1980

Two

✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾

Jack sat quietly in the kitchen staring at the heat up meal that had long gone cold. He had been sitting there for over forty minutes replying the image of the'76 playoffs over and over again. Robbie Maclanahan pissed him off. Hell even his good friend Rizzo pissed him off for talking to Mac. Jack clenched his fork tighter as he stabbed the rubbery chicken. Before he could take a bite of his meal he heard a noise come from the front door. Thinking it was some of his team mates he switched off the kitchen lights and stood between the entrance of the kitchen and the living room. Payback, he thought to himself. When the door opened, the warm summer air rushed in; as soon as he heard the door shut, he jumped out, startling the person who had just entered.

"OH MY GOD." He heard a feminine voice scream as they flipped the lights on. Jack stepped back when he saw the girl who was walking with his coach earlier. "What the actually fuck dude," she yelled as she picked up the fallen cigarette. Jack just stared in shock unable to form any words. "Hello?" the girl waved her hand in front of his face before scoffing and walking around him. Asshole he heard her mutter.

He quickly regained his senses. "Hey wait," Jack said as he turned to apologize. He jogged over to the girl's side. She was about to open the door to the laundry room, indicating that she didn't know her way around the dorm. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I mistook you for one of the boys."

Jack could see her internally debating wether to believe his story, so hoping to convince her that it was an accident he added, "by the way, my name is Jack O'Callahan, but my friends call me OC."

The girl stuck out her hand and smirked, "Anastasia Westwood, my friends call my Ana, but you can call me Anastasia." Jack took her hand and shook it awkwardly. He wasn't used to people not liking him, especially girls. Back home in Boston he was known to be a ladies man. He usually didn't even have to say sorry and girls would forgive him.

"So are you lost or something?" Jack asked as he ran his hand through his long blond hair. Rizzo had excitedly told them about Anastasia and how she was staying in the dorm as some sort of RA, but most of the team didn't believe him.

"Nah I live here now." Anastasia looked around unimpressed. Though the team head only been there for a few days the dorm was already a mess, with beer bottles lying around and dirty clothes thrown on the floor.

"Oh," Jack replied, surprised that Rizzo had been telling the truth. There was only one room left, but the boys on the team only received keys to their rooms so that single room remained locked. "Whats your room number?"

Anastasia opened her envelope and read the number aloud, "14."

"Hey your right next to Rizzo and I," Jack said excitedly. He knew the boys would be jealous that he and Rizzo were near the hot girl.

"Yay," Anastasia sarcastically said. "lead the way OC." Happily obliging Jack led Ana up the stairs carefully to avoid the mess that littered the once clean steps.

"Here we are," Jack announced when they reached the door that read fourteen.

"Thanks," Anastasia mumbled as she unlocked the door. Inside there were stacks of boxes half were filled with clothes and music records, and the other half was filled with room decor from her previous dorm. Still feeling OC's presence behind her Ana offered, "do you wanna come in or something?"

"Sure." Jack answered eagerly, causing Ana to roll her eyes, she didn't actually expect him to say yes. Jack, on the other hand, prayed that Mac and Rizzo would come home now. Just so they could see that he was all buddy-buddy with the new girl. He made himself comfortable on her fuchsia bean bag chair before saying, "Your room is so much bigger than ours. I mean look at the size of that closet." Jack leaned over and pushed a door that led into a medium size walk in closet. Her closet back in Manhattan, of course, was ten times this size.

"All my clothes are not going to fit in that," Ana complained as she shrugged off her coat and tossed her bag on the floor. She piled her flaming red hair on the top of her head and opened the box that was labeled 'bed stuff.'

"How much clothes do you have?" Jack asked curiously. In the regular dorms rooms they only had two dressers and a closet that was to be shared.

Pointing to the boxes labeled 'clothes' Ana turned to Jack and answered, "that many."

"Jesus," he murmured. A moment of silence passed before Jack decided to break it. "So how do you know Coach Brooks?"

Ana glanced up from the tangle of sheets that were on her bed. "His wife's my mother's sister." She quickly added, "so he's my uncle."

Jack nodded and leaned his head back. For awhile he just watched as Anastasia attempted to put the bed sheets on her bed until he finally asked, "do you need help?"

Ana sheepishly looked up and mumbled a quiet yes. Jack stood up and took the white bedsheet from her hands.

"How do you not know how to do this?" Jack asked incredulously. His mom made him learn how to make his made when he was eight years old.

Ana shrugged, "I always had people to do it for me." Jack nodded and quietly finished making the rest of her bed. When he was done Ana threw on floral comforter on top.

"Thanks," Ana said as she looked awkwardly at her smooth hands.

Jack glanced around the plain room and smiled, "no problem. See ya tomorrow Anastasia." Ana cringe at the sound of her full name, but Jack didn't notice since he was already out the door.

Ana nodded and said, "tomorrow," as the door slammed shut.

Jack smiled and went back to the kitchen tossing out his meal. Since it was almost ten Jack decided that going to bed was the best option.

✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾

Jack woke a little while later when he heard the door open.

"Hey man. Didn't mean to wake you," Rizzo said, as he chucked his worn shoes near his twin sized bed. Jack rubbed his eyes and glanced at the alarm clock. 11:47 it blared in an obnoxious red.

Jack mumbled something incoherent into his pillow. He heard Rizzo disappear into the bathroom. "So I saw that room fourteen had been unlocked. Is that chick Ana here?"

Jack opened his eyes. "She lets you call her Ana?" Rizzo nodded and give him an odd look. "She makes me call her Anastasia."

Rizzo shrugged and said, "maybe your so called charm didn't work this time."

Jack snickered, "no way. She'll fall into my charm. Trust me." Rizzo laughed and got into his bed, switching the lamp off. Soon after, he and Jack both fell asleep.

✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾✽✾