Jamison's Wish

As I sat in Jamie’s room watching him sleep peacefully, he was getting stronger they said, so much so that taking him out of the hospital for his birthday is a strong possibility. Sid and I were talking a lot and when we could we’d hang out after I visited Jamie. He’s a great guy once you get passed the Hockey Legend thing. He makes me feel alive again which I’m grateful for and terrified of. I want Jamison to feel alive.

After a few minutes my phone started to ring, Sid.

“Hey” I said softly trying not to wake Jamie.

“Hi, are you at the hospital?”

“Yea, Jamie and I watched the game. Good Job on the hat trick by the way.”

“Oh, that was nothing. It wouldn’t have happened without help from my team.”

“Sid I’m not a reporter you can talk to me like a normal person” I joked. “Are you guys on your way home?”

“Yea, the bus ride is going to be so much fun!”

“It’s only Philly Sid suck it up.” He chuckled lightly.

“Have you found out if Jamie will be able to come to a game for his birthday?”

“Yea actually they think he will. So keep your fingers crossed.”

“Good I’ll get you tickets, we have a home game on his birthday.”

“That would be great, he will love you forever” I said. And so will I.

“Alright then, it’s getting late don’t you have class tomorrow?”

“Nope I have tomorrow off, I might try to get a few more hours in at work and then maybe come here and kick Jamie’s ass in NHL11 again.”

“You could let him win occasionally.”

“What kind of sibling would I be if I let him win? He’d think I was doing it just because he’s sick. Besides when he actually does win he’ll feel that much better about it.”

“How are you though?”

“I’m good Sid, I just wish that he could have a normal life is all. It’s bad enough about mom and then dad but throw in this too. It’s too much for someone his age to go through.”

“He has you, that’s incentive enough to fight in my book.” I felt myself blush slightly at his words even though I knew he just said them as a friend.

“That and my ‘super hot’ friends. Jamie just loves when they visit.”

“So does Tanger and Max.”

“Yea, I heard they both hooked Chelsea and Kate” I laughed.

“Yea, At least I’m pretty sure that’s who Tanger is speaking French to right now. I sure hope he doesn’t talk like that with his mother.”

“Ewww gross. Why did you tell my that? Now when I see Kate all I’m going to think about is Kris saying naughty things in French to her. There goes a 15 year friendship.”

“You’re the one that set them up.”

“I know. HUGE MISTAKE!” I laughed.

“I wish I was there to see you laugh, it’s the one time you seem to forget about Jamie being sick, you’re whole face lights up.”

“And I wish you were here so I could tease you about your ‘Huge lips and Huge ass’.” I said the last part in my best Max Talbot impression.

“You saw that huh?” he laughed.

“Yep.”

“Damn.”

“Damn is right, you should seriously consider wearing your under armor all the time. Just that.”

“Oh really and why is that?”

“It’s HOT! Duh, Sid. I mean it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Which is perfect.”

“You haven’t slept much lately have you?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’re always saying things you normally wouldn’t when you’re tired.”

“How do you know that I just hadn’t been wanting to say that for a while? I mean you can’t fight the truth” I laughed blushing slightly at my honesty. “You’re right though. I had a paper to finish last night so I didn’t get much sleep.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“How do you know me so well already?”

“I’m not sure.”

“They’re about to kick me out for the night . . .” I said seeing a nurse pass taping her watch lightly. “I guess I have to go home.”

“How about when we get back I come over? I know you hate being there alone.”

“You’d do that?” I said packing up my bag.

“Yea.”

“When will you guys be back here?”

“Uh, we left a little over an hour ago, so I’m guessing like 2.”

“Alright. Well if I don’t answer the door. There is a spare key in the mail box. I’ll leave the porch light on for you.”

“Alright sounds good. I’ll see you in a bit Kell.”

“Yea, see you Sid.”

I know I’ve only known him for a little under 2 months but I am falling for Sidney Crosby. He was always the player that I had a crush on ever since he was drafted and now we’re friends, or whatever you call this.

Sid’s POV-

“Yo Sid where are you off too in such a hurry?” Tanger asked as I waited impatiently for my bag.

“Kelly’s. She doesn’t like being alone and they made her leave the hospital tonight” I said quietly knowing that Kate had given him enough information for him to understand.

“Tomorrow we should all hang out, keep her mind off of everything.”

“I’ll see if she’s up to it” I replied swing my bag over my shoulder and made my way to my car.

