A Missing Puzzle Piece
Chapter 14
Molli’s POV
The sight of Travis and Nicole standing in the bedroom had basically given me a heart attack.
“Can I ask the first question?” I asked, feeling Zach step in behind me.
Nicole and Travis looked at each other and unison, seeming to have a secret conversation through their eyes.
“That seems fair.” Zach said tightly. I looked behind me and his brown eyes weren’t exactly curious. In fact, I suspected he was trying his best not to hit Travis right now. I was just confused.
Nicole’s eyes flickered to Zach’s. “We were just worried about our friend.” Her voice sounded like she was going to cry.
Zach rolled his eyes. “Sure YOU were. Him? Not so much?”
“Can you stop?” I snapped. I didn’t want him to be rude to Travis. I felt guilty instantly and looked into his eyes. He didn’t look the least bit mad at me. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I really am.”
He smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “I know.”
I managed a small smile.
“Okay, so the first question.” Nicole said.
“I think you know it. But what the hell are you doing in my house?”
Travis looked behind me to Zach. “I think ZACH might be the person you should be asking. He’ll be able to explain it just fine.” His voice was dripping with attitude. He wasn’t talking to me, I could tell.
What? I was even more confused now, the anger almost forgotten.
Travis cocked his head to Nicole. I looked at her expectantly.
Nicole took a deep breath. “Honestly I’m with Travis on this one. Zach, you tell her why we’re here. Explain to her what you did. And what I got screamed at for.”
I turned around. “Can you please just tell me what they’re talking about?”
Zach ignored me. “Look guys, you weren’t here. And guess who was. I think you should leave. You aren’t going to help.”
“I’m not just going to LEAVE.” Travis shot back.
Zach snorted. “Okay. For some reason I think this is going to backfire on YOU. Just like everything else.”
“Oh really? You’re not the one who took her home and made her feel better after her niece died!”
“You did a fine job!” Zach laughed back sarcastically. “In the state she was in I didn’t even know you were involved in this!”
“I’m not the one who lied to-”
“STOP!” Nicole screamed. “Can we please just talk this out like NORMAL people? Zach, are YOU going to explain or are we?”
Zach replied, “Fine. Molli, are you listening?”
He took my hand and sat me down on the bed. I looked into his chocolate eyes. There was a serious look to them and I nodded. “Yes.”
He rubbed my hand. “You can be mad at me, but I need you to know I did it because I was worried about you. Alright?”
I nodded, a little worried myself.
“Okay. I called Elizabeth. She wouldn’t have told me where you might be or even given me a suggestion or two about where you were if I had told her I was Zach Parise. Because she remembers me as the bad guy who broke your heart nine years ago. So I had to lie. I borrowed Travis’s identity, and said I was Travis. She asked me for my name at the end, and I accidentally let it slip that I’m Zach. So she was pissed off and I hung up. She and your mom didn’t want you to get hurt by me again so they left me out when they explained your life to you. So I lied to Elizabeth so I could figure out where you were. I’m sorry.”
I gave it a moment to sink in. Zach lied to Elizabeth for me. I put arm around his shoulder and leaned against him. I closed my eyes and inhaled. “Thanks for doing that.”
“What?” Zach.
“What?” Travis
I looked at all their faces. Travis looked at me like I was crazy. I knew he wanted me to be mad at Zach. Zach smiled. “You’re really not mad?”
“How could I be?”
I snuck a peek at Nicole. Her face was confused. “Wait, really?” She and Travis exchanged a look.
I kissed Zach’s cheek. “I think I’m going to go home now.”
Zach looked at me in surprise. “But I thought we were going to-”
I interrupted him. “We’ll do it later.”
Travis blew up. “Oh COME ON! The least you could do is be a little less obvious about it!”
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
Travis laughed. “That’s funny.”
“No, I don’t think anything is funny.”
Travis rolled his eyes. “Oh COME ON!” He said again. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t going to have sex with that!” He glared at Zach, referring to him as ‘that’.
It was my turn to look at him like he was crazy. “I’m a virgin smart one! I wasn’t about to lose that!” Why would I have sex with Zach?
“Yeah ‘virgin’.” He said, airquotes around ‘virgin.’
“What?”
“Please, you lost that last night. Or this morning!” Travis said with a laugh, kicking my shirt that was on the floor.
I glared at him. “It’s called getting dressed and being too lazy to put your clothes away in the morning.”
Travis’s face changed. “Ummm well how do you explain Zach’s Devils shirt?”
