The More Boys I Meet

“Hey Pat,” I answered my phone right before the game that night against the Coyotes.

“Where are you?” he asked. “It’s really loud.”

I set my books down at the bar and bartender, Josh, shook his head, laughing at me. “Again Reese? You’re here all the time now, it seems.”

I smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Aw come on Josh. You’re the only bar showing the games.”

“Ellie?” Pat yelled.

“Sorry Pat. I’m at a bar.”

“At a bar?” he asked, and I knew he was surprised. “You? Why?”

“To see the game! Duh!” I shouted over the crowds of people starting to gather at the bar.

“Finals are coming up! Why aren’t you studying Ellie?!” he yelled at me.

And with a dead serious face I answered him. “Because it’s the Cup.”

“Really?” was all he could say.

~~~~~

Two more finals to go and I was home free. That was all I could think about as I packed up another box. It was early May and I was more than ready to go home to Chicago. And plus I was needed there. More or less to steal Hossa’s phone and text Raffi Torres bad things and call him bad names that I had to look up to even find the meaning.

“You’re madder than he is I think,” Pat told me on the phone. “Much madder.”

“I’m just as mad as any Blackhawk fan is. You should see the fans!” I roared. “It’s like we’re bounty hunters all going after the same bounty aka Raffi Torres!”

“Hossa will be happy to hear that you’re shouting just for him. I, however, am GOING DEAF!”

“STOP YELLING!”

“YOU STARTED IT!” he shouted.

“YOU KEPT IT GOING!”

The phone was being wrestled away, I could hear and a new voice entered the mix, Pat still yelling in the background. “You may have started it, but I am finishing it,” Johnny said. “Shut your trap, go study some more. Ace those finals and I’ll be there on Thursday to pick you up.”

“Johnny?” I asked, confused. “You’re picking me up? Aw how sweet. We can talk about that new girl of yours,” I grinned wickedly. “I heard she’s a real looker. Have you introduced her to the guys yet? I want to meet her. Warn her about you and your serious facade.”

“Not so fast. I’m bringing the Swedes too. They can distract you while I speed home and no you will not be meeting my girlfriend anytime soon so don’t get your hopes up too high.”

The phone was yet again ripped away. “Did you hear Hammer’s moving out!” Stally shouted. “He’s moving in with his fiancee! It’ll be just me and Krugs!”

“Thank you for that piece of info, but Marcus beat you to it. He told me last night, while banging his head on the wall. He’s considering finding a solo apartment.”

“Ha!” he laughed. “He can’t. I locked him in this forever-binding contract.”

“What did you promise him?”

“No more random, no heads-up one night stands back at the house. I need approval and a three hour time window,” he sighed.

I snickered. “He’s a smart one all right.”

“You would have just asked for free meals and a ride to the beach every day,” he snorted.

I laughed. “You’re not wrong, I’ll give you that.”

“Okay go study. We’ll see you in a couple days!” he shouted over some other shouting and hung up.

I stared at the phone. “Why is that every time I’m talking to Viktor, all hell breaks loose?” I shook my head and returned to my books.

~~~~~

Thursday came and went without any signs of the boys. I didn’t really get worried until about seven o’clock at night and I was one of the last ones sitting in my dorm.

I had already called Johnny, Marcus, and Viktor five times and left numerous messages. Nothing. Finally, I called up Pat.

“When are you guys going to be home?” he complained.

“They still haven’t picked me up!” I shouted frantically.

Hesitation. “That isn’t funny Ells.”

“You’re telling me! I’m freaking out here!”

“Have you tried calling them?”

“Multiple times on multiple phones.”

“Oh that was you,” he said slowly. “I have Stally’s phone here.”

“Okay, that still leaves Marcus and Johnny, Pat,” I said, locking up my door and rushing downstairs.

“I know. I know. They left at one Ells.”

I sighed, aggravated. “Because that makes me feel better Pat,” I growled.

“I’m just telling you the facts.”

I grabbed a flashlight from the front desk and started walking. “Well I’ll walk the next few miles and see if they just broke down or something.”

“Ellie Reese no!” he shouted at me.

“Well what am I supposed to do Patrick?! They’re not answering!”

I heard him talking to someone else. “Crow is calling them again. See if they answer. Until then, you stay put.”

“Pat no.”

“Ellie,” he said, his voice filled with concern and warning.

“We don’t know what’s happened to them.”

“I wish I was there to hold you back,” he sighed, miserable.

“Alas, you’re safe at home.”

I started walking to the hospital, about a twenty minute walk and it was in sight when Pat spoke again. “Crow’s got them!”

“Well where are they?” I couldn’t help but snarl.

He paused. “I don’t think you’ll particularly enjoy where they are.”

“If you say in the backyard I will castrate all of them.”

“Not quite. Could you possibly get to the hospital anytime soon?”

I broke out into a sprint and reached the doors in minutes. I was panting and I decided right there I would start running that summer. I looked at the receptionist. “Three dumb ass hockey players,” I said.

“Ells?” she asked.

I nodded, leaning on the desk, trying to catch my breath. “What happened?!”

“They hit a deer.”

“What?! When?!”

“About five thirty.”

“It’s almost seven thirty and no one notified me?!”

“Talk to them. Down the hall and to the right,” she directed me and my anger to the boys.

I stormed down there and threw open the curtain to see Viktor getting stitches above his right eye, and Johnny getting his wrist checked out.

“The fuck is wrong with you idiots?!” I roared.

“We didn’t want to worry you,” Johnny said.

“You’re an hour and a half late with no phone call and I sprinted to this fucking hospital you idiots!”

No response.

“Where’s Marcus Kruger?” I snapped.

They looked at each other and said nothing.

“The doctor’s going to do a lot more stitching up if you don’t give me a damn answer,” I said darkly.

“Just making sure his head is okay,” Viktor said casually. “He might have hit it against the window. He’s probably fine.”

“Don’t talk to me,” I said, walking away. “No one talk to me.”

“Ell-” Johnny started, but I was already walking out the doors.

“Pat?” I asked, getting him back on the phone.

“Yeah Ells?”

“Come pick me up now,” I ordered.

“I’m already on my way. Another three hours, okay?”

“I’ll meet you back on campus,” I said and hung up.

I left them and started my walk back to my dorm. I was so mad I was seeing red spots in my vision.

I got back within the hour, taking the long route and started moving my boxes to the commons room on the first floor. After that, I sat on the floor and waited. Because that was what I did. I was a waiting kind of person. I waited for the season to start again, I waited for summer to come, I waited for Patrick to pick me up.

And he was right on time.

“How mad are you?” he asked, wasting no time loading my things into the car.

“Considering it’s ten thirty, they didn’t tell me, they’re hurt, they didn’t bother to call, I’m cranky, and oh they DIDN’T BOTHER TO CALL ME AND TELL ME THEY HIT A DEER AND WERE IN THE HOSPITAL.”

“Crow’s picking them up now. Do you want to go back?” he asked cautiously.

“Take me home,” I said, getting in and slamming the door. “I want nothing to do with them.”

“Okay,” he said and drove me home.