Tongue Tied

Alex stood at her gate with her carry on. Her mom dropped her off and left. Loving. She looked up at the screen. Her flight was delayed. Perfect. She sighed and turned. She froze when she saw a mob of people standing behind her. Stefan was front and center with a sign that read 'We'll miss you, Alex!' She smiled at them as she walked over.

It was the girls, her basketball team, and majority of the Mooseheads. She felt a mixture of sadness and relief rush through her when she didn't see Nathan. She wanted him to be there and to apologize for everything. She wanted him to promise they would actually work out this time and he would actually try. She also never wanted to see him again. She wanted to go away for a fresh start and pray she never ran into him again.

She hugged Stefan first. She was fighting tears as she did so. He must have noticed the heavy sigh she let out because he hugged her tighter. She hugged all the girls next. Most of them were crying which made her tear up a bit. She worked her way through the boys who had made their way out to see her. Zach lifted and spun her in a hug. She smiled during it.

The last person she had to say goodbye to was Jo. For some reason, it was the most difficult for her. She felt like it was because he lost Nathan the same time and way she did. Sure, Nathan and Jo kept in touch, but it was hard for both of them at first. Jo had almost been her backbone while Nathan was away. Jo made sure that she wouldn't crawl back to him after all this. Jo kept her strong.

Alex watched as Jo pulled away from Leah who was frowning as he held her. He walked towards Alex and pulled her into a hug. She broke down by then. He held her close as she blubbered into his chest. She gripped his shirt with her hands as she finally let her emotions out. She didn't want to leave all the people she loved. He pulled away, grabbing her face. She continued to cry as he made her look him in the eyes.

"He's gonna be all over, Jo." She cried. "His face and his name are going to be everywhere."

"You're strong enough to avoid him." Jo reassured her. "And if you decide to go back, I'll still support you one hundred percent. I'm proud of you."

"We're all really fucking proud of you!" Mack exclaimed.Alex smiled as she wiped her face.

She walked away from Jo and over to Mack. She kissed his cheek before he pulled her into a hug. She laughed as his lips pressed to her forehead. She eventually pulled away as the overhead said it was time for her flight to board. She took a deep breath as she backed away from the group.

"I'll miss you guys." She confessed.

"Text all of us when you land." Stefan demanded.

She nodded as she turned to face the gate. The group waited for her to be out of view before they left the airport. They all went their separate ways, but not for long. They were almost like a pact.

They all got together the next night to skype with Alex for her first night in Denver. She told them about her dorm and how she had a roommate name Erica. She also told them about the friends she made across the hall. One's name was Kya and the other was Alexa. She laughed at the fact that her and Alexa had similar names.

Two weeks were left of summer. Well, of Nathan's summer. He decided to make a visit to Alex before he left. He needed to see her once more before he left and he figured he could try multiple times for the next two weeks. He drove to her house and froze when he saw a for sale sign on the front lawn. He did more than freeze, he freaked. He didn't think he had ever gotten to Jo's house so quickly. He pounded on the front door before it opened. Nathan paced back and forth in front of a confused Jo.

"Where's Alex?" Nathan finally spoke. "I went to her house and it's for sale."

"Yeah because her mom didn't need that big house for just herself anymore." Jo explained.

"Herself? What about Al?" Nathan quizzed.

"She's gone away for school." Jo shrugged. "Thought you knew."

"Where'd she go? UNB? MUN? UWO?" Nathan listed schools Alex was interested in. "Did she end up going to Denver?"

Jo felt himself tense up but hid it. "I honestly can't remember and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Nathan furrowed his brows. "Why the fuck not?" His voice raised.

"Because if you have no idea, she obviously doesn't want you to know." Jo stated.

Nathan let out a growl before he stormed out. He slammed Jo's front door on his way out. He climbed into his car and sat in silence. He had to find out where she was gone. He drove to the home of the next person he could think of. He knocked on her door, a lot less aggressively than he had knocked on Jo's. Leah opened the door and crossed her arms.

"I know why you're here and I'm not telling you where she is." Leah hissed. "She's gone to get away from you and get the education she needs."

"So she went far?" He asked."Far enough that no one will recognize her as 'Nathan MacKinnon's Ex'." She spat. "She went somewhere that no one will put your name beside hers."

"Leah, please just tell me." He whined.

"You're the reason she left early and I won't see her for months. You think I'd tell you where she is now so she'll move further?" She chuckled. "Give it up, Nathan. You and Alex are done."

The door slammed in his face. He nodded to himself before he slowly made his way to his car. For once, he drove the speed limit home. He parked and walked inside slowly. He walked into the living room, getting his family's attention. Kathy frowned and sat up, noticing how upset he looked. He took a deep breath.

