Never Expected This

His family; I'm meating his family. I've never met anyones family, again besides Ann's. It's kind of nice that he wants me to meet them. Maybe it's his weird way to move pass what just happened. Naturally, that put me in a good mood but it wasn't only because of that. He finally decided to put some music on. Sure it wasn't the stuff I liked but hey, at least it wasn't a silent car ride. So I thought because the car ride wasn't a quiet one and that I had something to think about that the duration wouldn't feel so long. But boy was I wrong. It was a 40 minutes ride. 40 minutes! I'm starting to think he's a slow driver. Anyways he finally stop the car, signalling that we had arrived at our distination.
An arena, what the hell are we doing here?
"What are we doing here?" I asked. Wasn"t his family at home? He held a grined on face before he spoke
"Visiting my family."He said as if it was the most stupid question a human could have asked.
"But it's an arena." I said. "Shouldn't they be... I mean aren't they at home?" I asked.
"Yeah. They are home. This is my home." He said. I looked at him with such confusing. All I wanted to do was asking him if he had some mental problems cos this place clearly didn't look like his or anyones home.
"It's an arena" I repeated my previous statement.
"My home." He spoke, that goofy grinned still visible he got out of the car before I could ask anything.
"And I'm the strange one" I said sarcastically. I got out of the car and tried to catch up to him. I don't know but somehow he manage to get a 30 meters ahead of me. Someone's excited. I thought. I had finally caught up to him by the enterance.
"Thanks for waiting for me." I said sarcastically.
"It's freezing outside!" He stated. I rolled my eyes as a response. He opened the door for me and quickly followed me from behind. We walked down a hallway which seemed to be going on for days. It was painted in red, white and blue strips. We saw a few staffs here and there and Brendan greeted each one of them. Finally, we had arrived at ice level. It was beautiful. The seats were currently empty but you could just imagine how loud and crowded this place could get on game night. I couldn't help but think of how much my dad would have loved to be standing here. His home; methaphorically I understood why he called his home. He probably spends more time here than in his real home.
"So what do you think?" He asked.
"It's beautiful. It looks better than it does on t.v" I said.
"I know." He said.
"I still can't believe you get to play at the molson canadian center." I said.
"Molson center? That's not it's name." He said.
"Well that's what it was called back in 2006. Unless they changed it." I said. He shrugged his shoulder.
"Could be. But it's called the Bell center now." He said.
"Oh okay." I said. I wanted to stay here forever. It seemed right. I felt good just standing in here. I Maybe it's due to the fact I haven't been insided a arena in forever. All I wanted to do at this moment was just stand on the ice. But his family might be already in the stands and I don't want to seem like some weirdo. His family.
"So now that I'm here, when do I get to meet your family?" I asked. He didn't have time to respond until a young man spoke.
"Family? Gally I didn't know you considered me as one of your family memebers?" The man said sarcastically. I couldn't help but giggle at his comment. Gally,that's a funny nickname.
"Don't get ahead of yourself Subbs." Brendan said.
"Oh so we're not family now?" He said.
"I never said we were family." Brendan said.
"But didn't the beautiful lady over here," He said eyeing me before looking back at Brendan " asked were was your family?" The man said. Brendan sighed.
"Yes." He said.
"And didn't you call us to come down over here?" The man asked. When did he have the time to call him? I thought.
"No we all ready had practice plan today you dummy."Brendan said. I couldn't stop laughing.
"Oh I see how it is, you're on his side?" The man accused me. I shocked my head in response.
"No, not at all. I'm laughing at him." I said pointing at Brendan. The man looked a bit confused about what I thought was so funny.
"Me?!" Brendan shouted. "What did I do?"
"You couldn't think of another word besides dummy? You sounded like a 5 year old." I said. Now the man was laughing, understanding my point of view.
"I like her." The man said between his laugh.
"Sure you do." Brendan said to the man before turning his attention to me. "And how did I sound like a 5 year old?" He asked me.
"No we already had practice dummy." I said imitating his voice. And by the sound of the man's laughter and Brendan's embarrassed look, it seems like I did a good imitation.
"Now I really like her." The man said. "My name's P.K Subban." He said extending his hand to me. Subbs, now it makes sense.
"Mine's Isabelle McFadder. Please to meet you." I said shaking his hand.
"Okay now that you've meet him, stay away from him." He said pulling me closer to him. P.K was smiling at Brendan's orders probably finding it amusing. I don't like being told what to do. I rolled my eyes at his statement.
"Whatever you say, it's your world after all." I said. By saying this Brendan probably knew that I wouldn't listen but left it at that.
"So are you ready to meet my teammates?" He asked, with a hint of nervousness in his voice. Why is he nervous? I thought. I nodded in response.
"I think you'll have to wait after practices." P.K said looking at the ice, a few players were all ready warming up.
"Okay." I said. P.K said a quick goodbye before leaving me alone with Brendan.
"Are you sure you're okay staying here alone?" He asked.
"Brendan I'm not going to be alone. You guys have practice." I said.
"Yeah I know that. But I meant by you sitting alone. Are you okay with that?" He asked.
"Yes?" I said, not sure on why he's so worried that I stay here alone. Maybe the place is haunted I thought.
