The Game of Love
Change of Plans
I let out a yawn as I stretched my arms above my head and stood up watching the guys leaving the ice. I began walking back towards the locker rooms searching for Peyton. Again, she sent me a text saying she’d meet up with me in there.
I closed my phone and began walking, trying to ignore any and all thoughts racing through my head of how awkward any communication with Max or Kris would be. I was more nervous of what Kris would say or do in front of everyone. I took a deep breath as I slowly approached the doors of the locker room.
“Hey Brooke!” I turned around to see Matt Cooke grinning at me like a child. He opened his arms and pulled me into him. I swear, if he wasn't married... maybe I shouldn't finish that thought.
“Hey Matt, how are you?” I patted him lightly on the back.
“Oh you know, tired from practice and all. I’m going to go shower but we’ll talk later?”
I nodded and smiled. “Sure.” I turned back around to spot a bench and went to sit on it. My phone vibrated in my back pocket and Peyton texted she would almost be here. Great. How do I avoid total conversation with Max, Kris and maybe Sidney?
I don’t know what it is about Sidney, but I still couldn't figure it out. He sort of scared me. It seemed as if he had some sort of hatred or dislike towards me. I’d understand it if he had a legit reason, but I honestly couldn't think of anything I’ve done to make him act so serious around me. I understood that solemn vibe he gave off since he wasn't very talkative but it seemed like he just didn't want to be around me. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a huge shadow covering the light above me. I looked up to see Kris’ back facing me as he was talking to someone.
He turned around and stopped; only staring at me. He ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, hey Brooke.”
“Hi Kris. How are you?”
He seemed confused by the question, probably surprised I responded so quickly but nodded anyway. “Good. Just a bit tired from practice.”
“Brooke!” I looked behind him to see Peyton and sighed in relief.
“Peyton, you’re here.” I stood up and ran my hands up and down my jeans.
She nodded. “I’m here. You ready?”
“Oh like you wouldn’t believe.” I muttered and nodded.
Peyton nodded at Kris. “Bye Kris.”
“Uh, bye Kris.”
He nodded softly. “Bye Brooke.”
We began to walk but were stopped when we reached Max. Peyton froze and stared at him. “Uh, hi Max.”
Max nodded softly. “Uh, hi Peyton.” He looked at her for a moment but quickly walked away.
She sighed. “I am so happy to be going home.”
I nodded in agreement. “Tell me about it.”
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“Peyton! Have you seen my phone? I swear that thing keeps getting lost!” I checked my coat pocket.
She walked into the living room. “When did you have it last?”
“When you sent me the text in the locker room.” I mumbled. “But I put it back in my pocket.”
“Which pocket?”
I furrowed my brows. “The back pocket of my jeans. Why?”
She threw her hands in the air slightly. “I told you to stop putting your phone there! Not only can anyone steal it easily but it constantly falls out. This is a habit with you, I swear.”
I sighed sitting on the couch. “Well I guess I finally learned.”
She shook her head as she put on her shoes. “Alright well I have to go back to work to get this story in and talk to my boss real quick. But I should be back in about two hours, just in time for dinner.”
“So, I should get started cooking.” I waved as she closed the door leaving me alone again.
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I stirred the pasta sauce around the pan as I danced around to the stereo blasting music. Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole came on. I took out plates from the cupboard and wiped them with a cloth. I began dancing around the whole kitchen and was totally in what people refer to as "the zone". Everything would’ve been fine if someone hadn’t decided to bang on the door. I jumped about a foot in the air making me drop the plate.
I groaned staring at the shattered pieces on the floor. I paced to the door angrily and swung it open yelling at the person. “What!” My eyes immediately grew seeing Marc and Sidney standing there shocked by my anger. I smiled sheepishly as I felt my face growing warmer.
“Wow,” Marc said. “I didn’t know you were such an angry person.”
I sighed, stepping aside and letting them in. Their eyes soon followed the small pieces of glass that had recently been broken. I slid across the floor turning off the music. “Okay, now I can hear you.”
Marc pointed to the floor. “What happened here?”
I let out a sharp breath and bent down with the cloth. “I don’t care how much I like you, I am not a fan of you making me ruin a perfectly good plate.”
He laughed. “Sorry.”
I glared at him. “That was part of a $150 set.”
He grew very serious. “Oh.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t care for the result of your inability to knock on a door like a normal person.”
