It’s been two weeks since my fall break, and my sole focuses have become my school work and diving. Aubrey and I are only a couple meets away from qualifying for Big Tens as individuals, but we still need to compete as a pair in order to compete for the synchro competition. We’ve only competed together twice this season so far, so we really have to dominate the competition, and show that we’re worthy of the Big Tens. Fortunately, we still have two months left to qualify and there aren’t many pairs who can compete on our level.

Today’s meet is a little daunting, since it’s a tri-meet against Michigan and Illinois. Fortunately, we’re at home so we have a little bit of an advantage on our side. But both schools are our biggest competitions for the team championship, both in the Big Ten and in the NCAA. And as a team, this will be a huge indication of how we look compared to our toughest rivals.

It also happens to be my twenty-second birthday today.

I woke up this morning to find Drew, Nick, Will and Aubrey making pancakes in our kitchen. It was a nice surprise, especially since Aubrey was already awake. On meet days, she typically won’t wake up until about two hours before we have to leave for the pool. We spent the morning chatting about the meet, about classes, and celebrating my birthday with a couple presents and just good company.

On our way over to the pool, I received a couple texts from my Pittsburgh friends. Their flight home from Dallas last night arrived really late, so they must have just woken up. All of their texts were similar- wishing me a happy birthday, and good luck for this afternoon’s meet. It sounds like a bunch of them are getting together at Paul’s to watch us. He once told me that the team tries to watch whenever they can. Apparently some of them were upset I didn’t compete in synchro last week. I know Beau was one of them, since I received about a dozen sad faces from him when I turned my phone back on once we got on the team bus. The few times we’ve competed synchro haven’t been televised, and he wanted to see how Aubrey and I do when we’re together. I made sure to let them all know that I’m diving in both competitions today. Sid’s text surprised me the most. He seemed genuinely interested in our chances of doing well today against our biggest rivals. It was especially interesting considering I feel like we still barely know each other, and he’s known for being reserved about his personal life. Overall, though, his message seemed very genuine and from the heart, wishing me all the best today. It didn’t seem like the kind of action that fits into the normal “Sidney Crosby” behavior. But then again, Sid just seems like such a genuine guy, so it shouldn’t really be a surprise that he would be sincere like that.

But what makes me really excited about today is that, at the moment, I’m waiting for my newest best friend to show up for the meet.

Pat called a couple days ago and asked what I was doing today. I told him about the meet, and he suddenly got really excited. It confused me for a minute, until he mentioned that the Blackhawks are playing here against the Blue Jackets on Monday night. A couple days later, Pat called to tell me that he and Jon talked to management and convinced them to fly into Columbus today instead of tomorrow, so they can come see me. Until yesterday, they didn’t even know that today is my biggest meet of the season. The one I’ll need the most moral support for. They really just wanted to come celebrate my birthday with me.

I’ve just hopped off the stationary bike and begun stretching my legs when I get the text. Pat and Jon are here. I sneak out of the prep room and out the hidden back door, where I told Pat to have the cab drop them off. But instead of finding Jon and Pat waiting at the door, I actually find the entire Blackhawks roster with smiles on their faces.

“What are you guys all doing here?” I laugh as Pat picks me up into a giant hug and spins me around.
“We couldn’t come to Columbus early and just sit around knowing you’re the reason we’re here!” Brandon Saad says, jumping in for his hug before anyone else could get to me.
“Kaner accidentally let it slip that you’re the reason we flew in a day early.” Jon admits, taking his turn to hug me. “Happy birthday.”
“Aww you guys are so sweet. Thank you!”

I’m passed quickly from player to player, each one giving me a hug and saying happy birthday.

“You guys are really too sweet.” I laugh when Corey Crawford lets me go, the last of the players to do so.
“Now you’ll know that you’ve got the biggest cheering section in the whole place.” Pat beams, clearly proud of himself.
“Oh, definitely. You’ll have to sit with my family. They’re always in the third row of the OSU fan section. My mom will be so happy to see you!” I tell him.
“Oh, I know. I already talked to Renee. She said she’s going to save a whole bunch of seats for us all to sit together.” Pat smiles.
“Wait, you’ve already talked to my mom about this?” I ask, bewildered.
“Yeah! I called her right after you told me about today. At the time I thought it was just going to be me and Jon, but then I called her again after these lugs all decided to come too and we worked it out.” He answers.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” I laugh.
“What fun is life if you aren’t a little crazy?” Pat jokes.

I’m about to respond when the door behind me opens and Aubrey comes out.

