Status: On Hiatus
This Ain't a Fairytale
Chapter 4
Leigh
“Leigh, this is Kris, TK, and Jordan,” I nodded to each of them as Sidney introduced me to his teammates. I’d refused countless times, but finally he’d insisted, telling me he’d drag me out the door in my pajamas if he had to. So I’d got dressed, combed through my hair and put some mascara on before he drug me out the door. The Kunitz’s lived in a gorgeous house not far from Sidney’s, and they’d done all they could to make me feel at home as we waited for the rest of the team to show up.
I had been a little awkward when Sidney first introduced me to a few of his teammates – Pascal, Brooks, along with Matt, Craig, their wives, and the other Matt. But they all made efforts to make me feel comfortable, and soon I was able to talk with them as if I’d known them for longer than an hour or so. It was when the rest of the teammates close to my age showed up that I began to feel nervous. I’d always had trouble getting along with people my own age, I’d always been more of an “old soul”, as my parents and Sidney described me.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” now the blonde had a name, and there was a strange tension in the room. He seemed to notice it too, avoiding making eye contact, and shuffling his feet.
“Nice to meet you too,” they all assured me, and soon another tall, brunette hockey player walked up, a familiar face with blue eyes.
“Hi! You must be Leigh – I’m James,” he introduced himself immediately, a winning smile on his face and a firm handshake. I couldn’t help but wonder how many girls melted into a puddle at that smile.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I replied, and when he let go of my hand I took a small step back towards Sidney. I knew enough hockey players like him to know that I had to make it abundantly clear that I wasn't interested, because otherwise his ego might not let him take the hint.
“So, you’re new to Pittsburgh?” TK asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I just moved here a little while ago; I got a teaching job here in the city,” I nodded, and Kris seemed interested.
“T’at’s cool – what do you teach?” he asked, and I knew I had to try to keep myself from babbling, as I was prone to doing when I talked about my profession.
“English, Biology, Phys. Ed. That’s what I’m going to be doing this year anyways, I can also teach Drama and Art,” I answered.
“Wow, that seems like a lot,” TK commented.
“Not really – I’m only part time this year, filling in for a maternity leave,” I replied, and he nodded before they asked a few more questions. Finally the inevitable came up, because I knew Sidney wouldn’t have kept my hockey playing a secret.
“So, I hear you’re a hockey player,” TK asked, and I chuckled.
“Was. Was a hockey player,” I corrected him.
“You quit?”
“There’s really nowhere else for me to go with hockey – I played up to University hockey and that’s it,” I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. I had a career now, even if there was somewhere else to play hockey I wouldn’t be able to do both.
Jordan hardly spoke a word, and I wasn’t trying to initiate a conversation with him either. There was just something… awkward about him, and it made me feel awkward too. After everybody had a few drinks Marc suggested playing Rock Band, which I’ll admit had to be the funniest thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life. Sidney only ever sang when he was intoxicated, and while it wasn’t awful it wasn’t fantastic, but his dancing around and stuff was hilarious – as were the other guys’ antics. I sat with Maureen and Catherine, watching the boys have their fun. I couldn’t help but notice Jordan holding back from the fun the rest of them were having, and I wondered why. As soon as Maureen asked me a question though it kind of slipped from my mind, and I didn’t really think about it until I was driving back to Sidney’s, taking the slightly slurred directions he was giving me from the passenger seat.
As soon as we were in the door and had shed our shoes and jackets I hauled Sidney to the kitchen, making him down a full glass of water and a couple Tylenol. It didn't seem to matter the amount of alcohol he had - anything more than three drinks gave him a hangover. And he was not a whole lot of fun when he was hungover.
“Did you have fun?” he asked, wrapping me up in a hug, I nodded, hugging him back as we stood in the middle of the hallway.
“I did – thanks for making me go,” I told him, and he nodded before kissing the top of my head and then moving towards the stairs to go up to his bedroom.
