Red
22
“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22!” Cayden giggled as she wrapped her arms around her best friends’ shoulders. Beth rolled her eyes and flipped a page in her magazine.
“That’s because you are 22,” she said. Leanna giggled at the exchange. Cayden, always jumping all over the place, could only be brought down to earth by two people, Beth and Jonathan. Even Leanna had a hard time with it. Cayden’s hyperactive energy always seemed to get the best of her and soon they would be a giggly duo with no intentions of settling down.
“Shh,” Cayden whispered, pressing her finger to Beth’s lips. “Listen, it’s summer. We’re in Pittsburgh for the next couple days, Beth doesn’t have to work, I say we have some fun. Tonight seems like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters and make fun of our exes. We’ll go out, drink up and party hard.”
Leanna grinned. She hadn’t had a proper night out since her last one with Jonathan, Patrick and Cayden 3 months ago. She had her basketball events but, other than that she rarely left her apartment. Now that she was back in her home city, she was ready to let go of all that was bothering her, let go of Patrick and just fly free. It was time to get herself back.
--
Leanna laughed as the three of them stumbled into the bar bathroom. She looked in the mirror as the other two disappeared into stalls and wiped at the eyeliner that had smudged under her eyes. She was definitely drunk and couldn’t stop giggling. Her smile lit up her entire face and she realized, for the first time in months, she was truly happy. Settling down, she yelled to her friends, “this place is too crowded. Too many cool kids.”
“Wanna ditch the whole scene?” Beth asked, popping out of the stall. Leanna nodded while Cayden stumbled out, clearly more intoxicated than the other two. The little redhead grinned from ear to ear, a plan formulating in her head.
“I know the perfect place. Let’s go!” She quickly washed her hands and then grabbed the other girls, dragging them out the bathroom door, through the crowded club and outside. She then expertly hailed a cab, winking at the taller girls, “it pays to not drive.”
Leanna and Beth slid into the back of the cab, while Cayden jumped in the front. She leaned over and whispered to cab driver. After he nodded and took off, Cayden pulled out her cellphone and started rapidly texting. Beth leaned over to peer over her shoulder but, Cayden covered her phone quickly.
“It’s rude to text while you’re with friends,” Beth laughed, leaning back. Leanna nodded, ganging up on Cayden. The little girl just stuck her tongue out and turned back around.
“Its rude to ruin surprises,” she muttered back, frantically texting. “Tonight’s the night we forget about the heartbreaks. It’s time.”
“How are we going to do that?” Leanna asked. This was the first time either girl had brought up their break ups. Leanna’s had been transparent, she confessed everything to both girls. Every fight, the cheating and how much emotional abuse he had put her through. Cayden had kept a tight lip on hers, just repeating over and over again that it was her own fault, not Jonathan’s. Beth was the only one in a happy, healthy relationship with a wide receiver on the Steelers, though she still wouldn’t tell them which one.
Cayden just shrugged in the front seat, sighing as a new text popped up on her phone. She then looked up and pointed at a gas station, “here’s good.”
“Sheetz? Seriously? Fucking Canadians,” Beth snorted, causing Leanna to laugh too. Soon all three girls were in a giggle fest, falling out of the cab. Cayden paid him and then dragged the other girls inside.
“What defines our friendship more than robot sandwich makers?”
--
Leanna sat next to Cayden, who had insisted on sitting on top of the picnic bench, munching away on her sandwich, day dreaming away about all the nights the girls had stayed out late only to end up in Sheetz because of Cayden’s sick obsession. Regardless of whether there night was happy, free, confusing, lonely, magical or miserable, they always ended up in Sheetz. It was like a safety net.
Cayden shoved a mozzarella stick in her mouth and then started to speak. Beth and Leanna burst out laughing before Beth answered, “we can’t hear you when your mouth is full.”
“Not the first time I heard that,” Cayden giggled after she finally swallowed her cheese stick. She slid off the bench and stumbled towards a car that had just pulled in, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back!”
