The Wall Between

Clarke grinned at her computer screen. Her test grade was staring back at her. A ninety-seven, an A. She was beyond thrilled that she had scored high enough to bring her grade back up into the safe zone. Another A on a test and she would complete the class with a comfortable A as opposed to an A minus.

Closing her laptop, Clarke jumped up from the couch and went over to the fridge, snatching out a water. Dixie was sleeping somewhere in the apartment and Piper was at work. Jonah had mysteriously vanished for the day, which was not uncommon. Sometimes he would vanish for a few days when he was having a tryst with a girl or if he was deep into his writing mode.

Which left Clarke home alone and bored. She looked at her watch. It was three in the afternoon on her day off. She had class tomorrow at noon and another one later. They were both labs that she had already completed the preliminary work for. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Clarke had nothing to do.

Tapping her nails on her water bottle, she looked at her door. “What the hell,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and walking to the door.

It was chilly in the hallway. Clarke left her door cracked open as she knocked lightly on Tyler’s door. She wondered if he was even home, but she could hear Marshall’s muffled bark behind the door. His barks were followed by foot steps and Tyler opening the door. He grinned the second he saw her.

“I feel like you never knock on my door.”

“That’s not true.” Clarke made a face. “I knocked the day my grandma and mother were here. And I just knocked now, so two for me.”

Tyler rolled his eyes. He was dressed in a t-shirt and athletic shorts, as usual whenever Clarke saw him home. “To what do I owe the most prestigious pleasure?”

“I’m bored and all of my friends are busy.”

“So I’m your last resort?” Clarke grinned apologetically and Tyler chuckled. It was a warm sound, proof that he wasn’t really offended. “You wound me so. What did you have in mind?”

“Honestly? I have no idea, I could just use the company. Do you and Marshall want to come hang out at my place? I could give you the not-so grand tour when compared to your place.”

Tyler’s smile was like the sun. “I bet your place is perfect. Marsh and I would love that. Right Marshall?” The dog blinked lazily at Tyler from his spot on the floor. “Thanks bud.”

Clarke chuckled and paused as Tyler turned off his TV and grabbed his phone and keys. At the sound of the keys jingling, Marshall got up from the ground and trotted over to the door, pressing his pink nose against the frame and blowing hard. Clarke rolled her eyes at the lab as Tyler bent down and held him by the collar. A leash wasn’t necessary.

Dixie yipped when they walked into Clarke’s apartment with Marshall. Tyler let his dog go and he bolted for the other dog, the both of them wagging their tails and jumping around one another. Clarke grinned and looked at Tyler, who was craning his neck around.

“It’s a bit smaller than your place,” Clarke admit, shrugging her shoulders. “But it’s nice.”

“It’s so open.” Tyler walked into the open kitchen, running his hand along the countertops. He grabbed an apple out of her bowl and bit into it. “And it’s bright and cheery. It fits you.”

“You’re lucky that apple wasn’t fake.”

Tyler walked around and Clarke trailed after him, happy enough to let him take the lead. He peeked into her bedroom, making an appreciative sound. They walked to the study where Clarke had all of her books on a shelf and her desktop powered off. Tyler knocked on the wall and looked at Clarke, who raised her brow and crossed her arms.

“This is your famous desk.”

“And your famous bed is on the other side.”

“Funny how that worked out.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. “Yeah, funny.”

If Tyler was embarrassed he didn’t show it. He did grin at her though before the walked out of the small office room and into the living room where Clarke’s TV was set. The glass doors leading to the balcony next to Tyler’s was closed, but the glass, French doors were curtain free, letting in natural light.

Tyler jumped onto Clarke’s couch, lounging easily and looking up at her. He had a habit of making himself comfortable, which Clarke thought was nice. It must have been so easy for someone like him to just feel like he belonged everywhere. No awkward feeling of not fitting in. He was a natural.

Clarke sat down on the couch next to him while the dogs found one of Dixie’s ropes and began a game of tug-of-war. Tyler pointed to the remote and Clarke nodded, gesturing for him to take control. She pulled her legs up onto the couch, his shoulder touching her folded legs as he leaned on his elbow towards her.

Flipping the channels, he stopped on a hockey game. Clarke made a sound and Tyler laughed, bumping her leg with his shoulder. He looked at her from his lounged position, smiling. “If you’re going to be friends with a hockey player, you should know hockey.”

“And what if I don’t think I have to know anything?”

He made a face. “Feisty. You don’t have to.”

Clarke smiled. “I’m teasing. Start telling me how it works, oh great Stars centre.”

“You know I’m a centre?”

“I’m not totally clueless, puck-head.”

Learning hockey was easy for Clarke. She grew up playing soccer, so it wasn’t hard for her to apply the similarities. Tyler was extremely patient, explaining as the game moved along. They were watching Minnesota Wild play against the St. Louis Blues and Tyler elected to take a neutral stance on what players he didn’t like, despite Clarke’s poking.

According to Tyler, both teams were in the Central Division with the Stars. Either of them winning was a danger to knocking out the Stars from their number two spot on the conference, but it appeared St. Louis was closer to the spot. Clarke decided she wanted the Wild to win for that reason. She didn’t miss Tyler’s grin as he turned back to the TV.

The two dogs eventually wore one another out and laid down on the ground. Clarke got up and grabbed chips and two beers, popping the top off for Tyler and handing it to him. He thanked her and absently took it from her without taking his eyes off the TV, going into the details about what ‘icing’ was, which Clarke was having a hard time understanding.

They watched two full periods together. Despite not being familiar with anything, Clarke enjoyed the game. It was fast paced and when players slammed one another against the boards, she flinched or cheered. Tyler seemed completely amused by her, laughing whenever she asked a question.

Which she did so fearlessly. Clarke had no qualms about asking Tyler questions at all, and he never made her feel as though they were bad questions. He answered them in detail and animatedly, sometimes using an example of a game from his past. Clarke wondered how many games he remembered.

“Are there certain things that stick out, about playing?” He seemed confused as he sipped his second beer. “Certain things that happened in games, I mean.”

“Absolutely. Most of the time you remember your mistakes. I remember more of mistakes than I do the goals I’ve made. You always look for where you can improve.”

Clarke nodded. “I get that, actually. I always remember the assignments I don’t do well on, I barely remember which tests that I’ve passed.”

“Do you enjoy it? Physical therapy?”

“I really do. It’s hard and the classes are insane sometimes, but it’s ultimately what I need to know. I like to see people get better, you know? No one should suffer permanent damage after an injury.” Tyler nodded, a somewhat haunted look in his eyes. “What?”

“I had a bad hit one year,” he explained. “It was out on open ice and it nearly obliterated my knee. I was out for the entire end of the season. Our physical therapy guy and my own refusal to quit were the only reason I could come back, I think.”

Clarke chewed on her lip. “That’s a part of why I enjoy it too. You meet some people who are resilient and beautiful people, and you can’t help but fall in love with their confidence in healing.”

Tyler put his head on Clarke’s shoulder. “So if I get hurt you’ll fall in love with me.”

Snorting, Clarke swatted at him, despite him batting his long eyelashes. She was pretty sure that Tyler had no idea how frustrating it was to see boys with such beautiful lashes when she had to put on layers of mascara or fake lashes to achieve the same level of length and fullness.

“Yeah, you’re real loveable.” Clarke grabbed the remote and turn up the TV. “Now explain the art of winning face offs to me, centre piece.”