"I'm going back to Colorado early." He announced.

"Why?" Sarah asked, her tone dull.

"Because everyone here hates me and Colorado is the only place I can go and not be reminded of that." He told them.

"Who hates you?" Kathy sighed.

"Why would they hate you, Nate?" Graham questioned.

"Because I fucked up!" Nathan yelled. His parents jumped. "I left for hockey and I just dropped everything that mattered to me back here!" He took a deep breath. "So, I need to go back to the place I made my priority."

"So, this is about Alex." Sarah chuckled.

"Sarah!" Kathy scolded.

Sarah rolled her eyes and stood up. "You feel like shit because no one thinks you deserve Alex anymore because that girl did everything for you and you just abandoned her." She continued, crossing her arms as she walked closer to her brother.

"You think everyone should feel sympathetic for poor, little Nate for whatever reasons you have in your head. Because you didn't win the cup, because you were all on your own in Denver, whatever they are. But you did it all to yourself. No one is going to brush off what you did to Alex because shitty things have happened to you. It doesn't work that way when you do shitty things to other people." She finished.

"Aren't you supposed to be my sister?" He hissed.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to guide you and tell you when you're being an idiot." She smiled. "And you were an idiot for fucking up with Alex."

With that, Sarah bumped past him and walked upstairs. Graham and Kathy looked at each other before they looked to Nathan. He stared at the ground before he slowly rose his head. They both frowned at him.

"I'm gonna go pack." He said, quietly, before he walked upstairs.

And that's what he did. Nathan gathered everything he needed before he looked online. There was a flight at ten the next morning. He decided it was the one he'd be getting on. It would stop in Detroit for over three hours but he didn't care. He needed to get out and far away from Halifax. He sent text out to his former teammates and some of the girls. He only received five replies.

Jonathan Drouin
I'll come by to say bye :)

Mack Weegar
Bummer. I'll come see ya

Stefan Fournier
Wish I had time 2 say bye have fun kid

Leah Johnson
I'm sorry you're leaving while we're on poor terms. Have a good time in Denver, I'll be cheering you on!

Melissa Martin
Keep your eyes open while you're gone.

He replied to them all. He wasn't sure what Melissa meant but he told her he would, regardless. She was always weird for subliminal messages like that. Once he finished his conversations, he plugged his phone in and fell asleep. He woke up early the next morning. He got ready for his day and then walked downstairs. His family was already up. Kathy had made breakfast while Graham and Sarah sat on the living room with their food.

"So, uh, I have a flight at ten." He scratched his head.

Kathy frowned. "Well eat, then we'll drive you." She said and handed him a plate.

That was exactly what they did. The ride was silent. None of Nathan's friends had come to see him like they said. He didn't mind. His parents said their goodbyes. He gave Sarah a tight hug. She grabbed his chin, lowering his face to her level.

"You're a punk but I love you, alright. Don't be stupid." She whispered.

He pulled her into another tight hug. He heard footsteps stop in front of him. He pulled away from his sister to see Jo, Leah, Mack, Marina, Zach, and Dana. He walked over to them. He shook Jo's hand before they hugged. Next, Nathan hugged Zach, then Mack. They were accustomed to this. They knew the separating was a part of the territory. Nathan hugged the girls after.

"Are you guys heading off too?" He asked his three friends and former teammates.

Jo and Mack nodded. "We're flying out together." Mack chuckled.

"And I'm off to my home!" Zach exclaimed.

"With me." Leah smirked.

"You got into Laval?" Nathan gasped.

"Yeah, and Zach figured that I might as well stay with his parents and him." She explained. "And Jo wants someone to keep an eye on me."

Jo grinned as she bumped his arm with hers. His hand found hers and he laced his fingers with hers. Nathan smiled at them. He was happy for Jo. He deserved someone like Leah. Someone who wouldn't bullshit or sugarcoat. Someone exactly like him. He prayed Jo wouldn't fuck up the way he did. He looked at Marina. Her eyes widened at him.

"Are you going back to Ontario?" He asked her.

She nodded. "And Dana's switching to a uni just near mine so we're bunking together." Marina gushed.

"What about everyone else?" Nathan frowned.

"Bridgette went to UNB, Denise is gone to U of T, Alex went away for school, Melis got a basketball scholarship, and there's you champ." Dana listed.

"Guess we're all growing up, huh?" He sighed.

Faint 'yeah's and 'sadly's came from the small group. Nathan's flight was announced and he took a deep breath. He walked over to his family. He hugged them all one last time before he walked to the gate. He looked back as he handed his passport to the desk lady. Jo waved while he held Leah close. Nathan waved back. With a final deep breath, he walked out of the airport.

Notes