My Own Glory

The next month’s flew by quickly for Maddi. She and the team had made it into playoffs, not like that wasn’t expected, and were on their way to another championship.

If making sure the team was ready for their next venture to victory was tough, she had school and her home life to worry about. Danni had finally sat Maddi down and start applying to colleges. She had applied to the same ones as Jeremy, plus a few extras, and sent tapes to the college coaches. If they didn’t have a women’s team, she sent them to the men’s. What are the chances of playing on the same team as Jeremy? She thought. Jeremy had sent tapes to the coaches as well and once they saw the two of them, both from the same high school team, they’d be fighting for the dynamic duo.

Even if it’s only been a few months since they started dating, Maddi couldn’t help but fall hard for her teammate. It was hard keeping herself in check when they were at school, “Can’t we just tell everyone already? I want to be able to hold your hand in the hallways and kiss you goodbye before you go to class.”

“I’m just not ready for that yet.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid.” Jeremy gave her a look, “I’m not use to this. Aren’t you worried about what people will say about us? We’re teammates on a hockey team. People are going to come up with all kinds of ridiculous stories.”

“Babe, the only story I care about is ours. Let them think what they want because at the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re mine and I’m yours.” He assured her, kissing the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her.

But no matter how reassuring his words were, Maddi just wasn’t ready, “Take your time, babe. We’ll tell everyone when you’re ready.”

Maddi knew her Aunt knew. She didn’t think she could keep it from Danni too long, but Danni let Maddi come to her and it worked out for everyone. Sidney was still in the dark but that was by his own choice. The signs were there, he just wasn’t seeing them.

So the couple went on in secrecy. But it wasn’t easy.

Being the month of March, it was time to start planning for the senior Prom. Tina, Sarah, and Mary were all on the committee. Somehow they had talked Maddi into joining on top of her already busy schedule, “Why must I be on this committee? Aren’t I busy enough?”

“Of course not, why do you think we signed you up?” Tina teased.

“It’ll be fun, Maddi. The four of us will make this the best prom this school will ever see.” Sarah patted Maddi’s arm. “Besides, it’ll look good for colleges.”

“Fine, what do I need to do?”

The girls split up the different duties and put them in a hat. Each girl would draw out a job and they’d go from there. Maddi was in charge of finding the venue, centerpieces, and, “The group limo?”

“I figured we’d all go as a group and we’ll need a limo.”

“It’s just going to be the four of us, plus our dates so we need a limo big enough for eight.” Mary explained.

“Sounds easy enough.”

“So who do you guys wanna go with?” Tina asked, pushing aside their task.

“I’m hoping Bobby will ask me. God, he’s so hot.”

“My eyes are on Nick. Those big green eyes and curly red hair…we can stop the extinction of red heads.”

“Really Tina?” Mary and the girls rolled their eyes, “I want Mark to ask me. Maddi do you think you can talk him into asking me?”

Maddi snorted, “That won’t be too hard.” Maddi slapped her hand to her mouth.

The three girls surrounded Maddi, arms crossed over their chests, “What did you just say?”

“Ugh! I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

“Well you better say it now!” Tina ordered.

“Okay…Mark likes Mary. But you can’t say anything!!”

“Do you guys talk about that in the locker room?”

“I don’t…the guys do. Plus Jeremy tells me ‘cuz they’ll talk about it when I’m not in the room.”

“Jeremy tells you? What else does Jeremy tell you?” Somehow the tables turned on Maddi. This wasn’t about Mark and Mary this was going to be about her and Jeremy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maddi said, standing up and brushing past her friends. She might be stronger and faster than them, but when it comes to gossip, she had no way of getting out of this. Sarah ran to the door and shut up, blocking her only exit.

“You and Jeremy hang out a lot.”

“We’re teammates—“

“We’ve seen the way he looks at you; in the halls, in class, during the games!!”

“You’re all crazy and have no idea—“

“Are you two dating?” The gasp that passed Maddi’s lips was of surprise and fear. Was it that obvious? Did everyone assume they were dating?

“Wha-no—“

“Liar!”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes you are! You can’t look us in the eyes and tell us the truth! You two are dating!!” Tina exclaimed jumping up and down.

