Status: Finished! (8/12-10/5)

Counting Stars

Three

Marisol’s POV- March 2013
I finished making breakfast and I turned off the stove. I couldn’t sleep from the mild jetlag I had, so I decided to make breakfast and start my day off. I heard a small yelp come from outside the kitchen and I turned around. I smiled at the awkward young hockey player and pointed at the plates. I had just gotten in from New York. Well I was in Ireland and then I went to New York. Mike was hosting a Rookie by the looks of it, and my was he adorable with his slight messy hair and blue eyes. He was a little taller than Mike and well he had no facial hair so….about 20 years old…maybe 19.

“Pick a plate and go to the living room. We’re having breakfast there” I said.

He nodded slowly and he looked at me slowly.

“I’m Marisol” I said.

He nodded and I smiled.

“Tyler”

I nodded.

“I know, you’re taller than I thought you would be. Then again every teammate is taller than Mike” I told him as I got two mugs and followed him to the living room.

He laughed lightly and followed me to the living room.

“Where’s Mike?”

“He went to take Arnold for a walk. Will probably be back with Jeff” I said.

He nodded slowly and I walked back to the kitchen.

“Mike said you were coming tomorrow”

“He’s an idiot” I said shaking my head.

He smiled and I got my plate. Mike always messed up my flight dates, which was kind of bad if he had to pick me up. Usually one of my friends or Jeff’s girlfriend would pick me up.

“Come on now, let’s eat” I told him.

He nodded slowly and we began eating. Breakfast consisted on a veggie omelet and some cut up fruit. I fixed my yoga pants I was wearing and chewed on my food as I looked at him.

“Where are you from Tyler?” I asked him as I popped a piece of strawberry into my mouth.

“Scarborough, Ontario”

I nodded slowly and cocked my head.

“By Toronto” I told him.

He nodded and looked at me.

“You’ve been there?”

“I went to Toronto yea, it’s beautiful” I said.

He nodded.

“Where are you from?”

I smiled.

“Here, I grew up about 30 minutes inland” I said.

He nodded and looked at me.

“Your accent is a little”

I laughed and nodded. My accent was so weird according to most of the people I met. I spent most of my time in LA, New york and Boston so of course I had somewhat mix of their accent.

“I went to Uni in Boston” I said.

He nodded.

“And I lived in New York during the summer” I said.

He nodded slowly and looked at me.

“How old are you?”

“23” I said.

He looked at me a little surprised.

“Did you think I was as old as those two?” I asked as Mike and Jeff walked in.

Jeff let out a deep breath and looked at me.

“Who are you calling old?”

“You and Mike” I said as I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.

Jeff then clutched his chest and frowned at me.

“Your words wound me”

I hummed and Jeff sat down.

“Tyler and I were having a moment. Go eat in the kitchen with Mike” I said.

Mike laughed and sat down. I clicked my tongue.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked Tyler.

He nodded and blushed lightly.

“Aww that’s so adorable. He’s blushing. How does she look?” I asked.

He handed me his phone and I looked at the picture. His girlfriend was a stunning blonde and blue-eyed girl who looked very into him.

“She is a beautiful young girl” I said handing him back his phone.

He thanked me and I looked at Mike. He kissed my forehead and stole a piece of watermelon.

“Are you heading out today?”

“I was going to have lunch with nana and then meet you at the game” I said.

“Is nana going?”

I smiled.

“Of course to see the Sharks lose she will go”

They laughed and I looked at Tyler.

“I haven’t played yet”

“Are you playing tonight?” I asked him.

He nodded slowly and I smiled.

“You’ll do good” I told him as I continued eating my pancakes and eggs.

“This is really good”

“Thanks” I told him as I took a sip of my coffee.

My phone buzzed and I reached for it.

“I thought you weren’t working today?”

“I’m not” I said.

I looked down at my phone and nodded slowly.

“Your girlfriend is looking for you” I told Jeff.

He stood up and I nodded.

“Bye!” I told him.

He waved and I looked at Mike.

“When’s your day off?” I asked him.

“Tomorrow”

I nodded.

“How was the UK?”

I smiled and nodded at Mike.

“It was nice, cold but nice” I said.

He nodded and I leaned on him a little as I shared my breakfast with him.

“How are the boys doing?”

