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eleven
If Allie had said she wasn't on a high after kissing Tyler, she was lying. Her stomach buzzed as she thought about it. The thought of his hands on her face and his lips on hers gave her goosebumps.
It was the day after, and her mind was still reeling anytime the thought entered her mind. She found she was smiling as she got dressed for the day. As she entered the kitchen for breakfast, her aunt gave threw her a smile and bade her good morning. She returned the greeting, and sat down at the table across from her uncle.
"What's got you so happy?"
She looked up from her eggs and bacon to find her uncle staring at her.
"Hm?" she mumbled. Patrice raised his eyebrows and Allie shrugged, trying to force the smile off of her face. "Nothing. What are you doing today?"
Her uncle gave her a look before replying, "Practice this morning. Game tonight vs Philly. Why?"
"Just curious." Allie paused, glancing at the clock. She tried to act non-chalant as she continued, "I don't have class until 1:00. Can I come to practice and then have you drop me off at the university?"
Her uncle's lips turned up. "Maybe Tyler could give you a ride."
Allie felt her cheeks grow hot. "Maybe," she mumbled as she looked down at her food. She heard her uncle begin to laugh before he uttered some words to her in French.
"Bonne chance avec le garcon, ma cherie. T'es brave, je vais te donnée ca."
***
Allie rushed back to the car to grab her uncle's change of clothes that he had forgotten. Practice hadn't started yet. She locked the car and clutched the bag, hurrying back towards the building. She turned the corner, and instantly wished that she hadn't.
Tyler stood outside the doors. He hadn't been there when she had left. He was talking to two girls. That normally would not have been a problem - except for the fact that they were standing extremely close. One of the girls was especially close. Tyler was leaning forward, and she was whispering something in his ear. Allie felt a lump form in her throat. She watched as the girl pulled back, giggling, and Tyler grinned. His hand rested on her arm, and as he turned to speak to the other girl, his eyes caught Allie's. She watched his smile fade a bit, and the eye connection was her cue to continue moving. She couldn't very well turn and go back where she had come from, especially now that the girls had seen her, too. She took a deep breath before walking towards them.
"Excuse me," she said, instantly feeling proud at how confident her voice sounded. She smiled, but her eyes were glaring. She glanced at the girls, before her eyes landed on Tyler. She nodded as if to say, "I understand how it is", and as they moved out of the way, she pushed the door open and headed through.
Her mind was spinning. She wanted to cry. This was ridiculous. He wasn't worth it. She walked quickly, not hearing the door close behind her. Seconds later, she heard footsteps, and her pace quickened.
"Allie!"
She continued to walk, knowing that him catching up to her was inevitable. When his hand reached out to touch her arm she spun around and heaved a frustrated sigh.
"What?" she snapped.
"Allie..." Tyler said, his eyes searching hers. She lifted her eyebrows expectantly. His thumb jutted behind him in the direction of where they had come from. "That was nothing," he tried to explain. "I swear, they just-"
"I'm not going to listen to this, Tyler." Allie turned and had only taken one step when Tyler's hand shot out to grip her arm again.
"Allie-"
"Stop touching me," she growled, yanking her arm back. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Just... Just give this to my uncle, okay?" She didn't meet his eyes as she held out the bag. It took him a moment, but he reached out and took it from her hands. He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "Bye."
***
Allie sat on the couch, her legs up on the coffee table, her essay and textbook on her lap. She would be lying if she said that she was doing her work, though. The Bruins-Flyers game was on TV, and she was getting incredibly too much pleasure out of seeing Tyler screw up on his chances. If she stopped to think about it, she almost felt bad. But it was his own fault that she had gotten angry at him. She tried not to watch him on the ice too much, though, because she was still hurt. Incredibly hurt. She had been starting to fall for Tyler... She really had. But he was an idiot, and even though her heart wrenched every time she thought about kissing him, she had to get over it.
She was staring off into space, trying to figure out the next sentence, when the she heard a soft knock at the door. She glanced at the clock. 12:30. The game had been over for a while. Her aunt and uncle were asleep. Allie cautiously set her books aside and stood up, making her way slowly to the door. She stood on her tiptoes to glance through the peephole, and almost did a double take. Seriously?
