Stuck With You

Sidney

"I most definitely approve of the relationship you are obtaining with Victoria," Coach Dan said slapping me on my back after practice. We were in the locker room and I threw my shirt off looking at my bruised side. Now that I've been playing I had make sure to be extremely careful during practices and especially while game.

The purple mark on my skin was a good and it hurt but I thought after a couple days it would fade. Unfortunately it was still there and I was now running late for a movie night with Victoria.

"Crosby, put ice on that," Jordan pointed out as he walked towards the showers. The bruise was painful and stupidly I tapped it causing me to flinch. I stood up straighter, I can't be acting like a pansy.

After quickly throwing on jeans with my shirt and Penguins sweater I grabbed my duffel and headed out. My hand was on the door when I heard my name being called, I looked back to see Coach jogging towards me.

"Crosby, I just wanted to make sure you're leaving tonight or early tomorrow," Coach asked me and I gave him a nod, "Good, be at the arena by five."

"I will," I told him giving him a small wave as I headed out the door. The team was like a family and Coach was looking out for me like always, I appreciate that.

I froze when I saw Victoria leaning against a rail in a peach tank top and jeans. Instinctively I went over there, shrugged off my jacket and covered her with it. My arms wrapped around her and for a moment we stood there with no awkwardness or anything. It felt like two people just acting as friends, making sure the other doesn't freeze.

"Thanks Sidney," she murmured as her arms wrapped around my torso. My heart was content with a friend, a real friend. Even if we hated each other the moment we met and she was a New York fan Victoria didn't judge me for how well I play hockey, how many months I couldn't play, how much I'm not good enough-she just knows me.

"Let's get going," I told her with my arm on her shoulder as she led me to he car. I drove on our way home but instead we drove to my house where all our stuff was, out flight leaves at eleven. So we decided it would be better to just stay at my house for a couple of hours.

"Sidney," Victoria said batting her eyelashes at me.

I rose an eyebrow at her and smile, "Yes Victoria?"

"I'll cook tonight," she said with an angelic demeanor. Suspicion grew on me as she continued, "What would you like for dinner?"

"Your special lasagna would be very good," I told her truthfully. Victoria was my ideal vision of a girl. She can cook and clean, loves hockey and generally most sports, and she is undeniably beautiful.

Victoria nodded and put a hand on mine as I took a sharp turn. We've become closer, Victoria and I, now beginning to have dinner together, holding hands, spending the night at one another's house; but only were really physical in public.

"While we eat we could watch A Walk To Remember," she said with hope and I chuckled giving her a nod. That is her absolute favorite movie. We have watched it about five times and each time she hasn't succeeded on repressing her tears. Once we got home Victoria went straight to the kitchen and I went to shower.

I felt refreshed with my shower and I had my duffel and suitcase on my floor. Beside them was a large polka dotted suit case with a grey duffel that has bright green-yellow wording saying 'Pink'. Although this public relationship was nice and the press has laid off my back a piece of me still missed getting laid every other night. But a new piece of me was content with Victoria and I was getting a bit attached to her. She was becoming the best friend I've always needed; she tells me I can succeed with my career and that I just have to give it my all, she knows my favorite movies and what foods I like.

"Food's ready!" she called out from the kitchen. Sighing I stood up adjusting my basketball shorts and grabbed a white shirt with the Nike logo on it.

She threw on the movie and we sat on my couch silently eating. Fifteen minutes later I started focusing on the movie because my food was devoured and the plate was on the coffee table. Victoria scooted closer to me leaning on my shoulder, I wrapped my arm around her pulling her even closer.

We watched in silence as Landon was rudely rejecting Jamie on the bus in the movie when Victoria asked, "Did you want to be a professional hockey player when you grew up? Like when you were little or a teenager what did you wan to be?"

Pursing my lips I answered slowly, "When I was seven I really thought I wanted to be an astronaut, I had been heavily influenced by my grandfather taking me to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida."

"When I was seven I wanted to be a princess," she said laughing, "How was growing up like for you?"

"Typically I was always playing hockey with my brothers, with my family," I told her truthfully.

We watched the movie in silence for the rest of the time but when nine o'clock rolled around around we were out the door to the airport. Once we were comfortably boarded on first class Victoria and I began talking about what New York is like.

"So Hofstra was a private university?" I asked curiously.

She nodded, "I was studying psychology but I decided to take a year off for some personal time."

"That's interesting," I commented, "Are you going to show me 'round New York then?"

She smirked, "Well of course. Tomorrow we'll be going to your game right?"

"Yes," I said pausing for a moment to ponder my thoughts, "How would you feel about having dinner with a few of the guys and me?"

"That would be mighty fine," she said with a yawn. Victoria had her hair up in a bun which look very tight and neat, she had on a vey old Rangers shirt, and jeans.

Rolling my eyes at her shirt I said, "I thought you were all about the Islanders?"

"I like New York teams," she informed me.

Sarcastically I said, "I would never have guessed."

"Jealous?" she winked taking out her iPod that had a Steelers case on it.  Jealous? Me jealous? I don't even think those words are allowed to be in the same sentence, it's nearly taboo.

Straightening up I said, "So tomorrow night we'll be going to a sport's bar-"

"We should go to Dave and Buster's," she interrupted putting in her ear buds.

"All right then we'll go there and we'll get plenty of publicity there," I noted remembering what the priorities are. Victoria looked at my strangely for a moment before just turning to face forward. I observed her for a moment as she turned the music up on her iPod and shut her eyes.

What did I do wrong?