It took 15 minutes to get to the house in the day with traffic but at 2am it took less then 10. The porch light was on like she said, along with a light in the living room but when I knocked she didn’t answer. I took the spare key from it’s hiding spot and unlocked the front door, closing it softly behind me. I walked into the living room seeing highlights from the game playing on the TV and Kelly passed out on the couch. Her hair still wet, no make-up on her face, wearing a long-sleeved penguins tee and shorts- she looked gorgeous.

I turned off the TV and the light before picking her up off the couch. Cautiously I made my way to her room trying not to wake her. I set her on the bed before going back down stairs for my bag so I could change into a pair of basketball shorts. I slid into bed with her pulling her close to my chest.

“Sid?” she said opening her emerald eyes slightly.

“Yea it’s me.”

“Ok” she muttered before snuggling in closer to me. I could help but smile I wish she felt the same about me, but it’s obvious that I’m just a friend. Granted a friend that she talked to pretty much everyday. “Hmmm I take back the under armor comment . . . Shirtless . . . Much better” she added sleepily.

“Go back to sleep Kell” I said softly brushing her long golden brown hair from her face. “You can comment on my lack of shirt in the morning.”

“Ok . . . Good night Sid. And thanks . . . For everything.”

“Anything for you. Night Kell.” I kissed the top of her head inhaling the smell of her vanilla shampoo before drifting off.

When I woke up this morning the spot that Kelly had been in was empty, but the faint smell of something cooking was coming from downstairs. I slowly stretched and made my way down the stairs. Seeing her in the kitchen still in her clothes from last night, her hair down and bright blue bunny slippers on her feet I wondered if this is what it would be like to wake up every morning with her. If this could be our future, of course in my head Jamie is still asleep in his room or in the living room watching TV while his sister made breakfast for the three of us. I wanted to walk up to her, wrap my arms around her waist and give her a kiss but as friends that wasn’t really something you could do.

She turned slightly towards me picking up a bowl of batter and dropping some on the skillet. When she set the bowl back down she saw me and smiled, I swear I saw her face get a little pinker but it could have been my imagination.

“Are you just going to stand there creeping in the doorway Sid?” she laughed. “The coffee is done, I’m just finishing up the pancakes, and bacon . . . Not that Canadian Bacon shit either.”

“Do you not like Canadian things?” I teased taking a seat at the island.

“I don’t really understand why your milk comes in a bag but . . . Other than that I can’t complain.”

“Yeah I don’t know why it does either. I’ll ask my mom for you.”

“I can’t wait to hear the reason . . . Crazy Canadians” she said shaking her head with a small smirk as she finished up breakfast, setting a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of me. “Do you want coffee?”

“Yea, that sounds good.” I said trying not to let my mind wander as she turned around and reached on a higher shelf for a second mug. Her calves and thighs tense as she stood on her tip toes, her shirt lifting enough to get a glimpse of the skin just about her waist band revealing a tattoo of some kind - if I wasn’t imagining things I would have sworn it was a penguin.

“I really should move those down a shelf” she said turning back towards me while pouring the dark liquid. “It’s just a real pain in the ass. . . It sucks being short.”

“I’ll help you move them, I am considerably taller than you. . .”

“No shit . . . You could have helped me get the mug down instead of watching me struggle.”

“Sorry” I shrugged not knowing what to say because lets face it I can’t tell her that I didn’t help her because I was too busy admiring her sexy legs, it doesn’t really cut it.

“You’re such a boy. And really you could have put a shirt on.”

“You didn’t seem to mind last night. . .”

“Wha . . . I’m sorry what?” she said starring at me with a confused look.

“You very clearly said to forget the under armor and me shirtless was much better.”

“When did I supposedly say this?”

“After I got here and carried you up to the bed.”

“I was obviously half-asleep you can’t use what I say in that state against me.”

“Even if it’s obviously the truth, eh?”

“Eh? Jesus you are so Canadian.”

“What is you mentioning that I’m Canadian about?”

“I’m sorry what?”

“What is this all about?”

“Seriously I don’t know what you’re saying . . .”

“You do too know what I’m talking about . . . Damn it” I said realizing she was making fun of the way I said about.

“Awww Sid you know I find your accent cute with the ‘aboat’ and whatnot” she said placing her hand gently on my cheek with a smile stretched wide across her face. We stayed like that for a few moments in silence as her smile faded slightly into a more of a curious look probably mimicking what was on my face at the moment. I was wondering what it would be like to kiss her, like really kiss her not like the one I gave her on her birthday but a real long and slow kiss that made your heart slow. She bit her lip and cleared her throat before sitting and taking a bite of her breakfast. I sighed and turned back to my plate, eating the food she had cooked.