She sighed before opening the door. She ran a hand through her hair before meeting Tyler's eyes.
"Please let me explain."
"There's nothing to explain."
"Yes, there is."
"Tyler-" Allie paused. She turned around to glance into the apartment. She turned back to Tyler and lowered her voice. "Move." He backed up and she pulled the door closed behind her. She crossed her arms. "Please don't waste my time."
Tyler shook his head and sighed. "Can we go outside?" Allie began to protest and Tyler added, "Please?"
The ride downstairs in the elevator was, to say the least, awkward. They stood on opposite sides of the elevator, and it seemed to take ages before the bell dinged, signaling their arrival on the main floor. They headed out into the crisp air. Allie felt ridiculous in her pajamas and slippers, but her annoyance at Tyler having the nerve to show up at her door outweighed her embarrassment.
"Look," Tyler began. "I'm sorry." Allie scoffed halfway through his apology. She closed her eyes and sighed. He tried again. "I didn't-"
Allie cut him off. "You said you didn't want to mess things up," she reminded him harshly. "This is messing things up, Tyler!" Her voice had risen to a yell, and she glanced around to make sure nobody was around. She bit her lip and crossed her arms.
"They were coming on to me."
Allie met his eyes, shocked. "And you weren't flirting back?!"
Tyler groaned. "I know I was. But for Pete's sake, Allie, I can't help it!" He threw his hands up in the air and Allie watched as he rubbed his hand across his jaw. "It just happens."
Allie wasn't sure what to say. "Look," she sighed. Her voice was a lot quieter now. "Okay, I understand. It's just who you are, I guess, but Tyler..." She ran a hand through her hair before meeting his eyes again. She shrugged. "This isn't going to work out, then. It can't." She inhaled a breath of air before letting it out sharply in a laugh. Her eyes fell to the ground. "Whatever this even is."
"Allie." Tyler stepped closer to her. She wished he would stop saying her name. It sent butterflies to her stomach, and she hated it. "I want to try. I'm trying. I'll try harder," he pleaded. "One more chance?"
Allie shook her head. "I don't know..."
Tyler paused. "Before today happened... I was..." he laughed quietly at himself. He sounded embarrassed, and Allie looked up at him. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was going to ask if you would be my... uh, girlfriend."
It was the day after, and her mind was still reeling anytime the thought entered her mind. She found she was smiling as she got dressed for the day. As she entered the kitchen for breakfast, her aunt gave threw her a smile and bade her good morning. She returned the greeting, and sat down at the table across from her uncle.
"What's got you so happy?"
She looked up from her eggs and bacon to find her uncle staring at her.
"Hm?" she mumbled. Patrice raised his eyebrows and Allie shrugged, trying to force the smile off of her face. "Nothing. What are you doing today?"
Her uncle gave her a look before replying, "Practice this morning. Game tonight vs Philly. Why?"
"Just curious." Allie paused, glancing at the clock. She tried to act non-chalant as she continued, "I don't have class until 1:00. Can I come to practice and then have you drop me off at the university?"
Her uncle's lips turned up. "Maybe Tyler could give you a ride."
Allie felt her cheeks grow hot. "Maybe," she mumbled as she looked down at her food. She heard her uncle begin to laugh before he uttered some words to her in French.
"Bonne chance avec le garcon, ma cherie. T'es brave, je vais te donnée ca."
***
Allie rushed back to the car to grab her uncle's change of clothes that he had forgotten. Practice hadn't started yet. She locked the car and clutched the bag, hurrying back towards the building. She turned the corner, and instantly wished that she hadn't.
Tyler stood outside the doors. He hadn't been there when she had left. He was talking to two girls. That normally would not have been a problem - except for the fact that they were standing extremely close. One of the girls was especially close. Tyler was leaning forward, and she was whispering something in his ear. Allie felt a lump form in her throat. She watched as the girl pulled back, giggling, and Tyler grinned. His hand rested on her arm, and as he turned to speak to the other girl, his eyes caught Allie's. She watched his smile fade a bit, and the eye connection was her cue to continue moving. She couldn't very well turn and go back where she had come from, especially now that the girls had seen her, too. She took a deep breath before walking towards them.
