Little Voices in the Rain
Whatever
Stella stood in front of her mirror, playing with her hair. Up or down? Straight or curly? She was running dangerously low on time and needed to make a decision.
“You’re acting like a teenager,” Hilary said from the doorway, watching her aunt fret in front of her vanity. “Getting ready for a first date.”
Stella sat her hairbrush down and turned around. “Okay, one,” she counted off on her fingers. “This is nowhere near a date. Two, how would you know what that looks like? I doubt you’ve ever been on a date.” She was teasing with the last one, as it occurred to her that she was unaware about whether her niece had ever had a boyfriend.
Hilary huffed and came to stand behind Stella. With a few strokes of the brush, a hair elastic, two bobby pins, and a quick shot of hair spray, Stella’s hair was at the crown of her head in a perfectly messy and neat bun.
“No fair,” she sighed. “You took 30 seconds.”
“It’s a gift,” Hilary laughed. “Are we almost ready?”
Stella looked over the two of them in the mirror. They looked good, she had to admit. Hilary was dressed in a new, loose fitting tank top and a pair of her favorite denim shorts. Having stolen a pair of flip-flops from Stella, she slung a small cross body bag across her torso. Stella wore high-waisted shorts and a flowy crème blouse.
“I’ve always liked that purse,” Hilary stroked the blue material as her aunt picked up her own bag.
“You picked it out,” she said, stuffing her cell phone into its depths. CiCi and Hilary often spoiled Stella with extravagant gifts. Although uncomfortable at first, she soon discovered that many of them were free perks of being a world famous supermodel.
In the kitchen, Stella wrapped up the batch of cookies she had made, not wanting to arrive to an event like this empty handed. Despite the team that would be in attendance, she wanted to make a good impression. These were Max’s teammates now and if he kept in touch with her as much as he seemed to be for the rest of his time with them, she had a feeling she would be seeing quite a lot of orange around.
“He’s here!” Hilary smiled, peering out the window. Bounding to the door, she held it open for Stella, who forced her to move at a slower pace.
And sure enough, as they came out of the complex’s front door, Max was leaning against his SUV, arms crossed and sunglasses on.
“I thought I saw you hanging out the window,” he laughed, kissing Hilary on both cheeks. He opened the door for the teenager and Stella handed her the plate of cookies. “And you,” he said turning to her. “Look nervous. Why’s that?”
[i]Good question.[/i] Stella thought. She didn’t know the answer. Or at least, she couldn’t pick [i]one[/i].
“I guess I just want to make sure we’re not… interrupting,” she shrugged.
Max pulled her into a sudden hug, rumpling her sunglasses uncomfortably against her face. “You’re more than welcome. Danny and G already love you and I practically had to fight G off so that he wouldn’t get a hold of your number. Please,” he said stepping back. “Enjoy yourself tonight. For me?”
Stella playfully pushed him back. “We both know you can have enough fun for the both of us.”
Before Max could come up with a snarky retort, Hilary opened the back door. “Will you two love birds just get in the car? I’m afraid I’m going to eat the whole plate of cookies if we don’t get to this party soon.”
Just as chivalrous as he had been with her niece, Max held open the passenger side door and gave Stella his hand to step up into the tall vehicle. Jogging around the front, he hopped in.
“Ready?” he smiled.
******
While he drove, he spoke to Hilary, asking questions about where she’d been since he had last seen her. A year was quite a long time for a teenager and apparently a lot had gone on.
“So you [i]met[/i] Rihanna?” he gaped as Hilary regaled her experience at Fashion Week last winter. While her mother had been modeling in a show, Hilary sat stage side next to none other than the famous singer.
“Mhmm,” she nodded proudly. “I have pictures!” And sure enough, at a stop light, Max saw several photos of Hilary and the then red haired woman on the teen’s phone.
As the drive continued, and they inevitably neared their destination, it seemed Stella’s knees seemed to bounce more.
“Calm down,” Max said quietly. “Just be your normal, lovely self.”
Stella snorted, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she tweaked her long earrings and rummaged through her purse for her ringing cell phone.
[i]Message from: Flower
Heard your headed into the depths of enemy territory, mon cher. Smuggle us some Flyers secrets?
[b]I’ll do my best : ) But seriously, I might actually be nervous…[/b]
Message from: Flower
Oh please. You’ll dazzle them all and Max will have to fight off his new teammates.
[b]Funny, that’s what he said.[/i][/b]
To put it simply, Stella loved Flower and Vero. It helped that Vero wasn’t a Heather fan either and was always willing to hang back with Stella when she didn’t want a front row seat to the Jordan and Heather- Stick-Their-Tongues-Down-Each-Other’s-Throats show.
******
Max pulled his car into a large driveway accompanied by an even larger house. He got out and watched the two women that remained in his car.
Hilary had been all for the party back at the apartment. But now, sitting in the driveway of a Flyers’ home, she was unsure. Hilary had seen some swanky houses in her short time on the Earth, but this Philadelphia hockey player’s home was nothing short of spectacular.
Stella was now more nervous than ever. And maybe she had just the slightest bit of remorse for going to a party at Claude Giroux’s house when she was a self-proclaimed Pittsburgh addict.
“You two coming?” Max opened Stella’s door and looked at the two red-heads. “You can’t just sit there all night.”
“Yes we can,” they chorused together.
“But we won’t,” Stella sighed as she let Max help her hop down out of the SUV.
