Status: it be donee betches
Bruised
January 2011
January 2011
Bobby climbed into his rental car at 11:47 PM, that night after the game against the Flyers, ready to drive back to his hotel and sleep off the loss. He went into his glove compartment to pull out his printed mapquest directions, but they were nowhere in sight.
“Shit!” he cursed, remembering putting them on the table while he sat in Starbucks that morning for a coffee. He had forgotten them there. He had lived here once, he thought to himself, he should be able to figure this out. He started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
An hour later Bobby was completely lost. To make matters worse the orange gas light flashed up on his dashboard. “You have got to be kidding me,” Bobby groaned. He drove for 15 minutes before pulling into the nearest gas station. He pulled a fifty dollar bill out of his wallet and made his way over to pay at the register.
“What can I do for you?” the man behind the counter asked him.
“Umm, can I get $50 on number two?” Bobby asked and handed him the cash.
“Sure,” the guy said and took out a pen to make sure it was legit.
“Where am I?” Bobby asked.
The guy laughed, “you’re in Cherry Hill, you can get back to Philly by taking Pond street all the way down and then hang a right on Elm.”
“Thanks man,” Bobby said, trying not to seem shocked. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized his childhood town. He wondered what it was like there now.
“No problem, Mr. Stevenson.”
Bobby spun around, now fully expressing his surprise, “How’d you know that was my name?”
The cashier laughed again, “You really don’t remember, huh? I guess becoming famous will do that to ya. I’m Jake Morgan, we used to play hockey together when we were little kids.”
Bobby’s eyes got wide as memories began to come flooding back. “I remember you!” he said with excitement, “you always used to bully Bree…” His voice trailed off, remembering his long lost friend. “How is she?”
Jake shook his head with an unhappy expression, “It’s a sad story, you may wanna check it out for yourself. She works a town over at a place called Sahara.” Jake wrote down directions on a napkin and handed them to Bobby.
Bobby thanked Jake and ran out to his car. He finished pumping gas and hopped in, speeding off down the street. When he got to Sahara he noted how dirty it was. When he walked in he was shocked to find it was a strip club.
The girl at the front recognized him. “Are you Bobby Ryan?” her eyes were coated heavily with dark eyeliner, but even so he saw them light up with excitement.
“Yeah,” he replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Do you know where Aubree Hamilton is?”
“Aubree Larson” she corrected, sounding a little disappointed, “she isn’t working tonight.”
“She’s married now?”
“Yeah,” the girl replied, “Real asshole of a guy, though.”
“Could you get me her address?”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to do that…”
“I’ll give you $500 for it.”
“Done,” the girl said happily.
Another 30 minutes later and Bobby was sitting in his car outside of Aubree’s house. He heard yelling inside, he didn’t want to catch her at a bad moment. But all the sudden there were a few loud crashes. Moments later the front door opened and a severely drunk man stumbled out of the house. He got into a beaten up car and drove down the road.
Bobby couldn’t help but investigate. He pounded on the door and when no one answered he tried the knob. He wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked, and he stepped into the now silent house.
The house was a mess, almost everything was destroyed, plates smashed against walls, windows were broken, there was blood on the carpet. Bobby noticed on top of the coffee table was a razor blade and what he assumed was cocaine.
He almost cried when he found her. She was lying motionless on her back with a large gash on her head, gushing blood. Her arms and legs which he remembered used to be covered in cuts and scrapes from outdoor play were now full of bruises and bumps from he could only guess what.
He picked her up in his arms and felt the lump in his throat grow larger and larger as he remembered the girl who used to be his best friend. Coach Sullivan’s words were echoing in mind “Watch over Aubree, make sure nothing bad ever happens to her. I need you to always protect her.”
“I failed you Bree, I’m so so sorry,” he told her lifeless body, as silent tears streamed down his face.
†††
“What the fuck?!” Bobby woke up to the angry voice down the hall, he quickly climbed out of his hotel bed and went to the other part of the suite.
He smiled when he saw her. He had noticed last night while he cleaned her wounds how beautiful she had gotten over the years. He was planning on bringing her to the hospital that day to get her checked for any broken bones or anything else that had gone wrong. He wanted to make up for all the years he hadn’t been there for her.
