Whirl Wind

Well I guess it is official, I, Charlotte Lloyd has now graduated from the University of Minnesota. With my Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance diploma in hand I march across the stage hearing the cheers from my friends and family and I finally move the tassel to the other side signalling my graduation. I will never forget my time here being a Gopher, especially all the hockey I learned from here.

The University of Minnesota has been my home for the past four years and has brought be a lot of joy but also some sadness. It was a very bittersweet ending to my college hockey career and my time in University. And to be able to have my best friend here has been a blessing. I owe everything to Kath for pushing me through school, hockey, and life. She truly is my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without her.

My parents are here for Kath and I, as well as Ryan and his parents. Tay is here supporting us too, but unfortunately Sid is not in attendance as he went back to Nova Scotia for the summer. He has some stuff to do for getting ready for his Hockey School and he has begun working out with the Nova Scotia crew. It is a bummer that he isn’t here but we still haven’t told the media we are together and him showing up at mine and Kath’s graduation would turn some heads.

After the diploma ceremony and the throwing of our graduation caps, thankfully I catch mine again, I hug everyone that is here today. My family is really close with Ryan’s family so I know them very well. We take a lot of pictures and we find the other two graduating hockey players and take pictures with them too. Tay takes a selfie of me and her and Kath and she sends it to Sid. I get out my phone and go to snapchat and send him a selfie of me smiling with my cap and gown.

*Sid’s pov*

Today is Charlie’s graduation in Minnesota and I am here in Halifax, Nova Scotia where I have to tie up some loose ends with my Hockey School and I am also here because this is where I will be training for the summer with some other NHL Players. I really wanted to be at Charlie’s graduation but since I had stuff to do here and we haven’t told the media about us yet we decided that going to her graduation wouldn’t be very good for keeping our relationship on the down low.

My phone beeps signalling a text. It is from Tay and she has been sending me a bunch of pictures of Charlie at graduation. She is beaming from ear to ear. And I can’t help it but smile so big.

“Oh Sid did Charlie send you something because you loveeeee her.” Nathan Mackinnon is making kissy noises and chirping me.

“Charlie is graduating today and Taylor has been sending me pictures.” I reply still looking at my phone. My phone goes off again and it is a snapchat from Charlie. I open it and she is smiling from ear to ear and she looks so adorable in her gown and cap. I screen shot it and send a picture of my smiling back saying ‘I’m so proud of you<3’

“Hello? Sid! What are you doing here if your girlfriend is graduating?” Nate asks.

“I didn’t go because we didn’t want the news to travel that I was there and people would ask questions and our relationship wouldn’t be a secret anymore.”

“You didn't get to see your girlfriend graduate university because you are afraid of what the media will say?” Andrew Mcdonald asks.

“It’s complicated. She wants to be able to say that she made the CWHL without my help. I don’t really know how I would be helping her in any way.”

“Maybe she thinks that people will treat her differently if they find out that her boyfriend is Sidney Crosby and they might think that just because she’s his girlfriend that she can get into the CWHL.”
I nod.

“Did she ever think about going to the NWHL? Scrivens’ wife just signed.” Andrew says.

“Yeah, but I think she wants to be in Canada for a bit because she had played in Minny for 4 years she wants to be closer to home.” I reply.

“Who knows? Maybe she will one day play in the NWHL.” Nathan says.

“Who knows? Maybe they will expand to Pittsburgh and we can live together.” I say chuckling and shaking his head at Nathan.

“You know you could probably make that happen right? You’re Sidney Crosby.” Nathan says and I just shake my head. My phone starts ringing and Charlie’s face pops up.

“oooh you better answer that lover boy.” Nate chirps.

I chuckle at him and pick up my phone walking out of the locker room.

“Hey my little graduate.” I say on the phone.

“Hi Sid!” I can hear her smile through the phone and how happy she is.

“How are you?” I ask.

“I’m good, I miss you, what about you?”

“I miss you too Char, I’m good we just finished a on ice session and I have to go to a meeting in two hours.”

“Sounds like you’re busy.”

“Well shouldn't you be celebrating?”

“We are going out in about twenty minutes, I wanted to talk to you first.”

“You know I’m so proud of you right?”

“Yeah.” she replies quietly.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

“You can’t even see me Sid.”

“I don’t need to see you to know that you are absolutely beautiful, but I did see the pictures my sister sent me.” I smirk.

“You smart ass.”

“So where are you guys going?”

“I think out for dinner, and then drinks after or something.”

“Sounds like fun, I wish I was there.”

“I fly out in two days.” Char chuckles a little.

“I know, I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you too.”

“CROSBY IS SOFTTTTTT” I hear Nate yell.

“Shut up Nate.” I call back and walk into a different hallway. “Sorry about that Charlie.”

“It’s okay, but I have to go finish getting ready for tonight.”

“Okay.” I pout.

“I can hear you pouting over the phone Sid.”

I laugh. “Sorry, I hope you have fun tonight.”

“Skate hard.” She replies.

“When don’t I?” I smirk.

“Cocky isn’t a good look on you.”

“You can’t even see me.”

“I don’t need to see you to know that you are smirking.”

I burst out laughing. “I better go babe.”

“Love you sid.”

“I love you too, say hi to our families for me.”

