‹ Prequel: 53 Minutes That Changed My Life
Status: Beginning
Happy Times
Charlotte
“I’m so excited!” I said jumping up and down on Madeline’s bed.
“Sierra calm down, we aren’t even leaving till tomorrow night!” She barked.
“I know, but it’s going to be so much fun. Do you know how many hockey players we are going to see? I hope Carey Price is there, could you imagine like meeting THE Carey Price?”
“Yeah I guess so.” She mumbled.
“Madeline, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting really depressed lately. Are you still sad about your Grandmother?”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just that Jeff’s been acting really weird recently.”
I think she noticed me kind of tense up when she said Jeff’s name, but I tried to be as normal as possible. “I’m sure it’s nothing, maybe he just has a big surprise for you or something.”
“Helllllo?” A voice called.
“In here Justin!” I called back, I ran down the hallway to meet him. “Hey!”
“Sierra, can I talk to you?” He said quietly.
“I’m actually kind of busy but-“
“It’s really important.” I nodded. He took me out on our balcony. The fresh breeze ruffled my hair.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“This hasn’t really gone public yet, but the Hurricanes are reassigning me to Charlotte to play in the AHL next year.” He said sounding nervous. “And I have to leave pretty soon, and I don’t think I can make it to Vegas.”
I felt the tears swell up in my eyes. “Yo-you’re moving?” He nodded. “To Charlotte?” I leaned in against his solid chest.
He wrapped his arms around me, “Don’t cry sweetie, please don’t cry.”
I sniffled. “How far is Charlotte?”
“About 3 hours from here.”
“Well, we could make it work if-“ Justin dropped his gaze and I stopped talking. “Oh my gosh, you don’t want to make it work!”
“Sierra, you know how it is! The AHL teams take long road trips, I have practices and games, and you have to stay in school. The problem is I don’t think it will work!” He pleaded, he reached out for my hands.
“You don’t even want to TRY!” I screamed, getting the attention of some people on the sidewalk below us.
“Come on Si, I’m just looking out for both of us.”
“Don’t!” I said pulling my hands away. “Did the last 5 months mean nothing to you? You’re just going to break it off like that!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Leave.” I muttered.
“Come on Sierra, we can stay friends, just long distance things never work out!”
“Leave!” I said forcefully. He went back inside and when I heard the front door slam behind him, I started sobbing. I sat down on the ground and cried. Madeline came out and sat next to me.
“Oh, Sierra. It’s okay.” She rubbed my back.
I wrapped my arms around my legs and just shook my head.
“You’ll be fine. You are the strongest person I know. You’ve broken up with tons of guys before.”
“He was different.” I whispered. “He liked me for me.”
“Sierra calm down, we aren’t even leaving till tomorrow night!” She barked.
“I know, but it’s going to be so much fun. Do you know how many hockey players we are going to see? I hope Carey Price is there, could you imagine like meeting THE Carey Price?”
“Yeah I guess so.” She mumbled.
“Madeline, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting really depressed lately. Are you still sad about your Grandmother?”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just that Jeff’s been acting really weird recently.”
I think she noticed me kind of tense up when she said Jeff’s name, but I tried to be as normal as possible. “I’m sure it’s nothing, maybe he just has a big surprise for you or something.”
“Helllllo?” A voice called.
“In here Justin!” I called back, I ran down the hallway to meet him. “Hey!”
“Sierra, can I talk to you?” He said quietly.
“I’m actually kind of busy but-“
“It’s really important.” I nodded. He took me out on our balcony. The fresh breeze ruffled my hair.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“This hasn’t really gone public yet, but the Hurricanes are reassigning me to Charlotte to play in the AHL next year.” He said sounding nervous. “And I have to leave pretty soon, and I don’t think I can make it to Vegas.”
I felt the tears swell up in my eyes. “Yo-you’re moving?” He nodded. “To Charlotte?” I leaned in against his solid chest.
He wrapped his arms around me, “Don’t cry sweetie, please don’t cry.”
I sniffled. “How far is Charlotte?”
“About 3 hours from here.”
“Well, we could make it work if-“ Justin dropped his gaze and I stopped talking. “Oh my gosh, you don’t want to make it work!”
“Sierra, you know how it is! The AHL teams take long road trips, I have practices and games, and you have to stay in school. The problem is I don’t think it will work!” He pleaded, he reached out for my hands.
“You don’t even want to TRY!” I screamed, getting the attention of some people on the sidewalk below us.
“Come on Si, I’m just looking out for both of us.”
“Don’t!” I said pulling my hands away. “Did the last 5 months mean nothing to you? You’re just going to break it off like that!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Leave.” I muttered.
“Come on Sierra, we can stay friends, just long distance things never work out!”
“Leave!” I said forcefully. He went back inside and when I heard the front door slam behind him, I started sobbing. I sat down on the ground and cried. Madeline came out and sat next to me.
“Oh, Sierra. It’s okay.” She rubbed my back.
I wrapped my arms around my legs and just shook my head.
“You’ll be fine. You are the strongest person I know. You’ve broken up with tons of guys before.”
“He was different.” I whispered. “He liked me for me.”