“Small cold, but they will be fine” I said.

He nodded.

“How’s Isaac?”

“Missing his cat” I said.

Mike laughed and I nodded. My brother loved animals and he had a cat named rascal and two cockatiels.

“Him, that cat and those two birds”

I laughed and nodded.

“Her brother has two birds, Mickey and Minnie and Mickey sings and all. Adorable two birds”

“Where are they anyways?”

“Nana’s” I said.

He nodded.

“She has your beagle as well right?”

“Yup, little Che” I said.

“Short for?”

“Che Guevara” I said.

Tyler laughed lightly and I shrugged.

“Why didn’t he stay with you guys?”

“Arnold tends to be a little rough on the poor guy and Mike lets him” I said.

Tyler shook his head and I looked down at my phone.

“Invite everyone over, have a nice family dinner” I told him.

He nodded.

“Ok”

He slipped out his phone and I looked at Tyler.

“What do you like eating?” I asked him.

He blinked and began getting red.

“Dude she makes good food”

“Anything is fine. I eat anything”

I looked at him.

“Dog food it is” I said looking down at my phone.

Mike laughed and I stood up.

“I’m kidding, BBQ tell the guys they can bring anything they want” I told him as I hopped over their legs.

He nodded and I looked at him.

“I am going to change” I said.

He nodded and I got my plate.

“Ok”

I nodded and made my way into the kitchen.

“You like the breakfast?”

“Yea, she knows how to cook”

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend”

“She’s in Ottawa”

I made my way from the kitchen to the room and I looked around. I slipped on some jeans and slipped on my boots. I got a blouse and slipped it on. I somewhat did my hair and I got my make up.

“I’ll see you boys later” I said as I kissed Tyler’s cheek.

“Have fun” I told him as he looked up at me.

He nodded and I kissed Mike.

“I’ll leave tickets at the desk”

I nodded and he patted my side as I pulled away from him.

“Bye!” I called out.

I pet Arnold and made my way to my car. I got in and bit my lip as my phone rung. It was Nana. She was just making sure I was heading over already. I got to her place and I got out of the car.

“Hi nana” I said as she let me in.

I smiled at Che as he wagged his tail and acknowledged me. He followed us into the living room along with Rascal who just meowed.

“Hi honey, how was Europe?”

“It was well. I think I got them a record label but I’m not going to tell them yet. I need to get it settled” I said kissing her cheek.

“Really that is great”

I nodded and smiled at her.

“How was old Cali?” I asked her as I followed her into the kitchen.

“It was nice, it’s been cold for a few days now. Oh yes…your father called me”

I looked at her and she nodded.

“You know Nana, I really don’t care what he has to say about me. What he said to me that day is enough” I said.

She nodded slowly and gave me a small sympathetic smile. I cried a lot, I sobbed for a whole month and after that I just held everything in and cried when I could. There was no point in crying for a guy who left you and your brother because he wanted to stand by his wife’s side. Fuck him. I talked to him after I graduated asking for him to help Isaac and he told me to “Deal with it myself”

“Your brother needs a place to stay for the summer or something like that”

I hummed and she shrugged lightly.

“You know he only calls when he needs something. He asked for you”

I hummed and she laughed.

“Marisol, he’s your brother who happens to play baseball”

I looked at her.

“Tessa plays softball” I said.

She shrugged and looked at me as she took a sip of her drink.

“Your dad asked if you still played. Did you not tell the board about your injury?”

I shook my head.

“I never bothered to and what did you tell him” I said sitting up and getting the glass of water she had offered me.

I was hurt over that fact that my dad had asked for me because he needed a favor. When was he when I needed the favor? Oh right…I dealt with it myself.

“That you retired”

I nodded and she hummed.

“Your dad really hasn’t paid attention to you or your brother”

It hurt that while I spent days hungry my dad was ignoring us.

“He asked if I could ask you if you could help your brother”

I looked at my nails.

“I may not even be here during the summer” I said looking at her.

She nodded.

“Mike wants to go to Kenora and maybe go visit Australia while I fix things up for the boys” I said.

She nodded slowly. I was telling the truth; I couldn’t exactly drop everything for a boy I rarely saw while I was growing up.

She laughed lightly and nodded slowly.

