“I’m telling you Ronda is going to win tonight.” Brendan says to me as we are sitting on the couch with Dustin and Sara with us too.

“I love her, she’s my woman crush.” Sara says.

“I haven’t really heard about her.” I say.

All heads are turned in my direction and I just shrug them off. Sara, Dustin, Brendan, and I have been hanging out a lot since last week when I met Brendan at the club. Sara and Dustin are kind of dating, but not official but they are acting like a couple and I know he stays over a lot so I don’t know what will happen when he gets sent back down to St. John’s.

Brendan and I are getting closer as friends, but I have to admit I might have a crush on Brendan. I’m not sure if it will ever be anything but its nice to have someone else to talk to now that Dustin is taking up all of Sara’s time. Sara and Dustin are curled up against each other on the love seat and Brendan and I are sharing the couch, with my feet in his lap.

“C’mon, Lydia. You have never heard about Ronda Rousey?” Brendan asks me and I shake my head.

“She is beautiful though.” I say.

“You know who else is? Sara.” Dustin kind of yells but not.

“Oh shush.” Sara playfully hits Dustin. To be honest I almost puked, usually I think Dustin and Sara are so cute together but that was just too cheesy. I think I cringed because I see Brendan is looking at me out of the corner of my eyes. I look at him and he is trying to not laugh, I smile at him and fake puke for him which makes him crack up. I cover his mouth quickly and whisper shush as Sara and Dustin look over at us.

“What are you laughing about?” Dustin asks.

“Uhh…Brendan just tickled me and by accident kicked him down south.” I lie and turn my attention to the tv where the fight was about to begin.

I sit up closer to Brendan and wrap an arm around his neck to keep me up.

“Comfy?” He asks me.

“Yep, um can you help tell me whats going on?” I whisper into his ear.

“Sure.”

The fight starts and Brendan starts teaching me what was going on. Somewhere in the Second Round the Ronda girl got kicked in the face and she got knocked out. Apparently this was some national disaster as the reactions of everyone else in the room.

“What happened?” I ask Brendan.

“She lost.”

“Someone had to have lost.”

“She got knocked out Lydia, that never happens.”

“Is she okay? Is she going to get up?”

“No, she lost she probably has a concussion or something.”

“Have you ever had a concussion?” I look at him.

“Once in junior, that was it.”

“Was it bad?” I ask hoping it wasn’t.

“Nope, I was back in two weeks.” He says and reaches up to put a piece of hair behind my ear. Probably if you saw us right now, you would think we are dating but we aren’t.

“Well I think we’re gonna turn for the night.” Dustin says and leads Sara out of the room.

“Goodnight and please be a little quiet so I can get some sleep.” I call to Sara in french of course so the two guys in our apartment don’t understand. Brendan looks at me with confusion.

“You are just jealous about my life, how about you stay with him tonight?” She replies in french again and we both laugh.

“Do you want some popcorn?” I ask Brendan.

“What were you two talking about?”

“Who?” I ask trying to not make it suspicious.

“You and Sara c’mon Lydia what did you say?”

“Just goodnight.” I say. “Now popcorn?” I ask again as I get up off the couch and walk to the kitchen.

____

Brendan and Dustin were gone off on a road trip to Pittsburgh and I was at home watching the game with my family. (conversations in french)

“So you know how Sara was dating Tokarsksi last year?” I tell my dad and he nods. “And you know he got called up well he came over one night before Sara and I went out and they started talking again. So we went out with Dustin and some other guys from the team were there. I met Brendan Gallagher and we have started to become good friends. He lives in my building.”

“Wow, what is Gally like?”

“He’s kind of quieter than I thought he would be. He smiles a lot and he isn’t cocky, he’s genuine.”

“Honey, it sounds like you are forming a crush.” my mom says as she walks into the room with our finger foods to pick on during the game. I immediately grab a mozzarella stick.

“He’s just a friend. It’s nice to have someone to talk to thats other than Sara. Sara has been spending a lot of time with Dustin again so I have made a new friend in the process.”

I hear the door open and I know its my brother Christian with his fiancee Paige. I jump up and wrap my arms around my brother.

“Hey Lydia, how’s school?” He asks and lifts me up lightly. I am such a brother’s girl. They are basically my best friends and they always protected me.

“Good, what about you?” I ask. “I’m surprised you came.”

“He was studying but I made him put that away for a couple of hours.” Paige says as I wrap my arms around her too.

“I’m glad you did. How’s the wedding planning?” I ask her.

“A little stressful, Christian isn’t much help so once winter break starts we will be in planning mode.”

“Christian has never been much help with anything.” my mom says as we enter the living room. Paige and I laugh. “I can help you sweetie, also Lucy planned a beautiful wedding because Henry didn’t care about any wedding details.”

“Thanks Lena, I will call you next time I sit down to plan and you can come over with my mom.” Paige says and sits beside Christian on the couch. I have to sit on the other side of Paige as my mom and dad take up the love seat together.

“Christian, Paige, Lydia was just telling us about her new friend that she met.” My dad says to Christian and Paige and I groan.

“Dad stop.”

“Is this a friend that could be of the male species?” Paige asks.

“He is a guy who I am friends with yes.” I reply.

“She seems to have a crush I think.” My mom says.

“Mom, I do not!”

“Whats his name?” Christian asks.

“Brendan.” I tell him.

“Lydia tell him who he is.” My dad says a little grouchy to make sure I told Christian about Brendan.