“I slept in it! I bought it after the game!” I snapped.
Travis wanted to backtrack, I could see that in his eyes. “Well then why did you pull Zach into that room over there and say that you had something for him and then came in here?”
I looked at him. “You’re kidding right? Come with me. All of you.”
I walked into the other room and opened the brown chest in the corner. It was my great grandfather’s, and so were the contents.
“Zach can you help me get this thing out?” There was a big box inside. It had a record player in it. After Zach had expressed his liking for Bruce Springsteen, I had remembered my great grandpa’s old record player and a Springsteen record that was still in my room.
He walked over. “Sure Molli.”
“Be careful. It’s heavy and fragile.”
Zach lifted the box out and put it on the floor. “Thanks.” I said.
Fingering the edge of the box, I opened it to reveal the beautiful, old music player. Nicole, Travis and Zach all bent over it, looking at it in amazement.
I walked into my room and grabbed the Born To Run record. “Look at this!”
Zach looked up. “No way! Is that real?”
I nodded, beaming. “And it works too!”
I put it in, and the first notes to Thunder Road started to float through the room. I could sing along to the melody if it was playing backwards in my sleep. I don’t know why, I had never loved Springsteen. But I guess the song had been played around the house when I was little.
Zach smiled at me. ‘That’s so cool Molli! Thanks for showing that to us!”
“Where did you get it?” Travis asked.
“It was my great grandfathers.”
“And you still have it?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s amazing.”
I knew it was cool. No one ever really liked music in my family. They were all about logic, I was really the only one who had hopes and dreams for myself, or found escapes through music.
That’s why my grandfather had passed it down to me. He was the same way as me, and didn’t want it in the hands of someone who wouldn’t appreciate it.
I smiled at the old thing. My grandfather was passed now. He’s watching Alexandra. He’s taking care of her and making sure she’s safe. Said the little voice in my head, and I couldn’t help the happy tear that fell down my cheek.
Zach stood up. “What’s wrong Molli?”
I sniffled. “My grandpa is watching Alex.”
Zach pulled me into his chest. He put my head under his neck and he smiled.
Although my eyes were closed I could see Travis glaring at us.
“We should go.” Nicole said.
I broke away from Zach. “Okay. Thanks for checking up on me.”
Travis looked dejected. “Can I talk to you? Alone?” I said to Travis.
Nicole and Zach left the room on command.
Zach looked back. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Just go downstairs.” He nodded and closed the door behind him.
I looked up at Travis. He said, “Sorry. For everything. But why him? Can I not make you happy?”
I shook my head. “It’s not you. It’s not that I don’t like you. I just don’t like you like that, okay?”
He nodded. “Is the thing about you being a virgin true?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve really never had sex?”
“Never.”
Travis sighed. “Alright. I should go. I’m really sorry. Can we still be friends?”
I nodded with a smile. “I hope you can stay my friend Travis. I know this might be hard on you, but I think I love Zach, okay. Can you promise you won’t hit him again?”
“I can’t promise a thing, Molli.”
“Can you promise to try?”
Travis hesitated. “If he really means so much to you.”
“He does.”
“Fine. I’ll try.”
“On and off the ice?” I questioned.
“I won’t promise you anything. But I’m going to get my ass kicked for not being there the last couple games. Everyone’s going to think I’m just scared to show my face.” He hung his head.
I kissed his cheek. “Everything’s going to be a-okay.”
“That’s what you think. You’re sort of new to this whole NHL thing. Because NOTHING is going to be okay. NOTHING.”
With that he turned around to meet Nicole downstairs. I heard them leave.
I walked downstairs and Zach was there.
“Are you o-“
I collapsed into his chest and started to sob. “I just ruined Travis Zajac’s whole life. I ruined it!”
Zach chuckled. “His life is going to be just fine.”
He hugged me close and sat me down on the couch. I cried into his shoulders until there were no more tears left to shed. Zach didn’t say another word to me as I sobbed, understanding that I needed to cry.
Once I was done, we just sat there together holding hands. We didn’t talk, he just grabbed my had and held it. I looked over at him, but he was staring at the floor. I wondered what he was thinking about.
“Are you alright?”
He smiled at me. “I’ll be fine. But I am going to get hell from everyone. Practice is going on right now and people will be gentle if you’re there. Come with me?”
I nodded and put my sneakers on. “I can’t wait to watch you play.” I whispered to him as we drove to the arena.
The sight of Travis and Nicole standing in the bedroom had basically given me a heart attack.
