All the Faint Lights
029:
Chapter Twenty Nine
"They're showering?! Oh come on Linny, we have to go in there!" Bran begged as we waited in the waiting area next to the locker room.
"No!" I laughed and playfully slapped Bran's arm.
"Caroline!" I heard and turned my head to see Marc's wife, Veronique walking over towards me, "I didn't see you in the box?"
"Oh no, we had glass seats," I smiled and she nodded her head and looked at Bran, "Oh Veronique, this is my friend Bran."
"Pleasure to meet you," she said and held out her hand.
"Oh, she's so cute," Bran said and shook her head, "Love the shoes, matches your top and it just-"
"Bran."
"What?" he looked at me confused.
"You're doing it again," I said and he sighed.
"Oh sorry, when I see something that just pops- Well, I just pop," he laughed and Veronique smiled brightly.
"I like him," she giggled, "So who did you choose? Mon mari m'a dit que vous avez choisi James."
"Uh, yeah, I don't speak- Whatever that was," I laughed nervously and Veronique sighed and took a step closer and bent over, '...Is this a secret?...'
"You chose James, no?" the small Frenchwoman said and I blushed and smiled, "Oh, you did! C'est si merveilleux," Bran and I looked at each other like deer in a headlight, "J'espérais que vous choisiriez lui, bien que Geno et Kris aurait été merveilleux aussi, mais James a besoin, juste-"
"Vero, will you speak English to the non French speaking people," Marc said as he walked into the locker room and kissed his wife's cheek, "Sorry about her Linny."
"It's all right," I laughed.
"Who's your friend?" Marc asked confused as he sized Bran up.
"Oh, Marc, this is my friend Bran, Bran this is Marc-Andre Fleury," I smiled brightly and the two shook hands.
“Bran here was just saying that he loves my shoes, Marc,” Veronique said excitedly and Marc smirked and then looked at me, I shrugged my shoulders and I think Marc understood then and there that Bran wasn’t a threat, like I know he was thinking he was.
More and more players walked into the waiting area, but then Tyler hurries into the room and walks over towards Marc, whispers something to him. I watched as Marc's eyes widened and he groaned, "Not again," he muttered and soon they disappeared and we were all left confused.
"So where is the boy?" Bran asked, breaking the silence between the three of us.
"I don't know," I smirked, "And he’s not my boy, at least not yet.”
“Oooooooo!” Veronique and Bran squealed and I laughed.
“Does James usually take a long time?" I asked as I looked around the room and didn’t see him.
"Not really," Veronique said and I sighed and leaned against the wall, "You're so cute, you like him."
"I've liked him since the first day I saw him."
"When was that?" she asked and I sighed.
"A few months ago, just we argued a lot and he was an ass, but I don't know, something changed, I was going to give him a shot," I smiled while looking at the ground, hearing both Veronique and Bran squeal and say that it was so cute.
"Um, Linny," I heard and looked up to see Sidney peaking his head into the room, "Can you come with me please?"
I looked at him confused and saw that he had a busted lip, '...What happened there?...' I thought as I nodded my head and walked across the room trying to remember if Sidney had gotten hit with a stick during the game, "What's going on, Sid?" I asked when it was just the two of us.
"Well-"
Pascal Dupuis walked out of the locker room and when that door opened, I heard Geno yelling something in Russian, "What the hell?"
Pascal sighed towards me and shook his head, "Maybe not the best idea Sid, she's gunna walk into the belly of the beast."
"What's going on?"
"They're fighting over you again," Pascal said and my eyes widened.
"James said that they wouldn't anymore!" I said and then looked at Sidney, "He said that you said that they wouldn't!"
"They wouldn't if Jordan didn't stop bitching!" Matt Niskanen said as he walked out of the room, being sure to say it loud enough for Jordan to hear.
"Bitching about what?" I asked confused.
"Sid, what's going on?" I heard and turned to see Trisha walking down the hall, "Nealer is supposed to be in the middle of an interview and he's late."
"Go in there," Sidney said as he pointed towards the locker room.
Trisha looked at us confused and walked into the locker room, only to walk right back out, "What the hell?"
"Her fault," Sidney pointed towards me and I scoffed.
“Because I asked for this,” I glared and he shook his head, unamused by this.
“All right, I’m sick of this,” Trisha growled as she turned around and went back into the locker room and I walked towards the door and opened it a little.
“What the hell is the matter with you?!” Trisha growled and the other door next to my head opened and Max practically ran out of the room, “Neal, interview, NOW!!!”
