Can You Keep a Secret

Eight months.

Eight whole months.

That was how long I had had this planned out. No one else knew what was going on. No one else knew that I was moving across the country. No one else knew that I was going to show up at a Hurricanes game, sit in the row right in front of the boards, and hold up a sign that told my brother he was a loser.

No one else knew, but they were all about to find out.

I grinned as the Canes skated out onto the ice. I quickly held up my sign over my head, watching each player skate by. A younger player, Jeff, noticed it and laughed. He turned and pointed it out to someone. I quickly noticed my brother skating forward to see the sign. His eyes met mine.

I wasn't surprised at all when he ran into the boards. I giggled and waved to him. I watched Eric skate up behind him and nudged him. I knew they were making comments at each other. Ray pointed to me and looked back at Eric.

I dropped my sign and waved to Eric. I made a sign of a heart with my hands. Ray pretended to laugh. Eric simply laughed at Ray being butthurt.

The two girls next to me rolled their eyes in annoyance. I ignored their better-than-you attitude.

As the game went on, I cheered for my brother and his team. The game was against Tampa and in the end, the Canes won five to one. Eric scored twice and Ray assisted one of them.

"I'm proud of you, bro," I told Ray as he walked with me to his car.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I'm proud of you, too, sis," he told me. "Now, what are you doing here? I thought you were headed out to the movies tonight with what's-her-face?" he asked.

I smiled. "I got into Raleigh about an hour before you called. You have no idea how hard it was for me to not tell you I was here," I said.

"What are you doing here? You didn't answer me," he reminded me.

I laughed at his persistence. "Awhile ago, one of my old professors contacted me to tell me about a job opening one of his friends here in Raleigh had. It wouldn't start until November, so here I am now."

"What kind of job is it?" he asked curiously.

I tried not to smile too widely. "I will be working as an editor for a publishing company here. My professors gave me really high recommendations and the guy here didn't hesitate. I start in two weeks," I said.

He pulled me into a tight hug. "That's amazing! I can't believe it! See, look how far all that studying in college got you!"

We got into his SUV, ready to leave the arena. "Well, where are you staying? Do you know yet?" he asked.

I rubbed the back of my head as he left the parking lot. "Well, not exactly," I mumbled. "Any chance you know someone who wants a room mate or has a temporary open guest room?" I asked sheepishly.

"I'd let you stay with me, but..." He glanced over at me.

"Oh, God! Stop! Don't finish that sentence! No thank you!" I nearly screamed. "I don't want to hear you and your girlfriend going at it," I stated in disgust.

He chuckled. "I think Eric's got an empty guest room. No garuantee you won't end up seeing him walk around in his underwear all the time," he added.

I rolled my eyes. "That was never a garuanteed thing with Eric. Like when he slept over with you on my eleventh birthday? I think all of us were scarred when he walked out in a pair of boxers," I reminded him. Ray chuckled. "Or the time I came over to his house to bring you your hockey bag and he was running around in his underwear with a cape?" I asked. "Or the time I walked to their backyard rink and he was skating around in his underwear and you two were drunk-"

"Okay, I get it," Ray cut in, trying to quit laughing. "His place isn't super luxurious or anything, but it's clean. Enough. I'm sure he'd be happy to let you stay with him," he continued.

I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't want someone that's like his baby sister hanging around his house, cock blocking," I stated.

Ray nearly choked on his laughter. "He would love having you hang around. I swear that douche missed you more than I did." He paused for a second. "Besides, you are definitely not like his sister. He taught you how to sneak out of a party and into their house when you were in high school. Hell if he ever taught his siblings how to do that."

"That was only because Marc and Jordan were twits!" I exclaimed.

Ray laughed harder. "They were his siblings, that's why he didn't teach them. He doesn't want his brothers just happening to run into him at the same party," he scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. "Wouldn't Eric's girlfriend, whatever her name is, get pissed?" I asked.

"Oh, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "They had a pretty bad split up about two weeks ago," he mumbled so quietly I could almost not even hear him.

I looked down. "Oh... Poor, Eric. I know he liked her a lot..." I whispered. I felt awkward talking about his girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, at that.

"Yeah. Oh, well. There's better for him out there. I'll talk to him tonight about you staying with him. He'll be so happy."

I groaned. "Ray, you don't know that-"

"Yes, I do! He loves being around you!" Ray exclaimed. I gave him a look. "It's true! God, I can't count the amount of times I've heard stories about the shit you two get in together. The time you guys destroyed Henry's four wheeler because you guys descided to try to race down the high way and he completely flipped his. Then you two thought you could hide it by the time everyone else got back from Jordan's game. Henry was so livid," Ray ended in a laugh.

I frowned. "We totally would have gotten away with it if you hadn't pointed out Eric's limp," I muttered.

Ray snorted. "You two almost shattered his ankle and you wanted me to not notice? He had to wear a brace for so long because of you!"

"Whatever, it wasn't only my fault," I muttered.

"Now that I'm thinking about this, I don't know if it's safe for you two to rent an apparment together. For all I know, you two will burn it down," he muttered with a shake of his head.

"Well, neither of us are good at cooking, so it's a logical guess..." I said slowly.

He glared at me. "That's it. You can go live in a hotel and only eat take out and become fat. Then I don't have to worry about guys coming after you, too."

"You suck," I said with a laugh.

He only smiled as I hit his arm.