“I’ve met the boy, I honestly don’t believe he is your dad’s and that woman’s child. A very polite child”

I nodded and looked at the picture that hung on her wall. It was a picture of her in the middle with Isaac on her left and me on her right. Both of us had our gowns and the three of us were smiling. Nana was 5’3 or so, so we were slightly taller than her.

She nodded.

“So besides that man calling what else happened?” I asked her as I smiled at my pup who trotted in, got his chew toy and then proceeded to run into the wall.

“Tommy came”

I smiled; her son had come to give her a visit. He was a little older than me, about a year older than Mike.

“He’s busy so the fact that he did that” I said nodding.

She nodded and smiled.

“I’m going to be a grandma”

I smiled and she nodded.

“No way” I said.

She nodded.

“Oh my gosh, congrats!” I said hugging her.

She hugged back and I clapped my hands together when I pulled away.

“He said he was going to pass by but you got in last night and he didn’t want to wake you”

“He should have. Oh my god I’m going to be an aunt!” I said.

She smiled and I looked at her.

“I’m thrilled. She’s 3 months”

I smiled.

“That is so great, good for them especially since they had been trying” I said.

She nodded and I smiled.

“Isaac is going to ask Kara to marry him” I said.

“No way”

I nodded and she smiled.

“Really?”

I nodded and she covered her mouth.

“About time!”

I laughed and she looked at me.

“When are you going to get married”

“Nana!” I said.

“Come on! I want to see your children”

I waved my hand and she laughed.

“No, not yet. My career is starting off and Mike has hockey. Maybe in a couple of years, I always saw myself getting married after I turned 25” I said.

She nodded.

“Because if you end up pregnant”

“I won’t nana. Mike and I are always tired and well when we do have sex I’m on the pill and he wears a condom” I said.

She hummed in approval and smiled.

“How adorable would your children look?”

I smiled lightly at her.

“Do you see yourself having a life with Mike?”

I nodded.

“I love him Nana” I said.

“When I heard he was slightly older I admit I was a little worried, but I saw how gentle and caring he was. When he paid for Isaac’s treatment he was allowed in”

I smiled and nodded.

“He’s also gorgeous”

I winked at her and she smiled.

“How are the 4 boys?”

“They are wonderful boys” I told her.

She nodded.

“The youngest was a little homesick when I first got there, so I got his mom to come for a bit. The two middle ones like annoying me but get mad when I don’t get annoyed and the oldest was a wreck for a few days. They’re all sensitive” I told her.

“Why was he a wreck?”

I took a sip of my tea and sighed.

“He reads the horrible things the media says about him” I said.

She sighed and I nodded.

“I cuddled up with him though and just babied him” I said.

She smiled and nodded.

“They cling on me nana and they’re about Jeff’s height” I said.

She laughed and shook my head at her as I took a sip of my water.

“I’m serious but I love those boys. They’re like my brothers honestly and well they come to me, or Isaac for advice. Michael came to me for girl advice and Ash asked me what I thought about this thing going on with a girl he was seeing” I said.

She cooed and I grinned at her. Those boys were like family and I loved them honestly.

“Isaac’s been dating Kara since we were 18 so you know…it was weird. Jake well I don’t talk with him and last time I saw he was like 11 years old. Even then I really didn’t interact with him when we were little he is family you know?” I asked.

She nodded and smiled lightly at me as she reached for my hand.

“That boy has a lot of hidden feelings. I wouldn’t be surprised if he looks for you. You are obviously a role model”

I laughed and she looked at me a little surprised as I began shaking my head.

“No not that! It’s just imagine him knocking and finding Mike Richards opening the door” I said.

She cracked a smile.

“Oh Marisol”

I took a bite of my cookie and shrugged at her.

“I have nothing to explain to him nana. If he wants answers maybe he should ask his parents” I said.

She nodded and I looked at the time.

“Do you need to go to the grocery store?” I asked her.

She nodded and I smiled.

“Well lets go and then I’ll make dinner” I told her.

I helped her clean up and soon we were out the door. My half-brother was the least thing on my mind honestly.
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Thank you guys for reading the first two chapters! I have a doctors appointment because i need a vaccine in order to let be back into school. i'm 20 years old and my mom is still accompanying me because i'm cool like that. Honestly i don't care she's my mom and i'm not planning on ignoring her. So guys...go hang out with your parents.