“But-“
“NOW!!!” Trisha growled and I heard James sigh and I backed up a little and leaned against the wall next to Sidney.
James walked out of the room, looking angry and shaking his head. He spotted me and stopped in his tracks, I sighed and shook my head and then looked at the ground. James growled and then I heard him walk down the hall.
“What happened to your lip, Sid?” I asked seeing Sidney placing his finger on his lip to see if it was still bleeding.
“I got elbowed in the face while trying to pull Jordan off of James,” he said and I sighed.
“I can’t do this Sid,” I muttered as I listened to Trisha give Jordan, Geno and Kris and earful about how they should treat women.
“What?”
“I can’t be the one to blame for your teammates acting like this,” I said and Sidney sighed, “I don’t want them to act like this. I’m not stupid, I saw Jordan practically bull dose James on the ice, I saw him move out of the way and let Kris get checked, I saw Geno trip Jordan,” I growled, “It’s different when they’re doing it in the locker room, but when it’s on the ice, during a game, affecting their careers and others- I can’t do it.”
“Linny, it’s not your fault,” Pascal said and I looked at him, “They’re all idiots- You’re beautiful, I can’t deny that, but no one should fight over a girl, especially when they’re practically brothers.”
I nodded my head, knowing what he was saying, “I’m not going to come around her anymore,” I sighed, “I thought it would change when James and I gave each other a chance, but I can’t be a part of this.”
“Did you sleep with him?” Sidney asked out of the blue and I was definitely taken back. Pascal slapped him on the shoulder and I blinked a few times.
“No- What the hell Sid?!”
“Then don’t give up on him,” Sidney said and I scoffed.
“So what, you want me to sleep with him and then leave?!” I growled and Sidney’s eyes widened and he shook his head and held up his hands.
“Oh man, NO! Not what I meant, sorry!” he said and then sighed and rubbed his face, “They didn’t believe Nealer when he said that he did sleep with you, that’s mostly what they’re fighting about.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that I probably shouldn’t come around,” I sighed and started to walk down the hallway, “This is Trish’s life, not mine.”
“You really think that’s the best?” Pascal asked and I sighed and shook my head.
“Probably not, but I can’t be the one that’s to blame for the Penguins going downhill,” I sighed, “Bye guys, it’s been real.”
"They're showering?! Oh come on Linny, we have to go in there!" Bran begged as we waited in the waiting area next to the locker room.
"No!" I laughed and playfully slapped Bran's arm.
"Caroline!" I heard and turned my head to see Marc's wife, Veronique walking over towards me, "I didn't see you in the box?"
"Oh no, we had glass seats," I smiled and she nodded her head and looked at Bran, "Oh Veronique, this is my friend Bran."
"Pleasure to meet you," she said and held out her hand.
"Oh, she's so cute," Bran said and shook her head, "Love the shoes, matches your top and it just-"
"Bran."
"What?" he looked at me confused.
"You're doing it again," I said and he sighed.
"Oh sorry, when I see something that just pops- Well, I just pop," he laughed and Veronique smiled brightly.
"I like him," she giggled, "So who did you choose? Mon mari m'a dit que vous avez choisi James."
"Uh, yeah, I don't speak- Whatever that was," I laughed nervously and Veronique sighed and took a step closer and bent over, '...Is this a secret?...'
"You chose James, no?" the small Frenchwoman said and I blushed and smiled, "Oh, you did! C'est si merveilleux," Bran and I looked at each other like deer in a headlight, "J'espérais que vous choisiriez lui, bien que Geno et Kris aurait été merveilleux aussi, mais James a besoin, juste-"
"Vero, will you speak English to the non French speaking people," Marc said as he walked into the locker room and kissed his wife's cheek, "Sorry about her Linny."
"It's all right," I laughed.
"Who's your friend?" Marc asked confused as he sized Bran up.
"Oh, Marc, this is my friend Bran, Bran this is Marc-Andre Fleury," I smiled brightly and the two shook hands.
“Bran here was just saying that he loves my shoes, Marc,” Veronique said excitedly and Marc smirked and then looked at me, I shrugged my shoulders and I think Marc understood then and there that Bran wasn’t a threat, like I know he was thinking he was.
More and more players walked into the waiting area, but then Tyler hurries into the room and walks over towards Marc, whispers something to him. I watched as Marc's eyes widened and he groaned, "Not again," he muttered and soon they disappeared and we were all left confused.
"So where is the boy?" Bran asked, breaking the silence between the three of us.
