My Sister, Your Girl

“James that’s enough now.” Camellia says pulling the bottle away from James’ hand.
“Just one more Cam.” He slurs.
“No more James! Ive had enough! Getting traded isn’t the end of the world okay! I know it isn’t ideal, and I know its going to be hard, but life is hard James, but we all have to deal with it. Stop being a pussy and using alcohol as your only escape, because guess what? Drinking isn’t going to change the fact that you’re leaving! You aren’t going to be a penguin anymore, and your not going to be living in Pittsburgh any longer. James its life! You know that’s the deal with being a hockey player. We can still make everything work.” Camellia says sternly.
“It is the end of the world.” He says snatching the bottle out of her hands and taking another gulp.
“James Neal! Did you just listen to anything I just said! Im your sister and I love you more then the world but stop being so selfish James! Don’t you understand what its going to be like for me! I just friggen started living in the goddamn city! I just started my new life here! I just met my best friend, found my brother, have a great job, live with great people and met the love of my life. Now I just have to pick it all up and leave James, because I don’t want to lose my brother again, but then again I don’t want to lose these other people who are so important to me also.” Camellia cries after he voice cracks.
“Hey shhh.” I say wrapping my arms around Cam’s small body.
James had been drinking for the past 3 days. When he woke up the other day he grabbed as many drinks as he could and kept on drinking, never stopping once in a whole 3 days. So Camellia had had enough and snapped at James.
“Don’t be pathetic James.” She snarls harshly after untangling herself from my arms and running up the stairs.
“What am I going to do Crosby?” James says in the saddest tone possible. He looks up slightly to me with tears in his eyes.
“I don’t know man, I just don’t know how we are going to fix this.” I say softly to him.
“I don’t want to go though.” He wimps.
“I know you don’t, neither does Jussi, Niski, Tanner, Deryk or Vitale but they have too as well. It will be okay; we will some how work it out like we always do. Geno, Tanger, Marc, you and I. We are best friends and Camellia is your sister, no matter what team you play on.” I say to him pulling a chair out and sitting next to him at the dinning table he had been sitting at for far too long. I place my hand on his back while he looks up at me still teary.
I give him a small smile before saying,
“Hey, Nashville is only an hour and a half away by plane. We have the money for a private jet.”
And thankfully what I said brings a small smile to his face also.
“Your gonna miss my ass here aren’t you?” He says.
“More then anyone’s ass Nealsy.” I laugh. “But your gonna have to sort something out with Cam, I know she’s hurting about this and being angry at each other isn’t helping the situation.” I say.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” He says getting up from the chair. He stumbles abit and I get up to help him stabilize himself.
He starts to walk off to Cam’s room when he turns around and says something that left me happy for the entire day.
“Cam’s my little sister and I love her more then the world. Im not going to drag her away from Pittsburgh just because I have to go to Nashville. She loves it here and has made a life here. Im not going to be the one to take her away. So here it is Crosby, im leaving my sister in Pittsburgh which is the hardest thing I will ever have to do in my life, but I know you will look after her.” He turns around to walk off again.
“And if you don’t look after her, I will be on the next plane to Pitt to kick your sorry ass, and that will defiantly make you not miss me any longer.”
I give him a smirk before saying, “I love your sister possibly as much as you do Nealer, there is no chance im going to be the one to hurt her, but oh if anyone else does, then you don’t have to worry about me kicking the shit out of them for you and myself.”
And with that James left with a smile on his face and up to his sisters bedroom.

JAMES POV

I knocked on the door ever so softly that I was surprised to see my sister answer the door and stand there with a pouted lip and teary eyes. Her bright blue eyes watery and red.
“Stopped drinking yet James?” She says with an unsteady voice.
“Yeah, I uh stopped after you yelled at me.”
“That’s good to hear.” She says before turning around and sitting on her bed.
“So now that you have stopped consuming too much alcohol for the average human body to handle, can we discuss what it is we are exactly going to do?”
I inhale a deep breath and exhale even harder, “Theres nothing I can do but live with it. It’s not ideal but its my lifestyle. Part of the terms and conditions of being a professional hockey player is having to do stuff like this with minimal say in the choices or the way they affect you. Ive done it before, from Dallas to Pittsburgh, but that was when I was an only child.”
Cami tries to interrupt but I stop her.
“No Cam, listen I know what I want and what I want is for you to stay in Pittsburgh… without me.” The words stung my throat as I held in all my tears that threatened to fill my eyes.
“And the reason I want you to stay here is because, you have a life now.” I pause. “You have a life greater then anything I could give you in Nashville. You have a best friend that loves you more then she loves to shop. You have a team of men who kiss the ground you walk and you being here in Pitt is the closest thing they have to me, except they are lucky and get the better Neal sibling.” I laugh.
“And you have a man who absolutely adores you. I have never seen him act the way he does when he is with you. And no matter where you are or where I am, we will always be siblings and you will always be my little sister. Staying in Pittsburgh is what I want for you.”
She looks up at me with a tear rolling down her face. She locks eyes with me but looks away again for a brief moment.
“Are you sure James?”
Was I sure? I just wanted to do what was right for my sister, and being here in Pittsburgh was what was best for her. So yes, I was sure.
“Yeah Cami, yeah I am.” I say sitting next to her and giving her a hug.
“Hey, you know how much Crosby and I let alone the other boys earn, we can buy a private jet easily. Don’t worry sis, it will be okay I promise.”

And with saying that, I felt her whole body relax beneath my hands, and I knew it would be okay.

Notes

sorry it has taken so long to update! i have been really busy with school :(