Enchanted to Meet You

It was later at dinner that night that momma finally noticed the small piece of paper I still had in my hand. She looked at me questioningly. “Hon, what is that you have in your hand,” she asked. I blushed bright red and lowered my eyes to the table, embarrassed. I had been waiting until dinner to tell her but now that it was time, I was having a hard time doing it. A tight squeeze on my hand from Alex made me look my mom in the eyes.

“I meet a new friend today,” I began before launching into the events of the day. I even told her about the whole situation with Dylan. When I finished, the smile was on her lips but worry was in her eyes.

“I’m so happy that you met a new friend at school Bella. He sounds like a very nice young man. Did he say how old he was,” she asked. I shook my head in reply and then momma continued. “I want you to stay with Dylan and Niklas as much as you can. I don’t like the sounds of this Dylan boy. He sounds dangerous.” I nodded in agreement.

“He does momma. Oh, there was something in his eyes that….” I shuddered, not wanting to finish the sentence. Momma knew what I meant, however, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I suggest you put that Dylan boy out of your mind for today. Why don’t you go call that new friend of yours? I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.” I blushed but nodded, getting up from the table and walking into my bedroom. My hands were shaking and I felt sweat running down my cheeks, but I was also grinning. This was my first friend I was really excited for. Slowly taking out my Red Wings cased phone, I typed in his number and placed the phone up to my ear, waiting impatiently.

“Hello, who is this,” a calm accented voice asked. I felt a tingle run down my spine and quaked in excitement as I answered.

“Um, Hello. This is Bella, f-from school. Is this Niklas?” The small burst of laughter that came from the other end made me blush.

“Of course this is Niklas, who else could it be? Hi, Bella. I was actually hoping you’d call. I was just talking about you.” My jaw dropped in shock. Why in the world would a boy like him want to talk about a shy, plain girl like me? I didn’t know what to think or how to feel at the moment, so I was a little slow in answering him.

“W-What about me,” I asked. The shakiness in my voice made me embarrassed, but I don’t even think Niklas noticed. In fact, I could hear the laughter in his voice as he replied.

“Just how nice you are,” he answered. I blushed and felt embarrassed, even though he couldn’t see me.

“I didn’t think I was that nice,” I finally replied. Niklas laughed.

“You’re shy, but you were polite. And I like people who are polite.” I grinned, Now that was something we could agree on. I didn’t have that many friends, but the friends I had made were polite and understood my anxiety. Niklas was one of those people of course.

“You and I think the same way, Niklas. I love it when people are polite. It makes the world go around easier.”

“I agree, Bella. The world does go around easier when people are polite. Do you like hockey?” The sudden change in the topic of conversation startled me for a second, but the topic was a welcoming one. Hockey was a topic I could go hours on end about.

“Of course I love hockey. Hockey’s like our national sport. My brother and younger sister play it, I played it when I was younger and my daddy was a hockey player. We come from a hockey family,” I replied. I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied to my comments.

“Ah, most families in our country are hockey families. I could from a hockey family myself. All three of us boys-my two brothers and I-have been playing hockey since we were tiny things. My dad….taught us how to play.” I could hear the catch in his voice as he said the word “dad” but I was too polite to ask what had happened to his father. He would tell me on his own good time.

“Wow, that sounds amazing. So are you the youngest,” I asked, feeling it was safe to ask him about his brothers, even though I was dying of curiosity to ask what had happened to his dad.

“No, I’m not the youngest, I’m the middle child. I have an older brother, Mattais, who is four years older than me, and then a younger brother, Staffan, who is a year and a half younger. Even though Staffan and I are closer in age, I’m closest to Mattais. I looked up to him so naturally I had to follow in his footsteps.” I knew all about being looked up to, as Lily looked up to me more than the other kids. Why that was I could never fully figure out, but who was I to argue with her? Finally, my curiosity about what happened to his father became too great and I had to ask before I exploded.

“Your brothers sound amazing. You guys sound close knit. By the way, what happened to your dad?” The silence after the question was so long I was beginning to fear he had either hung up or was so upset by the question that he was refusing to answer it. Finally, I heard a loud long sigh.

