Somebody's Heartbreak
Tornado
A loud and shrill sound echoed from the cross bar and sang through the arena as the puck bounced back onto her stick. Sweat was raining down her face and every muscle in her body was aching and screaming for her to stop but she still couldn’t get her mind off of Tom. She just kept seeing the puck as Tom and hit it with as much force as she could off the end of her stick.
“One more shot,” she said to herself as she sent the puck off the end of her blade, she slipped on her follow through and the puck sailed into the seats. “Fuck!” She screamed as she slammed her stick on the ice.
“I haven’t seen you slam your stick on the ice for 10 years and that’s when I used your doll as a puck.” The familiar voice of her older brother said as he appeared on the bench. “Leave me alone!” she shouted at her brother. “You’re working yourself too hard and you know that never works on me,” he said as he stood in front of her path towards the locker room. Jordan wasn’t the tallest player on the ice but he still stood half a foot taller than his baby sister, even on skates. “Jordan, I don’t need this right now.” She snaked her way past him and stormed into the empty dressing room.
Jordan followed her in and lectured her while she wiped the sweat off her face, “Tay, you don’t need this right now. That’s why you should just stop thinking about the kid. He’s a scumbag, just like the other ones.”
“He isn’t like Kenton or Ashton and Tom isn’t a scumbag, Jordan. And I’m fine! I like playing with anger.” She justified herself. “You might like it, but you’re going to get hurt if you do, Tayler, either that or suspended by the IIHF.” Jordan said as his sister threw a towel in his face which pissed him off, “Tayler! I’m serious. I will not allow him stomping all over you while you just let him. You’re too far away for me to protect you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me!” she said as she left him in the locker room to take a shower. Shouting through the running water, she said, “I’m not a baby anymore, Jordan!” to which Jordan sighed and replied, “I know but you’re still my baby sister!” After rinsing off, she reappeared in the locker room dressed, “Jordan, just stay out of my life please.”
“I just don’t want him to become like Kenton or Ashton. I actually like him but what he did was just horrible and I can’t simply kick his ass.” He said. “Jordan, would you please just stay out of this? I don’t want anyone else in my relationship other than Tom. Please.” She said with sincerity. “I’ll stay out of it, but if he-” “Tom…” she forced him to use his name. “If Tom hurts you, I will be back in this in a heartbeat.” He hugged his sister.
“Jordan?” she said into his shoulder. “Yeah?” he replied. “Stay away.”
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“So Jordan,” Curtis Hamilton, Jordan’s teammate, said to Jordan on the bus to the rink. “Yeah, Hammy?” Jordan said without looking up from his phone. “How’s Tayler doing?” Curtis asked.
“I’m great, Curtis, thanks for asking.” Taylor Hall jumped in. “Shut up to the both of you,” Jordan said, uninterested in their conversation.
“C’mon Jordan, I think I can treat Tayler better than that British kid. You’ve gotta agree with that.” Curtis bugged Jordan. Jordan was protective over his little sister but even more towards his teammates. The last person he wanted her to date was Curtis Hamilton even though he’s talked about liking Tayler from the first day he met her.
“Highly doubtful, Curtis… stop talking.” He put up his hand, having had enough of this conversation. Honestly, Jordan had a guy in mind for Tayler – John Tavares. John never described Tayler as “hot” or “cute” as Jordan always considered those words as demeaning to a woman but from day one, John was very respectful towards Tayler and Jordan liked that a) he’s good friends with Jordan and b) he respects her.
As Jordan was texting, a call from Tayler came in. “Jordan, have you been talking about me with John again? How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my life?” she sighed. “I haven’t though. Why do you ask?”
“Really?” she said, surprised, “then why did he just call me to ask me if I wanted to see him while we’re in Pittsburgh?”
“Did he?” Jordan said both with excitement and surprise. “What did you say?” Jordan gushed.
“I said I’d look over our itinerary first. It’s just weird, Jordan. I don’t even know if Tom and I are actually broken up yet. I’m not that kind of girl.” She sighed. “You aren’t but he’s interested in you, Tay.” He egged her on like a little kid.
“Shut up.” She sighed again. “Let me know if you’re going to meet up with him then.” Jordan gushed again, giddy at the idea that things were going the way he wanted without him even trying for it. “Bye Jordan.” She said before hanging up.
“Sorry, Hammy. You missed your chance.” Jordan taunted Curtis. “Ebs, you can’t hide your sister from me forever!” he sighed. “I can’t, but I will until she gets married. Whomever she marries can kick your ass so I’ll be assured.” Jordan laughed.
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Tayler doesn’t understand the way the internet works sometimes. Someone had sent her a link to her on twitter of a gossip site that specializes in exploiting the lives of hockey players. This writer of this author had conjured up a story that Tayler was seeing John Tavares which was ridiculous on so many levels. After reading that article, she found herself clicking through more and more links unveiling parts of her private life that she didn’t even know happened. “Tayler Eberle cheats on British boyfriend”; “Tom Daley parties with American girl”
The last one really got her because it started to convince her that maybe Tom had actually hooked up with one of his previous flings. “Two can play at that game.” She said to herself with anger as she scrolled through the contacts on her phone, stopping at “John Tavares” and clicking the green call button.
“Hey John, it’s Tayler.” She said with feigned happiness, “I’m great. Turns out, we have a day off while we’re in Pittsburgh.” She explained, “Yeah, I’d love to come to your game. Dinner sounds great too.” She accepted his invitation. “I’ll talk to you later then. Bye.” She hung up, suddenly feeling a shower of guilt consume her.
