A Missing Puzzle Piece
Chapter 4
Molli’s POV
“They’re here! They’re here! Annabelle Antoinette, Molly! Are you guys ready?” Travis screamed.
Smiling at Nicole I asked, “Does this happen every year?”
Nicole shook her head. “No. But Marty’s turning 40, and Moose is gonna be 39.”
“Jeez, isn’t that a little OLD?” I said in surprise.
Nicole giggled. “Don’t you dare let Marty or Johan hear you say that!”
“Daddy!” I heard a girl say.
I couldn’t see them. But they couldn’t see us either. They had to come in a door. “Hi Annabelle. Your mom said I had to pick you up here. Ready to go? Oh, is that Molly?” A man said.
Another man said. “Molly you’re here too?”
“Yes Dad.” A different female voice.
“Um before we leave Dad, I have to get something from the other room. Can you come with me?” Annabelle Antoinette asked. I could hear that she was a nice little actress.
“Sure.”
The other girl, Molly, said, “Oh shoot my notebook is in there! Can you come too Dad?”
I heard the second male, Moose, reply, “I’ll wait out here.”
“But my teacher has a birthday present for you! Please come!”
“Fine Molly.”
The door opened and we all stood in the back smiling like idiots. The brunette girl jumped into the taller guy’s arms, and then the blonde did the same.
The brunette, Annabelle Antoinette and Molly said at the same time, “Happy Birthday Daddy.”
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIES!” We all screamed.
Both of the guys smiled, and the taller guy said, in a French-Canadian accent, “Well, when Genevieve said to pick up Annabelle Antoinette from piano practice, I wasn’t expecting to walk into THIS!”
“Yeah Marty!” Someone yelled, and we all clapped and cheered.
I smiled. “Marty is well-loved, isn’t he?”
Nicole nodded. “Yes, yes he is.”
Marty put Annabelle down. Moose added in, “Well, this is impressive. Whose idea was this? I’ll guess Nicole Truscott?”
Nick laughed and said, “Actually no. I came here believing it was a playoff party!” Everyone laughed, including me.”
“Fine, then I’ll guess-“
“IT WAS ONE OF THE PLAYERS!” Somebody yelled.
Johan rolled his eyes. “Then it was Zach.”
Everyone looked over at some guy. I guessed he was Zach. He had golden brown hair and brown eyes and a nice smile. He laughed. “Me?” He asked, and everyone laughed with him.
“It was I!” Another man stood up.
“Scott?” Marty asked with a laugh. “Scott Stevens everyone!”
Apparently that was hilarious, and everyone laughed.
The party started. Everyone was drinking except for the players, and me. After a while, I couldn’t take it. Trailing Nicole and Ilya made me feel like a 3rd wheel that was ruining their night. Everyone was perfectly nice.
Eventually, Travis came over to my side. I faked a smile. “Nice party.” I said.
Travis shook his head. “Nice fake smile.”
I looked down, the smile disappearing. “I don’t like parties. Nicole was pressuring me”
Travis interrupted me. “I was never a party person either. But hey, at least we’re in the same boat. Want me to get you a drink?”
I smiled, “No, but thanks. I don’t drink.”
“Me neither.” Travis said. “Want to go to my house instead?”
I looked up at him. “I think I’ll leave with Nicole and Ilya. I have some stuff in Ilya’s car.” Travis was obviously trying to get me to go out with him. I could see his face fall. “but why don’t you take my number?”
Travis smiled. “Okay.”
We exchanged numbers. “I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back. Wait here?” Travis said.
I smiled. “I’ll just sit over there.”
Travis nodded.
I went to go sit down. What had I gotten myself into? Someone sat down, and it wasn’t Travis.
“Why so sad?” A male voice asked. I looked up. It was that Zach person, accused of planning the party.
“Hi.” I said sadly.
“How long’s it been?”
I sighed. “Don’t. I don’t know you.”
Zach actually looked confused. “Don’t.” I said sharply.
I leaned back. “I only know your name is Zach and you play for the team. And I know that because one of the goalies called you out.”
Zach shook his head. “No, we’ve met. We dated, back in Minnesota. I play for the NHL now.”
“I never lived in Minnesota.”
“Yes you did.” Zach said. “Look, I get if you don’t want to go out with me again. Just admit that you know me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. So therefore, I never dated you.”
Zach sighed. “Stop it. You were born in Minnesota, and we dated for like 5 years. This is ridiculous.”
“No, I was born in Virginia. I never dated you. I don’t know you!”
Zach’s eyes searched mine. “Fine Molli.” He said in frustration. “I give UP!” He got up.
“Wait!”
“Yeah?”
“How did you know my name is Molli?”
“I dated you for 5 years of my life. You were my next-door neighbor!”
I decided he could have heard my name anywhere. But the spelling, not so much. “How do you spell Molli?”
“YOU spell it M-O-L-L-I.”
