Sticks & Spirals

“No.”
“Please, Vanna!”
“No!”
Andrew sighed and collapsed on my bed, his hand on his head. “Listen, I know he really hurt you, but you need to come to the game! We just got back from a road trip and I miss my cousin!”
I pouted. “That’s not very nice of you to use our relationship against us.”
“You won’t see him.”
“You don’t know that.”
“You’re so difficult!”
I flashed a grin. “You know it.” I winked.
“I’ll ship you to Bur’s if you don’t come.”
I froze. “You better be joking,” I threatened, looking at my cousin straight in the eye. We both had hazel eyes. That’s something I noticed about the Blackhawks. The majority of them have either blue or hazel eyes. I found that cool.
“Nope,” Andrew said with a smirk.
I sighed angrily and stood up. “Fine! I’ll come. He’ll kill me if you make me go over there.”
“Glad you agreed to come, cuz.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
I pushed my cousin out of my room and got changed into my Ladd jersey. I barely took a glance at the Seabrook one that was hung up next to it. I have a jersey for most of the players. It was my birthday gift last month from my cousin.
I didn’t put on my brace, because finally I can go along without it. I still limped, but I was significantly better than I was. I’ll be able to get on the ice again in a couple weeks. I was so pumped.
“Vanna!”
“I’m coming, damn it!” I scowled, throwing my door open and slamming into a huge body. “Hey, Steeger,” I mumbled into his chest before stepping away.
“Sorry, I was just about to knock.”
I looked up at the blonde. He looked sad. Very sad. “What’s wrong?” I asked, instantly worried.
He shrugged and began to walk away, leaving me there dumbfounded. I spotted his car in the parking lot as I looked out the window.
I looked at Andrew as Steeger headed out the door. “What’s wrong? Is everything ok? His brothers are ok, right? Nothing’s happened to his mom?”
Andrew chuckled and helped me with my coat. “His family is fine. Rhyne...” he paused and made sure the door was closed behind his teammate. “Rhyne, not so much.” He gave me a slight smile.
“What’s going on?”
“You must have realized that she isn’t here.”
“Yeah? He’s upset cause she can’t come?”
“No, he’s upset because she’s hurt.” I’m pretty sure my eyes bulged out of my head. “She ran into some old schoolmates while picking something up for him at Target. She was already there and they were on the phone, so she said she’d pick up the steak he wanted.
“Well, I told you that she was teased in school. One of the girls recognized her from a picture in a magazine with them together. Apparently the girl is a friend of his ex-girlfriend, Brittany, and socked little Rhyne in the face. She broke her orbital bone and Kris blames himself for asking her to pick up the steak. If she hadn’t left the cashier to get it, she’d be ok.”
I gasped. “Poor thing!” I stuck up my nose at the thought of Brittany. I met her once. And I despised her. It was obvious that she was using my best friend.
“Yeah. Let’s go before we are late.”
I thought about the poor girl the whole ride to the United Center, and Steeger was very good at hiding his emotions as we entered the rink. I spotted Seabrook just in front of us, and I froze.
Andrew saw him too, and led me away before I did anything stupid.
But I didn’t move fast enough that I didn’t see the look on his face.
Regret.
I shook my head, thinking I imagined it, and made it to my seat behind the Blackhawks’ bench.
The game was exhilarating. I laughed, moaned, and cheered. My cousin got a goal, Steeger had two assists.
And Brent Seabrook got the game winner. And this time I know I didn’t imagine him looking at me after his goal.
But I couldn’t read his eyes.
I waited outside the locker room for the boys, and I looked up when the door opened. Brent Seabrook’s hazel beauties immediately found mine three feet away. “Vanna.”
Just hearing him say my name brought tears to my eyes. “Go away! I never want to talk to you again, asshole!” I spit at him.
Seabs flinched slightly.
“Just listen to me, will you?” he said as gently as he could, but it still came out strained.
“Why should I when I only bother you so much?” I retorted, getting his jaw to twitch ever so slightly. Damn, I’m good.
“Vanna, just shut up for a moment.” I decided to actually listen. This could be entertaining. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said. Laddy told me about your ex and what was said there, and~”
I cut him off. “WHAT? Andrew told you about Daniel!”
Seabs shifted uncomfortably, knowing that he said something he shouldn’t have. “Umm, yeah.”
“I can’t believe him!”
“It’s not his fault. I got him to tell me because I knew there was something on his mind.” I glared viciously, but that didn’t stop the towering defenseman in front of me. “You aren’t a bitch, Vanna. I didn’t mean that. I was just angry. You do know how to push my buttons, but that’s only because of my broken heart. You remind me a lot of Krista- that fiery personality.”
I didn’t say anything. I just watched him as pain filled his pretty eyes. “I’m sorry for the mean things I’ve said. I don’t expect you to forgive, but I just want you to know that I didn’t mean what I said.”
“Why do I remind you of her?” I asked, curious, but keeping my voice cold.
“I said so. She also has a fiery personality. And she’s also very quick on her tongue. You’re nicer than she is though. And that’s meant as a compliment.”
I scoffed. “You hate her. You say you don’t hate me but if I remind you of her, then you must.”
Seabs sighed in frustration. “You guys just have the same type of personality! That doesn’t mean your so much like her. You and Ladd are similar too. The same serious scowl when you’re pissed off. But that doesn’t make you exactly like him. You have the fiery personality to differentiate yourself from him. You aren’t anything like Krista except for that fieryness. Get it?”
“Whatever.”
Seabs growled. He actually growled. “I’m trying to apologize to you! And you’re just blowing me off! I don’t want forgiveness, I just want you to realize that I do mean my apology!”
I was about to say a very smart remark back at him, but the locker room doors opened and my cousin walked out. He looked mad. “Vanna Ariadne Ladd, get inside right now before you say something extremely idiotic.”
“But!” I started, but my cousin glared at me.
“He’s trying to apologize so you can stop going around all pissed off at hockey players and you won’t have none of it. Then you can go inside and immerse yourself amongst my teammates. I won’t have you making things worse!”
I pouted and stood up, limping towards the locker room. I saw the look that passed between my cousin and the stupid defenseman, but I couldn’t read it. All I can tell is that Seabs looked aggravated, and even a tad bit defeated.
I just shrugged it off as I stomped in the locker room, ignoring all the looks I was getting as I sat down in the first empty stall I saw.
I glanced up as Troy walked up to me, looking a little unsure. “Umm, V, you do realize that this is Seabsy’s stall... right?”
With narrowed eyes, I looked up at the name plate and let out a frustrated scream as I stormed away from Troy and Seabrook’s stall, and plopped myself in my cousin’s.
Kris gave me a weak smile, but other than that, they all left me alone to bathe in my frustration and pain.