"Excuse me," she said, instantly feeling proud at how confident her voice sounded. She smiled, but her eyes were glaring. She glanced at the girls, before her eyes landed on Tyler. She nodded as if to say, "I understand how it is", and as they moved out of the way, she pushed the door open and headed through.
Her mind was spinning. She wanted to cry. This was ridiculous. He wasn't worth it. She walked quickly, not hearing the door close behind her. Seconds later, she heard footsteps, and her pace quickened.
"Allie!"
She continued to walk, knowing that him catching up to her was inevitable. When his hand reached out to touch her arm she spun around and heaved a frustrated sigh.
"What?" she snapped.
"Allie..." Tyler said, his eyes searching hers. She lifted her eyebrows expectantly. His thumb jutted behind him in the direction of where they had come from. "That was nothing," he tried to explain. "I swear, they just-"
"I'm not going to listen to this, Tyler." Allie turned and had only taken one step when Tyler's hand shot out to grip her arm again.
"Allie-"
"Stop touching me," she growled, yanking her arm back. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Just... Just give this to my uncle, okay?" She didn't meet his eyes as she held out the bag. It took him a moment, but he reached out and took it from her hands. He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "Bye."
***
Allie sat on the couch, her legs up on the coffee table, her essay and textbook on her lap. She would be lying if she said that she was doing her work, though. The Bruins-Flyers game was on TV, and she was getting incredibly too much pleasure out of seeing Tyler screw up on his chances. If she stopped to think about it, she almost felt bad. But it was his own fault that she had gotten angry at him. She tried not to watch him on the ice too much, though, because she was still hurt. Incredibly hurt. She had been starting to fall for Tyler... She really had. But he was an idiot, and even though her heart wrenched every time she thought about kissing him, she had to get over it.
She was staring off into space, trying to figure out the next sentence, when the she heard a soft knock at the door. She glanced at the clock. 12:30. The game had been over for a while. Her aunt and uncle were asleep. Allie cautiously set her books aside and stood up, making her way slowly to the door. She stood on her tiptoes to glance through the peephole, and almost did a double take. Seriously?
She sighed before opening the door. She ran a hand through her hair before meeting Tyler's eyes.
"Please let me explain."
"There's nothing to explain."
"Yes, there is."
"Tyler-" Allie paused. She turned around to glance into the apartment. She turned back to Tyler and lowered her voice. "Move." He backed up and she pulled the door closed behind her. She crossed her arms. "Please don't waste my time."
Tyler shook his head and sighed. "Can we go outside?" Allie began to protest and Tyler added, "Please?"
The ride downstairs in the elevator was, to say the least, awkward. They stood on opposite sides of the elevator, and it seemed to take ages before the bell dinged, signaling their arrival on the main floor. They headed out into the crisp air. Allie felt ridiculous in her pajamas and slippers, but her annoyance at Tyler having the nerve to show up at her door outweighed her embarrassment.
"Look," Tyler began. "I'm sorry." Allie scoffed halfway through his apology. She closed her eyes and sighed. He tried again. "I didn't-"
Allie cut him off. "You said you didn't want to mess things up," she reminded him harshly. "This is messing things up, Tyler!" Her voice had risen to a yell, and she glanced around to make sure nobody was around. She bit her lip and crossed her arms.
"They were coming on to me."
Allie met his eyes, shocked. "And you weren't flirting back?!"
Tyler groaned. "I know I was. But for Pete's sake, Allie, I can't help it!" He threw his hands up in the air and Allie watched as he rubbed his hand across his jaw. "It just happens."
Allie wasn't sure what to say. "Look," she sighed. Her voice was a lot quieter now. "Okay, I understand. It's just who you are, I guess, but Tyler..." She ran a hand through her hair before meeting his eyes again. She shrugged. "This isn't going to work out, then. It can't." She inhaled a breath of air before letting it out sharply in a laugh. Her eyes fell to the ground. "Whatever this even is."
"Allie." Tyler stepped closer to her. She wished he would stop saying her name. It sent butterflies to her stomach, and she hated it. "I want to try. I'm trying. I'll try harder," he pleaded. "One more chance?"
Allie shook her head. "I don't know..."
Tyler paused. "Before today happened... I was..." he laughed quietly at himself. He sounded embarrassed, and Allie looked up at him. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was going to ask if you would be my... uh, girlfriend."
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