“I will, if Nate chirps you just remind him that he is scared of me and that I come down in two days.”

“Okay I will, thanks mom.” I joke.

“Jerk.”

I laugh. “Okay well goodbye cutie.”

“Goodbye siddd.” I hang up and walk back into the locker room to get my bag all packed to go home and then get ready for the hockey school meeting.

_________

I pull up to the airport and get out to wait for Charlie and my family to fly in to Halifax. I rest against my range rover, I would probably be taking Charlie and Taylor home as mom and dad have their car here from when they left. I am scrolling through my phone when I feel someone pat my leg, I look down to see a little boy smiling up at me.

“Hello.” the little boy chirps.

“Hi buddy, whats you're name?”

“Ryan, are you Sidney Crosby?” He asks looking wide eyed.

“Yes I am, do you play hockey?”

“I start this year, they said I was too small last year. Had to do power skating instead.”

“Power skating is really helpful for hockey. What team are you gonna play for?”

“The Halifax Hawks. We play the team where you live.”

“They are a good team, are you here alone?”

“My mom is waiting to pick up my grandma.”

“Does Mom know where you are?”

Ryan nods and points towards a late twenties brunette walking out with about a 65 year old women. “Hi Grammy!” He chirps.

“Hi sweetie.” Ryan runs up and gives her a hug.

“Guess who I am talking to?”

“Who Ryan?” She asks.

“Sidney Crosby, see!” He points to me and I slightly wave. I reach my hand out to shake her hand and Ryan’s mom’s.

“I’m sorry if Ryan here was bugging you. He said he was just waiting outside for me.” Ryan’s mom says.

“Thats okay, we were just talking about hockey eh buddy?” I smile at Ryan and he smiles back.

“He knows the Halifax Hawks Mommy!”

“I used to play them in Minor hockey.” I reply.

“Mom do we have my jersey?”

“Yes honey we do. Why?”

“Could you sign it for him Sidney?” Ryan’s grandma interrupts.

“Of coarse.”

“So what brings you to the airport?” Ryan’s mom asks me as we walk over to their car that is only a few down from us.

“I’m picking up my family and um- my sister’s friend. They are going to help with my hockey school.” Almost saying my girlfriend, I quickly changed it. I take the sharpie from Ryan’s mom and sign Ryan’s practice jersey he has.

“All the kids are going to be jealous eh Ry?” his mom says to him. “Thank you for doing this. I bet you just wanted to pick up your family in peace.”

“I don’t mind, Ryan is very smart for his age.”

“A chatterbox too.” She chuckles a little.

Ryan wraps his arms around my leg. “Thanks Sidney Crosby.”

“No problem buddy. Good luck with hockey.” I wave goodbye to Ryan, his mom, and his grandma and walk back to the car to see Taylor and Charlie resting against my car.

“Be careful, I just washed this.” I nudge Charlie and put their bags in the trunk.

“Mom and Dad went home, where were you?”

“Talking to a little boy. Sorry guys.”

“Its alright.” Charlie chirps and smiles at me as we climb into my range rover. She always loves when I sign autographs and spend time with the kids.

“How was the flight?” I ask them.

“Tiring.” Charlie says.

“Good.” Tay says.

I put the car into drive and navigate to my parents house to drop off Taylor.

______

“Okay everybody two laps around.” I chirp as I see Nate, Andrew, Taylor, and Charlie join me on the ice for the first day of my hockey school. A whole bunch of kids applied and we could only take so many which sucked, but maybe next year they will get in! I always love helping the kids, growing up I would love something like this.

Once everybody was done, and they were huddled around us we started to introduce ourselves. “So welcome! My name is Sidney, and I play for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and I hope you guys have the best week here.”

Next was Taylor, “Hi guys, my name is Taylor and I played goalie for Northeastern University in Minnesota and I have just graduated and am hoping to be drafted to the CWHL at the end of the month. I’m here for all the goaltenders with us.”

Then Nate. “I’m Nathan Mackinnon and I play centre for the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL.”

Andrew. “Hi, I’m Andrew Mcdonald, I play defence for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL.”

Lastly was my wonderful girlfriend. “Hello everybody, My name is Charlotte Lloyd, you can call me Charlie and I played right wing for the University of Minnesota Blues for the past four years and now I am hoping to be drafted in the CWHL.”

I smiled at my adorable girlfriend. “So we have Coach Sidney, Coach Taylor, Coach Nate, Coach Andrew, and Coach Charlie and we are here to help you become better hockey players on and off the ice. If you guys have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. We have a player of each position here to help you all out. So lets start with figure eights, everyone goes at their own pace.” Everybody starts and we get through the first day, smoothly. With some bumps, but that was expected. I clean up the ice to see Charlie over at the bench untying a little girls pair of skates.

“Everything okay here?” I ask, skating over to them.

“Yeah, I just needed help with my skates.” The little girl whose name tag says Lydia on.

“Sounds good, I will see you tomorrow Lydia. Great first day!” I say.

I start to skate away when I hear Charlie whisper. “See he isn’t that scary? Just a normal boy.”

I chuckle and skate to the coach’s room where Tay, Nate, and Andrew are. “Great first day guys.” This was going to be a great week for my hockey school…