The other two watched as Cayden skipped over to the car and bang on the window. Leanna’s first instinct was that they were witnessing some kind of drug deal and they should really advert their eyes as to not be witnesses. Then the door swung open and a familiar looking man stepped out, leaning down to kiss Cayden. Beth looked over at Leanna, “is Jonathan in Pittsburgh?”
Leanna just shook her head, never tearing her eyes away from the car. Three other men popped out of the vehicle. Leanna had a sneaking suspicion that she knew who they were, but it wasn’t until they came closer that she gasped. Beth almost choked on her drink.
“Leanna, Bethany,” Cayden laughed, grinning like an idiot. “This is Brandon Sutter, Brenden Morrow, James Neal and Beau Bennett.”
“They are, who? What?” Leanna, for the first time, was speechless. Cayden had never mentioned knowing any of the Penguins and by the way Brandon’s arm was slung around her shoulders, it certainly wasn’t their first meeting. Before anyone could speak, Leanna grabbed Cayden’s and Beth’s arms and dragged them away from the hulking, gorgeous men. “Cayden Marie, what the fuck is going on?”
Cayden bit her lip and looked down at her feet, “I make a bad girlfriend. Jonathan flew me out to a Pittsburgh game a couple months ago and I met Brandon in a bar while waiting for JT. I started to cheat on JT and he found out. That’s why he broke up with me. Now Suttsy is kind of my Pittsburgh booty call.”
“Jesus Christ,” Beth muttered, looking away. “Why are they all here then?”
“I thought it would be fun to hang out with some Penguins,” Cayden shrugged. “I can send them away if you want?”
“No,” Leanna said a little too quickly. She was staring over Cayden’s shoulder, her eyes connecting with James’. She deserved a little fun and fun was written all over that man’s face. “Let’s hang out with them for a bit and then decide.”
Cayden choked back a laugh, knowing exactly where Leanna’s mind was. Beth just shook her head and sighed, “okay but, they are buying the next round of Sheetz.”
“Deal,” the little one laughed before skipping back to the table and launching herself at Brandon. She always did like the tall ones.
Leanna sauntered up to James and held out her hand. Smirking, he took it. She licked her bottom lip and smiled as innocently as possible. She let the alcohol do the talking, “you look like bad news. I’ve gotta have you.”
“That’s because you are 22,” she said. Leanna giggled at the exchange. Cayden, always jumping all over the place, could only be brought down to earth by two people, Beth and Jonathan. Even Leanna had a hard time with it. Cayden’s hyperactive energy always seemed to get the best of her and soon they would be a giggly duo with no intentions of settling down.
“Shh,” Cayden whispered, pressing her finger to Beth’s lips. “Listen, it’s summer. We’re in Pittsburgh for the next couple days, Beth doesn’t have to work, I say we have some fun. Tonight seems like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters and make fun of our exes. We’ll go out, drink up and party hard.”
Leanna grinned. She hadn’t had a proper night out since her last one with Jonathan, Patrick and Cayden 3 months ago. She had her basketball events but, other than that she rarely left her apartment. Now that she was back in her home city, she was ready to let go of all that was bothering her, let go of Patrick and just fly free. It was time to get herself back.
--
Leanna laughed as the three of them stumbled into the bar bathroom. She looked in the mirror as the other two disappeared into stalls and wiped at the eyeliner that had smudged under her eyes. She was definitely drunk and couldn’t stop giggling. Her smile lit up her entire face and she realized, for the first time in months, she was truly happy. Settling down, she yelled to her friends, “this place is too crowded. Too many cool kids.”
“Wanna ditch the whole scene?” Beth asked, popping out of the stall. Leanna nodded while Cayden stumbled out, clearly more intoxicated than the other two. The little redhead grinned from ear to ear, a plan formulating in her head.
“I know the perfect place. Let’s go!” She quickly washed her hands and then grabbed the other girls, dragging them out the bathroom door, through the crowded club and outside. She then expertly hailed a cab, winking at the taller girls, “it pays to not drive.”
Leanna and Beth slid into the back of the cab, while Cayden jumped in the front. She leaned over and whispered to cab driver. After he nodded and took off, Cayden pulled out her cellphone and started rapidly texting. Beth leaned over to peer over her shoulder but, Cayden covered her phone quickly.