“Tor, we’re about to head out for pre- Oh! Hi guys!” She says, taking in the twenty five large men staring back at her.
“H-hey Aubrey.” Pat smiles, his eyes sparking a little.

I snort and shove his shoulder a little, sharing a knowing glance with Jon, who’s also smirking.

“We’ll see you guys later.” I say dragging my cousin back into the room.

The guys all yell out good luck and a couple say happy birthday again, which makes me laugh. But as soon as we’re back into the locker room, Aubrey and I are both in full competition mode. Our minds are solely focused on one thing only- beating Michigan and Illinois.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t look over towards our stands at least once during the meet, which is totally not normal behavior for me. Once I’m in my zone, there’s nothing that can distract me from the goal in my head. But I actually even look over twice. The first time is at the end of the individual competition, right after they announce my victory (with Aubrey in second). And the second time is in the middle of the synchro competition, after it becomes obvious that Aubrey and I are pulling away from the pack. Both times the sight of the large group of men cheering for me and my cousin and my team makes me really happy.

After Aubrey and I have wrapped up our huge victory over our competitors, we head into the locker room to change. I get stopped by a reporter for the NCAA website, who wants a couple quotes about the meet. I oblige and say kind, professional things about my opponents. But I also speak briefly about how good it feels to come away with a team win, especially against two strong programs. I let the reporter know that this win has boosted our confidence immensely, which is really important with Nationals right around the corner.

After a couple extra questions, he finally lets me go and I have to rush to shower and get dressed. We have a quick team meeting, mainly just celebrating the win, and Aubrey and I head out to the parking lot.

I’m not at all surprised to find the hoard of hockey players circling my car, waiting for me. But I am surprised to find my dad and Uncle Ed, Aubrey’s dad, waiting with them.

“Hey guys!” I say, getting their attention. “What’s up?”
“Sweetheart! You did fantastic!” My dad says, pulling me into a hug.
“Thanks, daddy.” I giggle.
“Thanks, daddy.” I hear Pat tease behind me.
Sending him a glare, I punch his shoulder lightly before turning back to my dad.
“So where’s mom and Aunt Amelia?” I ask.
“They headed back to your apartment as soon as it was obvious you two were going to win.” Uncle Ed answers. “They wanted to get started on dinner since there’s so many hungry mouths to feed.”
“Isn’t it just the seven of us?” Aubrey asks, counting the usual group- the two of us, the four parents, and her twelve year old brother Jon, who I figure left with the moms.
Dad laughs, shaking his head.
“As it turns out, your mother has extended the invitation to the entire Chicago Blackhawks roster.” He says.
“You’re kidding.” I deadpan, turning to Pat.
“Nope.” Pat smiles.
“Our apartment can’t fit all of you!” Aubrey says, baffled.
Our dads laugh.
“Don’t worry, only a couple of us accepted.” Patrick Sharp says. “It’ll just be who can fit in your cars. The rest are taking the bus back to the hotel for the night.”
“Thank God.” I laugh. “So who’s coming?”

Jon, Pat and Brandon Saad jump into our car, while Andrew, Corey, Patrick Sharp and Nick join our dads in Uncle Ed’s truck. The rest say goodnight and congratulations and get back on the team bus, heading off to their hotel for the night.

“So what’s this apartment look like?” Pat asks as I pull out of the McCorkle Pavilion.
“It’s a lot smaller than our Pittsburgh one. Since it’s only the two of us most of the time.” I answer.
“Well, it’s only the two of us who technically live here. But it’s rarely just the two of us.” Aubrey laughs.
“Who else is around?” Jon asks, eyeing us from the backseat.
“Our neighbors are some of our best friends.” I answer.
“Yup!” Aubrey adds. “Drew, Nick and Will live right across the hall. Rachael and Alexis live two floors down. And Alex lives pretty close by with some other Russians. But we all usually end up at either our place or they guys’ place.”
“How do you know them all?” Brandon asks.
Aubrey snorts and I send her a look.
“Well...... Tori here used to date Drew.” She chuckles.
“That’s so not at all how we met them though.” I say, giving her a glare. “We’re all OSU athletes except Alex. So we know them all from student athlete stuff. Alex just had a lot of classes with us and we became friends.”
“What sports do they do?”
“Rachael and Alexis are swimmers and the guys are on the baseball team.” Aubrey says.
“And you used to date who?” Pat asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Drew Mitchell.” I answer. “And before you ask, no he didn’t break my heart. And I didn’t break his. We only dated for like three months and we both realized we were better as friends than we were as a couple. So we mutually broke up and went back to being friends.”
“That never works.” Jon states.
“Well it does for us.” I respond, pulling into our apartment complex.

