Young & Wild & Free

the second

Shawn Horcoff’s eyebrows rose as he folded down the paper and watched Blake who had just entered the kitchen, grabbing a green apple from the bowl of fruit on the center kitchen island. She bit into it before turning to see Shawn who was slowly sipping his coffee while Jack slept on his lap, the TV on softly in the background as it played Saturday cartoons.

“Hanging out with Ryan today, yeah?” Shawn asked as Blake bit hard into the apple, keeping it in her mouth to free up her hands so that she could pour a big glass of chocolate milk.

“Yah I guess, we’re gonna eat and then bum around town I suppose.” She shrugged, taking a long drink before fighting a belch. Phoebe entered the kitchen in her short, pink bathrobe, the other twin on her hip as he rubbed his eyes from his afternoon nap.

“Oh, look at Blake all dressed up!” Phoebe grinned as she ran a hand through Tommy’s hair and dropping a kiss on his head.

“Dressed up?” Blake asked, looking down at her outfit. She donned a pair of black skinny jeans, a white v-neck and a royal blue zip up. Her hair was curled and she had a pair of pearl earrings in but she didn’t consider herself dressed up by any means. Maybe she would opt to wear her Toms instead of the heeled boots she planned to wear.

“I mean, you look cute!” Phoebe encouraged as she poured her own mug of coffee. Blake envied the family’s ability to sleep in; she had been awake since eight – even on a day off.

“Thanks.” Blake replied, chowing down on her apple. Blake liked to eat and the more she ate at the house, the less she’d have to pay for at the restaurant – or wherever Ryan ended up taking her that day. “Does Ryan have a car?” She asked, turning to face Shawn who was stealthily sliding Jack down onto the couch.

“Yeah I think so, the boys first big check always ends up being some kind of ride.” He nodded. Blake rinsed out her cup before placing it in the dishwasher, jumping upon hearing the doorbell. She grabbed her cross-body bag, forgoing the Toms and slipping on the heeled boots that gave her two more inches than her five-five frame.

“See ya! Be home later!” Blake called, walking towards the door and giving herself once last glance in the mirror past the entryway before opening the door.

“Hey Blake.” Ryan smiled, looking as Canadian as possible in blue denim jeans, a red flannel button up and a beanie on his head.

“Hey.” Blake smiled as she followed him from the front door to the black pick up truck in the driveway, withholding a laugh at the huge car for the young teen.

“I was thinking of this fish and steak place for lunch, they have killer food, for real.” Ryan said as they hauled up into the elevated cab, closing the doors as Blake fiddled with the phone in her pocket.

“Sounds good, I could definitely eat a steak right now.” She nodded.

“Is that the phone that Horcoff got you?” Ryan asked, eyes glancing to the thin little smart phone in his passenger’s hands.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he dropped a ton of money on this thing.” Blake laughed awkwardly, “I’m not very good with technology, all I really know how to do is call and text.” She explained.

“Eighteen year old who isn’t good with technology?” Ryan asked with an interested look.

“I never really got into cell phones, laptops and all that shit.” Blake laughed. “I mean, they’re convenient and stuff, but I’d rather be outside actually doing something than playing virtual bowling or whatever.” She reasoned.

“There’s something to be said for that.” Ryan nodded. The conversation flowed between them naturally, there weren’t many things that two kids the same age couldn’t talk about with one another. By the time the truck rolled up to the restaurant, Blake was feeling much more confident with her abilities to make friends with others – complete strangers at that.

“Um, can I get the twelve ounce sirloin, baked potato with butter and sour cream and a cup of chili?” She asked the waitress who had just set down her cherry coke. Blake resisted the urge to kick Ryan under the table as he snickered at her order before placing one of his own that wasn’t too wildly different from hers.

“Hungry there?” Ryan asked as he checked his own cell phone.

“Would you believe that I ate before you picked me up, too?” Blake laughed as she rest her hands on her flat tummy. “My ultimate dream is so sit all day long and eat.” She explained. “Well I do that a lot, so I guess it’s not a dream, but maybe my favorite activity.” She added, making Ryan laugh again.

“Taylor and Jordan – from the team, invited us over tonight if you wanted to go hang out at their place.” Ryan noticed the skeptical look on Blake’s face. “They’re good guys, I swear. I think no one’s told them they aren’t in a frat in college, but they’re a good time, ya know?” Ryan asked to which Blake nodded.

“How late do you think we’d be out? I have an assignment due at eight am tomorrow.” She lied. “I mean, I’d like to go, but I can’t stay long.” She elaborated.

“No that’s totally cool, they play a lot of video games too, so they’ll live if we don’t stay all night.” Ryan nodded. Blake fiddled with the string on her hoodie before taking a generous gulp of her pop.

