appear so she can show me where we watch you guys.”
Toews nodded. “Alright. I’ll see you out there then.”
“Bye Captain!” I said a little more loudly than I intended.
“Jesus, Vanna. Loud much?”
I twirled around to see Kris and his little friend standing beside me. She was trying not to laugh, but he just looked annoyed. “Aww, I’m only trying to compete with you Steeger.”
Kris sighed and looked at the very small girl next to him. She had to be only around five feet tall. Which means even I tower over her. “Rhyne, this is Ladd’s cousin, Vanna. Vanna, this is Rhyne.”
“Hi,” Rhyne said quietly, hiding behind Kris slightly. She was so adorable, and I had to wonder why she would be teased in school.
“Nice to meet you!” I said happily. “Now, shall we let the boys change in piece? I think they’re all listening to me.”
“You’re loud enough.”
“Quiet, Steeger. And go get dressed. Johnny is already on the ice. No one will hurt us.”
Steeger rolled his eyes and said a quiet goodbye to Rhyne before leaving me alone with her. She beckoned for me to follow her, and I did so silently. I studied her all while she led me to where we wait. Even by the way she walked, I could tell that she is unsure of herself.
She sat down behind one of the player benches, and I sat next to her. “Sometimes we get asked to sit on one of the benches if they don’t do drills that make them sit on the bench.”
I nodded. “Cool beans.”
Rhyne looked at me, her brown eyes distant, but curious. “Cool beans?”
I laughed. “It’s one of my more favorite sayings.”
She nodded and the captain beckoned for us to come up to the door off the runway. I got there first, and he opened it. “You’re welcome to sit on the bench today.”
I nodded and smiled. “Thanks Captain. But, uhh, could you help me over there. I have a busted knee and I’m already off balance. I don’t want to fall and hurt myself more.”
Toews laughed and offered his arm to me. I took it, and watched as Rhyne carefully followed behind. There was a fear in her eyes, but I didn’t say anything of it. “You have fast reflexes right? Sometimes pucks go flying.”
“I’m good, Captain.”
Tazer nodded and and went back on the ice as the rest of the team started to follow suit.
I recognized a lot of them, and most of them came over to introduce themselves. I laughed and enjoyed their company.
“Wis here is an absolute idiot,” Burish piped up when Wisneiwsky came up to introduce himself.
“Oh, shut up, asshole,” Wis said, smacking Burish.
The two of them left while hitting each other.
“Having fun?” Andrew asked as he skated up. He looked over at Rhyne and smiled politely.
Rhyne nodded and I spoke. “Hell yes!” I glanced over Andrew’s shoulder just as Brent Seabrook skated by. He looked tense, and when he caught me looking, he gave me a harsh glare before turning away.
“Vanna,” Andrew said in a warning voice, noticing the small glance between us.
“Hey, I promised to behave around Rhyne. I’m behaving!”
Rhyne looked confused but Andrew just smiled at her before swatting me. “Then keep behaving.”
I rolled my eyes as the coach called all the players together, and I couldn’t help but notice Kris’ tiny wave to the girl next to me. A smile crept on my lips as she waved back.
I couldn’t help myself. I promised to behave and not scare her, but I needed to know. “So,” I said casually while the guys skated around. “What do you think of Steeger? You seem to be pretty close to him.”
I saw her blush from the corner of my eye, and she shrugged, looking down. “He’s nice to me,” she said softly. “He’s a good friend.”
“Do you like him more than that?” I’ll apologize for the bluntness on a later date.
I could feel how tense she became as she just shrugged. I frowned but dropped the subject. Mainly because Seabrook was just checked.
Right into my lap.
Seabs swore at Burish, who was the won to push him into the bench, just as I pushed against his heavy ass body to get out of my lap. He hit my knee, and my knee is screaming.
“What the fuck, Burish!” the tall brunette said as he lifted himself over the boards again and pushed his teammate. “This is practice, not a real game!”
Burish shrugged and just let his teammate push him back. “You looked out of it. It wasn’t my plan to have you actually land on the girls. Or, well, girl. Rhyne moved out of the way in time.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“You said you loved me last week before all this shit happened.”
Seabrook looked like he was going to punch his teammate, just before his eyes met mine. I had a tear in them as I examined my blown out knee, and a look of confusion, then regret, and then fury passed through his pretty eyes.