We lead the group to the elevator, too tired from the meet to take the stairs up the six flights to our floor. Aubrey opens the door and we all follow her in.

“Make yourselves at home.” She says to the guys.
“Dinner smells so good.” I say, my mouth watering.
“It’s pasta and your mom’s homemade meat sauce.” Will says, sticking his head out of the kitchen. “Also, congrats on the double win!”
“What are you doing here?” I ask, plopping my bag down and heading for the refrigerator.
“We were coming back from our workout when we saw your moms getting their groceries out of the car. We offered to bring the bags up for them so they offered to let us eat dinner with you guys.” Nick says, appearing from no where.
“Oh. Okay.” I say, grabbing a gatorade and heading into the den where everyone has gathered. “Guys, drinks are in the fridge. Help yourselves.”

“So are you gonna introduce us?” Pat asks, eyeing the two OSU baseball players milling around, also looking like they want introductions.
“Alrighty... These are our neighbors across the hall- Will Harris and Nick Porter. Guys, these are the Blackhawks. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Nick Leddy, Corey Crawford and Andrew Shaw.”

The guys exchange hellos and I can see them all start to relax a little, now that they at least know each others’ names.

“Patrick darling, come help me move the pot to the sink.” My mom says, making Pat get up and head to the kitchen.
“So where’s the other baseball player?” Jon asks, stealing Pat’s seat on the couch next to me. “The one you used to date?”
“I don’t know actually.” I admit. “Will, where’s Drew?”
“He had to head to the trainers after lift to get his shoulder looked at. He’s probably showering by now and will be over soon.” Will says.
“What’s going on with his shoulder?” Aubrey asks.
“Same thing as during the season. The clicking thing?” Nick shrugs.

Jon and Brandon share a look that I can’t really decipher, but I don’t really try hard considering Aunt Amelia chooses this moment to call us in for dinner. All nine guys are complete gentlemen, making sure that Aubrey and I are the first to serve up our plates. By the time the whole group has made it through the line and settled into seats in the den, Drew has joined us. Our parents and Aubrey’s brother decide to stay in the kitchen to let us “younger folk” have our space, as Uncle Ed puts it. I notice that Jon and Pat purposely leave a seat between them, forcing Drew to have no other choice but sit there when he’s done getting his food and saying hello to my mom and Aunt.

Everyone pretty much breaks off into their own conversations, and it makes me happy to see Will and Nick getting along with the Hawks so well. Drew, on the other hand, looks like he’s desperate for salvation between my two friends. Jon and Pat seem perfectly comfortable, sitting up tall and looking intimidating, asking Drew all about himself and his life.

“How’s your shoulder?” I decide to ask, scooting closer to Pat’s side and leaning over to talk to Drew. He looks a little relieved to have a diversion, but he sighs, frowning.
“They don’t want me playing winter league.” He admits. “And I have to get another MRI. They think my labrum has torn a little more, which is causing the clicking and stuff.”
“Are you going to be able to play in the spring?”
“I hope so. Nothing would suck more than not playing my senior year.”
I reach over an pat his arm.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Everything will work out.” I assure him.
“Thanks.” He smiles a little. “I heard you two kicked ass at the meet.”
“First and second individually, and first as a pair.” I smile.
“So, the usual. And the team won too?”
“Yeah. Well, women’s diving and men’s swimming won. Women’s swimming was second to Michigan by two points and men’s diving was third, but all three teams were within five points of each other.”
“So overall it was good though?”
“Yeah. Especially this early in the season. Troy didn’t even compete, and he’ll definitely do better than the freshman that took his place. And Rachael and Alexis are both sick so they weren’t at their best.”
“As long as you’re all at your best for Big Tens and NCAAs.” He laughs.
“And Nationals and Worlds.” I add.
“Will you be doing Worlds this year?” Will asks, butting into our conversation from across the coffee table. Everyone else seems to tune in, making this the sole conversation for the group.
“I’m not sure.” I admit. “It’ll depend on when we decide to do the surgery, and how I’m feeling after it. NCAAs are earlier and Worlds are a little later this year than they were last year, which is good. I want to compete at Worlds, so I’ll have to make the National team in December and stay on it through the whole season. Though I’m sure if we explain the circumstances they might let me still go to Worlds if I can. It’ll depend on how I do at NCAAs probably.” I shrug, not completely sure of the future.
“If anything they’ll let us go as a pair to Worlds.” Aubrey says. “We’ll definitely win Nationals, so as long as we show well at NCAAs we should be fine.”
“As long as I’m cleared, we’ll definitely go as a pair to Worlds. That’s for sure.” I agree. “I just also want to go individually since I didn’t go last year at all.”
“They won’t let the National and NCAA champion miss Worlds.” Drew smirks at me.
“Yeah but we weren’t talking about me.” Aubrey jokes with a wink.

