Growing Up
Chapter 3
Niklas led her to his blue rental car and held the passenger door open for her. She climbed in and buckled her seat belt just as he got in. She grinned at him and giggled.
“Beat you!”
He gasped playfully as he heard the ‘click’ of his own seatbelt.
“No fair!”
She laughed when she saw his lip stuck out in a pout and his eyes wide. He shook his head smiling and started the car.
“Where do you like to eat, Elizabeth?”
She nervously bounced her leg and looked at the floor. The anxiety found its way back into her body, causing her heart to beat a thousand miles per hour.
“I-I don’t know.”
He glanced over, still keeping his eyes on the road in front of him, reminding himself he was to stay on the right side of the road and not the left.
“What do you mean ‘you don’t know’ you silly girl?”
He was trying to lighten the mood, but he realized he was only worsening the situation.
“Sorry, I guess that didn’t help huh?”
Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head slowly. He glanced over a second time, making sure she was alright, when a car barreling down the road. He heard her scream as he jerked the wheel to the left and ended up in a ditch upside down. He pulled them out of the broken driver’s window and held her, trying to slow his own breathing. She clung to him, shaking like a leaf.
“N-Niklas…”
He was terrified as all hell, but he didn’t want her to panic anymore.
“We’re alright. We’re alive, and we’re going to be just fine.”
He didn’t know where to go, so he just sat in the grass, holding a scared 16 year old girl and fighting his own worries. It seemed like ages until a teenage boy with medium length brown hair, and bushy eyebrows came up to them.
“Hey are you two alright? Looks like you had a bit of a crash.”
Niklas was a bit cut up, but not bleeding dangerously and Elizabeth had a shallow cut on her cheek, but no one would have ever guessed a car crash just by the look of them.
“Yeah, you could say that. We’re fine though, I just don’t know where I am.”
The boy nodded in understanding.
“I get it, I’m new here too. I’m Henrik Zetterburg, you two are?”
Niklas held out his hand and smiled.
“Niklas Kronwall, and this is Elizabeth Stephens.”
Henrik looked around.
“You’re from Stockholm, Sweden right?”
Niklas nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I remember you now, from the hockey team I played on for a while.”
The both had a moment of memories until Elizabeth broke the silence.
“Guys? I don’t mean to be rude…but can we please go somewhere besides this grass?”
Niklas blushed and stood up pulling her to her feet. Someone else had reported the crash and the police were on their way. Niklas gave them the information they needed and were sent on their way. Henrik took them to White Castle for lunch. They ordered food and just as they brought it to their table, Elizabeth bowed her head. Niklas was confused.
“What are you doing?”
Elizabeth looked up at them and smacked Henrik’s hand as he was about to eat.
“We say our blessing before we eat.”
They both looked at each other and shrugged, bowing their heads. Elizabeth led them in prayer and at last they started eating. No one had much to say, so they just ate in silence. After they were finished, Niklas and Henrik fought over the bill.
“Let me take it Niklas.”
He refused.
“No, I’ll take it. Trust me, I got this.”
They went back and forth for at least five minutes until Elizabeth glared at them.
“Guys, seriously? Just split it. I’ll even pay for part of it.”
They both shook their heads.
“No, we’ll get it.”
They paid and left.
“Have a good day Henrik. We’ll catch up soon.”
They waved goodbye and Elizabeth took him to the park.
“Come on Nicky, push me on the swings…please?”
He let her pull him to the swings and pushed her higher and higher until she squealed for him to stop. He backed up and watched her smile grow and her hair fly all over her face.
I wonder if she really likes me…
He shouldn’t think that since he’d just met her, but he couldn’t help it. She was beautiful, full of life, and her personality was bright and perky. She acted like nothing was wrong, not even after their trauma...
He shook it out of his mind.
I can’t think about that right now. Worry about it later.
She had slowed the swing with her feet and turned to him.
“You ok? You look sick…”
He snapped out of his daze and smiled at her.
“I’m fine. Hey, do you want to go with me to my host family’s house? I’m staying with them until I can get a house here…granted I make the team next year…”
She gave him a pat on the shoulder.
“You’ll make it! You were awesome out their earlier!”
His face burned and he looked down at his hands.
“Um…thank you.”
She giggled and hugged him.