Together, the three of them trooped up to the front door. Max knocked and Hilary and Stella stood there, holding their breaths.
“You’re acting like a teenager,” Hilary said from the doorway, watching her aunt fret in front of her vanity. “Getting ready for a first date.”
Stella sat her hairbrush down and turned around. “Okay, one,” she counted off on her fingers. “This is nowhere near a date. Two, how would you know what that looks like? I doubt you’ve ever been on a date.” She was teasing with the last one, as it occurred to her that she was unaware about whether her niece had ever had a boyfriend.
Hilary huffed and came to stand behind Stella. With a few strokes of the brush, a hair elastic, two bobby pins, and a quick shot of hair spray, Stella’s hair was at the crown of her head in a perfectly messy and neat bun.
“No fair,” she sighed. “You took 30 seconds.”
“It’s a gift,” Hilary laughed. “Are we almost ready?”
Stella looked over the two of them in the mirror. They looked good, she had to admit. Hilary was dressed in a new, loose fitting tank top and a pair of her favorite denim shorts. Having stolen a pair of flip-flops from Stella, she slung a small cross body bag across her torso. Stella wore high-waisted shorts and a flowy crème blouse.
“I’ve always liked that purse,” Hilary stroked the blue material as her aunt picked up her own bag.
“You picked it out,” she said, stuffing her cell phone into its depths. CiCi and Hilary often spoiled Stella with extravagant gifts. Although uncomfortable at first, she soon discovered that many of them were free perks of being a world famous supermodel.
In the kitchen, Stella wrapped up the batch of cookies she had made, not wanting to arrive to an event like this empty handed. Despite the team that would be in attendance, she wanted to make a good impression. These were Max’s teammates now and if he kept in touch with her as much as he seemed to be for the rest of his time with them, she had a feeling she would be seeing quite a lot of orange around.
“He’s here!” Hilary smiled, peering out the window. Bounding to the door, she held it open for Stella, who forced her to move at a slower pace.
And sure enough, as they came out of the complex’s front door, Max was leaning against his SUV, arms crossed and sunglasses on.
“I thought I saw you hanging out the window,” he laughed, kissing Hilary on both cheeks. He opened the door for the teenager and Stella handed her the plate of cookies. “And you,” he said turning to her. “Look nervous. Why’s that?”
[i]Good question.[/i] Stella thought. She didn’t know the answer. Or at least, she couldn’t pick [i]one[/i].
“I guess I just want to make sure we’re not… interrupting,” she shrugged.
Max pulled her into a sudden hug, rumpling her sunglasses uncomfortably against her face. “You’re more than welcome. Danny and G already love you and I practically had to fight G off so that he wouldn’t get a hold of your number. Please,” he said stepping back. “Enjoy yourself tonight. For me?”
Stella playfully pushed him back. “We both know you can have enough fun for the both of us.”
Before Max could come up with a snarky retort, Hilary opened the back door. “Will you two love birds just get in the car? I’m afraid I’m going to eat the whole plate of cookies if we don’t get to this party soon.”
Just as chivalrous as he had been with her niece, Max held open the passenger side door and gave Stella his hand to step up into the tall vehicle. Jogging around the front, he hopped in.
“Ready?” he smiled.
******
While he drove, he spoke to Hilary, asking questions about where she’d been since he had last seen her. A year was quite a long time for a teenager and apparently a lot had gone on.
“So you [i]met[/i] Rihanna?” he gaped as Hilary regaled her experience at Fashion Week last winter. While her mother had been modeling in a show, Hilary sat stage side next to none other than the famous singer.
“Mhmm,” she nodded proudly. “I have pictures!” And sure enough, at a stop light, Max saw several photos of Hilary and the then red haired woman on the teen’s phone.
As the drive continued, and they inevitably neared their destination, it seemed Stella’s knees seemed to bounce more.
“Calm down,” Max said quietly. “Just be your normal, lovely self.”
Stella snorted, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she tweaked her long earrings and rummaged through her purse for her ringing cell phone.
[i]Message from: Flower
Heard your headed into the depths of enemy territory, mon cher. Smuggle us some Flyers secrets?
[b]I’ll do my best : ) But seriously, I might actually be nervous…[/b]
Message from: Flower
Oh please. You’ll dazzle them all and Max will have to fight off his new teammates.
[b]Funny, that’s what he said.[/i][/b]
To put it simply, Stella loved Flower and Vero. It helped that Vero wasn’t a Heather fan either and was always willing to hang back with Stella when she didn’t want a front row seat to the Jordan and Heather- Stick-Their-Tongues-Down-Each-Other’s-Throats show.
******
Max pulled his car into a large driveway accompanied by an even larger house. He got out and watched the two women that remained in his car.
Hilary had been all for the party back at the apartment. But now, sitting in the driveway of a Flyers’ home, she was unsure. Hilary had seen some swanky houses in her short time on the Earth, but this Philadelphia hockey player’s home was nothing short of spectacular.
Stella was now more nervous than ever. And maybe she had just the slightest bit of remorse for going to a party at Claude Giroux’s house when she was a self-proclaimed Pittsburgh addict.
“You two coming?” Max opened Stella’s door and looked at the two red-heads. “You can’t just sit there all night.”
“Yes we can,” they chorused together.
“But we won’t,” Stella sighed as she let Max help her hop down out of the SUV.
Together, the three of them trooped up to the front door. Max knocked and Hilary and Stella stood there, holding their breaths.
Please fini
1/14/20