The group laughs and I roll my eyes at my cousin.

“I hate to interrupt...” I hear my mom say from the doorway. “But since everyone seems to be done eating, we’ve got something else for you guys.”

I raise an eyebrow at her and she smirks at me, moving to the side to let my dad through. He’s carrying a giant cake with candles, all lit.

“Happy birthday to you...” He starts, causing everyone to join in on the song. It makes me blush but I smile through it. My family also begins singing “Sto Lat” the polish version of “Happy Birthday” which my friends don’t know.

“Awww thank you guys.” I say, when they’re all done. I make a wish and blow out the candles, causing everyone to cheer.

“Honey, we also have some presents for you but we’ll give them to you later.” My mom says, putting down a knife and some plates.

She starts to cut the cake and hands pieces out to everyone, and I notice Pat get up and head into the kitchen. When he returns, he’s holding a large black gift bag with red and white tissue paper.

“We hid this from you, so you wouldn’t see it before. But we all brought this for you.” He says, smiling and setting the bag in front of me.
“You guys are too much. I don’t need presents.” I blush.
“Just say thanks and open it.” Jon laughs.
“Thanks.” I say sarcastically, reaching to open it. “Wait, nothing’s gonna pop out at me, right?” I ask, eyeing Sharpie.
“Why would you look at me?” He asks.
“Because you’re the king of pranks. Or so I’ve been told.” I answer.
“Well other than knowing what’s in there, I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t even sneak it in here. That was Crow.”
“Okay.” I say, convinced.

I pull the bag closer to me and separate the tissue paper, revealing a red Hawks jersey.

“I already have a Blackhawks jersey...” I say, pulling it out of the bag.
“This is better. It isn’t Pat’s.” Jon says, dodging Pat’s swinging arm.
“Just turn it around.” Pat grumbles.

On the back, I find “McKinley” and 16.

“It’s my own personal Hawks jersey!” I exclaim. “Why 16?”
“Because you’re gonna win the gold medal in Rio in 2016.” Pat answers.

His confident declaration puts a smile on my face.

“Thanks, Patty.”
“There’s more in there.” Shaw says, poking the side of bag.

Next, I pull out a gray 2013 Stanley Cup Champions hat. I laugh and fit it onto my head.

“Does it look good?” I ask.
“Yup! And you should wear it all the time in Pittsburgh.” Brandon says with confidence.
“I don’t know if that’s gonna work.” I laugh. “They probably won’t let me.”
“Too bad. You’re our friend first.” Pat declares.

Reaching back into the bottom of the bag, I pull out two things. One is a small box, and the other is an envelope. I open the box first, revealing a small silver bracelet with the Hawks logo dangling from it. Two small numbers dangle from the bracelet, bracketing the Hawks logo. Number 88 and number 19.

“That’s from just me and Jonny.” Pat says softly.
“I love it, Pat.” I say, holding it out for him to put it on my wrist. I smile at Jon, who nods his head back.

Pat attaches the small clasp for me and I admire the pretty silver against my tan skin for a second before turning back to the envelope. It isn’t sealed, so I pull the card out with ease. It’s a standard birthday card with the entire roster’s signatures, but on the inside there’s another small envelope, causing me to raise my eyebrows at my company. Inside of that envelope is a piece of paper with what I recognize as Pat’s handwriting on it, and two tickets.

“To the newest unofficial member of the Chicago Blackhawks: On March 1st 2014, the Chicago Blackhawks will be hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins outside at Soldier Field as part of the Stadium Series. As a team, we have decided that you must be in attendance. We haven’t booked you a hotel room yet, since it’s up to you if you want to stay in a hotel or stay with one of us. Either option is acceptable, depending on what you want. But once that decision has been made, we will take care of all of your travel expenses including airfare and a hotel if you so choose. Happy birthday, Tori. We love you.”

“Aww, Patty.” I smile, reaching over the gift bag to hug my friend.
“You’ll come, right?” He asks nervously.
“It’ll depend on NCAAs. I think they’re either that weekend or the next. But if they’re not that weekend, definitely.”
“And you’ll wear Hawks stuff, right?” Jon asks with a pointed look.
“Uh...” I pause, thinking about those implications.

To cheer for two teams in different conferences is okay. While the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins are occasionally compared, they aren’t rivals and they don’t even play each other often. But you can’t cheer for both teams when they are playing against each other. It just doesn’t work that way. So how can I choose between them?

