Your Parachute

"Get off me, loser," Jordan joked, giving me a playful shove after I put my legs on his lap. I pulled them off and stuck my tongue out at the blonde boy beside me on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm the loser," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes teasingly. "I'm not the one who wants to watch Beauty and the Beast."

Jordan blushed slightly and turned his head to look back at the screen, mumbling to himself under his breath about nobody caring what I think.

"When are you going home, J?" he asked in a jokingly annoyed tone. I smirked.

"Sid said I could stay as long as I wanted," I said smugly, stretching my legs back out over his lap and placing my arms behind my head in relaxation. "Besides, I'm starting to like it here. Face it, Staalsy, you're stuck with me."

He groaned but didn't push my legs off his lap this time, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by me. I sighed to myself as I thought of how stupid I was being. I mean, dissecting ever single move that Jordan makes, wondering if he's flirting or not? I used to laugh at girls like this, now I had become one.

& staying in Pittsburgh just added to that desperateness. I couldn't leave Pittsburgh, not with Jordan here. He had become a good friend to me, but I really wanted more. It wasn't going to happen, but a girl can always hope. & that hope is precisely why I can't leave. Jordan's here, I just can't not be.

"You ever wonder where your life is going?" his deep voice brought me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I blinked at him, my face blank. "I mean, it's just, I'm getting older every day. Everyone's getting older every day. I feel like I'm gonna wake up and my life is gonna be over."

"Jordan, you're 22 years old. You're far from old, if that's any consolation. But seriously, Jord, I think everyone feels like this. Life goes by too fast for all of us. That just means we're really living," I said reassuringly. He gave me a confused look.

"What?" he questioned. I sighed, getting ready to explain.

"It's like this, if you're sitting around bored and waiting for the time to pass it goes by slow, but when you're doing something great and not paying any attention, the time goes by fast," I explained. Jordan smiled slightly.

"Time flies when you're having fun," he breathed out, nodding his head in agreement. I gave him a bright smile. Then he let out a puff of air, a frown falling over his face. "It's just...... spending all this time with you, it's making me feel so old. I love hanging out with you, J. I mean, God, you're one of my best friends now. But you're…. you're 19. I’m 3 fucking years older than you and it sucks."

I laughed at him and his expression turned defensive, but I spoke before he could get mad at my outburst.

"Are you serious, Staal? That's what all this philosophical shit is about?! And here I was thinking you were going all sentimental and deep about the meaning of life and all that," I said, full of amusement. Jordan's lips pulled up in an involuntary smile.

"Don't make me smile right now, I'm in depression mode," Jordan said gruffly, though his eyes twinkled in a way that spoke differently.

I just smiled one last time at him before pulling my legs back and tucking them underneath me, curling up into Jordan’s side as Belle and the Beast danced in the ballroom. It felt perfect, but I knew it wasn't. That damn word-friend. So definite, so unchanging.

But I had to change it.



Jenny stood outside the locker room, talking with Jordan. Her laughs echoed in the narrow hallway. He smiled down at the bright girl as they talked. Sidney Crosby watched from afar, studying his childhood friend interacting with his team mate. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as they exchanged flirty laughs and charming smiles and witty jokes. He didn’t like where this was going. He'd already seen J get hurt enough. No, not again.

"Can I talk to you in the locker room, Jordan," Sidney gritted out after rudely interrupting their conversation. Both of them shot him confused looks but Jordan slowly nodded in agreement, following Sid into the locker room. Jenny made to follow as well but Sidney told her to wait outside.

The boys went in and Jenny sat outside, waiting. After a few minutes, she grew impatient and opened the door. The boys didn't notice her but she stood and watched them, growing interested as she saw Sidney's threatening look and his closeness to Jordan's face. Jenny knew this was his intimidation process. She was curious to hear what the two boys were saying.

"I thought you said you weren't gonna fuck with her," Sidney growled, his face inches from his teammates'. Jordan gulped loudly.

"Sid, dude, relax. I..... I'm not. I don't even- I'm not even- God, just leave me the fuck alone! Sometimes I wonder why you had to know that stupid bitch in the first place and why she had to come here. All she's done is fuck all my shit up!" Jordan stuttered at first, then his top finally blew- big time.

Sidney backed away, his eyes wide with shock and disappointment. Then his eyes locked on something behind Jordan's shoulder and his eyes showed regret and worry. Jordan turned to follow his line of vision and saw a sight that made him feel like he got punched in the gut.

Green eyes stared back at him, watery and red as she stood in the doorway crying. Big, fat tears rolled down her face and smudged her eye make-up on the way. Her arms were crossed around her stomach, as if trying to hold herself together. Jordan felt his mind go blank with white-hot fury. How could he have said that? How could he have even of thought that?!

He opened his mouth to try to mend the situation but Jenny had already turned and ran off, leaving Jordan feeling guilty and heartbroken. Sidney’s harsh voice brought him crashing back to the real world.

"Now look at what you've done," he said angrily, heading off to pursue the upset girl. Then he turned around and looked at Jordan with a glare that said it all. "You know Jordan, I warned her. I warned her about you but she thought you were so great, so fucking fantastic. I can't believe you didn't see what was right in front of you. Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh Jordan, and it's a great city, but Jenny doesn’t give a shit about Pittsburgh. That's just her excuse. J only stayed because of you. Just think about that, okay?"

Jordan hung his head as he noticed for the first time that the whole locker room was staring at him; some in disgust, some in anger, some in confusion. But no one gave him any pity.

Good, he thought to himself, I deserve to feel like shit.