“One more shot,” she said to herself as she sent the puck off the end of her blade, she slipped on her follow through and the puck sailed into the seats. “Fuck!” She screamed as she slammed her stick on the ice.
“I haven’t seen you slam your stick on the ice for 10 years and that’s when I used your doll as a puck.” The familiar voice of her older brother said as he appeared on the bench. “Leave me alone!” she shouted at her brother. “You’re working yourself too hard and you know that never works on me,” he said as he stood in front of her path towards the locker room. Jordan wasn’t the tallest player on the ice but he still stood half a foot taller than his baby sister, even on skates. “Jordan, I don’t need this right now.” She snaked her way past him and stormed into the empty dressing room.
Jordan followed her in and lectured her while she wiped the sweat off her face, “Tay, you don’t need this right now. That’s why you should just stop thinking about the kid. He’s a scumbag, just like the other ones.”
“He isn’t like Kenton or Ashton and Tom isn’t a scumbag, Jordan. And I’m fine! I like playing with anger.” She justified herself. “You might like it, but you’re going to get hurt if you do, Tayler, either that or suspended by the IIHF.” Jordan said as his sister threw a towel in his face which pissed him off, “Tayler! I’m serious. I will not allow him stomping all over you while you just let him. You’re too far away for me to protect you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me!” she said as she left him in the locker room to take a shower. Shouting through the running water, she said, “I’m not a baby anymore, Jordan!” to which Jordan sighed and replied, “I know but you’re still my baby sister!” After rinsing off, she reappeared in the locker room dressed, “Jordan, just stay out of my life please.”
“I just don’t want him to become like Kenton or Ashton. I actually like him but what he did was just horrible and I can’t simply kick his ass.” He said. “Jordan, would you please just stay out of this? I don’t want anyone else in my relationship other than Tom. Please.” She said with sincerity. “I’ll stay out of it, but if he-” “Tom…” she forced him to use his name. “If Tom hurts you, I will be back in this in a heartbeat.” He hugged his sister.
“Jordan?” she said into his shoulder. “Yeah?” he replied. “Stay away.”
________________________________________________________________________________
“So Jordan,” Curtis Hamilton, Jordan’s teammate, said to Jordan on the bus to the rink. “Yeah, Hammy?” Jordan said without looking up from his phone. “How’s Tayler doing?” Curtis asked.
“I’m great, Curtis, thanks for asking.” Taylor Hall jumped in. “Shut up to the both of you,” Jordan said, uninterested in their conversation.
“C’mon Jordan, I think I can treat Tayler better than that British kid. You’ve gotta agree with that.” Curtis bugged Jordan. Jordan was protective over his little sister but even more towards his teammates. The last person he wanted her to date was Curtis Hamilton even though he’s talked about liking Tayler from the first day he met her.
“Highly doubtful, Curtis… stop talking.” He put up his hand, having had enough of this conversation. Honestly, Jordan had a guy in mind for Tayler – John Tavares. John never described Tayler as “hot” or “cute” as Jordan always considered those words as demeaning to a woman but from day one, John was very respectful towards Tayler and Jordan liked that a) he’s good friends with Jordan and b) he respects her.
As Jordan was texting, a call from Tayler came in. “Jordan, have you been talking about me with John again? How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my life?” she sighed. “I haven’t though. Why do you ask?”
“Really?” she said, surprised, “then why did he just call me to ask me if I wanted to see him while we’re in Pittsburgh?”
“Did he?” Jordan said both with excitement and surprise. “What did you say?” Jordan gushed.
“I said I’d look over our itinerary first. It’s just weird, Jordan. I don’t even know if Tom and I are actually broken up yet. I’m not that kind of girl.” She sighed. “You aren’t but he’s interested in you, Tay.” He egged her on like a little kid.
“Shut up.” She sighed again. “Let me know if you’re going to meet up with him then.” Jordan gushed again, giddy at the idea that things were going the way he wanted without him even trying for it. “Bye Jordan.” She said before hanging up.
“Sorry, Hammy. You missed your chance.” Jordan taunted Curtis. “Ebs, you can’t hide your sister from me forever!” he sighed. “I can’t, but I will until she gets married. Whomever she marries can kick your ass so I’ll be assured.” Jordan laughed.
________________________________________________________________________________
Tayler doesn’t understand the way the internet works sometimes. Someone had sent her a link to her on twitter of a gossip site that specializes in exploiting the lives of hockey players. This writer of this author had conjured up a story that Tayler was seeing John Tavares which was ridiculous on so many levels. After reading that article, she found herself clicking through more and more links unveiling parts of her private life that she didn’t even know happened. “Tayler Eberle cheats on British boyfriend”; “Tom Daley parties with American girl”
The last one really got her because it started to convince her that maybe Tom had actually hooked up with one of his previous flings. “Two can play at that game.” She said to herself with anger as she scrolled through the contacts on her phone, stopping at “John Tavares” and clicking the green call button.
“Hey John, it’s Tayler.” She said with feigned happiness, “I’m great. Turns out, we have a day off while we’re in Pittsburgh.” She explained, “Yeah, I’d love to come to your game. Dinner sounds great too.” She accepted his invitation. “I’ll talk to you later then. Bye.” She hung up, suddenly feeling a shower of guilt consume her.
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Happy Holidays!!