“Good morning, Bree,” he said, grinning widely.
“Who the fuck are you?” she demanded, and then mulled over what he had said, “And don’t call me Bree, nobody calls me Bree,” she paused before adding, “anymore.”
“I’m an agent from the NHL, wondering why you never followed your dream of playing for us, we could use a girl,” Bobby winked at her.
“Bobby?” she finally recognized him, her voice getting less harsh.
Bobby walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. He never wanted to let her go, he could keep her safe, as long as she stayed right there. She hugged back.
After some time, she stepped out of the hug and then reached up and slapped him across the face. “How could you just leave without telling me or at least saying goodbye?”
Bobby’s face became dark bringing back the memory, “My father was charged with attempted murder for abusing my mother. He jumped bail and my mother and I followed him to Canada. My name is Bobby Ryan now.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered looking at the floor. Suddenly rage overtook her face again, “That was 14 years ago! Where have you been for all that time?!”
He stifled a laugh. He had missed her random mood changes, and the fact that she said whatever was on her mind.
“I’m sorry Bree, I made a mistake, I won’t let you down again, I promise.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, “No, Bobby. I have to go back, you don’t understand. I can’t just leave my whole life behind.” She began to walk towards to hotel room door.
“Like hell you can’t!” he bellowed, and ran over to stop her, “this isn’t a choice Aubree! You aren’t going anywhere.”
He blocked her from the door and her face became strong willed and determined. She then brought her knee quickly to his groin, sending him into the fetal position on the ground.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” she gasped.
“What the hell! Why would I be okay! You just kneed me in the nuts! You’re insane woman!” he then smiled at her, “completely and totally insane.”
He hobbled over to his bed while she went to fill up a plastic bag at the ice dispenser for him. When she came back he took the ice and snaked one strong arm around her waist, pulling her down and onto the bed. She didn’t resist as he wound his arms tightly around her and pulled her securely into his chest.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide as he rubbed her back. He smiled at how happy he was. “I’m going to keep you safe, okay? I promise.”
She smiled, settling her head down on his chest and closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep wrapped in his arms.
Bobby climbed into his rental car at 11:47 PM, that night after the game against the Flyers, ready to drive back to his hotel and sleep off the loss. He went into his glove compartment to pull out his printed mapquest directions, but they were nowhere in sight.
“Shit!” he cursed, remembering putting them on the table while he sat in Starbucks that morning for a coffee. He had forgotten them there. He had lived here once, he thought to himself, he should be able to figure this out. He started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
An hour later Bobby was completely lost. To make matters worse the orange gas light flashed up on his dashboard. “You have got to be kidding me,” Bobby groaned. He drove for 15 minutes before pulling into the nearest gas station. He pulled a fifty dollar bill out of his wallet and made his way over to pay at the register.
“What can I do for you?” the man behind the counter asked him.
“Umm, can I get $50 on number two?” Bobby asked and handed him the cash.
“Sure,” the guy said and took out a pen to make sure it was legit.
“Where am I?” Bobby asked.
The guy laughed, “you’re in Cherry Hill, you can get back to Philly by taking Pond street all the way down and then hang a right on Elm.”
“Thanks man,” Bobby said, trying not to seem shocked. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized his childhood town. He wondered what it was like there now.
“No problem, Mr. Stevenson.”
Bobby spun around, now fully expressing his surprise, “How’d you know that was my name?”
The cashier laughed again, “You really don’t remember, huh? I guess becoming famous will do that to ya. I’m Jake Morgan, we used to play hockey together when we were little kids.”
Bobby’s eyes got wide as memories began to come flooding back. “I remember you!” he said with excitement, “you always used to bully Bree…” His voice trailed off, remembering his long lost friend. “How is she?”
Jake shook his head with an unhappy expression, “It’s a sad story, you may wanna check it out for yourself. She works a town over at a place called Sahara.” Jake wrote down directions on a napkin and handed them to Bobby.
Bobby thanked Jake and ran out to his car. He finished pumping gas and hopped in, speeding off down the street. When he got to Sahara he noted how dirty it was. When he walked in he was shocked to find it was a strip club.
