Try to Live

"He bought you a thousand dollar cat?" Bella screeched and pulled Alice under the desk. "Are you back together?"

Alice shook her head. "No, he was just being nice. We're friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I am so sick of your shit." They both sat back up from under the desk. Bella smoothed out her shirt as she spoke. "The sexual tension in that apartment drives me crazy."

Alice scoffed and lightly hit her shoulder. Her phone buzzed and she picked it up hesitantly as Andrew's name popped up on the screen. Bella eyed her.




She looked up slightly, meeting her eyes and smirked. She stood up and grabbed her purse. As she walked out of the door she called over her shoulder for Bella to have fun. Alice's shift was already over for the day, so it didn't matter she was leaving.

Alice walked into the apartment, slightly nervous at whatever Andrew was about to tell her. It was dead silent, except for the shuffling coming from his room. She knocked onto the door that was still cracked open. She pushed it open and saw him sitting by his dresser, putting the clothes in a box.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, well I'm going to be moving in with Brandon. I thought it would be better if I moved out so I wouldn't have to do it in the beginning of the season and cause stress," Andrew lied. He didn't want to tell her that the guys told him to either move out or tell her that he loves her. He didn't want to be rejected.

"So you decide to do it right before playoffs?" She crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a long sigh. "Plus I don't even have enough money." Now it was Alice lying. She actually had enough a long time ago, but didn't want Andrew to leave, and when he never brought it up, well, she ignored that fact.

"It doesn't matter, when you get enough, tell me." He smiled slightly at her and looked back down and began stuffing socks in the box. "Now will you help me?"

Alice laughed and sat down next to him. She flipped the box over, making all the contents fall out. She shook her head and began folding and putting the clothes in neatly.



They didn't expect to stay up the entire night, looking at photos of them from when they were teens, but they did. Andrew had a scrapbook in his room, and once they finished it, they fished two more out of Alice's closet.

Andrew walked into her room with two glasses of tea and sat down next to Alice. She was staring at one picture of the two of them. It was taken last year, one of the first days they had gotten together. They were standing in front of Lake Michigan, Andrew had his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders as he kissed her cheek. Alice's smile was wide.

"That was a pretty fun day, wasn't it?"

"It was a perfect day," Alice responsed, tucking a piece of her light brown hair behind her ear. She missed that day. She just missed not having a care in the world, the feeling that you had everything and it was perfect. The, well, honeymoon stage of a relationship. She sighed, closing the book. "Well I'm really tired. We can finish packing tomorrow."

When she stood up she was surprised to be immediately engulfed in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his torso, sighing now in relief that her and the man she loved were now on good terms. Alice didn't want to let go, ever, but Andrew pulled away. He looked at her and started leaning in like he was going to kiss her, but at the last moment he simply pecked her cheek. He said goodnight and left after.

Alice felt like screaming in her pillows. She knew that was a childish thing to do, but there was so much stress between work, playoffs, and then the confusion of their relationship. Stitch looked up at her from his cozy place on her pillow. She walked over and flopped down next to him, mumbling as she scratched behind his little ears.

"Do you think he wants to get back together with me again? Meow once for yes, two for no." She wasn't expecting a response, and she was right. Alice laughed and propped herself up with her elbow. Once she stopped scratching him he moved and rubbed his head and body all over her side and bare thighs. "Didn't think so."

She stood back up and gathered the books in a pile. One picture fell out, causing Alice to stop and observe it. This one was after the first Blackhawks game. She was in the lobby by the dressing room. Andrew was at her side, still wet from the shower he had just tooken. Both had smiles as big as Texas and as bright as the sun. It was a pointless picture, it just showcased their love for each other and how happy they made each other. Alice actually contemplated on throwing it out the night after they broke up. She only actually tossed a couple in the trash, and she couldn't even remember which ones. But there was a certain reason for this one to be kept. In the background, you could see Lindsey and Jonathan making out. It was just funny and something they could always tease Captain Serious about.

After changing into pajamas and brushing her teeth, she finally was able to snuggle in her warm bed with Stitch and get a nights rest.



The music was thumping, the air was hot, and the lights were dim. Alice had only been there for an hour, yet she was already drunk. She came a little later than the guys; coming off a big win against the Wild they needed to head out to a club. Alice grabbed Bella, they got dressed, and now they were taking shots with some of Sweden's finest.

"Another, another, another!" Shouted an obviously wasted Niklas Hjalmarsson. You want to stick around the Swedes when at a bar or party; they're a riot, but you have to be sober. If you're not, you're the riot. They make people to some crazy shit.

"Tryin' to get her shitfaced, Hammer?" Viktor called over the loud music. He had his arm slung around Bella as he nursed a beer and she a Gin and Tonic.

She downed another shot before standing up and walking up to the bar. She already knew a major hangover was in her future, but she hadn't been out it ages and she needed to enjoy this. Alice ordered a girly drink, knowing the males around her liked that. Once it was in her hand she drank it up. Her footing was starting to go bad, but that didn't stop her from dancing.

Alice looked over her shoulder, seeing Andrew sitting down with a pretty blonde on his lap. He was whispering in her ear, and even though Alice couldn't hear what he was saying, she knew it was sweet. The scene looked all to familiar. The girl sitting on him, him flirting, Alice being frozen in her spot as she helplessly watched.

Anger suddenly flared in her stomach. This was what she had been waiting for secretly. Revenge. She sauntered up to the two, purposely swinging her hips in a way she knew drived Andrew crazy.

"Andrew!" Alice screeched once she reached him. Glaring at the women, and Andrew, she spoke with venom in her voice. "How dare you."

"How dare I what?"

"How dare you cheat on me! And especially on your pregnant girlfriend." She beyond drunk. Her vision was blurred, she didn't know what the hell she was saying or doing anymore. And when anger and alcohol is mixed, it turns deadly.

The woman jumped up, with a disgusted look on her face. "What? That's fucking disgusting, you pig." She shoved his chest away as she sped away from them, but before she passed Alice, she gave her a sympathetic look.

When the woman was finally gone, Andrew stood up, giving Alice a icy look. "What the fuck was that?" His voice boomed, scaring Alice. She opened her mouth to say something, but he continued. "Seriously, we were getting along. Let me have my own fun for once."

Her eyes welled with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver. She never planned on crying, but her emotions were so mixed, the next thing that could happen would be her acting all confused. Alice spun on her heel, rushing quickly out of the club. Nobody could see her cry and see her this weak, she had done such a good job with keeping herself together.

Cabs continually passed by her as she tried to hail one. After five minutes she shook her head and gave up. The breeze caused goosebumps to show up on her arms and legs. She shivered, her teeth chattering. She refused to go back in the club; not just because her makeup was now ruined, but because she just knew certain people saw her leave.

A hand touched her bare shoulder, causing the air in her throat to hitch. She knew those calloused hands anywhere.

"Alice?" She didn't turn around. She simply didn't want too. Andrew stepped in front of her, observing her with only the dim street light. Once he saw a tear roll down her cheeks, he quickly wiped it away and pulled her into his chest. "Now why would you do that? Say that?"

She sniffed, glad any sound she made was muffled by his shirt. But she knew what she had to say had to be said. After taking several deep breaths and wiping her eyes, she finally answered. "Because I love you, okay? I love you so much, I can't stand to look at you with another woman. It drives me crazy. I just wanted you to love me too, but I know you never will again."

Andrew knew it was the alcohol talking. Number one, she didn't love him, and number two, she was never this open and honest about anything to anyone. But the saying is people are more honest when drunk, right? Andrew had been so caught up in his own thoughts and how to respond, he didn't even realize Alice leaving in a cab.