Status: In Progress

Better Together

As Our Story Begins

As a fourth year student at Crosby University, I have found that I have a lot of free time as I only take three classes. To fill said time, I have taken a position at the admission's office to plan all college visits and tours. I am in charge of setting a schedule for each visitor and also finding a student worker to accompany the visitor to lunch or give a campus tour. One would think that it would be a stress-free duty, but I am afraid not.
Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I am Danielle Everest. I hail from good 'ole Canadia. I was born near Winnipeg but moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia when I was nine. It was there that I met my best friend, Jacob Crosby, the son of the glorious Sidney Crosby. Unlike his dad, he didn't have the drive to play hockey. He plays, he's fairly good even, but he was in no rush to hit the professional ice after high school. So he ended up with me, at the school his father built from nothing.

"Welcome to Crosby University, I'm Danielle, I work in the admission's office as a student representative. Are you Camden and Cori?" I asked the red-headed twins. They nodded before the girl spoke up.
"Yes, it is great to meet you. These are our parents and obviously my brother," the girl responded to my initial welcome.
"It is fantastic that you all are here! I've been putting your schedules together since early last week and let me tell you, we are getting in everything you asked for! I have two separate schedules, one for each student and a copy of both for the parents, just in case you get separated. I have you both down for taking a student-led tour of campus and then splitting up to head to sit in on a class for Cori and talk with a Coach for Camden. Lunch will be provided later in the day and you will have a student to take you and eat with you as well. As for you parents, you are welcome to join them on any part you would like. Follow one or follow the other, it really is up to you all as a family. Do you have any questions?" I asked in my fake, cheery voice I used with all who visited CU. With no response, I went on. "Andy Glans will be your tour guide and he just had to run back to the copier for me, so he will be back momentarily. He is a wonderful tour guide, he has been around for some time and knows all the nooks and cranny's here at CU." A man of six foot stature came back with his ball cap and a jacket with my copies and led the family off onto their tour.
I sat down at my cluttered fake, wooden desk to try and do something productive but it was getting to the point in the day where hunger was an issue. I knew my replacement wouldn't be coming in for at least another hour as she was still in class, so I dug into making a visit schedule for a visitor for next week. Just when I was coming to a dead end in the timing of the visit and things going on around campus the day the visitor was set to come, I heard someone in the hall. It was enough to deter my attention.
"Knock, knock," came a familiar voice. I squealed and stood as the man I call my best friend came strolling in. He looked enormous compared to my small stature of five foot five and just under 140 pounds. He wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up to give me a hello hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, not in fear that he would drop me, but to be close to him. He always smelled so good, even after hockey practice which is weird. And since he just came back from his first Olympic games, I missed him terribly.
"Jake, I didn't expect you back for another couple of hours," I said after he put me down and I kissed his cheek. It was friendly, just like it always was. That was the one thing I didn't like about us, we were just friends. I think I've crushed on him for about six years now and never have we ever been more than friends, not even for a second when we would've almost kissed, but nope, it never happened.
"I missed my best friend too much to wait another couple of hours for a flight. So I left last night and had a layover in Boston." At his first Olympic Games, Jake happened to win a Gold Medal and be on the top scorers of the hockey games. Jake's ability to play the sport might have been a direct link to his father, but his personality and reasons behind playing were nothing like his father's. Jake only chose to play because it was something he enjoyed. Right about the time that I met him, his dad tried to send him to a private school in Pittsburgh, where we reside now, for hockey training and an education. But it took a call from Jake's Grandma Trina to her son that got Jake out of going. He wanted to play like any other kid, he wanted to be the one picked first and last to play on the team. He had a rough patch until he hit puberty when his talents were numerous. He actually passed up the chance to be drafted right out of high school like his father. His claims were, "I won't be able to play hockey forever and I want to be able to have a degree before I commit to the sport." That's how he ended up with me at CU.
"Nice game winning shot, I know you hate talking about things like that, but it was just too amazing not to say anything." I held up my hands as a sign of surrender to his pointless I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it attitude.
"Thanks, and take a look at this," he quickly whipped out the Gold Medal from beneath his jacket. He held it up and smiled.
"It's more beautiful in person! Can I touch it?" his face lit up as I asked and he nodded. He actually took it off of his neck and placed it in my hands. "It's heavier then I thought it would be," I giggled as it weighed my hands down.
"It's pure gold, Dani. And I sure never saw myself earning one of those. It's all because of you, Dan. You pushed me to accept the spot on the team and look where it got me. Thank you." I smile in his direction but continued to admire the pure gold in my hands. "I want you to keep it, Dani."
"Oh, no. There is no way that I am keeping this; you earned it."
"But I wouldn't have it if you had not pushed me to take the spot." He walked closer to me as I sat on the corner of my desk and didn't stop until he was an inch from my face. "Don't make me shove it away in your dorm room," he said quietly as hit breath hit me in the face. "Can I kiss you right now?" I didn't answer but closed the gap between us. We let the emotions get to us as the kiss intensified. We only broke apart when the phone behind me rang on the desk. I quickly looked into his eyes and turned to the phone.
"You've reached Crosby University, may I ask you to hold for just a moment?" I got a yes and pressed the hold button. "Jake, don't run away from this, please?" I begged to the man who had the deer-in-the-headlights look. "I get off in about twenty minutes or so, can we meet at Big Ben?" he nodded and disappeared fairly quickly. I answered the phone after taking a moment to compose myself, settling myself in for twenty five more minutes of work.
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So, I realized that no one can see anything until something is posted. So, here it is, I would love four subscribes or reccs to post the next chap! I have some pre-written!