“Well I guess that sounds like a plan then.” She shrugged. Ryan and Blake both cleared their plates and talked a little about hockey. She started regular practices in two weeks and then their first game was in four. Blake didn’t like to talk much about hockey when she wasn’t playing it – so much of her day and her life revolved around it normally that she liked to think about other things when possible.

“So do you have a hot woman waiting for you back in… wherever you’re from?” Blake asked, crossing her legs as she fiddled with his radio.

“Burnaby, British Colombia.” He began, “and no hot woman.” He shook his head.

“Hot man?” Blake asked with a raise of her eyebrow, making him sputter out a laugh as he shook his head again.

“No, not hot men or women for me.” He finalized. “What about you? Hot man waiting for you in Michigan?” He asked, knowing that this was something Taylor was probably going to ask her again later that night.

“No hot man, I mean, I’m beating boys away with a stick left and right, but no actual men for me.” She winked as they shared a laugh. They chatted a bit more about little things like online classes and living with a billet family before Ryan insisted on picking up the bill.

“Can you not be weird, please? Shawn gave me money for lunch.” Blake insisted as she snatched the leather fold that held the receipt.

“My grandpa and Dad would gut me alive if I let you pay.” Ryan urged with a rather pathetic expression on his little boy face.

“Fine but next time I’m paying. No getting out of it.” She insisted, watching a tiny smile come to his face. “Thanks for doing this by the way.” She mumbled, feeling silly. “I don’t think I’d really get to meet a lot of people here.” She added.

“You’re fun.” Ryan smiled, “it’s nice to have friends that I’m not with all day every day, too, ya know?” He asked. “You’ll see what I mean when we get to Hall and Eb’s house. A few hours of them is enough.” He added, making the both of them laugh.

•••

“Well hello, please come in.” Jordan smiled upon seeing Ryan and Blake at the door of the apartment he shared with Taylor. “You thirsty?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Ryan laughed in reply as he took his shoes off at the door.

“Well shit’s in the kitchen.” He laughed loudly before turning and throwing himself back down on the couch that Taylor was submerged in, the two of them holding up controllers and hardly blinking at the TV screen.

“This is your idea of a raging Saturday night?” Blake grinned, her heels against the wood floors making a noise that sent the hairs on the back of Taylor’s neck on edge. He looked up and nearly had to roll his tongue back into his mouth. She had a great body, looked nice and those dimples were going to do him in. Suddenly he was on high alert. What were she and Ryan up to?

“Practice early tomorrow morning.” Jordan replied without missing a beat. Taylor’s eyes strayed as she sat down on the two seat sofa with Ryan, one of her long legs crossing over the other and pulling her jeans tight against her thighs.

“Got ya!” Jordan cheered, leaning forward and grabbing the beer on the coffee table and taking a drink. “Game over.”

Blake looked over to Ryan, nudging his foot with hers as she gave him a rather disinterested look and he simply shrugged, making a silly face that made her laugh in turn.

“So Nugie, you gonna introduce us or what?” Taylor asked, leaning back in his seat, making his legs look a mile long in the dark denim he was wearing.

“Oh, uh, Blake, this is Taylor and this is Jordan.” He introduced quickly.

“Hi, hello, nice to meet you.” Blake smiled brightly, making Jordan laugh at the situation.

“So Blake, tell us a bit about yourself.” Taylor ushered her on with the drink in his hand.

“Well, I’m from East Lansing, Michigan, I’m an only child. I play for the Edmonton Crunch. I’m living with the Horcoff’s.” She concluded.

“How old are you, Blake?” Jordan asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“Seventeen.” She replied with a grin.

“Young.” Taylor commented.

“Like either of you are ones to talk.” She countered. “Did your parents have to sign the lease on this place for you?” She teased, making Taylor laugh as he eyed her from across the room. Their game quickly finished and Ryan picked up Taylor’s controller.

“So can I get a tour?” She asked, getting out of her seat and showing herself around without a guide. There was only so much of sitting down and being quiet she could handle – and she certainly didn’t find any entertainment in watching the boys play video games. She was peering into the laundry room when Taylor appeared behind her. “Organized.” She commented on the pile of laundry in the middle of the white-tile floor.

“It gets the job done.” She kept herself from showing surprise when she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck. Spinning around, she invaded his space enough for him to take a step back and allow her to pass into the kitchen.

“Beer, pineapple, water, Gatorade… and broccoli.” She listed off the things in the sparse fridge before grabbing herself a purple Gatorade of her own. “Oddly enough, we have very similar tastes.” She added, cracking open the drink and taking a sip to find that the pantry wasn’t much different. “Mac and Cheese, Mac and Cheese, and Mac and Cheese.”