“Can I ask the first question?” I asked, feeling Zach step in behind me.
Nicole and Travis looked at each other and unison, seeming to have a secret conversation through their eyes.
“That seems fair.” Zach said tightly. I looked behind me and his brown eyes weren’t exactly curious. In fact, I suspected he was trying his best not to hit Travis right now. I was just confused.
Nicole’s eyes flickered to Zach’s. “We were just worried about our friend.” Her voice sounded like she was going to cry.
Zach rolled his eyes. “Sure YOU were. Him? Not so much?”
“Can you stop?” I snapped. I didn’t want him to be rude to Travis. I felt guilty instantly and looked into his eyes. He didn’t look the least bit mad at me. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I really am.”
He smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “I know.”
I managed a small smile.
“Okay, so the first question.” Nicole said.
“I think you know it. But what the hell are you doing in my house?”
Travis looked behind me to Zach. “I think ZACH might be the person you should be asking. He’ll be able to explain it just fine.” His voice was dripping with attitude. He wasn’t talking to me, I could tell.
What? I was even more confused now, the anger almost forgotten.
Travis cocked his head to Nicole. I looked at her expectantly.
Nicole took a deep breath. “Honestly I’m with Travis on this one. Zach, you tell her why we’re here. Explain to her what you did. And what I got screamed at for.”
I turned around. “Can you please just tell me what they’re talking about?”
Zach ignored me. “Look guys, you weren’t here. And guess who was. I think you should leave. You aren’t going to help.”
“I’m not just going to LEAVE.” Travis shot back.
Zach snorted. “Okay. For some reason I think this is going to backfire on YOU. Just like everything else.”
“Oh really? You’re not the one who took her home and made her feel better after her niece died!”
“You did a fine job!” Zach laughed back sarcastically. “In the state she was in I didn’t even know you were involved in this!”
“I’m not the one who lied to-”
“STOP!” Nicole screamed. “Can we please just talk this out like NORMAL people? Zach, are YOU going to explain or are we?”
Zach replied, “Fine. Molli, are you listening?”
He took my hand and sat me down on the bed. I looked into his chocolate eyes. There was a serious look to them and I nodded. “Yes.”
He rubbed my hand. “You can be mad at me, but I need you to know I did it because I was worried about you. Alright?”
I nodded, a little worried myself.
“Okay. I called Elizabeth. She wouldn’t have told me where you might be or even given me a suggestion or two about where you were if I had told her I was Zach Parise. Because she remembers me as the bad guy who broke your heart nine years ago. So I had to lie. I borrowed Travis’s identity, and said I was Travis. She asked me for my name at the end, and I accidentally let it slip that I’m Zach. So she was pissed off and I hung up. She and your mom didn’t want you to get hurt by me again so they left me out when they explained your life to you. So I lied to Elizabeth so I could figure out where you were. I’m sorry.”
I gave it a moment to sink in. Zach lied to Elizabeth for me. I put arm around his shoulder and leaned against him. I closed my eyes and inhaled. “Thanks for doing that.”
“What?” Zach.
“What?” Travis
I looked at all their faces. Travis looked at me like I was crazy. I knew he wanted me to be mad at Zach. Zach smiled. “You’re really not mad?”
“How could I be?”
I snuck a peek at Nicole. Her face was confused. “Wait, really?” She and Travis exchanged a look.
I kissed Zach’s cheek. “I think I’m going to go home now.”
Zach looked at me in surprise. “But I thought we were going to-”
I interrupted him. “We’ll do it later.”
Travis blew up. “Oh COME ON! The least you could do is be a little less obvious about it!”
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
Travis laughed. “That’s funny.”
“No, I don’t think anything is funny.”
Travis rolled his eyes. “Oh COME ON!” He said again. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t going to have sex with that!” He glared at Zach, referring to him as ‘that’.
It was my turn to look at him like he was crazy. “I’m a virgin smart one! I wasn’t about to lose that!” Why would I have sex with Zach?
“Yeah ‘virgin’.” He said, airquotes around ‘virgin.’
“What?”
“Please, you lost that last night. Or this morning!” Travis said with a laugh, kicking my shirt that was on the floor.
I glared at him. “It’s called getting dressed and being too lazy to put your clothes away in the morning.”
Travis’s face changed. “Ummm well how do you explain Zach’s Devils shirt?”
“I slept in it! I bought it after the game!” I snapped.
Travis wanted to backtrack, I could see that in his eyes. “Well then why did you pull Zach into that room over there and say that you had something for him and then came in here?”