“I’m friends with Brendan Gallagher.”

“WHAT? YOU?” Christian exclaims, Brendan is Christian’s favourite player.

“Yeah he lives in my apartment building and Dustin introduced us.”

“Wait are you like dating him?” Christian asks.

“No, we’re just friends.”

“But I think she has a little crush.” My mom adds.

“Mom.” I groan. My mom drops the conversation as the game begins.

____

I have returned home from my parents as the game is over. Montreal lost in the shootout to Pittsburgh, but Brendan did get a goal. Sara had a shift at her placement for nursing and she had a night shift which would suck, so I had the apartment to myself. I was sitting on the couch watching the sportscentre and the highlights of all the games in the NHL when my phone goes off.

“Bonjour?” I say hello to my phone.

“Please tell me you didn’t watch the game right?” Brendan breathes into the phone.

“Brendan?” I ask.

“Hi Lydia, did you watch the game?” He asks.

“Yeah I had told you that already.” I say.

“I played really bad didn’t I?” He asks again.

“No, I saw you working hard out there.”

“But not hard enough.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why? It’s true. Hold on…” He pauses on the phone. “One minute dad….DAD.” He groans and I totally forgot that it was the Dad’s trip tonight.

“Hello Lydia.” A deep voice says into the phone. “This is Brendan’s dad, Ian Gallagher.”

“Hello Mr. Gallagher.” I reply stunned of what is happening.

“Please call me Ian. My son talks quite highly about you, Lydia.” I smile and I hear Brendan groan.

“He is a good friend.”

“I sure he would like to hear you say that, but I just wanted to say thank you.” Ian says.

“Thank you?” I question.

“Yes, you have become Brendan’s only friend outside of hockey in Montreal. I hope we aren’t bothering you.”

“No, not at all. I’m glad I can be his friend outside of hockey.”

“You sound like a wonderful girl, I should meet you when we get back. Maybe the three of us can grab some lunch.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“I will tell Brendan. Have you ever talked to P.K?” He asks and I furrow my brows, what was going on?

“Yes I have.”

“Hello Lydia, long time no see or talk really!” A very bright and happy voice comes into my ears.

“Hi, how are you?” I ask, I feel myself kind of fangirling because I love P.K so much.

“I’m very good and you?”

“Good thank you.”

“So I took the phone from Ian to talk to you about Gally.” P.K explains.

“Okay.”

“He is kind of bummed about our loss tonight and we don’t know how to cheer him up.”

Were they calling from a plane? R.I.P to my phone bill I think to myself. “You guys got one point out of it though. And Pittsburgh is good or they should be good with the talent they have. I’m not really sure how to cheer him up.”

“I think you did.” P.K says and I hear the phone being passed around.

“Hello Lydia.” A deep accented voice speaks up.

“Hello.”

“This is Chucky.” I had met Alex Galchenyuk last week when I hung out at Brendan’s apartment.

“Hey Chucky, how are you?”

“Did you not recognize my voice?” He asks and I can hear his pout over the phone.

“All you said was hello, how could I know?”

“I love your accent. The way you say hello is so cool.” Alex says.

“You have a cool accent too.” I laugh.

“Leave her alone Chucky.” I hear someone say in the background, but I can’t figure out who.

“Bye Lydia, hope to see you soon.” and then the phone hung up. I chuckle and start to get ready for bed as I have classes tomorrow. I change into my pyjamas and brush my teeth.

As I’m climbing into bed, my phone vibrates. I look at it and its a text from Brendan. ‘Sry about 2nite. Are you up for lunch tom? Dad wants to meet u.’

I reply. ‘its okay. I have early class @8 and then one @3, I’m free b/w 11-2 so sure.’

‘thx again. is 12 good? will pick u up. we get in late 2nite, c u tom’

‘u will be paying for my phone bill from the plane. sounds good, goodnite.’

‘lol sry lydia:)’

I put my phone away and snuggle into my bed.

_____

“It’s really good to meet you Lydia.” Ian, Brendan’s dad says to me as we sit down to eat at the Italian restaurant. I would have never picked this for lunch but Ian and Brendan insisted. I look at the menu and my eyes almost pop out of my head. It was so expensive, way too expensive for a student. I try to find one of the cheapest meals to eat, which looks to be just garlic bread. Great.

“I’m buying, so order whatever you want.” Brendan says and again my eyes bulge out of my head.

“I can buy my own Brendan.” I say to him. I don’t want him to pay for me.

“I owe you for your phone bill. Besides your a student, I’ll buy.”

I huff. “Fine.” Brendan smiles at me and it’s very hard to not smile back.

“So what are you studying?” Ian asks me. We keep talking through out our lunch and soon enough we are done.

“Well Brendan, you were right about how beautiful she is.” Ian says and I blush and look down at my seat.

“Dad.” Brendan groans.

“I’m serious, she’s smart, beautiful, and she super nice. If you two ever want to date, I support.”

“Dad!” Brendan whisper yells and his face turns bright red.

“Thank you.” I mutter as my face gets more red.

“I like to pull Brendan’s leg. I hope you don’t mind, Lydia.” Ian smiles at me.

“Not at all.” I reply with a smile. Ian is super nice and a lot like Brendan. He always has a big smile on his face and is always making people laugh. I like him.

Notes

Away Game Outfits

Meeting Ian outfit

here's a chapter!! working on one about Brendan's injury. What did you think of this chapter??
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