This dilemma is a testament to how much Pat and Jon and all the Hawks guys have changed me. Not too long ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything that wasn’t OSU or Pittsburgh gear. But now I’m actually having a hard time deciding what I should choose to wear.

“We’ll see?” I suggest, causing some discontent to be murmured throughout the crowd. “I have a lot of time before March comes around. But seriously, thank you guys so much for all of this. I love it all.”

“It was our pleasure.” Corey says, gaining agreements from his teammates.

Despite the good time we’re having as a group, the Hawks still have a practice tomorrow afternoon, and a game on Monday night. And they still have a curfew that their coach gave them. It comes time for them to call for a couple cabs and before we know it, I’m walking them down the stairs to meet their rides.

“Thank you guys so much for coming today.” I say, giving them each a hug.
“We were happy to be here.” Brandon responds with a kiss to my cheek.
“Yeah. It’s not every day you get to see an Olympic medalist do their thang.” Andrew laughs.
“Uh, Shawzy.....”
“Dude....”
“You’re an idiot.”

His teammates’ responses make me laugh, especially once he realizes he plays with multiple Olympic medalists every day of his life.

“Oh, you know what I meant!” He tries, meting disapproving glares from those around him. “Whatever. You all suck anyway.”

Laughing at Andrew’s pouting face, the group starts to dissipate, the guys heading for the cabs until it’s just Jon and Pat left standing next to me.

“When will we see you again?” Pat asks, his saddened face devoid of its usual smile.
“Winter break, probably.” I answer, making him frown even more.
“I don’t want to wait that long.” He sulks, kicking the invisible dirt beneath his shoe.
“The only break I have until then is Thanksgiving, and that’s only for a couple days. I’ll be spending that whole time in Pittsburgh with my family, since it’s also my grandfather’s birthday.” I apologize, hoping his pout will go away.
“You’ll come see us over winter break though, right?” Jon asks pointedly, giving me another opportunity to console my somewhat-childish friend.
“Of course.” I promise, my eyes not leaving Pat’s face. “Nationals are the first week of December and then the week after that is finals week. I’m taking half of them before Nationals anyway, so I’ll only be back at school for a couple of days. Then I’ll have a whole month to do whatever I want. I’ll just have to work out and keep diving.”
“Can you come to Chicago for a long time?” Pat asks hopefully, his eyes round like a puppy. “Like, more than just a couple days.”
“I’ll do my best.” I promise. “I promised your sisters I’d try to see them during my winter break.”
“They can come to Chicago too!” Pat exclaims, his eyes briefly lighting up.
“I think that sounds wonderful.”
“Well, it’s time for us to go. You let me know if you need help with anything.” Jon cuts in, leaning over to give me a hug and planting a kiss on my forehead. “Happy birthday, Tori.”
“Thanks, Jon.” I smile, returning the hug with a kiss on his cheek.

He heads over to the cabs, joining the group over there and leaving just me and Pat, who’s short burst of excitement has died down.

I roll my eyes, wishing he would just give up on the idea of Jon and I being together. It just is never going to work, no matter how hard he pushes.

“Whatever you say.” I laugh. “Now get the hell out of here before I get in trouble with your coach for keeping you too late.”

-------

Two nights later, Pat, of course, keeps his promise by setting Jon up with a gorgeous pass and an easy goal in the second. It ends up being the only goal of the game. Drew and I can’t help but cheer wildly, despite being surrounded by Blue Jackets fans.

After the game, Drew and I make our way slowly and quietly to the back door where Pat said he would meet us. We hang around for about twenty minutes until the door opens, and a smiling Brandon Saad beckons for us to come in.

“Great game! Where’s Pat?” I ask, reaching up to ruffle his hair, which makes him squawk.
“He and Tazer are still caught up with the media. He asked me to come get you.” He responds, brushing his hair down with his fingers and leading us down a hallway that finally reaches the visitor’s locker room. “I would offer to let you hang out in a waiting room, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have one for us. And if they did, I wouldn’t know where it is.”
“It’s okay.” I laugh. “We’re fine just hanging out here.”
“Okay. I’ll go let them know you’re here.”

He disappears into the locker room, leaving us in the hallway. Drew and I decide to mess around on our phones, tweeting a picture of the two of us by the door and joking around. I eventually realize the large water I drank during the game has caught up to me, and excuse myself to find a bathroom.

I’ve only been gone a couple of minutes but when I return, I find Drew deep in conversation with Jon and Pat. His face looks desperate and nervous, and the hockey players don’t look too happy considering they just won their game.

