Opal's Boy

Chapter 23

"I cant believe you're actually wearing that atrocity," Veda scoffed when she walked into my room.

I turned to my mirror and smoothed down my white Crosby jersey. "I think I look great."

"As long as someone does," she muttered as she combed her fingers through her hair.

Instead of snapping back, I grabbed a pair of dark jeans and slid them on, sitting on the edge of my bed to put on shoes afterwards.

"Patrick was so bad in practice today," she said as she straightened out the sleeves of her Sharp jersey.

"I don't care, Veda." She'd been trying to tell me about the day since she walked through the front door.

"Just let me tell you something," she whined.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine! Anything to get you to shut up."

She squealed and ran over to me, plopping down on the floor and rubbing her hands together.

"Okay so about an hour before I got home, the Penguins came in because it was their turn to warm up. Well lots of the guys, as you know, are friends so the Hawks stayed on the ice for a few extra minutes to socialize. Anyway, they split up into two teams to play a little scrimmage, and Sid checked Kane into the boards so hard, I thought he killed him. The kid literally took a full ten seconds to even move. No one was mad because it was Sidney Crosby, but holy shit is that guy harnessing a lot of power."

I was ugly laughing by the time she was finished. I mean snorting, tears in my eyes, about to fall off the bed laughing. "I have to ask him about that."

"I couldn't believe my eyes. No one knew what to do. I'll be surprised if he played tonight."

"Oh he better. Sidney promised he'd rough him up, and I have to see that with my own eyes. Now let's go or we'll be late."

...

"That's my baby!" I screamed as Sidney got the second goal for the Penguins in the shootout.

Veda rolled her eyes but couldn't help but clap at the nice goal. I was trying to take a picture of Sidney when she nudged me to look at who was next. Patrick Kane. I sat down and looked at my phone, not really wanting to look at him even though he couldn't see me.

Of course, he got a goal. As he skated, I looked at the ice and saw him looking in my direction, face void of all emotion.

"Woah, do you see him?" Veda asked, following him with her eyes nervously.

"I don't care what he looks or feels like, Veda. I really don't."

She sat back down and faced me. "You can't make me believe you don't care about how your best friend feels. Mad at him or not, you were there for each other for two years straight."

"I said I don't care!" I stood up and made my way through the crowd and out into the cold Chicago air.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. The bright lights made it hard to focus and the goal horn from the United Center let me know the Blackhawks had just beaten the Penguins. I stumbled and landed on a curb. The hot tears that fell down my cheeks were welcoming in contrast to the stale air. 

I didn't care that he was upset. I didn't care that Sidney could've seriously injured him during practice. I didn't care about Patrick. Maybe if I could keep telling myself that, I'd believe it.