Our life is our story...

"Our life is our story Charlie, we're the authors. And we get to chose what happens at the end." "Nicole." "Yeah Charlie?" "Promise something." "Yeah?" "Promise me we're together at the end of ours." "I promise."

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Things seem so much simpler when your a kid. You don't have to worry about anything really. That's how Charlie and I were anyways. We treated everyday as if it were our last. Not caring or worrying about the consequences. Whatever happened, just did. Back then, things were simpler, better. Just better.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" His mom yelled as Charlie was looking through the cabinets in his kitchen, the ones he could reach anyways. I just sat on the floor watching cartoons and laughed. "Just looking for something." His head was buried in a cabinet as he shouted in triumph, "got it!" "What did you find this time?" I walked over and helped him out of the cabinet. He closed the door then put the wrapper covered candies on the counter. "Candy? You were looking that hard for candy? Oh, blue raspberry my favorite!" I went to grab the ring pop but he quickly stopped me. "No! Not yet." "Why not?" "Remember at your sister's wedding last week? You told me how you couldn't wait to have your own wedding?" "Yeah, but Charlie we're 9, my sister is 24. That's a long time away." I went to grab the candy again but he quickly took both ring pops off the counter and walked into the other room. "Follow me." I heard him say from the hallway.

I followed him into the next room where his mom was working on her computer. "What is it kids?" Charlie looked at me and smiled. "This is why I said to wait." He looked at his mom as she moved her laptop to the side. "Mom, we want to have a wedding." "What?" His mom laughed as I stood there confused. "Nicole said she couldn't wait to get married at her sister's wedding, well I have to rings, okay ring pops, but still rings. Lets have a wedding." He stood their smiling and I couldn't help but smile too, it was really sweet of him, even if it wasn't a for real wedding. "Okay, well, take your rings out of their wrappers." We did and held onto the plastic as his mom made up funny wedding vows. "Charlie, do you promise to play house whenever Nicole may ask?" "I do!" He stood up tall and proud and I chuckled. "And Nicole, do you promise to play goalie whenever Charlie wants to practice shooting." "Ugh, I do." He laughed. "Well, I now pronounce you, Charlie and Nicole, best friends forever. You may kiss you friend. On the cheek." His mom laughed and Charlie kissed me on the cheek. I couldn't help but smile, and try to distract myself from the butterflies in my belly.

Like I said, things were simpler when were young. Charlie was always doing things like that. And as we got older, he got sweeter. Of course things weren't always sweet and nice. We fought sometimes too.

"Charlie, talk to me." He walked outside with his hockey stick in hand and I knew exactly where he was going. Whenever Charlie was angry he would go outside and shoot pucks. He spilled a bucket of pucks onto a plastic board and began shooting. Slap shots, wrist shots, hitting the net, hitting the post, and missing it completely. I didn't know what to say to him when he was this mad. "Charlie. Charlie. Charlie!" He took a slap shot and broke his stick in half. "What!" I took a step back as he took deep breaths and dropped the other half of his stick. "Talk to me, please." He looked at me and laughed.

"What is there to talk about? I can't trust you anymore Nicole. I mean you can't tell me you were going out with one of my teammates, I have to find out from my team in the locker room?" "I'm sorry, but I didn't know how to tell you." I had tears in my eyes, Charlie had never yelled like this before. "What do you mean?" "I knew you would react like this." He walked over and put his hands on my shoulders. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm only reacting like this because I care about you Nicole. And I know what kind of guy he is. And to think of you with him, it makes me mad." I looked up at him. "Because you don't like him?" He shook his head. "Because you deserve better." The few tears I was holding in fell and he pulled me in for a hug. "Then I will break up with him. I'd rather have you as a friend, then loose you for some guy."

As we got older I realized that Charlie being protective wasn't just because he cared about me, but there were feelings there, and I felt the same way. So when we were 17 we told each other how we felt and started dating. That was around the same time he played his first year of junior hockey. That was also the time I started realizing that things weren't so simple anymore like when we were kids. Scouts were becoming interested in Charlie and he was making decisions about college and I was still used to the high school hockey Charlie. Before I knew it Charlie had committed to play for Boston University. Of course I was happy for him. But I realized that he wasn't going to be around much longer, soon he would be gone and it could be farther then just a half an hour drive.