“Hey guys.” I say, getting their attention. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” Pat says, almost too quickly. He wraps me up into a hug and admires the Kane jersey on my back with an eyebrow wiggle. “How’d you like the game? Did you like Jonny’s goal? He got it just for you.”
“I did like the game.” I respond, rolling my eyes. “And I loved the goal. Thanks for setting him up for it.”
“You’re so welcome.” He smiles. “And I think tonight’s first star should get something special for his efforts.” Pat winks.
“What, like an extra tight hug?” I ask dryly, understanding his sly smirk.
“No, Kaner still wants us to get together.” Jon sighs shaking his head and leaning in for his ‘extra special’ hug.
“Oh. Patty, you know that isn’t going to happen.” I laugh.
“But why?” He whines, pouting.
“Because Tori and I are just friends.”
“Whatever.” Pat scowls.

I laugh and pinch the little bit of fat on his waist, making him yelp and jump away from me. I notice that a couple more of the guys have joined us in the hallway, all gathering around.

“So when will we see you next?” Corey asks, somehow appearing beside me and chuckling at his smaller friend’s reaction to my assault.
“I’ve got Thanksgiving break coming up, and then winter break right after Nationals.”
“You’ll come to Chicago for winter break, right?” Pat asks eagerly.
“Yeah. We already discussed this the other night.” I remind him.
“I was just making sure.”
“But you won’t see me for Thanksgiving.” I remind him with a frown.
“That’s okay.” Jon responds, patting my back. “It’s not real Thanksgiving anyway. That was a month ago.”

I protest along with the other Americans in the group and Jon just laughs, sharing a high five with Patrick Sharp.

“Why are we all gathering in the hallway?” I hear an official voice boom over the crowd.
Most of the guys jump and scramble to get out to the bus, bidding me a quick goodbye. Eventually, it’s just me, Drew, Pat, Jon and an older man I recognize as the Blackhawks’ head coach, Joel Quenneville.
“Uh. Coach, this is Victoria McKinley. Tori, this is our coach.” Pat says lamely.
“Ahh, so this is the famous Victoria McKinley.” Coach says, cracking a warm smile at me.
“Hi coach. It’s nice to meet you.” I say sticking out my hand. I’m suddenly questioning the outfit I chose for tonight. Since it was just Drew and me at the game, I didn’t spend the time to look professional. I obviously didn’t know I would be meeting someone as important as Joel Quenneville. My hair is in a messy bun and I barely had time to throw on a quick version of some eye make up. My skinny jeans have holes in the knees, and my black Chuck Taylor's are beaten up.
He laughs and shakes his head, instead choosing to pull me into a hug.
“Please, call me Joel.” He says casually.
“Okay.” I agree, slightly surprised by his nonchalant attitude. “Please call me Tori. And this is my friend, Drew.”
“Hello, Drew.” Joel nods at my friend. “It’s very nice to finally meet you, Tori. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Is that a good thing?” I ask raising an eyebrow and making him laugh.
“Yes, it’s a very good thing.” He answers assuringly. “My guys seem to all love you.”
I blush and look over at Pat, giving him an evil look out of the corner of my eye.
“What? We do.” Pat laughs.
“It’s nice to see my guys actually making friends outside of the game.” Joel says with a wink. “And a female, too. It’s not too often they have a woman that they have a friendship with. I hope you’ll be able to keep a couple of them in check.”
He eyes Pat with a smirk and Pat scoffs, pretending to be offended. It causes Jon and I to both laugh.
“Don’t worry, Joel. I’ll be sure to keep Party Kaner in check.” I assure him, nudging Pat’s arm with my elbow. “As best as I can, anyways.”
“Well thank you, Tori.” He chuckles. “Like I said, it was nice to meet you. Be sure to get my number from either of these two idiots, and let me know if you ever need anything at all.”
“Thank you, Joel.” I smile. “And congrats on the win tonight.”

The sweet coach eyes his two star players warningly before making his way down the hallway towards the bus. After a short shared glance, the four of us follow him until we’re outside by the bus waiting to take them to their next destination.

“I guess you have to go now.” I say, turning to my friends.
“But I don’t want to.” Pat whines with a pout.
“Don’t worry, Patty. Winter break will be here soon enough. And then I’ll come spend a whole week with you in Chicago.”
“Okay.” He says reluctantly.

Jon pulls me into a hug first, his large frame dwarfing mine. I hold tight to his slim waist, feeling the ripple of his abs through his suit in an attempt to drop his bag. My head lays right on top of Jon’s heart, which I can hear beating steadily when I press my ear against it. He inhales deeply and sighs out before letting me go with a quick kiss to my cheek.