“We knocked normally at first, but no one answered and suddenly the music got loud. So we had to knock louder,” Marc explained.
I sighed and got up with all the broken pieces in hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be mean I just really liked that plate.” I smiled. “So, is there anything I can help you with?”
He smiled and nodded. “As a matter of fact there is.” Just then, his phone started to ring. He nodded to Sidney who just shrugged.
I wiped my hands and smiled at him. “Is everything okay?”
Sidney cleared his throat and smiled slightly. “Yeah, we just came by to return this.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out my phone.
“Oh thank you!” I took my phone and hugged it. “This thing is like a bad charm or something. Thank you for returning it. ”
He let out a small laugh. “You’re welcome.”
Marc came back. “Sorry about that.” I nodded as I saw him look around the kitchen. “That smells great. Did you cook that?” I nodded again as he looked at the table set with two plates. “Oh, got a hot date tonight?”
I laughed as I saw Sidney start to shift uncomfortably. The phone began to ring as I picked it up. I excused myself and was back within minutes. I looked at them. “I don’t suppose you guys would want some chicken parmesan with some pasta and salad?”
Marc smirked. “Did your date cancel?”
“No, that was Peyton we were supposed to have dinner but she got caught up with something.” I shrugged.
“Well I would love some, but I kind of have something to do.” He checked his phone. “But I’m sure Sidney would love to stay and have some!”
I glanced at Sidney who was giving Marc a serious look. “Oh, it’s okay. He doesn’t have to.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m sure he wants to.” He nudged Sidney. “Right Sid?”
He glanced at me and smiled a bit before looking down. “I wouldn’t want to bother you or ruin your night.”
I smiled in surprise at how shy he was being. “No, you wouldn’t be a bother at all. I’d love to have some company for dinner. If you want.”
He looked down for a moment before looking at me and smiling sincerely. “I’d like to stay and have dinner with you.”
“Great! Now that that’s settled, you guys have fun. I’ll talk to you later!” He walked out to the living room and yelled a goodbye before closing the door.
I looked at Sidney who had his hands in his pockets and was swaying. I sighed and managed to put a smile. “Shall we?” I pointed to the table.
“Yes, let’s.” Sidney walked past me and into the kitchen. He was about to have dinner with me.
How did that happen?
I closed my phone and began walking, trying to ignore any and all thoughts racing through my head of how awkward any communication with Max or Kris would be. I was more nervous of what Kris would say or do in front of everyone. I took a deep breath as I slowly approached the doors of the locker room.
“Hey Brooke!” I turned around to see Matt Cooke grinning at me like a child. He opened his arms and pulled me into him. I swear, if he wasn't married... maybe I shouldn't finish that thought.
“Hey Matt, how are you?” I patted him lightly on the back.
“Oh you know, tired from practice and all. I’m going to go shower but we’ll talk later?”
I nodded and smiled. “Sure.” I turned back around to spot a bench and went to sit on it. My phone vibrated in my back pocket and Peyton texted she would almost be here. Great. How do I avoid total conversation with Max, Kris and maybe Sidney?
I don’t know what it is about Sidney, but I still couldn't figure it out. He sort of scared me. It seemed as if he had some sort of hatred or dislike towards me. I’d understand it if he had a legit reason, but I honestly couldn't think of anything I’ve done to make him act so serious around me. I understood that solemn vibe he gave off since he wasn't very talkative but it seemed like he just didn't want to be around me. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a huge shadow covering the light above me. I looked up to see Kris’ back facing me as he was talking to someone.
He turned around and stopped; only staring at me. He ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, hey Brooke.”
“Hi Kris. How are you?”
He seemed confused by the question, probably surprised I responded so quickly but nodded anyway. “Good. Just a bit tired from practice.”
“Brooke!” I looked behind him to see Peyton and sighed in relief.
“Peyton, you’re here.” I stood up and ran my hands up and down my jeans.
She nodded. “I’m here. You ready?”
“Oh like you wouldn’t believe.” I muttered and nodded.
Peyton nodded at Kris. “Bye Kris.”
“Uh, bye Kris.”
He nodded softly. “Bye Brooke.”
We began to walk but were stopped when we reached Max. Peyton froze and stared at him. “Uh, hi Max.”
Max nodded softly. “Uh, hi Peyton.” He looked at her for a moment but quickly walked away.
