Double Trouble

I frowned as Alina disappeared into her room and with a click, locked the door. I walked up to her door, and pulled out a bobby pin, before putting it back into my messy hair with a sigh.

“Aren’t you going to go in and see if she’s ok?” Asked Seabs. I shook my head no.

“I thought about picking her lock, but I know Lina. She’ll want to be alone right now. I just hope she comes out soon.” I said with a sigh.

“So, this is a normal thing between you two?” Kaner asked. Sharp smacked his head. “Ouch! What was that for?” he whined.

“We tell each other everything, but there are times when she likes to deal with things herself and think things through. That’s a way we differ. She’s more grounded than I am. She thinks things through, while I don’t. I tend to not have a filter between my brain and mouth and sometimes blurt things out.” I explained.

“But she’ll be alright, right?” Toews asked me. I nodded.

“Yeah. She’ll draw for a long time, and come out and reassure me that she’s alive. I usually pick her lock if she doesn’t come out for three hours.” I said. The boys nodded.

“So, what now?” Leddy asked. I shrugged and pointed to the couches.

“We sit, watch some TV, avoid talking about what just happened, and get to know each other.” I said. “That’s why you guys showed up at my door anyways.”

The guys sat on the couches and floor of the living room and I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at 7 very large men trying to fit in the small space available.

“So, now that you’re all situated to your liking, what would you like to know?” I asked the boys once they settled down.

“Ok, I’ll go first.” Sharp said, “How tall are you? You were really short standing in between me and Bickle.”

“Bickle and I.” I corrected Sharp. “Sorry. That was a knee-jerk reaction. I’m a grammar freak, but I’m 5’3. So is Alina. We’re pretty much exactly the same, besides personality and eye color. Next question.”

“How old are you guys?” Seabs asked me.

“We’re 18.” I answered him.

“When is your birthday?” Kaner asked.

“Alina was born on February twenty-ninth. I was born March first. I missed being a leap-year baby by a second.” I answered them.

“That is funny. How many minutes are you apart?” Toews asked.

“Two minutes.” I answered. “According to our mother, I wasted no time coming out.” This caused the boys to laugh.

“Alright, so favorite ice-cream?” Leddy asked.

“Cookies ‘n Cream. There is no way you can go wrong with that. If you happen to look in the freezer, Lina and I stalk up on the stuff like it’s going out of business.” Leddy gave me a skeptical look and walked to the kitchen.

“HOLY SHIT. THAT’S SO MUCH ICE CREAM!” He yelled, causing everyone to get up and see the freezer.

“What do you do with it all? You can’t eat that with the season!” Exclaimed Kaner.

“I never go on a diet for the season.” I said to them. They all looked at me like I had grown a third eye.

“You’re joking, right?” Keith asked me. I shook my head no.

“Lina’s a witness. I just happen to have one fast metabolism, and everything that Lina and I cook is healthy.”

“Alright then...” Kaner said as everyone resumed at their positions in the living room.

“What does Alina do?” Hjalmarsson asked.

“She’s an artist. She teaches a class once or twice a week, and it’s usually on-call. She’s mainly my manager. She took up the role, and keeps me organized and all that wonderful stuff. See that calendar right there? That has every game and practice I have to be at.” I answered the blue eyed Swede.

Everyone just nodded.

“So, where are you guys from?” Toews asked.

“Arlington, Virginia. We grew up watching the Caps; Alina is a die-hard fan actually. I’ve always favored the hawks though.” I answered him.

“Ew, the Caps really?” Kaner said. I nodded.

“Yup. Now don’t let Lina hear you. She’ll skin you alive.” Kane shuddered.

“What interested you in hockey? And why isn’t Alina interested in hockey?” Toews asked.

“Well, as children, Lina and I grew up watching the Caps, and our father put us in a hockey team, and we played together. But Alina has always been more into art, and used it as a way to express her emotions, while I’ve always been more impulsive and expressed my emotions through my actions. Hockey also was my passion. It just seemed right to keep playing. Alina still plays, she was the one who’d practice with me off-season, and she is one hell of a player, but she found her calling in art. Everything that’s on the walls, that’s all Alina.” I replied.

“That’s so cool. Do you think Alina would paint something for me?” Sharp asked. “Abby and I have been looking for a piece to hang in the hallway and we haven’t found something we’ve liked.”