“See you in December.”
With a short nod to Drew, he picks his bag back up and heads towards the bus, disappearing inside.

Now comes the hardest part. Saying goodbye to Pat. Without words, I wrap my arms around his middle and lay my head on his shoulder, inhaling the smell of his suit jacket. It still has a hint of his cologne from before the game. I close my eyes and feel the soft rise and fall of his chest as he breathes in unison with me. His head drops to rest on top of mine, and I feel him press a kiss to my hair.

“Love you, Tori.” He says, eventually pulling away.
“Love you too, Patty.” I respond, clinging as much as I can while still maintaining my dignity.
“Only a couple of weeks, right?”
“Of course. And we’ll Skype and FaceTime whenever we can. You’ll hardly even miss me.”
“Except I miss you already.” He pouts.

I giggle and pull lightly on his bottom lip with my fingers, causing him to pull away with a laugh.

“Win Nationals so we have something to celebrate when you come visit.” He demands, his eyes twinkling a little.
“You got it.” I smile.

He picks up his bag and nods to Drew, who nods back, before following Jon’s path.

“Come on.” I nudge Drew, not wanting to wait around and watch their bus pull away.

The two of us make our way back to the general parking lot, which has completely emptied except for a couple cars of people still hanging around somewhere. We get into my car and I start the engine, handing Drew my phone to plug in to my car charger.

“So.... what were Jon and Pat saying when I came back from the bathroom?” I ask as I pull out of the parking lot.
“Do you really want to know?” Drew asks in return.
“Yeah. You looked upset.”
Drew sighs, and I briefly glance over at him, urging him to talk to me. He waits until we’re stopped at a red light to respond.
“They wanted to know why I’m still friends with you despite being your ex-boyfriend.”
“What?” I ask, whirling around to look at him fully. My jaw is dropped and my eyes are blown wide.
“They were worried that I have bad intentions. Specifically that I want to keep our friendship going for selfish reasons. I told them the truth. That my reasoning for continuing our friendship is completely selfish, but not in the way that they’re worried about.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, thoroughly confused. My hands grip the steering wheel, preparing myself for the response I’m about to get.
“Look, Tori. I’m not friends with you because you’re Victoria McKinley, two-time Olympic medalist and future Olympic champion. I’m not friends with you because you’re popular and famous and know a lot of other famous athletes like the entire Penguins and Blackhawks rosters. Or because you’re totally smokin’ hot. I’m friends with you because you’re Tori, the girl who lived across the hallway from me our freshman year. The girl who helped me pass chemistry freshman year. The girl who egged that frat house with me after they told Nick and Will that they were losers sophomore year and then totally ran from the cops when we almost got busted. The girl who has been at every home baseball game all three years so far, with all three of our numbers written on her face. You’re the girl who makes me laugh and teases me and cheers me on and makes me feel like I’m not a disappointment even when we lose. And yeah, it sucks that we can’t be together because you’re one hell of a catch. Any man would be lucky as fuck to date you, and I will make sure that the man who eventually lands you for good knows that. But I know we’re not supposed to be a couple. We’ve tried it, and that’s just not how our relationship is. We’re friends, and only friends. And I’m totally happy with that. I’m selfish because I don’t want to lose such an amazing friend in my life. That’s why I’m still friends with you.”

By this time, I’ve pulled into our apartment complex and parked in my usual spot. I turn the car engine off and unbuckle, turning to face Drew.

“Drew...” I didn’t know what to say. It honestly has never occurred to me before that someone so close to me could use me that way. Other people, sure. But not my friends. Not the people I’ve let into my closest circle.

It reminds me of the conversation I had with Sid the other night. Hockey players... they’re really careful about who they trust. Especially the more popular ones, like some of my friends are. Whereas my sport only has a huge following for a couple of weeks every four years, the NHL exists nine months out of the year, every year. Their fans are crazier, and quite honestly fake friends can weasel a lot more out of them. It’s why so many of them are reserved about who they let into their close circles. It’s why it’s such a big deal that Pat and Jon and Sid and all the guys accepted me so easily.

“I get it, Tori. It’s okay. They’re your friends now, too.” Drew says, bringing me back to our conversation with a hand on my wrist. I realize my face has been scrunched up into a mixture between anger and deep thought. “They just wanted to be sure about me. I would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed.”
I look Drew right in the eyes, hoping he understands how serious I am about what I’m about to say to him.
“I’ll make sure they’re clear about you and me. They won’t do that again.” I promise.

He nods, silently, and the two of us get out of my car. We don’t say anything more as we make our way up to our floor. It actually isn’t until we reach our doors that he finally says something.