She sighed. “I am so happy to be going home.”
I nodded in agreement. “Tell me about it.”
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“Peyton! Have you seen my phone? I swear that thing keeps getting lost!” I checked my coat pocket.
She walked into the living room. “When did you have it last?”
“When you sent me the text in the locker room.” I mumbled. “But I put it back in my pocket.”
“Which pocket?”
I furrowed my brows. “The back pocket of my jeans. Why?”
She threw her hands in the air slightly. “I told you to stop putting your phone there! Not only can anyone steal it easily but it constantly falls out. This is a habit with you, I swear.”
I sighed sitting on the couch. “Well I guess I finally learned.”
She shook her head as she put on her shoes. “Alright well I have to go back to work to get this story in and talk to my boss real quick. But I should be back in about two hours, just in time for dinner.”
“So, I should get started cooking.” I waved as she closed the door leaving me alone again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stirred the pasta sauce around the pan as I danced around to the stereo blasting music. Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole came on. I took out plates from the cupboard and wiped them with a cloth. I began dancing around the whole kitchen and was totally in what people refer to as "the zone". Everything would’ve been fine if someone hadn’t decided to bang on the door. I jumped about a foot in the air making me drop the plate.
I groaned staring at the shattered pieces on the floor. I paced to the door angrily and swung it open yelling at the person. “What!” My eyes immediately grew seeing Marc and Sidney standing there shocked by my anger. I smiled sheepishly as I felt my face growing warmer.
“Wow,” Marc said. “I didn’t know you were such an angry person.”
I sighed, stepping aside and letting them in. Their eyes soon followed the small pieces of glass that had recently been broken. I slid across the floor turning off the music. “Okay, now I can hear you.”
Marc pointed to the floor. “What happened here?”
I let out a sharp breath and bent down with the cloth. “I don’t care how much I like you, I am not a fan of you making me ruin a perfectly good plate.”
He laughed. “Sorry.”
I glared at him. “That was part of a $150 set.”
He grew very serious. “Oh.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t care for the result of your inability to knock on a door like a normal person.”
“We knocked normally at first, but no one answered and suddenly the music got loud. So we had to knock louder,” Marc explained.
I sighed and got up with all the broken pieces in hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be mean I just really liked that plate.” I smiled. “So, is there anything I can help you with?”
He smiled and nodded. “As a matter of fact there is.” Just then, his phone started to ring. He nodded to Sidney who just shrugged.
I wiped my hands and smiled at him. “Is everything okay?”
Sidney cleared his throat and smiled slightly. “Yeah, we just came by to return this.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out my phone.
“Oh thank you!” I took my phone and hugged it. “This thing is like a bad charm or something. Thank you for returning it. ”
He let out a small laugh. “You’re welcome.”
Marc came back. “Sorry about that.” I nodded as I saw him look around the kitchen. “That smells great. Did you cook that?” I nodded again as he looked at the table set with two plates. “Oh, got a hot date tonight?”
I laughed as I saw Sidney start to shift uncomfortably. The phone began to ring as I picked it up. I excused myself and was back within minutes. I looked at them. “I don’t suppose you guys would want some chicken parmesan with some pasta and salad?”
Marc smirked. “Did your date cancel?”
“No, that was Peyton we were supposed to have dinner but she got caught up with something.” I shrugged.
“Well I would love some, but I kind of have something to do.” He checked his phone. “But I’m sure Sidney would love to stay and have some!”
I glanced at Sidney who was giving Marc a serious look. “Oh, it’s okay. He doesn’t have to.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m sure he wants to.” He nudged Sidney. “Right Sid?”
He glanced at me and smiled a bit before looking down. “I wouldn’t want to bother you or ruin your night.”
I smiled in surprise at how shy he was being. “No, you wouldn’t be a bother at all. I’d love to have some company for dinner. If you want.”
He looked down for a moment before looking at me and smiling sincerely. “I’d like to stay and have dinner with you.”
“Great! Now that that’s settled, you guys have fun. I’ll talk to you later!” He walked out to the living room and yelled a goodbye before closing the door.
I looked at Sidney who had his hands in his pockets and was swaying. I sighed and managed to put a smile. “Shall we?” I pointed to the table.
“Yes, let’s.” Sidney walked past me and into the kitchen. He was about to have dinner with me.
How did that happen?
Ahh please continue this it's really good!
2/5/21