"Nicole what is gonna happen after I'm done at BU?" He looked at me as we lay down looking up at the stars in his backyard. "You haven't even started yet? And it's only a half an hour." "Nicole wherever I go next might not be just a short drive. And I don't want to loose you, but this is my chance. I have a shot at making it to the NHL Nicole. And I know a sport could never come before you, but I mean it might have to." He sat up and I held his hand. "Look, we don't know what's gonna happen. But, our life is our story Charlie, we're the authors. And we get to chose what happens at the end." He laid back down and stared at the sky. "Nicole." "Yeah Charlie?" I laid down on my side and looked over at him. "Promise me something." "Yeah?" I looked at him confused and he looked over at me and sighed. "Promise me we're together at the end of ours." "I promise." I put me head on his chest and thought about what he said, he was right. Wherever he goes next probably won't be a quick drive.

I couldn't imagine not having Charlie around because everywhere he had played was close to home. But I knew by the way scouts were watching him, he wouldn't stay here long. And that's just what happened. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks. Last time I checked, California wasn't next door. And if that wasn't a kick to the gut, Charlie decided to leave BU half way through his first season and go play in the QMJHL. It was a shock to a lot of us. We thought he liked BU, but he felt college hockey wasn't the right fit for him. When he had to leave I was upset.

He barely even spent time home because it was in the middle of the season and he had to head up to Saint John. When I looked up how far the drive would be I was even more upset, a little over 9 hours. He called everyday, but talking on the phone and Skyping just wasn't the same. We never broke up, or even called it a break. But we both grew distant. When he came home at the end of the season we didn't even see or talk to each other. We just got used to out lives without each other. Although, when Charlie was traded to the Minnesota Wild, something convinced me to text him.

To: Charlie
Hey, sorry about the trade. But, at least your a bit closer. I'd still need a plane to get to you though. Hopefully you didn't buy to many tanks for the nice weather in Cali. I knew you would make it Char, now write yourself a good ending :)

He never did respond to that text, but I knew he saw it. And I knew that I had to see him. Although I'd be going further than I thought. Charlie's first game was in Phoenix. If I went there to find out he was ready to end things, I would be fine. But I had to see him one last time. I bought a roundtrip ticket to Phoenix and bought a ticket to Charlie's first game online. I flew to Phoenix and went straight to the rink for the game. It was exciting seeing Charlie play in the NHL, but also nerve racking. They were playing the Phoenix Coyotes who are a pretty tough team, but Charlie was holding his own out there. The Coyotes went up 1-0 in the first, and then 2-0 in the second. Parise scored a goal midway through, but that was the last of the goals for the night. The Wild lost 2-1, but I was proud of Charlie. He played great for his first game.

After the game the players were loading the bus, but signed a few autographs before leaving. I joined the crowd and slowly moved to the front as Charlie came toward the crowd. He signed an autograph for the fan next to me then stepped over and looked up at me. I smiled and he just stood in shock. "Um, sir can she please come around?" He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the edge of the barricade holding back the fans. The security guard stepped to the side and let me through. "What are you doing here?" He smiled as he tried to fathom if I was really in Phoenix standing in front of him. "I knew I had to see you. I didn't care if I came here and you told me you wanted to end things between us and I went back to Weymouth and you went to whatever city your going to next and we went our separate ways, but I knew I had to see you just one last time." He sighed and laughed.

"You flew to Phoenix just to see me one last time and to see if I wanted to break up with you?" I laughed and looked around. "Um, yeah." "Then you definitely are the girl I fell in love with." I smiled. "Really?" He put his hands on my waist and put his forehead on mine. "Of course. You know this was my ending." I looked at him confused. "What me flying to Phoenix for a possible break up and seeing you loose your first NHL game?" We both laughed. "No, well, no. My ending was getting to play in the NHL, but still getting to have the best girlfriend in the world." "That sounds like a pretty good story." He leaned down and gave me a kiss and the fans in the background cheered. We turned to look at them and laughed. "You still have your plane ticket?" I pulled it out of my bag. "Yeah I leave in a few hours." He looked at the ticket and then ripped it in half. "Charlie! Why did you do that?" He looked at me and smiled. "I didn't like where there ticket had you going. I'm getting you a ticket for Minnesota. It will be waiting for you at the airport. And I will be waiting for you in Minnesota." He gave me a kiss then had to get on the bus to leave for the airport and all I could do was smile.

So are you wondering what happened after? Well I landed in Minnesota and Charlie was there waiting for me, just like he promised. I haven't been back to Weymouth, but when I do go back I plan on having Charlie with me.