"Practice shouln't take much time." He said. "If you get bored I guess you could always play with your phone." He said.
"Brendan, I'll be fine. Now go and get changed." I said smiling. He said a quick okay before hugging me. I didn't have time to register what was going before he pulled away.
"I'll see you soon." He said still close to me. I nodded and with that he left.
I made my way to the stands and watched the guys warming up. I wish I could be on the ice though. I wanted to feel the cool wind against my skin as I skate rapidly, to feel the rush when I would jump. To feel that sense of accomplishment when I would make the perfect set up, the perfect jump, the perfect rotation and the perfect landing. I missed figure skating. It was the only thing that connect me to my mom. She was a figure skater as well; one of the best. Even though thinking about my mother makes me mad, I didn't get mad when I thought about this. She would take me to the arena and practice with me. My so called mom left us when my dad got diagnost. It didn't surprised anyone but me. She was the time of person to run away from her problems. Always did. She was so bitter. The only time you would see her smile wasn't when my dad said he loved her, it wasn't when her and her beloved family would go on vacation and it was certainly not when she received new things. The only time you would see a smile on her face was when she skated. And I guess that's the only thingwe had in common. We both felt free, alive, at home the moment our blade would touch the ice. And for me, it was as if she never left. I don't remember explicitly her face but I can feel her next to me. And right now I kind off envied Brendan for having the chance to skate.
By this moment everyone that had showed up to the practice was already on the ice waiting for the coach's orders. He blew the whisle and they dispersed to their appropriate lane and commenced their practice. I watched silently for a good hour. Until I noticed a girl opening the doors. She saw me and made her way towards me.
"You got ditched too?" She had asked me.
"No, not really." I said. "I'm just waiting for someone" I said. I wasn't going to say "hey, no I'm wating for one of the players to introduce me to the rest of the team. I know you're prettier and all but I get to me them." because that would have been rude. Plus she didn't seem like the other girls I had meet today.
"Really?" She asked.
"Yeah." I said. Trying to ask cool.
"Well would you mind if we sit together?" She asked.
"Sure." I said smiling. We sat down and watched in silent as the guys did a few drills. After a while, I think she felt that she needed to start talking. Maybe she felt awkward sitting there next to me.
"So who are you with?" She asked.
"Brendan" I said. She smiled at me.
"Really?" She asked overly happy.
"Yes?" I said. "Why" I asked.
"Oh no reason." She said smirking. She's probably assuming things right now. Cause the look she's giving me is the look that Annie gives me when she thinks "I'm with someone". Ironically I've never been with anyone. I should have told her no or something like but I didn't. I guess I was enjoying the peace of being here. So I let it go. Untill she spoke again.
"For how long?" She asked, still smilikng.
"For how long what?" I asked. Subject, predicate and complement. It isn't so hard.
"That you and Brendan been seeing each other." She said.
"Since yestherday, I guess." I answered slowly. A bit unsure of what she meant.
""Really? Only yestherday?" She said surprise was clearly visible in her voice.
""No we meet about 4 months ago at a concert." I said. She nodded looking back at the ice.
"So yestherday was the first time in4 months you had seen him?" She asked. I nodded.
"How? We don't live in the 70's . Doesn't he have your number?" She asked. I chuckled and shocked my head giving her a negatif response.
"That's so cute!" She said grabbing my arm. What's going on?
"What's so cute?" I asked.
"Your story. Distance couldn't seperate you guys for a long time." She said. She thought that.... me and.... Brendan... My eyes opened wide in realisation.
"Oh! No,no. Me and him are just friends." I said. Her bright smile drop as if I had ruined a dream. A dream that she thought was finally coming together but wasn't.
"Really?" She asked slowly;
"Yes." I said. Her lips fromed an "o".
"Well I'm sorry for assuming." She said sincerly.
" It's okay. It's not the first time today it's happened." I said remembering the incident at the appartment and sub shop earlier today.
"I just thought cause... Never mind." She said.
"So... who are you with?" I asked slowly trying to break the akward tension between us.
"None. I'm not dating these losers." She said causing us both to laugh.
"Then what are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'm waiting for my brother." She said.
"That's cool." I siad.
"Yeah it is except for when he forgets to pick me up from the airport." She said.
"No, he did not." I said, surprised. She nodded.
"Yes. I had a long day of shooting in New York because they wanted to finish before the holidays. So I'm tired, I hadn't eating much that day and to top it all off my flight was delayed due to the heavy snow fall." She said. I couldn't help but laugh. And the once pissed off blue eyed blond was now smiling.
"Oh shut up." She said still smiling.
"I'm sorry. But that's how thigns get around this area during winter." I said. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah I know. And let me tell you it isn't fun one bit." She said. And again I laughed. I felt bad for her but hey it's pretty funny.
"Yeah, yeah keep on laughing." She said.
"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm done now." I said, my smile still probably visible
"Oh don't be. Alex is the one that should be sorry." She said getting up. I looked at her confused were she was rushing off to.
"Practice just finished." She said.answering the question on my mind. I smiled.
"I anticipate revenge." I said. getting up as well.
"Oh, hell yeah." She said "Come one." She said grabbing my hand leading towards the lockeroom.
This ought to be fun. I thought

Notes