He did know me.
“They’re here! They’re here! Annabelle Antoinette, Molly! Are you guys ready?” Travis screamed.
Smiling at Nicole I asked, “Does this happen every year?”
Nicole shook her head. “No. But Marty’s turning 40, and Moose is gonna be 39.”
“Jeez, isn’t that a little OLD?” I said in surprise.
Nicole giggled. “Don’t you dare let Marty or Johan hear you say that!”
“Daddy!” I heard a girl say.
I couldn’t see them. But they couldn’t see us either. They had to come in a door. “Hi Annabelle. Your mom said I had to pick you up here. Ready to go? Oh, is that Molly?” A man said.
Another man said. “Molly you’re here too?”
“Yes Dad.” A different female voice.
“Um before we leave Dad, I have to get something from the other room. Can you come with me?” Annabelle Antoinette asked. I could hear that she was a nice little actress.
“Sure.”
The other girl, Molly, said, “Oh shoot my notebook is in there! Can you come too Dad?”
I heard the second male, Moose, reply, “I’ll wait out here.”
“But my teacher has a birthday present for you! Please come!”
“Fine Molly.”
The door opened and we all stood in the back smiling like idiots. The brunette girl jumped into the taller guy’s arms, and then the blonde did the same.
The brunette, Annabelle Antoinette and Molly said at the same time, “Happy Birthday Daddy.”
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIES!” We all screamed.
Both of the guys smiled, and the taller guy said, in a French-Canadian accent, “Well, when Genevieve said to pick up Annabelle Antoinette from piano practice, I wasn’t expecting to walk into THIS!”
“Yeah Marty!” Someone yelled, and we all clapped and cheered.
I smiled. “Marty is well-loved, isn’t he?”
Nicole nodded. “Yes, yes he is.”
Marty put Annabelle down. Moose added in, “Well, this is impressive. Whose idea was this? I’ll guess Nicole Truscott?”
Nick laughed and said, “Actually no. I came here believing it was a playoff party!” Everyone laughed, including me.”
“Fine, then I’ll guess-“
“IT WAS ONE OF THE PLAYERS!” Somebody yelled.
Johan rolled his eyes. “Then it was Zach.”
Everyone looked over at some guy. I guessed he was Zach. He had golden brown hair and brown eyes and a nice smile. He laughed. “Me?” He asked, and everyone laughed with him.
“It was I!” Another man stood up.
“Scott?” Marty asked with a laugh. “Scott Stevens everyone!”
Apparently that was hilarious, and everyone laughed.
The party started. Everyone was drinking except for the players, and me. After a while, I couldn’t take it. Trailing Nicole and Ilya made me feel like a 3rd wheel that was ruining their night. Everyone was perfectly nice.
Eventually, Travis came over to my side. I faked a smile. “Nice party.” I said.
Travis shook his head. “Nice fake smile.”
I looked down, the smile disappearing. “I don’t like parties. Nicole was pressuring me”
Travis interrupted me. “I was never a party person either. But hey, at least we’re in the same boat. Want me to get you a drink?”
I smiled, “No, but thanks. I don’t drink.”
“Me neither.” Travis said. “Want to go to my house instead?”
I looked up at him. “I think I’ll leave with Nicole and Ilya. I have some stuff in Ilya’s car.” Travis was obviously trying to get me to go out with him. I could see his face fall. “but why don’t you take my number?”
Travis smiled. “Okay.”
We exchanged numbers. “I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back. Wait here?” Travis said.
I smiled. “I’ll just sit over there.”
Travis nodded.
I went to go sit down. What had I gotten myself into? Someone sat down, and it wasn’t Travis.
“Why so sad?” A male voice asked. I looked up. It was that Zach person, accused of planning the party.
“Hi.” I said sadly.
“How long’s it been?”
I sighed. “Don’t. I don’t know you.”
Zach actually looked confused. “Don’t.” I said sharply.
I leaned back. “I only know your name is Zach and you play for the team. And I know that because one of the goalies called you out.”
Zach shook his head. “No, we’ve met. We dated, back in Minnesota. I play for the NHL now.”
“I never lived in Minnesota.”
“Yes you did.” Zach said. “Look, I get if you don’t want to go out with me again. Just admit that you know me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. So therefore, I never dated you.”
Zach sighed. “Stop it. You were born in Minnesota, and we dated for like 5 years. This is ridiculous.”
“No, I was born in Virginia. I never dated you. I don’t know you!”
Zach’s eyes searched mine. “Fine Molli.” He said in frustration. “I give UP!” He got up.
“Wait!”
“Yeah?”
“How did you know my name is Molli?”
“I dated you for 5 years of my life. You were my next-door neighbor!”
I decided he could have heard my name anywhere. But the spelling, not so much. “How do you spell Molli?”
“YOU spell it M-O-L-L-I.”
He did know me.
11/30/12