Out of the Blue {Jonathan Toews}

Chapter 12

I'm so sorry I've been slacking recently. School is getting super busy! Thank you guys for reading :)

{Jonathan}

Something about Christine's roommate Brianna just rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't sure what it was, but she was just kind of weird. I texted Christine when I got home.

Jonathan:

So, tomorrow you said you didn't have work correct?

Christine:

Correct.

Jonathan:

We have a rare day off tomorrow, and I was thinking we could go up to Rockford :)

Christine:

I'm in. Pick me up at eight?

Jonathan:

I'll be there.

I woke up the next morning to my alarm beeping. I groaned and rolled over. I was so tired, and I wasn't sure why. The only thin propelling me to get out of bed was the fact that today I was going on a road trip to Rockford with Christine.

I ran my hands over my hair and got out of bed. I pulled on some jeans and dug through my pile of clean clothes before I finally found my old Chicago Bears shirt. I brushed my teeth and pulled on sneakers before going downstairs to the kitchen. Macy, Patrick, Kelly, and Cara were all eating breakfast. Patrick looked up at me like I was a monster.

"You're never up this early," he said with a laugh. Macy nodded in agreement.

"I have plans today," I said, walking towards the refrigerator.

"What kind of plans?" Patrick asked suspiciously. I laughed as I grabbed two bottles of water.

"I'm taking Christine to Rockford," I replied. Macy waggled her eyebrows at me.

"Oh, shut up."

"I didn't say anything!" Macy laughed. Kelly stared at us like we were crazy.

"I thought you were pissed off at him," she said to Macy.

"We talked," Macy shrugged, "and Christine is a good person."

"And a slut," Cara commented with a smirk. I slammed the refrigerator door shut.

"Shut the fuck up, Cara," I said through gritted teeth before I left, slamming the door behind me. I took the time in the elevator to calm myself down. I didn't want to be in a shitty mood today.

I pulled up in front of Christine's building and called her telling her I was outside.

The doors opened and she walked towards my car. She had on jeans, tan leather boots and a black quarter sleeved shirt. Her hair was in loose curls, framing her face, and as cliche as it sounds, she looked beautiful. I laughed to myself before she reached the car, pulling the door open.

"Hey," she said with a smile. I grinned.

"Hey," I replied.

"I'm sorry about my roommate," she said as I put the car in drive. "She can really get annoying, sometimes."

I glanced at her. "I didn't say anything about her."

"I know you didn't," she told me. "I could just tell you felt uncomfortable."

"You could tell?"

"Of course," she laughed. "I felt your muscles tense up and your face kind of squeezed up, like this." I looked at her as she imitated me.

"I do not look like that!" I exclaimed. She laughed and nodded.

"Yes, you do," she argued. I reached across the car and took her hand.

"I don't think so," I replied. She rested our hands on her knee.

"You do, I know you," she said.

"You don't know me," I said. It was kind of true.

"Then tell me," she quickly replied, looking over at me. I was a bit taken aback by her response. She raised an eyebrow at me. So, I told her.

"You know my name, my hometown and my birthday," I said. She nodded. "I only have one brother named David. He plays hockey in the ECHL, two leagues below the NHL. We were always at the rink, there was rarely a time when I wasn't there. It sucks sometimes, that we both worked equally as hard and I'm in the NHL and he's not. I got an offer to play juniors when I was only fifteen, but I turned it down to play high school hockey. I still talk to some of the guys and they're my best friends. In fact, I still text Mason, Alex and Ty nearly everyday. I talk about you sometimes, and they really want to meet you. Oh, and I was drafted 3rd overall into the NHL."

"That's your hockey life," she said. "I love that you're passionate about it, but I want to know you, aside from the hockey part."

She did have a point. Hockey was a huge part of my life, but there still were other parts completely unrelated. It made me want to trust her more, knowing that she wanted to know past my hockey life. Being a hockey player is kind of like being a celebrity. You have to be extremely careful with who you get close to. Some people just want to date us or be our friend because we're hockey players. It's always comforting to find someone who wants to push past the hockey layer of me.

"Well, I wouldn't say I had a rough childhood, but I was bullied. I wasn't exactly the skinniest kid, and the other kids would always call me names, like whale on ice."

Christine giggled. I gave her a fake glare.

"Whale on ice?" she laughed. "That offended you?"

"I was eight years old!" I defended with a laugh. "Plus, puberty hit me like a bus and I stole all their girlfriends in high school."

"Well, I'm glad puberty hit you like a bus," she commented. I laughed again.

"Tell me about you," I said, looking over at her before putting my eyes back on the road.

"I'll start even with the stuff you know," she said. "Christine Elaine Brown is my name and I was born in a small town in Ohio. I have two older brothers named Greg and Mark, and an older sister named Abby. My mom got caught up in heroine and alcohol addiction and left my family behind to go on the search for cheaper drugs and booze. So, I was raised by my dad, who always told me to chase my dreams and go wherever I wanted to go. My sister was like my mom. She did my hair, taught me how to do makeup, helped me pick out clothes, gave me advice, and even disciplined me when I deserved it."

Christine paused, swallowing.

"Then, she left. I was seventeen, but I still felt scared and lost without my sister. After that, things really started to look up for me. I moved up here to Chicago, I went to college, got a great job, and then, I met you."

She smiled.

"I'm glad I'm part of the things looking up," I joked. She laughed.

"Don't be so humble," she teased.

"So what was it like to have a mom like that?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. My mom had never been anything but supportive.

"I was young when that stuff happened. I'm not really sure what it'd be like to anyone else. It was normal for me because that's what I'm used to, and I'm okay with it. I've always had my dad, and I still talk to my sister,' she explained. I mindlessly stroked the side of her hand with my thumb.

I didn't even have to think about it.

We got to Rockford an hour later.

"You hungry?" I asked Christine. She nodded. I pulled up to the old cafe I had loved when my brother had played here.

Luckily, the weather was kind of warm, so we ate outside and watched the birds on the lake. Christine would throw bits of her sandwich bread to them, and they would attack it.

It was still early, but I already knew it was going to be a great day.