The Lonely Hour

Chapter 12: He Wont Go

I walked into the locker room with a sour look on my face. I was beyond mad, but not mad at Rebecca or Patrick but at myself. How could I steer so far from reality?

Patrick Kane, number one draft pick, young, outgoing, blue eyes and curly hair after someone like me? How could I not think about his own love life? It was more than clear that a young kid with his qualities would have a companion.

As soon as I sat down in my stall Rebecca leaned over and whispered "So how did it go?"

"I didn't see him" I lie to her. I was honestly even more disgusted with myself, I never lied to my teammates. But honestly, I didn't want to explain everything to her now.

I was emotionally drained and all I wanted was to get on the ice. I dressed quicker than normal and found myself to be out on the ice a half hour early. I dropped a bucket of pucks on to the ice and begin a light warmup. But as I'm shooting pucks at the net I happened to look up and I saw the side profile Rebecca facing a man. A man with a backwards cap and tuffs of hair peaking out the back.

Patrick

I can only see their silhouettes but I can see Rebecca give him something, a paper? Than I remember that I had lied to Rebecca earlier and told her I hadn't seen Patrick. A sudden knot formed in my stomach thinking about the lie I had told, I was now exposed.

With an uneasy stomach I waited nervously for Rebecca and the rest of the team.

I watched Rebecca skate on to the ice holding a glove under her one arm while adjusting the other. She skated straight to Julia and conversed with her until coach interrupted with her whistle.

I knew what this practice was, conditioning. That's what we did for our two hour practice, condition. Suicides, laps, sprints, drill after drill and it would all prepare us for our the beginning of our season in November.

I was a sweaty mess after practice. My hair was all frizzed and was barley tied by the small black band. I could feel the sweat in my sports bra as I walked back to the locker room. The locker room itself was quiet with heavy breathing. We were all tired, and I craved a cold shower. I was quick to get my gear off it hang it on the dryers. As I was taking the tape off my stick after my shower my phone began to buzz.

"Gonna answer that?" Rebecca questions me. I glance down to see an unfamiliar set of numbers. I shrug at Rebecca, I didn't feel like answering.

"Come on answer" She smiles

"It can go to voicemail"

"God I'll do it for you!" She says angrily as she picks the phone out of the bag. Swiping the screen, she answered the phone.

"Yes, it's Rebecca - mhm - okay - she'll be there" She hangs up the phone and throws it back in my bag. Picking up the pen in her stall she grabs my arm and begins to write on it.

"Go here" She says as she pushes my arm back.

"Rebecca tell me what's going on!" I demanded, if there was one thing I hated it was surprises. I enjoyed being in control, especially in control of my life. Surprises threw my off course, they aggravated me.

"If you trust me, you'll go" She whispers, the whole locker room now staring at us. With weary eyes I can see everyone so in tune in our conversation.

"Fine" I say between clenched teeth

The address read some place on Michigan Avenue along with a time, 8:45.

I rolled my eyes at the ink on my arm and proceeded to get myself ready. By the time I left the locker room and got in my car it was 8:30. Michigan Ave wasn't far but there was always a lot of traffic.

I found myself parking a few blocks away from the actual address and walking the rest of the way.

At 8:44 I walked up to a coffee house that was smushed between to other buildings. The wind from Chicago was unforgiving tonight and tossed my hair in every direction. I peered in the glass window of the empty coffee house.

All the way in the back, sitting all by himself tapping his left leg nervously was Patrick Kane.

Patrick

And than it made sense, this was what him and Rebecca were talking about in the hallway. He had called my phone, Rebecca had given him my number.

God what did I have to loose?

I pull on the coffee house door which makes the little bell that was hung above it ring. Patrick's face shoots up and his blue eyes are filled with sorrow as he stares at me.

"Ella" He says, the coffee house is small enough for me to hear it across the room.

"What do you want Patrick?" I question as I walk up to him.