Believe in Me

“Alright boys, let’s start off the playoffs with a win! Let’s get ‘em tonight, eh!? Let’s fucking do this!” Andrew Shaw cheered. The team was in the locker room, getting ready for Game 1. The boys cheered, all of them except Jonathan.

“You alright, Tazer?” Patrick asked, sitting beside his friend. Jonathan didn’t respond. He was in a trance, staring down at the floor. Patrick noticed Jonathan had been acting strange, but he figured it was nerves. This was playoffs. All of the guys were nervous. He decided not to push it anymore, so he got up and walked to Patrick Sharp.

“Sharpy, what’s up with Jonny?”

“He’s probably nervous. This is when our game matters.” Sharp told him. Patrick agreed, but he could tell something else was bothering his best friend. Last night, Lilly had cancelled their dinner date because she was feeling “sick”. Patrick offered to go to her apartment and bring her some soup, but she declined. Rachel was nowhere in sight, not even in the suite that all of the wives and girlfriends sit in. Everything was piecing together like a puzzle, but Patrick was still confused as ever.
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“Where’s Rachel!?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.” I lied. I had just gotten to the suite at the UC, and the girls thought it was odd when I walked in alone. I talked to Rachel before I left my apartment. She was a wreck, so it was hard to understand what she said. I knew she was back home and I knew she’d be staying there for a while. Losing the baby was hard, she didn’t want to face Jonathan because of it. Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of the baby and how she lost it. It was hard to hear her tell me that, but I had to stay strong for my friend.

The game started and I couldn’t focus. I stared at the ice, but I wasn’t paying attention to the game. I kept thinking of Jonathan. I couldn’t imagine feeling what he’s feeling right now. He was the first to score, and when they showed him on the screen during his celly, he had no expression on his face. Fans must’ve thought he was in “game mode”, but I knew the truth.

We ended up winning the game 3-1, so I left before everyone else did. I texted Patrick telling him I wasn’t feeling well so he didn’t have to wait for me. I knew I shouldn’t be as sad as I was, because it wasn’t my baby, but the whole atmosphere just drained me. I wasn’t motivated to do anything. I wanted to be with Rachel. I wanted to be there to comfort my best friend. She was there when Patrick and I were having issues, she deserves to have me there for her as well.

I got into a taxi and instructed him to take me to my apartment. We got to my complex and I told him to wait outside. He didn’t seem too happy, but I told him to keep the meter running. Patrick had given me a wad of cash, telling me to “go shopping and treat myself”, but I kept it for emergencies. I ran up to my place and threw anything and everything in a suitcase.

I got back in the taxi and headed to the airport.