"I don't know," I smirked, "And he’s not my boy, at least not yet.”
“Oooooooo!” Veronique and Bran squealed and I laughed.
“Does James usually take a long time?" I asked as I looked around the room and didn’t see him.
"Not really," Veronique said and I sighed and leaned against the wall, "You're so cute, you like him."
"I've liked him since the first day I saw him."
"When was that?" she asked and I sighed.
"A few months ago, just we argued a lot and he was an ass, but I don't know, something changed, I was going to give him a shot," I smiled while looking at the ground, hearing both Veronique and Bran squeal and say that it was so cute.
"Um, Linny," I heard and looked up to see Sidney peaking his head into the room, "Can you come with me please?"
I looked at him confused and saw that he had a busted lip, '...What happened there?...' I thought as I nodded my head and walked across the room trying to remember if Sidney had gotten hit with a stick during the game, "What's going on, Sid?" I asked when it was just the two of us.
"Well-"
Pascal Dupuis walked out of the locker room and when that door opened, I heard Geno yelling something in Russian, "What the hell?"
Pascal sighed towards me and shook his head, "Maybe not the best idea Sid, she's gunna walk into the belly of the beast."
"What's going on?"
"They're fighting over you again," Pascal said and my eyes widened.
"James said that they wouldn't anymore!" I said and then looked at Sidney, "He said that you said that they wouldn't!"
"They wouldn't if Jordan didn't stop bitching!" Matt Niskanen said as he walked out of the room, being sure to say it loud enough for Jordan to hear.
"Bitching about what?" I asked confused.
"Sid, what's going on?" I heard and turned to see Trisha walking down the hall, "Nealer is supposed to be in the middle of an interview and he's late."
"Go in there," Sidney said as he pointed towards the locker room.
Trisha looked at us confused and walked into the locker room, only to walk right back out, "What the hell?"
"Her fault," Sidney pointed towards me and I scoffed.
“Because I asked for this,” I glared and he shook his head, unamused by this.
“All right, I’m sick of this,” Trisha growled as she turned around and went back into the locker room and I walked towards the door and opened it a little.
“What the hell is the matter with you?!” Trisha growled and the other door next to my head opened and Max practically ran out of the room, “Neal, interview, NOW!!!”
“But-“
“NOW!!!” Trisha growled and I heard James sigh and I backed up a little and leaned against the wall next to Sidney.
James walked out of the room, looking angry and shaking his head. He spotted me and stopped in his tracks, I sighed and shook my head and then looked at the ground. James growled and then I heard him walk down the hall.
“What happened to your lip, Sid?” I asked seeing Sidney placing his finger on his lip to see if it was still bleeding.
“I got elbowed in the face while trying to pull Jordan off of James,” he said and I sighed.
“I can’t do this Sid,” I muttered as I listened to Trisha give Jordan, Geno and Kris and earful about how they should treat women.
“What?”
“I can’t be the one to blame for your teammates acting like this,” I said and Sidney sighed, “I don’t want them to act like this. I’m not stupid, I saw Jordan practically bull dose James on the ice, I saw him move out of the way and let Kris get checked, I saw Geno trip Jordan,” I growled, “It’s different when they’re doing it in the locker room, but when it’s on the ice, during a game, affecting their careers and others- I can’t do it.”
“Linny, it’s not your fault,” Pascal said and I looked at him, “They’re all idiots- You’re beautiful, I can’t deny that, but no one should fight over a girl, especially when they’re practically brothers.”
I nodded my head, knowing what he was saying, “I’m not going to come around her anymore,” I sighed, “I thought it would change when James and I gave each other a chance, but I can’t be a part of this.”
“Did you sleep with him?” Sidney asked out of the blue and I was definitely taken back. Pascal slapped him on the shoulder and I blinked a few times.
“No- What the hell Sid?!”
“Then don’t give up on him,” Sidney said and I scoffed.
“So what, you want me to sleep with him and then leave?!” I growled and Sidney’s eyes widened and he shook his head and held up his hands.
“Oh man, NO! Not what I meant, sorry!” he said and then sighed and rubbed his face, “They didn’t believe Nealer when he said that he did sleep with you, that’s mostly what they’re fighting about.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that I probably shouldn’t come around,” I sighed and started to walk down the hallway, “This is Trish’s life, not mine.”
“You really think that’s the best?” Pascal asked and I sighed and shook my head.
“Probably not, but I can’t be the one that’s to blame for the Penguins going downhill,” I sighed, “Bye guys, it’s been real.”