“Will you shush! Okay fine, yes, we’re dating.” All three girls squealed, “But no one knows. No one can know!”

“Why not?! Oh my god this is like the biggest thing that’s ever happened to this school!!”

“Maddi, what’s going on?” Sarah asked. Maddi sighed and told them the whole story, from Jeremy’s birthday gift to why they can’t tell anyone. She expressed her concern about who she was and didn’t want to put Jeremy through that chaos.

“Just please, please don’t tell anyone. I’m just not ready for that.”

“Okay, okay we won’t…so have you done it yet?”

“TINA!”

---

"Aunt Danniiiii!!!"

"Yes Madison?" Danni answered calmly as her goddaughter dragged herself into the kitchen where Danni was preparing dinner.

"I'm on the prom committee." Maddi groaned.

Danni smirked, "Try to control your enthusiasm."

"I don't wanna be on the committee. I wasn't even planning on going to prom! Now I'm planning part of it!"

"It can't be that bad, Maddi."

"But it is! I've got enough to worry about with the hockey team and college and making a team but now I have to plan prom and if I screw that up everyone will be pissed...even if we win for the fourth time in a row!"

"Sweetie, deep breath. I can help you. What do you need?"

"A venue, a center piece, and a limo for our group."

"Okay, what's the theme?" Maddi starred at her aunt.

"Theme? We need a theme?"

Danni chuckled, "That's usually what you base everything off of." Maddi slammed her head against the counter, "It'll be okay sweetheart. Come up with a plan and have your people call my people."

"Mommy!!" A little boy screeched following a blur of a small figure running into the room and crashing into his mother.

"Hey there handsome man, where's daddy?" Danni asked her youngest son.

"I don't know. Can we have cookies for dinner?"

"When you're 52." Danni answered, kissing Owen's cheek and setting him down.

"I'm going to call the girls and figure out the theme." Maddi claimed passing Sidney as she headed upstairs.

"Teenage girl problems?" He asked.

"Prom."

He nodded, "How was work?"

"Tiring, or maybe that's just me being pregnant. If you wanna go take a nap, dinner will be ready when you wake up."

"You gonna nap with me?" Sidney nuzzled Danni's neck, his arms holding her tighter to him.

"Then you won't nap."

"Guess we'll have to be quick."

Danni kissed him and sent him on his way. The Penguins were playing the Leafs tonight. Everyone was going and Danni assumed Jeremy would be joining them. He has been every other time since his birthday present. Another clue something was going on.

"Hey Mrs. C, how are you?" Speak and he shall appear.

"I'm good Jeremy. You?"

"I'm excited. I can't thank you enough for letting me go with you guys."

"We love having you, Jeremy. Maddi's upstairs. Owen! Can you get Madison? Jeremy's here."

"Yes mama!" The patter of little feet ran up the stairs and opened Maddi's door, "Maddi, your boyfriend's here!" He teased then ran right back down to the couch where he had several minutes of TV time before his big brothers took over.

Madison wasn't far behind, still on the phone with the girls. She walked over to Jeremy who put his arm around her waist. As long as Sidney wasn't in the room, public displays of affections was allowed to a point; hand holding, small, quick kisses, and respectable touching.

"Why are you yelling at me? I don't know anything about prom! How was I supposed to know we needed a theme?!? Okay okay, I'll think of some and let you know tomorrow but you gotta think of some too... Okay I'll text you later. Bye."

"Everything okay?" Jeremy asked.

"Prom stuff." He nodded but dropped it. Like he'd know anything about prom.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour so do what you'd like." Danni told them, dismissing them from the kitchen.

Seeing as the boys would be taking over the TV in the living room in only a matter of minutes, Maddi brought Jeremy to the basement turning on the big screen down there. They comfortably sat on the couch, Maddi's legs over Jeremy's lap, their fingers playing with the others. This was one thing Maddi liked about Jeremy, they didn’t have to have a conversation or be doing something. They could just sit in a comforting silence, perfectly content with just having him around.

"Will you go to prom with me?" Jeremy asked out of the blue. Maddi sat up and looked straight at him.

"Why are you asking me now? Prom isn't for a few months."