“Knew it. Night Leigh,” he waved, and I returned it before making my way to my bedroom.
“Leigh, this is Kris, TK, and Jordan,” I nodded to each of them as Sidney introduced me to his teammates. I’d refused countless times, but finally he’d insisted, telling me he’d drag me out the door in my pajamas if he had to. So I’d got dressed, combed through my hair and put some mascara on before he drug me out the door. The Kunitz’s lived in a gorgeous house not far from Sidney’s, and they’d done all they could to make me feel at home as we waited for the rest of the team to show up.
I had been a little awkward when Sidney first introduced me to a few of his teammates – Pascal, Brooks, along with Matt, Craig, their wives, and the other Matt. But they all made efforts to make me feel comfortable, and soon I was able to talk with them as if I’d known them for longer than an hour or so. It was when the rest of the teammates close to my age showed up that I began to feel nervous. I’d always had trouble getting along with people my own age, I’d always been more of an “old soul”, as my parents and Sidney described me.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” now the blonde had a name, and there was a strange tension in the room. He seemed to notice it too, avoiding making eye contact, and shuffling his feet.
“Nice to meet you too,” they all assured me, and soon another tall, brunette hockey player walked up, a familiar face with blue eyes.
“Hi! You must be Leigh – I’m James,” he introduced himself immediately, a winning smile on his face and a firm handshake. I couldn’t help but wonder how many girls melted into a puddle at that smile.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I replied, and when he let go of my hand I took a small step back towards Sidney. I knew enough hockey players like him to know that I had to make it abundantly clear that I wasn't interested, because otherwise his ego might not let him take the hint.
“So, you’re new to Pittsburgh?” TK asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I just moved here a little while ago; I got a teaching job here in the city,” I nodded, and Kris seemed interested.
“T’at’s cool – what do you teach?” he asked, and I knew I had to try to keep myself from babbling, as I was prone to doing when I talked about my profession.
“English, Biology, Phys. Ed. That’s what I’m going to be doing this year anyways, I can also teach Drama and Art,” I answered.
“Wow, that seems like a lot,” TK commented.
“Not really – I’m only part time this year, filling in for a maternity leave,” I replied, and he nodded before they asked a few more questions. Finally the inevitable came up, because I knew Sidney wouldn’t have kept my hockey playing a secret.
“So, I hear you’re a hockey player,” TK asked, and I chuckled.
“Was. Was a hockey player,” I corrected him.
“You quit?”
“There’s really nowhere else for me to go with hockey – I played up to University hockey and that’s it,” I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. I had a career now, even if there was somewhere else to play hockey I wouldn’t be able to do both.
Jordan hardly spoke a word, and I wasn’t trying to initiate a conversation with him either. There was just something… awkward about him, and it made me feel awkward too. After everybody had a few drinks Marc suggested playing Rock Band, which I’ll admit had to be the funniest thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life. Sidney only ever sang when he was intoxicated, and while it wasn’t awful it wasn’t fantastic, but his dancing around and stuff was hilarious – as were the other guys’ antics. I sat with Maureen and Catherine, watching the boys have their fun. I couldn’t help but notice Jordan holding back from the fun the rest of them were having, and I wondered why. As soon as Maureen asked me a question though it kind of slipped from my mind, and I didn’t really think about it until I was driving back to Sidney’s, taking the slightly slurred directions he was giving me from the passenger seat.
As soon as we were in the door and had shed our shoes and jackets I hauled Sidney to the kitchen, making him down a full glass of water and a couple Tylenol. It didn't seem to matter the amount of alcohol he had - anything more than three drinks gave him a hangover. And he was not a whole lot of fun when he was hungover.
“Did you have fun?” he asked, wrapping me up in a hug, I nodded, hugging him back as we stood in the middle of the hallway.
“I did – thanks for making me go,” I told him, and he nodded before kissing the top of my head and then moving towards the stairs to go up to his bedroom.
“Knew it. Night Leigh,” he waved, and I returned it before making my way to my bedroom.