He really did have pretty eyes.
He stormed past his teammate and then down the runway to the locker room without saying a word to me. I’ll have to hit him later. I don’t care what happened to him lately. I deserve an apology after he lands on my knee.
Andrew must have noticed the tear in my eyes, or the way Rhyne was leaning over me, because he skated over and appeared on the bench in front of me. “V? Are you ok?”
“Stupid ass hockey player landed on me knee,” I choked out, holding my knee in my hands.
Burish looked horrible. “I’m sorry, Vanna. I didn’t mean for him to land on you. Are you ok?”
I nodded as Andrew straightened my leg. I squealed and smacked at his hand. “That hurts!” I yelled at him.
“I’m sorry,” Andrew sighed, standing up. “Hey, can she go down and see our team doctor, coach? She blew out her knee skating and Seabs landed on it right now.”
The coach nodded and one of the assistant coached that I haven’t learned the names of yet took my arm and helped me across the ice and down the runway. I felt bad for leaving that poor girl alone, but I had a feeling that she’s used to being alone.
“Ow,” I whimpered as the assistant coach helped me to the team doctors place.
“Sorry,” he apologized, his eyes landing on someone behind me.
I turned around and stared Brent Seabrook right in the eyes. I realized he had a deep scratch on his cheek, and I looked down at my nails and noticed the blood on them. I must have clawed at him to get him off while the pain in my knee echoed through my body.
The assistant coach left us, and a very heavy silence hung in the room. I took off my brace slowly to sort of pass the time.
However, I could feel Seabrook’s hostile looks on my back.
I’m sorry. I can’t put up with bullshit.
I turned to face the large defenseman. “Look, I’m sorry for clawing at your face. You landed on my knee and it hurt like hell. Just stop looking at me like you hate me. I never did anything to you besides this.”
“Whatever,” he huffed.
My temper spiked. “What the hell is your problem? You’ve spoken all of two words to me and you hate me! You fucking fell on my blown out knee and you just look at me without an apology! I never did anything to you, what’s your problem?”
Now it is his turn to blow up. “You’re my problem!” he growled, standing up to his full six foot three height, which ends up being around six five, six six on skates. “You’re all the same! You think you’re the best there is and you think everyone should like you just because you’re a figure skater! And then when you find someone and go out with them, you think it’ll be perfectly fine just to go fuck someone else!”
I stood, despite me knee, and stalked towards him, getting in his face. “I’m sorry, but I am nothing like that pathetic girl you dated. You just have poor taste in girls I guess. Because I’m not an asshole! You, on the other hand, are definitely an asshole!” I stood on my toes to get right in his face. “I am no cunt.”
Brent Seabrook’s eyes almost turned red, that’s how mad he was. He shoved me back and stormed out. “Fuck off, Vanna,” he seethed, getting a look from the team doctor who happened to walk in as he walked out. “I’m fine. I’ll fix it myself at home.”
The doctor looked at me as I collapsed on the examination table again. I didn’t want to fight with this man. I mean, from all Andrew told me, he was awesome. But if he’s going to compare his ex to every other figure skater in the world, I won’t put up with it.
But maybe I did go too far in calling her what I did... it is as obvious as possible that he really cared for her.
I sighed.
Steeger entered as the doctor was wrapping and stabilizing my knee. “Hey, V. You ok? We all heard screaming and then Seabs sort of just... left.”
“He hates me cause I’m a figure skater and I told him off. I went too far but oh well.” I shrugged. “He started it.”
He sighed. “He really is a good guy. You just have to give him time to let his heart heal.”
“Whatever.”
Steeger stayed quiet for a while, looking at his phone. “Aren’t you supposed to be going home with Rhyne?”
“She’s ok with waiting. She’ll just think I’m taking forever getting dressed.”
I looked at him. “I don’t know about her, Steeger.”
He looked up at me in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“She seems so off. I’m not sure what she thinks of you. Maybe you should just chill out for a bit. Don’t try anything with her. She’s hard to read, and even though I like her, I don’t like not knowing what she thinks of you.”
Kris nodded, and I felt bad because his shoulders slumped and he looked so sad. “Ok.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s go.”
I nodded, since my knee was now stable, and waddles my way out, following him. All of the Blackhawks, who I all know now, looked at me. It was pretty obvious that they all heard me and Seabrook.
Oh boy, what have I done?