“He passed away when I was 11 years old. It was my birthday and I went into his room to wake him up. He didn’t wake up and it was then I realized he was dead. That was the……..the……worst day of my life,” he said before he started crying. I felt tears prick at my eyes as well and felt completely helpless. I wanted to be there to hold him and comfort him. But I couldn’t: I was in my bedroom far away from him.

“Oh my gosh Nicky…..I’m so sorry for your loss,” I cried, wiping at my eyes. How could one child have a father and another child have their father taken away from them? This world was so cruel I couldn’t understand it. I heard someone take a shaky breath on the other end and then I heard Nicky’s voice.

“I…….thank you for understanding. It hasn’t been easy without him.”

“I can imagine, Nicky. I don’t know what I would do without my dad. He’s my rock. He’s strong. If he was gone, I’d be………well, I wouldn’t be me.” We talked for several minutes before his mom called him to dinner. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I sat there in silence for a long minute, feeling stunned about what I had just heard, before I went back out into the family room to talk with my mom. I had to tell her about the new information I had just received. I knew she would be sympathetic to him. She was always like that and that (at least as daddy said) was where I got my sympathy from. Momma of course was reading in her favorite blue rocking chair when I came in.

“Momma? I need to tell you something,” I said quietly. She looked worried.

“What is it that you have to tell me, love,” she asked, raising her eyebrows. I sat down on the couch next to her and sighed.

“Oh, momma, I found out so many things-so many new things-out about Nicky that shocked me,” I replied before telling her everything he had told me over the phone. I burst into sobs when I finished and momma came around and pulled me into a tight hug.

“Oh, love, he sounds like he needs someone to lean on. Do you think you can try and be that person,” she asked. I looked up at her, determination still in my eyes. I was ready to be there for Niklas no matter what it took.

“I’m ready to be strong for him, no matter what it takes.”

The next day at school, the first person I ran into was Niklas. I was happy to see him ever since my conservation with him last night. I had learned more about him than I could dream of. It made me happy that he was this open with me and now I had to try and be this open with him.

“Hey Bella, how are you,” he asked, greeting me with that handsome smile. I blushed under his gaze but managed to keep my eyes on his.

“I’m quite well this morning Nicky. And how are you,” I asked in return. He laughed and caught my hand between his.

“I’m really good Ms. Bella. Now, come with me. I want to know more about you,” he said grinning. I blushed again and pulled my hand from his, nodding in agreement. Picking up my guitar, I followed him to the lunch room where to my surprise there was no one there.

“No one is here,” I whispered in surprise. Niklas chuckled.

“Usually there is, but I told Mr. Wood I’d be needing it,” I replied with a wink. My face heated up from his words, but I was internally pleased.

“Well, I am here. What do you want to know,” I asked, sitting up on the table. He giggled and hopped up next to me, a blush of pleasure on his cheeks.

“About your family. I know about Alex, but what about the rest of them,” he asked, looking at me with such friendliness in his blue eyes that I turned my head away from him.

“My family huh? Well, there’s Alex, my twin, Lacy, who’s 12 and my adopted sister Lily, who’s 3. Alex and Lacy play hockey. I used to but I quit. And Lily, well, she’s the sweetest thing. You’d love her I know you would,” I replied, turning back to see his reaction. He looked deep in thought, a big (cute!!) smile on his face.

“You have a big family. Are you close with Lacy,” he questioned. I bit down on my lip, not sure how to explain it to him.

“Well, yes and no. We argue a lot, but we had an agreement not to do that as much this year. She told me she just wants to focus on being my younger sister,” I explained. He nodded again, probably thinking about his younger brother.

“Staffan is the same way. He’s a pain in the ass but I love him. He looks up to me……..oh I mentioned that last night didn’t I,” he asked, blushing a deep red and hiding his face in his hands. I couldn’t help but giggle at his actions. They reminded me of myself, but with him it was cute. Smiling, I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling them from his face.