I looked at him. “You’re kidding right? Come with me. All of you.”
I walked into the other room and opened the brown chest in the corner. It was my great grandfather’s, and so were the contents.
“Zach can you help me get this thing out?” There was a big box inside. It had a record player in it. After Zach had expressed his liking for Bruce Springsteen, I had remembered my great grandpa’s old record player and a Springsteen record that was still in my room.
He walked over. “Sure Molli.”
“Be careful. It’s heavy and fragile.”
Zach lifted the box out and put it on the floor. “Thanks.” I said.
Fingering the edge of the box, I opened it to reveal the beautiful, old music player. Nicole, Travis and Zach all bent over it, looking at it in amazement.
I walked into my room and grabbed the Born To Run record. “Look at this!”
Zach looked up. “No way! Is that real?”
I nodded, beaming. “And it works too!”
I put it in, and the first notes to Thunder Road started to float through the room. I could sing along to the melody if it was playing backwards in my sleep. I don’t know why, I had never loved Springsteen. But I guess the song had been played around the house when I was little.
Zach smiled at me. ‘That’s so cool Molli! Thanks for showing that to us!”
“Where did you get it?” Travis asked.
“It was my great grandfathers.”
“And you still have it?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s amazing.”
I knew it was cool. No one ever really liked music in my family. They were all about logic, I was really the only one who had hopes and dreams for myself, or found escapes through music.
That’s why my grandfather had passed it down to me. He was the same way as me, and didn’t want it in the hands of someone who wouldn’t appreciate it.
I smiled at the old thing. My grandfather was passed now. He’s watching Alexandra. He’s taking care of her and making sure she’s safe. Said the little voice in my head, and I couldn’t help the happy tear that fell down my cheek.
Zach stood up. “What’s wrong Molli?”
I sniffled. “My grandpa is watching Alex.”
Zach pulled me into his chest. He put my head under his neck and he smiled.
Although my eyes were closed I could see Travis glaring at us.
“We should go.” Nicole said.
I broke away from Zach. “Okay. Thanks for checking up on me.”
Travis looked dejected. “Can I talk to you? Alone?” I said to Travis.
Nicole and Zach left the room on command.
Zach looked back. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Just go downstairs.” He nodded and closed the door behind him.
I looked up at Travis. He said, “Sorry. For everything. But why him? Can I not make you happy?”
I shook my head. “It’s not you. It’s not that I don’t like you. I just don’t like you like that, okay?”
He nodded. “Is the thing about you being a virgin true?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve really never had sex?”
“Never.”
Travis sighed. “Alright. I should go. I’m really sorry. Can we still be friends?”
I nodded with a smile. “I hope you can stay my friend Travis. I know this might be hard on you, but I think I love Zach, okay. Can you promise you won’t hit him again?”
“I can’t promise a thing, Molli.”
“Can you promise to try?”
Travis hesitated. “If he really means so much to you.”
“He does.”
“Fine. I’ll try.”
“On and off the ice?” I questioned.
“I won’t promise you anything. But I’m going to get my ass kicked for not being there the last couple games. Everyone’s going to think I’m just scared to show my face.” He hung his head.
I kissed his cheek. “Everything’s going to be a-okay.”
“That’s what you think. You’re sort of new to this whole NHL thing. Because NOTHING is going to be okay. NOTHING.”
With that he turned around to meet Nicole downstairs. I heard them leave.
I walked downstairs and Zach was there.
“Are you o-“
I collapsed into his chest and started to sob. “I just ruined Travis Zajac’s whole life. I ruined it!”
Zach chuckled. “His life is going to be just fine.”
He hugged me close and sat me down on the couch. I cried into his shoulders until there were no more tears left to shed. Zach didn’t say another word to me as I sobbed, understanding that I needed to cry.
Once I was done, we just sat there together holding hands. We didn’t talk, he just grabbed my had and held it. I looked over at him, but he was staring at the floor. I wondered what he was thinking about.
“Are you alright?”
He smiled at me. “I’ll be fine. But I am going to get hell from everyone. Practice is going on right now and people will be gentle if you’re there. Come with me?”
I nodded and put my sneakers on. “I can’t wait to watch you play.” I whispered to him as we drove to the arena.
Notes
This was going to be a lot shorter.... But it ended up about 7 pages on my computer... So sorry. And I'm not a good writer so I'm amazed that its at 8.8 right now! So thanks! ~Taylor
11/30/12