“Yeah, I think she’d be up for that.” I replied to him. “Oh, one more thing... what should I call you guys?”

“Kane, Kaner, Patrick, anything that you’d come up with and works with me is fine.” Kaner said.

“So, if one day I decided to call you Patty-Cake, it would be okay?” I asked.

“No. Absolutely not.” He replied.

“Why? I think I should have my own personal nickname for you.” I said, my eyes going big and filling up with unshed tears.

“No... wait, don’t look at me like that.” He said, I let the tears fall. “No, don’t cry!” Kaner began to panic. “Ok, you can call me Patty- Cake, but only you.” I stopped the tears.

“Yay!” I said, giving him a hug.

“Damn, child, you are good.” Sharp said with a grin. “Oh and you can call me Sharpie, or Patrick.” I nodded and smiled.

“Taze, or Jon. I’ll probably answer to Jonny as well.” Tazer said.

“I go by Leddy, or Nick.” Leddy answered.

“I do by Duncan, or Keith. And if you think of a really cool nickname, I’ll let you call me that.” Duncan said.

“I go by Seabs, or Brent.”

“And I go by Jelly, Jelly Bear, Hammer, and Niklas. I answer to all.” I nodded at the boys.

“So, what should we call you?” Kaner asked.

“Well, I go by Avery, Ave, Addison, Ava,I’ve been called ‘Thing Two’, while Alina was called ‘Thing One’ by my old team... don’t call us that, and Ice Princess. The last one sucked as well.” I answered them.

“Alright. Ice Princess it is.” Kaner said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the guys.

“Oh, I’m a horrible person. Would you guys like anything to drink? or eat?” I asked. They all shouted their preferred drink while I collected them from the kitchen, and I grabbed the box of chocolates Henry got Alina.

“Alright, here you all go. Now, let’s see if there is anything good on TV.” I said.

We all gathered around the TV. Sharp, Taze, Hammer and I all on one couch comfortably, while Kaner, Keith, Leddy and Seabs were on the love seat and recliner. I settled in and leaned back as I finally settled on a channel that was playing an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The boys groaned, but quickly shut up as I sent them a glare. I smiled to myself, automatically knowing that I have full rein over those boys, and that Alina and I could probably get them to do anything for us. I glanced at the clock and frowned, noticing it’s been about two hours since Alina left to her room. I watched the thirty minutes of Buffy with the boys, grinning with how much they got into it.

“We’re watching Mean Girls next.” I said to the boys.

“I have not watched that.” Duncan said, with Taze, Leddy and Seabs agreeing.

“You guys are still here?” Alina asked as she appeared into the living room. I smiled, thankful that I didn’t have to pick the lock. The boys checked in on her, and she assured them that she is fine. I sent her a look assuring her that I didn’t spill anything to those boys, knowing exactly how she didn’t like anyone knowing about her private life.

““Bitch, you did not just take my chocolate.” She said as her eyes narrowed at the box of chocolates on my lap.

“Well it was there and hey I saved you some. I mean come on you can’t blame me.” I told her.

She grumbled. “Sure whatever, now what are we watching?”

“ Mean Girls is next.” I said.

“All right that sounds nice, I think it’s better than the sob fest, suspense fest.”

I nodded. “And since a few of the guys here have not seen it,” I said with an evil smile.

Alina just laughed. “Well I’ll make enough popcorn for all of us.”

We kept our seating positions from before, with Alina in between Taze and I. Halfway through, I could feel my eyes getting heavier, and I saw that Alina was going through the same thing. I fought to stay awake, only to realize that Alina’s breathing had evened out, and her head was against Taze’s shoulder.

“Alright, I’m tired. Would one of you help me take Alina to her bedroom?” Taze just picked up Alina and followed me to her bedroom. I pulled off the covers and he laid her down. I covered her back up, and kissed her forehead.

“Sweet dreams, Lina.” I whispered, and walked out of the room with Taze following me.

“I’m gonna head to bed as well, but feel free to stay if y’all want. Just don’t trash my living room, or empty out my fridge.” I told the guys. They all laughed and stood up.

“Nah, we’ll leave. I have to get home to Abby.” Sharpie said. I hugged him goodbye, and the rest of the team followed him.

“We’ll see you later.” Hammer said giving me a hug. I nodded in agreement and shut the door behind them. I shuffled to my room and just collapsed on my bed, letting the comfort of sleep take over.