Determination

MARCH'S POV

I admit, I was always the one who would prank the other boys when I was little. And I've had some pretty good ones. The shaving cream in Sidney's gloves was my idea, and so was the clear sock tape on the skate blades. The cup of water on top of the stall was all Flower, along with the still wrapped dubble bubble gum we stuffed in the finger tips of James's gloves and the cut laces.

The team went out to lunch, all except for me, apparently because of a concussion I'm not allowed to eat lunch at some diner. So instead I went back with Geno to the hotel.

I stayed with him for a few minutes, before heading out. Before I could go he yelled, "Wait! You stay here, need some one to look after your head."

"Do not!" I fired back. Ugh I HATE being concussed more than anything. Thanks Kovy.

"Yes." He said, "Come watch the TV. What show you like?"

I don't want to watch TV. It's lunch time. "No, I want some food. I would be eating if it weren't for Ilya! Can we just go get lunch somewhere else?"

"Order food yourself." He said, the TV had his undivided attention.

I rolled my eyes and picked up my phone, sending James a text to bring me some food. After ordering I sat down next to Evgeni.

"What the hell is this?" I snapped. "Dude, this is a Russian movie!"

He looked at me with confusion in his eyes, "Я думал, вы сказали, что вы знаете, как говорят на русском?" (I thought you said that you know how to speak Russian?)

"Well I can speak like SOME Russian. Not a lot! Not enough to understand some dumb Russian movie." I told him.

He rolled his eyes. "Well too bad for you."

Anger started to boil in my blood and I snapped, "No, too bad for YOU. You were the one who asked me what I like to watch!"

"You no respond, I choose what I watch."

"Bitch."

"Conceited."

"I am not!"

"You are. Ask anyone."

I decided to hear him out, because it seems like he's not going to stop with his theory that I am conceited. "Alright, prove it. How am I conceited?"

He looked at me, a serious look to his eyes suddenly. "How you no see it? James love you, Flower love you, Sid love you. You say no to Sidney, you no give Marc Andre chance, and you do same to James. You hurt all three. I can see it."

I was mad, but because deep inside I knew that he was right about this. But I'm too stubborn and I said loudly, "No! It's not like that! Marc Andre does not LOVE me! He is just a good friend that I can rely on for stuff! James is again just a friend! Sidney is the only one that I gave a chance too, is that so wrong? And it's just not working out in the season!"

"They all want you, but you only give Sid chance. You are blind. You have two other after you. Why you no see they want you? Why you no see they want chance like Sidney got chance? You are conceited."

"Well at least I don't keep going after the same girl over and over and over again when I know she never truly loves me!" I yelled before I could catch those creul words from slipping out of my mouth. Shit. I did not just say that. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Before Evgeni could say anything, there was a knock on the door and a french accent saying, "Uh hello? We brought you food and I have come to help you eat it!"

I opened the door, Marc was standing there with James and Sidney, all three looking at me hopefully. Sidney must have been the first to notice the look on my face. "What's wrong?" He asked me.

I shook my head and just said, "I am a bad person."
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No one asked me any questions as I tore down the hall. I need to talk to somebody who's not one of the those three. Some other Penguin I can trust who won't get mad at me, but will lay out the facts and maybe be quite blunt. Only one Penguin I can think of for that.

I found Sidney's room and banged on the door, "Please open this door! I need help!" Knowing Sidney wouldn't be here I felt comfortable yelling that.

The door was opened by the blonde hockey player. "What's wrong March? You look kinda nervous. Or kinda lik you're gonna cry or something."

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I am, and I'm pretty sure I will. Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, sure. Come on in." Jordan motioned me inside, and I sat at the little table in the corner of the room. "What's wrong?"

I had my hair in a braid, and I pulled it to the side, needing something to busy my hands. "Well, I said something I shouldn't."

"Okay, well who were you talking to?" Jordan asked, his tone pleasant. I feel like that pleasant tone isn't going to stick around for much longer. Well, I am going to get what I deserve.

I took a deep, breath, I was still shaking. "I was talking to Evgeni."

Jordan made the connection, "No... Oh no. Please tell me you didn't say anything about Oksana.... Please no."

I nodded, "I did. He made me super mad and I just let it slip."

"How did he possibly make you mad enough for you to say something as rude and creul as that?" Jordan inquired.

I took the hair tie off the bottom of my braid. I didn't answer at first, but Jordan's bright blue eyes were begging for an answer. "Well, we were just talking and suddenly he started telling me I was really conceited."

"Well that's just because you are. Only a few select people can see it. I can, Evgeni can, Kris can and James can. You've got Sid and Flowers and the rest of the team fooled. But not us. Sorry."

I let out a big breath, "Do you think I should go over and apologize?"

Jordan nodded, "Yes, duh. But before you go, even though you're conceited, we still love you. And the word isn't conceited, you love those three more than your next breath. Come up with a vocabulary word for too blind to see that they think you're perfect. Because that's the word I think Geno was looking for, well anyway it's the word I'm going to use."

I smiled, "Thanks Staalsy."

"No problem!"

I closed the door behind me. Thank God I have a friend like Jordan Staal.

I knocked on the door to Evgeni's hotel room and I said, "Евгений, пожалуйста, откройте эту дверь." (Evgeni, please open this door.)

There were a few voices in the room, but finally, Evgeni opened the door. "You." He said flatly, sadness in his chocolate brown eyes.

"I just want to apologize. That was really uncalled for... And it was just plain mean. I'm really sorry Geno."

He nodded, "I know you sorry. Just go back to your apartment. Call when you there."

I said, "Okay?" To his odd request, and opened the door to my own apartment. Call Geno. I walked over to the phone and before I could pick it up Marc Andre walked in. "Hi!" I said, picking up the phone as he tried to pick up the remote.

I yanked the phone, put I couldn't pick it up. I pulled as hard as I could, but there was no give. I heard Marc Andre grunt and I looked over. He pulled at the TV remote, but it wasn't coming up off of the table. He looked at me with a smile, "Looks like someone found out who pranked them earlier today."

I smirked, "Well played by Sidney and James. Well played. Phone glued Down, remote glued down." Marc Andre tried to pick up some more stuff, with no give. "Everything in glued down! Those bastards!"

I laughed with Marc Andre, "This was not bad at all."

I gave Sidney a call on my cell phone, "Hello?" He said when he picked up, and I could almost see the smug smile on his face when he spoke.

I burst into laughter, "Well played, well played. Oh but the light has been glued to 'on', so maybe you wouldn't mind some visitors in your hotel room tonight?" I joked. "But really nice work. Nice work."

He laughed, "Glad you liked it. We made sure Evgeni held you captive while James and I were supposed to be at lunch, but were actually super gluing things to their surfaces in your room. Evgeni wanted you to give him a ring when you saw, because he was pissed it almost became his prank too."

I smiled, "Alright, see you later."

"Bye."

I hung up, a smile on my face. I really am a bad person. I like Marc Andre, more than I ever imagined, but Sidney... He sends chills through me just by smiling.

Time for me to get my act together.