“And yes, of course I’ll go with you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light squeeze. They linked arms and walked to his temporary home.
“Beat you!”
He gasped playfully as he heard the ‘click’ of his own seatbelt.
“No fair!”
She laughed when she saw his lip stuck out in a pout and his eyes wide. He shook his head smiling and started the car.
“Where do you like to eat, Elizabeth?”
She nervously bounced her leg and looked at the floor. The anxiety found its way back into her body, causing her heart to beat a thousand miles per hour.
“I-I don’t know.”
He glanced over, still keeping his eyes on the road in front of him, reminding himself he was to stay on the right side of the road and not the left.
“What do you mean ‘you don’t know’ you silly girl?”
He was trying to lighten the mood, but he realized he was only worsening the situation.
“Sorry, I guess that didn’t help huh?”
Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head slowly. He glanced over a second time, making sure she was alright, when a car barreling down the road. He heard her scream as he jerked the wheel to the left and ended up in a ditch upside down. He pulled them out of the broken driver’s window and held her, trying to slow his own breathing. She clung to him, shaking like a leaf.
“N-Niklas…”
He was terrified as all hell, but he didn’t want her to panic anymore.
“We’re alright. We’re alive, and we’re going to be just fine.”
He didn’t know where to go, so he just sat in the grass, holding a scared 16 year old girl and fighting his own worries. It seemed like ages until a teenage boy with medium length brown hair, and bushy eyebrows came up to them.
“Hey are you two alright? Looks like you had a bit of a crash.”
Niklas was a bit cut up, but not bleeding dangerously and Elizabeth had a shallow cut on her cheek, but no one would have ever guessed a car crash just by the look of them.
“Yeah, you could say that. We’re fine though, I just don’t know where I am.”
The boy nodded in understanding.
“I get it, I’m new here too. I’m Henrik Zetterburg, you two are?”
Niklas held out his hand and smiled.
“Niklas Kronwall, and this is Elizabeth Stephens.”
Henrik looked around.
“You’re from Stockholm, Sweden right?”
Niklas nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I remember you now, from the hockey team I played on for a while.”
The both had a moment of memories until Elizabeth broke the silence.
“Guys? I don’t mean to be rude…but can we please go somewhere besides this grass?”
Niklas blushed and stood up pulling her to her feet. Someone else had reported the crash and the police were on their way. Niklas gave them the information they needed and were sent on their way. Henrik took them to White Castle for lunch. They ordered food and just as they brought it to their table, Elizabeth bowed her head. Niklas was confused.
“What are you doing?”
Elizabeth looked up at them and smacked Henrik’s hand as he was about to eat.
“We say our blessing before we eat.”
They both looked at each other and shrugged, bowing their heads. Elizabeth led them in prayer and at last they started eating. No one had much to say, so they just ate in silence. After they were finished, Niklas and Henrik fought over the bill.
“Let me take it Niklas.”
He refused.
“No, I’ll take it. Trust me, I got this.”
They went back and forth for at least five minutes until Elizabeth glared at them.
“Guys, seriously? Just split it. I’ll even pay for part of it.”
They both shook their heads.
“No, we’ll get it.”
They paid and left.
“Have a good day Henrik. We’ll catch up soon.”
They waved goodbye and Elizabeth took him to the park.
“Come on Nicky, push me on the swings…please?”
He let her pull him to the swings and pushed her higher and higher until she squealed for him to stop. He backed up and watched her smile grow and her hair fly all over her face.
I wonder if she really likes me…
He shouldn’t think that since he’d just met her, but he couldn’t help it. She was beautiful, full of life, and her personality was bright and perky. She acted like nothing was wrong, not even after their trauma...
He shook it out of his mind.
I can’t think about that right now. Worry about it later.
She had slowed the swing with her feet and turned to him.
“You ok? You look sick…”
He snapped out of his daze and smiled at her.
“I’m fine. Hey, do you want to go with me to my host family’s house? I’m staying with them until I can get a house here…granted I make the team next year…”
She gave him a pat on the shoulder.
“You’ll make it! You were awesome out their earlier!”
His face burned and he looked down at his hands.
“Um…thank you.”
She giggled and hugged him.
“And yes, of course I’ll go with you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light squeeze. They linked arms and walked to his temporary home.