Hutch

16

Hutch

Honestly, I'm lucky she agreed to go to breakfast with me. She completely shut down when she started to say something about her ex. Joseph. The name leaves a sour taste in my mouth simply because of how it affected her. Krista said it wasn't her story to tell, but it wasn't a good one. One day, I'll get her to tell me about him and why he put that look in her eyes. It was haunted almost. I want to understand the pain there. To make it better somehow.

And that starts with me being her friend. I texted her good morning as soon as I woke up. I knew she'd be passed out since it was four in the morning, but I'm determined to be the first person she speak to in the morning and the last. I made my mind up last night and texted her good night as well. I'm going to start scouring the internet for funny memes I can send her too. I want her to get used to seeing me in her inbox. I'm going to wear down those walls of hers with sheer kindness and goofy silly things.

As I pull into her driveway, I see two of the baseball guys just coming out. They throw their hands up when see me, but get in their cars probably headed to class. They're good guys at least. I know they hold a lot of parties here, but the guys who have girlfriends that live here tend to make sure people keep their shit together and don't harass the women at the parties. I can't stand that shit. Drunk or not, be respectful.

I get out and go in the house. It's not locked, but then it rarely is during the day. She not in the living room, so I head to the kitchen where she's sitting at the island yawning with a cup of coffee in front of her. It's already 10:30. Did she just get up?

"Heya sleepy head. You ready to go eat?"

She glances at me and then at her coffee. "I just poured this. Didn't think you'd be here until eleven."

I shrug. "I thought we'd get a jump on it since you have class at one. You got your stuff ready? I can drop you at your building when we're done."

"I thought I'd drive myself since I need my car..."

I shake my head before she can finish. "Nope. I told you I was driving. I can pick you up after class and bring you back to the house. It's not a problem."

She frowns, but doesn't argue. I chalk it up to my bubbly personality.

"Are you always this happy in the mornings?"

"Sure am. Aren't you?"

"No. I hate early mornings."

I make a point to look at my watch. "It's 10:38. It's not early."

"I woke up fifteen minutes ago. It's early for me."

"I been up since four."

She scowls. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"Hockey practice."

"Sucks for you."

I laugh. "Yeah, but I love it so I don't mind the early hours."

"I guess." She gets up and pours her coffee out before putting the cup in the dishwasher. "Where are we going to eat?"

"Little place right off campus. A hole in the wall basically, but they have the best breakfast in the city. At least I think so."

"It's not just a grease machine? There's food you can actually eat?"

"Yup. Most of us hockey players eat there. The school keeps them running on athlete's. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of greasy, sugary, fatty food too, but they keep us in mind as well."

"I'm guessing more than just athletes eat there from the school then?"

"Yeah." I open the car door for her and she raises a brow. "My mama taught me right. You open doors for ladies."