The girl at the front recognized him. “Are you Bobby Ryan?” her eyes were coated heavily with dark eyeliner, but even so he saw them light up with excitement.
“Yeah,” he replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Do you know where Aubree Hamilton is?”
“Aubree Larson” she corrected, sounding a little disappointed, “she isn’t working tonight.”
“She’s married now?”
“Yeah,” the girl replied, “Real asshole of a guy, though.”
“Could you get me her address?”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to do that…”
“I’ll give you $500 for it.”
“Done,” the girl said happily.
Another 30 minutes later and Bobby was sitting in his car outside of Aubree’s house. He heard yelling inside, he didn’t want to catch her at a bad moment. But all the sudden there were a few loud crashes. Moments later the front door opened and a severely drunk man stumbled out of the house. He got into a beaten up car and drove down the road.
Bobby couldn’t help but investigate. He pounded on the door and when no one answered he tried the knob. He wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked, and he stepped into the now silent house.
The house was a mess, almost everything was destroyed, plates smashed against walls, windows were broken, there was blood on the carpet. Bobby noticed on top of the coffee table was a razor blade and what he assumed was cocaine.
He almost cried when he found her. She was lying motionless on her back with a large gash on her head, gushing blood. Her arms and legs which he remembered used to be covered in cuts and scrapes from outdoor play were now full of bruises and bumps from he could only guess what.
He picked her up in his arms and felt the lump in his throat grow larger and larger as he remembered the girl who used to be his best friend. Coach Sullivan’s words were echoing in mind “Watch over Aubree, make sure nothing bad ever happens to her. I need you to always protect her.”
“I failed you Bree, I’m so so sorry,” he told her lifeless body, as silent tears streamed down his face.
†††
“What the fuck?!” Bobby woke up to the angry voice down the hall, he quickly climbed out of his hotel bed and went to the other part of the suite.
He smiled when he saw her. He had noticed last night while he cleaned her wounds how beautiful she had gotten over the years. He was planning on bringing her to the hospital that day to get her checked for any broken bones or anything else that had gone wrong. He wanted to make up for all the years he hadn’t been there for her.
“Good morning, Bree,” he said, grinning widely.
“Who the fuck are you?” she demanded, and then mulled over what he had said, “And don’t call me Bree, nobody calls me Bree,” she paused before adding, “anymore.”
“I’m an agent from the NHL, wondering why you never followed your dream of playing for us, we could use a girl,” Bobby winked at her.
“Bobby?” she finally recognized him, her voice getting less harsh.
Bobby walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. He never wanted to let her go, he could keep her safe, as long as she stayed right there. She hugged back.
After some time, she stepped out of the hug and then reached up and slapped him across the face. “How could you just leave without telling me or at least saying goodbye?”
Bobby’s face became dark bringing back the memory, “My father was charged with attempted murder for abusing my mother. He jumped bail and my mother and I followed him to Canada. My name is Bobby Ryan now.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered looking at the floor. Suddenly rage overtook her face again, “That was 14 years ago! Where have you been for all that time?!”
He stifled a laugh. He had missed her random mood changes, and the fact that she said whatever was on her mind.
“I’m sorry Bree, I made a mistake, I won’t let you down again, I promise.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, “No, Bobby. I have to go back, you don’t understand. I can’t just leave my whole life behind.” She began to walk towards to hotel room door.
“Like hell you can’t!” he bellowed, and ran over to stop her, “this isn’t a choice Aubree! You aren’t going anywhere.”
He blocked her from the door and her face became strong willed and determined. She then brought her knee quickly to his groin, sending him into the fetal position on the ground.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” she gasped.
“What the hell! Why would I be okay! You just kneed me in the nuts! You’re insane woman!” he then smiled at her, “completely and totally insane.”
He hobbled over to his bed while she went to fill up a plastic bag at the ice dispenser for him. When she came back he took the ice and snaked one strong arm around her waist, pulling her down and onto the bed. She didn’t resist as he wound his arms tightly around her and pulled her securely into his chest.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide as he rubbed her back. He smiled at how happy he was. “I’m going to keep you safe, okay? I promise.”
She smiled, settling her head down on his chest and closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep wrapped in his arms.