"Just wanna make sure you'll go with me." Maddi smiled at him, leaning in and giving him a kiss.

"I'd love to go with you."

---

Once Sidney woke up from his nap and dinner was served, the Crosby gang piled in the car and drove to CONSOL.

The WAGs fawned over Danni and her glowing figure, "We've all been praying for a girl. For your sake. A house full of Sidney's must be a challenge."

"They keep me busy but I love every minute." Danni replied, hugging her sons closer.

"And Maddi's boyfriend is something. How's Sidney handling it?" Jenny, Kris’ wife, asked eyeing the couple strolling the hallways of CONSOL.

“As good as any father would.”

“He should have expected it. Maddi’s a beautiful young lady.”

During the game, Maddi and Jeremy took their seats in the stands with the rest of the fans. Danni stayed up in the box with her boys, watching as Sidney and the rest of the Penguins dominated the Leafs. Each time Sidney scored, he pointed up to Danni, she and her sons pointing back at their father, a ritually they did after Sidney had seen his twin boys do it for the first time when they were younger. Maddi cheered for her uncle, standing to her feet and letting out a loud cheer.

As they watched the game, Jeremy wrapped his arm around the back of Maddi’s chair, she leaning into his side. To hear over the loud crowd in the arena, Jeremy had to lean into Maddi’s ear and practically yell. As he was doing so, neither noticed the Kiss-Cam appear on the jumbotron during the TV timeout. And they certainly didn’t see the camera pointed right at them.

Maddi was the first one to see it when the person on her other side nudged her. Her face burned to a bright red as she looked back and forth from Jeremy and the screen, “Do you wanna?” Jeremy asked. He knew what kind of situation she was in and if she didn’t want, they didn’t have too.

But Maddi shrugged, placing a sweet kiss on her boyfriend’s lips. The crowd around them erupted almost as loud as a goal scoring cheer. The camera didn’t move off the young couple, giving everyone in the arena a chance to see the kiss.

Even Sidney.

Sidney’s back was to the ice as his coach talked to them. He did notice some of his teammates on the bench look up during the speech, but he wasn’t going to turn during the talk. But once Coach was done, he regretted looking back. He heard the crowd, not giving it a second thought until he looked up. There on the screen was his niece. And she was kissing Jeremy.

That was his rule. They could hold hands and all but NO kissing. He didn’t want to think of Maddi growing up. To him she was still a little girl, maybe not his by blood, but he certainly loved her as if she was. And to see her kissing…it was so….adult-like.

But Sidney wasn’t the only guy on the ice that wanted to walk over there and separate them. Those that watched Madison grow to the young lady she was, couldn’t get over this adult action.

The kiss didn’t falter the Penguins though. Sidney scored his second goal of the night. The team won 5-2. Everyone in the city of Pittsburgh was happy. Till Maddi and Jeremy got to the family lounge. If looks could kill…Jeremy’s head would be rolling on the floor.

Danni kept herself between the poor boy and her protective husband. She held his hand and squeezed it when he was glaring too long, “Um, well Mr. C. Great game. Thanks for letting me come with you.” Jeremy said nervously as he, Maddi, Sidney, and Danni stood at the front door. “Are you and Mrs. C coming to the playoff game?”

“We’ll be there with the crew. Good night Jeremy.” Danni said before her husband made a retort. She steered him into the house and upstairs.

Outside, as Jeremy kissed his girlfriend goodnight, his phone went off, “Dude, what?”

Maddi couldn’t hear what the person on the other, but Jeremy was listening and keeping his arm around Maddi, “Why would be party? No I get it, but if we lose, I won’t be in the mood to party…Okay fine. I’ll be there…Yeah she’ll be there too. I’ll make sure of it…Okay dude, talk to you later.”

“Who was that?”

“Mark. I guess he’s throwing a party after the game tomorrow. Win or lose. And we have to go.”

“I won’t be in the mood to party if we lose.” Maddi whined, dropping her head to Jeremy’s chest.

“I know but we gotta. We’re the captains. Plus maybe we can go as a couple.”

It was a hint. Maddi knew that. She knew how much he wanted to tell the world, but was she ready?

“We’ll see. Let’s just get through the game first.”