“It’s rude to text while you’re with friends,” Beth laughed, leaning back. Leanna nodded, ganging up on Cayden. The little girl just stuck her tongue out and turned back around.
“Its rude to ruin surprises,” she muttered back, frantically texting. “Tonight’s the night we forget about the heartbreaks. It’s time.”
“How are we going to do that?” Leanna asked. This was the first time either girl had brought up their break ups. Leanna’s had been transparent, she confessed everything to both girls. Every fight, the cheating and how much emotional abuse he had put her through. Cayden had kept a tight lip on hers, just repeating over and over again that it was her own fault, not Jonathan’s. Beth was the only one in a happy, healthy relationship with a wide receiver on the Steelers, though she still wouldn’t tell them which one.
Cayden just shrugged in the front seat, sighing as a new text popped up on her phone. She then looked up and pointed at a gas station, “here’s good.”
“Sheetz? Seriously? Fucking Canadians,” Beth snorted, causing Leanna to laugh too. Soon all three girls were in a giggle fest, falling out of the cab. Cayden paid him and then dragged the other girls inside.
“What defines our friendship more than robot sandwich makers?”
--
Leanna sat next to Cayden, who had insisted on sitting on top of the picnic bench, munching away on her sandwich, day dreaming away about all the nights the girls had stayed out late only to end up in Sheetz because of Cayden’s sick obsession. Regardless of whether there night was happy, free, confusing, lonely, magical or miserable, they always ended up in Sheetz. It was like a safety net.
Cayden shoved a mozzarella stick in her mouth and then started to speak. Beth and Leanna burst out laughing before Beth answered, “we can’t hear you when your mouth is full.”
“Not the first time I heard that,” Cayden giggled after she finally swallowed her cheese stick. She slid off the bench and stumbled towards a car that had just pulled in, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back!”
The other two watched as Cayden skipped over to the car and bang on the window. Leanna’s first instinct was that they were witnessing some kind of drug deal and they should really advert their eyes as to not be witnesses. Then the door swung open and a familiar looking man stepped out, leaning down to kiss Cayden. Beth looked over at Leanna, “is Jonathan in Pittsburgh?”
Leanna just shook her head, never tearing her eyes away from the car. Three other men popped out of the vehicle. Leanna had a sneaking suspicion that she knew who they were, but it wasn’t until they came closer that she gasped. Beth almost choked on her drink.
“Leanna, Bethany,” Cayden laughed, grinning like an idiot. “This is Brandon Sutter, Brenden Morrow, James Neal and Beau Bennett.”
“They are, who? What?” Leanna, for the first time, was speechless. Cayden had never mentioned knowing any of the Penguins and by the way Brandon’s arm was slung around her shoulders, it certainly wasn’t their first meeting. Before anyone could speak, Leanna grabbed Cayden’s and Beth’s arms and dragged them away from the hulking, gorgeous men. “Cayden Marie, what the fuck is going on?”
Cayden bit her lip and looked down at her feet, “I make a bad girlfriend. Jonathan flew me out to a Pittsburgh game a couple months ago and I met Brandon in a bar while waiting for JT. I started to cheat on JT and he found out. That’s why he broke up with me. Now Suttsy is kind of my Pittsburgh booty call.”
“Jesus Christ,” Beth muttered, looking away. “Why are they all here then?”
“I thought it would be fun to hang out with some Penguins,” Cayden shrugged. “I can send them away if you want?”
“No,” Leanna said a little too quickly. She was staring over Cayden’s shoulder, her eyes connecting with James’. She deserved a little fun and fun was written all over that man’s face. “Let’s hang out with them for a bit and then decide.”
Cayden choked back a laugh, knowing exactly where Leanna’s mind was. Beth just shook her head and sighed, “okay but, they are buying the next round of Sheetz.”
“Deal,” the little one laughed before skipping back to the table and launching herself at Brandon. She always did like the tall ones.
Leanna sauntered up to James and held out her hand. Smirking, he took it. She licked her bottom lip and smiled as innocently as possible. She let the alcohol do the talking, “you look like bad news. I’ve gotta have you.”