“So what are you doing today?” I asked trying to get past the awkward feeling that hung in the air.

“Uh, I have to at least stop into work for a little bit before lunch, then I was going to visit Jamie for a little and get to go ahead for his birthday, there are papers that I’ll have to fill out to take him out. Then I mean after that nothing really. Why?”

“Oh it’s just Tanger suggested that we all hang out today since we don’t have a game for the next couple days.”

“That actually sounds like fun, this afternoon?”

“Yea this afternoon.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Good I’ll let Tanger know, I’m sure he’ll come up with something fun to do.”

“I could use some fun” she said almost to herself. “Well I have to get ready for the day and then do these dishes” she stood up and took her empty plate to the sink. “I’ll be back down in a bit.”

After she left I took it upon myself to clean up the kitchen hoping to ease some of her stress, at least I had to try. It didn’t take long and I found myself wandering the house looking at pictures she had hung up on the walls, mostly of her and Jamie, and a few of them and who I’m guess was their dad because they all looked so much alike. She shared his eyes Jamie had his nose and the both had his smile and dark hair. It was from her high school graduation, obviously before they found out he was sick, they were all happy, a happy that I wished I could see her like again. Hearing music come from upstairs I made my way up to her room deciding it would be a good time to get dressed and head over to my place even for a little bit. I stopped outside her door catching a glimpse of her dressed in jeans and a tank running her fingers through her hair. I knocked lightly on the door.

“Come on in.”

“Sorry I just figured I should get dressed and head out” I said rubbing the back of my neck.

“Yeah no problem.” she sat in front of her mirror and started putting on makeup, it wasn’t much but I couldn’t help but have the urge to tell her she didn’t need it. When she started singing along with whatever was playing from her iPod though I let out a soft chuckle. “What?”

“Nothing” I said pulling a pair of jeans and shirt from my duffle bag.

“No why did you laugh just then?”

“You just randomly started singing along . . .”

“Was I that bad?”

“No” I said pulling the shirt over my head.

“Then what? I mean at least it wasn’t Slow Motion” she said with a wink.

“Hey now” I said getting defensive.

“It’s not your fault that you obviously have no rhythm Sid. Not everyone can be a rapper.” She smiled teasing me.

“That hurts Kell.”

“I’m sorry Sid. But it’s the truth and you know it.” Her eyes sparkled and her face had a glow. Wow that sounds weird.

“Well then” I said changing into my jeans noticing how she stood there her eyes glued on me as I did so. “I guess I should let you do what you have to do.”

“I’ll see you later though still right?”

“Of course” I said feeling a little heart broken, it sounded like she thought I would cancel on her.

“Sid . . .”

“Yea?” I said instantly having her walk up to me and wrap her arms around me. I returned the gesture holding her as I rested my head on top of hers.

“Thank you, for, well everything.”

“It’s nothing. . .”

“No, you could be doing a million other things and you’re here, with me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be here?”

“I’m nothing special Sid. I’m all broken.”

“That’s not true. Kelly you are amazing. I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re strong and impossibly sweet, even though you make fun of my accent and lack of musical talent.”

“Shut up, I love your accent and your inability to carry a tune in a bucket” she said with a laugh that vibrated through her body and into mine. I smile in her hair and squeeze her tighter to me chest for a moment.

“I’ll see you in a couple hours alright?”

“Yep. I’m sure once Jamie gets wind of this he’ll kick me out in 2 seconds flat.”

“He just wants you to have a life.”

“That’s want I want for him too” she whispered before sliding out of my arms.

“I’ll call you alright” I said kissing her cheek with my bag over my shoulder.

“Yep. See you later Sid” she said walking with me to the front door.

“Oh, I put the spare key on the counter in the kitchen so I wouldn’t forget to give it back” I said turning around on the porch.

“Thanks, I would most likely need it if it wasn’t there. I always seem to lock myself out when Jamie has the spare key. And I really hate having to climb through the kitchen window. I’m pretty sure the neighbors were about to call the cops last time until they realized it was me. I’m too short and clumsy to be a good robber - learned that after falling on my ass for the 3rd time.”

I couldn’t hold back the laughter, it was definitely my real true gut laugh that the guys tended to make fun of. She was obviously embarrassed about telling me the full story - uncensored and un-abridged - but I found it amazingly cute.