“Nicky, it’s okay. No need to be embarrassed. I do that all the time,” I told him softly, turning his chin so I could see his face. His cheeks were bright red and he was biting at his lip, a sure sign he was nervous. Why he’d be nervous in front of me I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to ask questions.

“I………I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of a girl I….in front of my new friend,” he answered. I frowned at his quick change of sentence, but I waved it off. There was no way in hell he’d like me, especially after only one day.

“Nicky, honestly, it’s okay. I promise. I’m not mad in any way, shape or form,” I promised. He finally relaxed and smiled again, showing all of his pearly whites. Before he could reply, however, we were interrupted by a loud voice.

“Well, well, well what do we have here? Getting the girl already Kronwall,” Dylan asked, the smirk evident in his voice. I shivered at the look in his eyes, but Niklas instantly wrapped his arms around me and I felt safe.

“Why don’t you fuck off, Brown? You’re scaring her,” Niklas snapped, glaring at Dylan. I didn’t say a word, but I was shaking really bad. –don’t panic don’t panic don’t panic-I thought to myself.

“Why should I? I have a right to be here,” Dylan snarled, walking towards us. I started shaking harder and slid up farther onto the table behind Niklas. I was scared of Dylan: there was just something about him that seemed…….off.

“Actually, Mr. Wood gave me special permission to be here and he told me I could tell anyone to get out if they weren’t welcomed. And you, sir, are not welcome,” Niklas replied evenly, but I could sense and hear the anger in his voice. Growing up in a family of hockey players, I knew for a fact that they could be downright scary if they wanted. Dylan simply smirked.

“Well, I’m not getting out. I came for my meat,” he answered, grabbing my arm and pulling me out from behind Niklas. I screamed and struggled to get out of his grasp.

“No, please let me go. Let me go,” I pleaded, tears running down my cheeks. He sat me hard on the bench and kissed me, running my hands up and down my sides.

“No baby. You’re mine. You’re my meat you see,” he whispered, the lust in his voice making me cry harder. –please God, please. Anything but this. Please!-I thought. Suddenly, Dylan was pulled off of me and thrown to the floor.

“DON’T! TOUCH! HER,” I heard the familiar voice of Alex say. I scrambled back over to Niklas and he held me close as I sobbed into his chest. I was terrified: no, I was horrified. Why would he try and do this to me? Who was he to lay his hands on a body that wasn’t his? I was shaking and crying and I knew I was getting close to a panic attack. I felt calming hands rubbing my back and Niklas’s soothing voice in my ear. I started to relax, but I knew I wasn’t going to relax totally until Dylan was
out of here.

“Man who do you think you are, denying me of my meat,” Dylan snarled, hitting Alex in the face. Alex stumbled backwards, his eye starting to swell, but he recovered and punched Dylan back.

“WHO ARE YOU TO CALL MY SISTER A PIECE OF MEAT AND TRY TO RAPE HER,” he screamed, punching Dylan again. Dylan tried to recover, but Alex kicked him hard in the ribs. A loud gasp came from Dylan’s mouth and he fell to the ground, moaning in pain. My grip on Niklas tightened as the two boys fought, but my panic was slowly leaving me.

“Do you wanna get out of here,” Niklas asked quietly. I shook my head, my eyes on Alex. I couldn’t leave until the fight was over. I knew it wasn’t because Dylan kicked out his legs under Alex’s and
my brother fell hard onto the floor.

“Your…..sister…….is……..mine,” he hissed through the pain in his ribs. The look of pain on his face made me snicker. He glared at me, but I laughed at him.

“What are you gonna do now? Come after me with a bruised rib? Yeah, that’s really gonna work,” I taunted him. His face grew red and he tried to stand, but he ended up howling in pain and falling over again. Alex got up and walked over to Dylan and stood over him glaring. After a long “glaring” match, Alex knelt next to Dylan and got close to his ear.

“If…you…touch...my…sister..again....you...will...pay…with...your…life,” he hissed, saying each word slowly so that he could more easily get his meaning across. A look of terror momentarily flickered in Dylan’s eyes, but Alex simply smirked, got up, and walked away.