“Thanks for bringing me to the game tonight. I had a lot of fun.”
“Thanks for coming with me.”
“You know I love you, right? Obviously not like romantically. But like a friend. A sister. And I’ll do anything for you.”
“I love you too, Drew. And I’ll do anything for you.”
He smiles a little and I can’t resist reaching out to pull him into a hug. The physical connection makes us both realize just how awkward it got, and we have to laugh.
“See you tomorrow.” He smiles, the awkward haze lifting from us.
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

Despite everything being okay with Drew, I’m still pretty mad at my Chicago friends for treating him the way that they did. The next afternoon, as soon as I’m done classes and sure Pat and Jon are likely having lunch together, I decide to give them a call.

“Put me on speaker phone with Jon.” I demand, not giving Pat a chance to say anything when he answers.
“Hey Tori.” I hear Jon say.
“Why the hell were you two interrogating Drew?” I ask, letting them know through my tone that I’m pissed.
“Uh oh...” I hear someone else say, followed by some muffled laughter.
“Uh...” Pat starts.

“No. You know what? I don’t want an answer to that. I already know. It’s because you two are fucking morons. Now you’re going to listen to me and you’re going to get this through your heads. I don’t have a lot of really close friends. Mainly because I choose not to. But Drew is one of my very best friends. And if you exclude my family, he’s one of my longest friends at this point. One of the first men that I trusted after the shit storm of a senior year I had in high school, and certainly one of the only people I trust after the hell I went through last year. Neither of you have the right to question him about the nature of our friendship. You weren’t around when we were dating, nor when we broke up. And if Aubrey hadn’t told you that Drew and I were together, you wouldn’t have even known. You would have just thought he was another good friend of mine like Nick and Will. Which he is. While I appreciate that you two were just looking out for me, you need to understand that our break up wasn’t like a normal break up. It was mutual, and nothing personal. We just weren’t right for each other. But we do make amazing friends. And I swear you’re so lucky that he understands where you two were coming from. Because if I had lost him, you two would be paying for it.”

The other end of the line is silent as I finish my rant. Then, I hear some shuffling and a door close.

“Tori, we’re really sorry.” Jon says, a little clearer than before.
“Yeah. We didn’t mean to cause any problems.” Pat adds.
“We’re just...”
“Really protective of you.” Pat finishes.
“You’re like our sister. I’ve never had one before, but I understand now what people mean when they say an older brother is super protective of his younger sisters.”
“We just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t shifty.”

“Well he’s not.” I promise. “And I’ve got my own brothers, as well as other friends who will take care of me. Do you really think Aubrey would let him stay in my life if he had bad intentions?”
“No.” They both answer quietly.
“Exactly.”

There’s a mutual silence between the three of us, and I start to feel a little bad for how much I yelled at them.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” I apologize, the anger falling from my shoulders and neck where it’s been building since I found out about their conversation.
“We deserved it.” Pat admits.
“Yeah, you did. But I didn’t have to be that mean.”
“No, you did. We shouldn’t have been so pushy.” Jon responds.
I sigh, letting my muscles relax even further.
“Where are you guys?” I ask.
“We’re at Sharpy’s.” Jon answers.
“With like half the team.” Pat adds quickly.
“So... they all just heard that?” I question, hoping the answer is different than I already know it is.
“Yup.”
“Now I’m doubly sorry.” I sigh.
“Don’t be.” Jon assures me. “Like we both said, we deserved it. And we won’t do it again.”
“You better not.” I snort.
“We won’t.” Pat promises.
The three of us are silent for a minute.
“I guess I’ll let you guys get back to it, then. Again, I’m sorry I yelled at you in front of everyone.”
“And we’re sorry we overstepped our boundaries.” Jon says.
“And we all love each other and everything is good again.” Pat laughs.
“Definitely.” I laugh “I love you guys. Have a good rest of your day.”
“You too, Tori.”
“We love you too.”

I hang up and sigh into my couch pillow, glad that I set them straight on the topic of Drew. It isn’t their fault, I realize, since they really have no idea how protective Aubrey is of me. Especially after my senior year of high school and the disaster of a relationship that I had last year. Which reminds me....

I pull my phone back out from under the pillow and type in Vero’s number.

“I’ll be home for Thanksgiving for a couple of days. Lunch with some of the ladies?” I text her.
“Absolutely! I’ll get it all together. You just join us :)” She responds not a minute later.

I smile and reach for the bag I abandoned on the coffee table, content with lazing on the couch reading my text book until I have to leave for practice in a couple hours.

Notes

Hi friends!

Sorry for the delay on this one. Hope you all enjoy :)