When You've Got Trouble

Evelyn Cartier didn't know why she was out getting a newspaper at 11 o'clock at night. That was a lie. She had a great reason for getting Pittsburgh Tribune, and Evelyn being the responsible person she was forgot to get it hours earlier. She always has a tendency to forget things because of her busy schedule.

She pulled her chin down to her neck hoping it would make the cold Pittsburgh wind more bearable, however it still didn't give her the desired affect. She was still really cold. It would have probably been a good idea to wear a hat...and a warmer coat...and gloves considering she still has to walk two more blocks until she arrives at her apartment.

Evelyn wished all the time that she could live in a warmer place like Miami or somewhere in California, but deep down, she liked the cold weather. She'd always grown up with a white Christmas, and sub-freezing winters. She wanted her daughter, Arden, to experience the same.

She picked up her pace to a slight jog, but she was careful to make sure that she would slip on any ice. Arden would be still up waiting for her because she wanted to see herself in the paper, and because of the fact that there have been two robberies in their neighborhood in the past three weeks. Evelyn didn't want to leave her at home too long, otherwise Arden wouldn't go to sleep.

Evelyn jogged up to the apartment buzzer, and promptly pressed the call button.

"Ardy, open up. I have the news paper." The door buzzed, and she opened it and rushed up the stairs to the third floor.

She got to her door, and knocked.

"Why did it take so long?" She looked down at her little girl, and just walked past her. She was too paranoid for her own good.

"Lock the door honey." The keys dropped onto the kitchen counter with a slight jingle, and Evelyn started to tear away the plastic of the newspaper.

"Okay door is locked. Can I see the article?"

"Well, first we need to find it. I swear newspapers have gotten bigger and bigger. There are way too many sections." Evelyn could hear Arden's little feet climb up onto the counter top so she could look over Evelyn's shoulder. Evelyn turned around and gave her the look that said, "You should not be on the counter right now."

"Fine, fine I'll get down."

"I think this i- found it!" Evelyn sat down on the floor so Ardy could sit next to her and they could read it together.

"I like that picture, you look so beautiful Ardy." Evelyn proceeded to pinch her daughter's cheeks, which was Arden's pet peeve.

"Stop, I'm not five anymore. You can't pinch my cheeks!"

"Fine, grumpy. Do you want to read the article or what?"

"Isn't that why we got the paper?" Arden grabbed the paper from her mother, and focused her eyes onto the words next to the picture of her and her mom.

"Read it out loud to me baby girl."

"Okay, Nine-Year-Old Pittsburgh native Arden Cartier took home the top prize at the Junior Miss Dance of Pennsylvania 2012. The small dynamo performed a contemporary ballet piece entitled Turn to Stone that was choreographed by her mother, a Joffrey Ballet School attendee, who teaches dance at the Elizabeth Allen Studios in Pittsburgh. Arden will compete at a national competition next month in New York City."

"That's a mouthful, and for you" Evelyn checked her watch: 11:12 "It is way past your bedtime missy. Go brush your teeth, and I'll clean up the mess we made." She watched her daughter scamper off, and she began to collect the plastic that was on the floor. Evelyn smiled to herself. Her daughter acted older than she was, and that reminded her of herself. However, Arden was not Evelyn. Not even close. If she could prevent it, she would make sure Arden did not end up like her.

-----

Sidney Crosby couldn't sleep. So like any normal person, he decided to read the newspaper at 11:45 at night. He could easily just turn on the news and get up to date that way, but that would get his brain more stimulated and would only add to his not sleeping problem.

Everything was all the same in the newspaper, the stock market was down. The Steelers won, someone on the Steeler's is now hurt, and some random famous person died. All he wanted was for the hockey season to start again. Everything is just not the same without it.

He set the economic and sports section of the newspaper down, and decided to pick up the arts section. Sidney never really read the Arts section because they were mostly about art gallery stuff. For some reason, he just wanted to read it so he looked through Art gallery exhibit openings, and saw exceptionally skinny girls doing something on their toes that he thought was ballet.

He was about to throw out the Arts section when something caught his eye on the back page. "Pittsburgh Native Wins Junior Miss Dance of Pennsylvania 2012".

He looked at the black and white picture to see a tiny girl in a beautiful flowing skirt, and next to her was a woman that was that was obviously her mom because the two shared the same facial features. She looked really familiar to him, so Sidney kept on reading.

He read about the girl doing a solo choreographed by her mom called something Stone. Then, he read the caption under the picture, and he felt like he was going to throw up. How did he not recognize her from the start? She looks the same as she did nine years ago. He looked down at the picture again, and he started to get more and more confused. Wait, if that's Evelyn... then that's.... but how? She told me... This isn't happening...

Sidney Crosby was certain of one thing as he turned off his lamp, and that was he would not sleep a second tonight.