Overdue

Sidney pulled up to get me for lunch as he usually did when we had these little dates planned. I had taken the time between my conversation with Mr. Richards and when I knew Sid would appear at the curb to throw everything from my office into boxes (fairly angrily of course). It had all been thrown into the trunk of my car with the other junk that I had always been too lazy to clean out. Anger had taken over every single crevasse of my brain, and no matter what I tried to tell myself, it just keep getting worse and worse. I felt tears forming in the back of my eyes as that familiar car pulled into view. Opening the passenger's door, I got in and buried my head into my hands quickly.

"Hey. Wh...What's wrong?"
"Just drive."

It didn't take me saying it twice before Sidney began to drive away fromt he Post-Gazette office. I wasn't in the mood to explain myself, and at this moment, Sid knew better than to ask me any sort of questions. Throughout the years of knowing one another, Sid had only seen me upset a grand total of three times; when my mother passed away, when my high school sweetheart left me at the altar, and when I had to watch a head shot on my best friend during the Winter Classic. The car finally came to a halt after what felt like seconds (though I'm sure it was much longer), and the engine was cut off, meaning it was time for me to talk.

"Steph, what happened?"

All I could do was shake my head in my hands. I felt a hand start to tug at my wrist, forcing my hands to leave my face. I hadn't realized that I had been crying so much until the cold air hit my tear stained face. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look up and face him, ready to talk.

"Talk to me, Stephanie."
"I lost my job."
"You...what?!"

The look of complete shock that took over his face was enough for tears to flood down my face again. I forced myself to look out the window instead of him, quickly wiping away all of the teardrops that were trying to escape my eyes.

"They told me that they needed to cut back. Apparently cutting back means letting go of one of the best sports writers that paper has ever seen."
"I'm so sorry."

His words were completely laced with sympathy, and I hated it. Before I could speak up and scold him from his words, I felt two arms wrap tightly around me and pull me close. This made me just let loose. Every tear I was trying to keep bottled up came pouring out of my eyes as though I had just let a dam loose. My arms instinctively embraced my best friend, not wanting to let go. It felt like time had passed way too quickly when Sid finally pulled himself away from me.

"Stephanie Roux, we both know that you are above that place," Sidney began, an arm still sitting reassuringly on my shoulder. "You'll find another job, you'll bounce back. I promise that you'll be amazing, like you always are."

A smile crossed my lips slowly as he looked into my eyes. Sidney knew how to make me feel better, and I knew that if it had been anyone else that had decided they wanted to get lunch, I either would have blown up at them. Company wasn't usually a good idea when my mood was going south, and quickly. Thankfully, Sidney always seemed to turn my mood around. Nodding my head, I wiped my eyes one final time before putting a hand on my stomach. "I'm starving." That's all I needed to said before Sidney was out of the car and opening my door so we could go and eat a delicious lunch.

--x--

Two days had passed since the unfortunate news that I was no longer employed.

And I had yet to leave my bed.

Sid had dropped me off at my car after our rather filling lunch. I had almost completely forgotten about my lack of job until I reached my car and spotted the boxes that were piled in the back. That's when my heart hit the bottom of my stomach and I felt sick all over again. I was almost shocked when I managed to drive myself all the way back to my apartment. I promptly slid up the stairs, tore off my professional wardrobe and replaced it with an old pair of sweat and my ratty Crosby jersey that I had owned ever since Sid's first game with the Pens, and curled up in bed.

That was two days ago.

My phone had gone off multiple times in that span from calls, texts, and countless emails. I knew that throwing my own little pity party wasn't exactly the way to go, but what else was I going to do? I rarely let myself feel sad about things, but this was something that was allowed to depress me. It was allowed to force me into a dark place. The one thing in my life that I totally loved was my job, and now it was gone, just like so many other things. I sighed before rolling over and closing my eyes. Every intention I had was to curl up into a bad and fall right back into the dreamless sleep I had been so thoroughly enjoying for the past two days, but something wouldn't let me, or rather, someone.

"You're still in bed? Seriously, kid?"

The voice made me shoot up between the sheets and turn my head quickly towards the door. There he stood, leaning in the doorway, grin crossing his already perfect features. "How the hell did you get in here?" It seemed like stupid question since one of the last times I saw Sid we were essentially breaking and entering into his ex's apartment and all.

"Your landlord thought you passed away. He wanted me to come collect the body." Standing up a little straighter, he held out a little silver key that looked exactly like my own. Sighing, I laid myself back down in bed and pulled the covered over my head. Of course that wouldn't last, however. Within second of having enveloped myself in darkness, the bedspread and sheets were yanked from my bed and thrown into a pile on the floor. "God, you still wear that thing?"

"Yes, yes I do," I defended my jersey choice as I sat up in bed and pouted. "And no, you're not allowed to buy me a new one." He had been offering for years, and I refused to let him. Then again, between the one I was wearing and the signed jersey that hung on my wall from the entire 2008-09 team, I didn't feel like I needed anymore jerseys.

"Well, will you at least get up, I have a surprise for you."

And with that, I was out of bed and being forced to leave my apartment for the first time in two whole days.