“Hallsy loves some KD.” Jordan called from the family room.

“KD?” She asked, turning to look up to Taylor who was once again, just a little too close for her comfort. He liked the way her face looked when she was just a little confused. He mostly just liked her face in general.

“Kraft Dinner.” He elaborated. “Us northerners call it Kraft Dinner.” It seemed she was leading the tour as he followed her hopelessly, wishing she was donning the same yoga pants that she had been wearing at the arena a few days earlier – not that he minded the skin-tight jeans he was wearing now.

“Weird.” She commented. “That’s what’s wrong with you Canadians.” She began loudly. “Never can just go with the flow. Always gotta be callin’ hats ‘toques’ and couches ‘chesterfields’.” She commented, walking her way into the hallway that lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

“Yes to the toques, and I don’t think I know anyone who says chesterfield… maybe my grandpa.” Taylor explained, rather enjoying the slow, sensuous noise her heels made as they wound to his bedroom.

“Hmm, this definitely smells like a boy room.” She declared, walking into Jordan’s bedroom. The bed was fairly made, the comforter thrown over mussed sheets and moved pillows. She picked up picture frames, looking at faces and smiling at the happy moments caught on film. She admired the tennis shoe collection and the nice television before moving on.

“I’m going to say, this is Mr. Hall’s room. Number one pick of the first round – and best thing to happen to the Oilers… until Nugie.” She teased, making his cheeks blush as she flashed him those damned dimples. “Oh, a girl.” She gasped, picking up the small picture frame on his nightstand. “She’s pretty.” She commented.

“My cousin.” He quickly declared. “Only child, the both of us, so we grew up as siblings.” She explained.

“Miss her?” Blake asked, looking up at him with those giant, dark brown eyes under her perfectly manicured eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Taylor nodded. “What about you?” He asked, a little more upbeat as she scoped out the two colognes and small collection of necklaces he had on his dresser. “Missing your family?”

“Not much to miss. Only kid, my parents are… around.” She shrugged, tossing her long, dark hair over one shoulder, causing a whiff of her perfume to smack him right in the face and sink down into his skin as he closed his eyes momentarily. “Taylor Hall’s bed, wonder what secrets this thing is holding.” She quickly changed the subject, sitting down on the nicely made queen-size, running her hand over the puffy down comforter that had been sheathed in a navy blue duvet. She leaned back on her hands behind her, making his Adam’s apple bob in his throat from the perfect view right down her top. He was trying so hard to be a gentleman.

“Ugh, no way!” She popped up, crossing the room to the window to look down at the magnificent view he had. “Gorgeous.” She stated, her eyes transfixed on the city lights. Turning back to the room, she let her eyes drink in the sight of Taylor standing in the doorway clad in his Henley-style shirt that clung to his chest and a pair of very warm looking sweatpants. “So is that all there is to this place?” She asked, crossing the room to stand in front of him.

“There’s a spare bedroom on the other side of the family room, but we don’t really use it unless we have friends in town. Just got the mattress off the floor a few months ago.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Kinda disappointed…” She trailed as she followed her back towards the family room where Ryan and Jordan were still clicking away on their controllers. “No mini sticks or nets set up.”

“Why get mini sticks when you have NHL ’12?” Jordan asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Video games are not nearly as fun. No moving around, getting down on your knees, getting sweaty…” Jordan paused the game, looking at the girl who was picturing a little net in the corner of the unused part of the room under the two framed jerseys. “That sounded kind of silly, didn’t it?” She asked, flashing those damn dimples again that seemed to immediately break the tension. Taylor thought for a moment that it was entirely possible he was going to black out. Ryan leapt up from his chair, tossing the controller down as Blake took another sip of her Gatorade.

“I think Shawn mentioned something about having you home by dinner.” He mumbled, stuffing his feet back into his shoes.

“Not to me.” She frowned, having a perfectly amusing evening at the Hall-Eberle residence.

“I’m pretty sure he text me.” Ryan nodded. “Anyways, see you Monday.” He called out to Taylor and Jordan as Blake followed suit.

“See ya.” She gave Taylor a nod. “Thanks for the tour.” She winked at Taylor as she closed the door behind her.

“You too!” Taylor called, making him instantly screw his eyes shut as tightly as possible.

“You too?” Jordan asked, rather unimpressed.

“Shut up, Ebs.”
♠ ♠ ♠
you guys are unreal! fantastic!
17 comments on my first chapter. you are the absolute best readers on mibba, i swear! :)
what are you thinking of this second one? what do you make of Blake?
i'd love to hear it! she's a little different than my usual female leads!
love love love
kara.
ps, if you have a moment, in your comment please include if you'd rather i repost my burish or kane story! thank you!