High School Hockey Boys

10

"Are you sure you can't come?" I whined.

"Finley, I told you I have to work. Can't one of your friends go with you?"

I sighed and walked out of the kitchen. My first official appointment is this Tuesday. And so far I have no one to go with me. At least if an adult was with me people wouldn't stare. I walked up to my room and gathered my school stuff, shoving it all into by bag. I'm staying with Hermione this weekend; to help her with wedding planning and to get to know her better. She still hasn't moved in with my dad. I watched at the window for her car to pull up, and once it did I grabbed my bags and slipped on my shoes.

She popped the trunk and I tossed my stuff inside. Hermione smiled when I closed the door, and I returned it with a small one of my own. Mom was standing by the door, so I waved to her as we pulled onto the street. We didn't speak for the entire drive. The only noise coming from the radio. I was somewhat surprised when we pulled up to a simple looking house. It was still much larger than most of the other houses in town, but it was small for someone with so much money. Hermione grabbed my school bag and walked up to the front door. Once we were inside she told me where I could drop my stuff and led me into the living room. Hermione cleared the coffee table and gestured for me to sit with her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm fine. The nausea is starting to come back, though."

"It happens," she said. "So, how far along are you? You never said."

"Um, about a month." She smiled, and her eyes were unfocused for a moment, like she was stuck in a memory.

"Who's the father? Is it that boy you were dating?" She asked lightly.

I blushed a bright red. I'd never specified with her when exactly, or who exactly I'd slept with. This is so awkward. What's she going to think of me when I tell her that the father of my unborn child is her daughter's ex? And that I'd slept with him almost immediately after I'd found out my ex was cheating on me.

"Finley?"

"Eli." I mumbled.

"Pardon? I couldn't hear you" I sighed and rubbed my face.

"It's Eli's."

I looked at my hands and twirled my thumbs, waiting for her reaction. My shoulders sagged when a few minutes had gone by and she hadn't spoken. 

"He always liked you, you know." I looked at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Eli. He looked for you, at the beginning of every game. Called you his good luck charm," I blushed and pulled my knees up to my chest.

"I remember when he first joined the team. He was such a happy boy. Then Chris started that relationship and Eli just, shut down. His mom told me he stopped talking as much. Started getting angry a lot. His entire personality changed when he and Cassandra started dating. But then, suddenly everything changed. He was smiling again, joking around with the rest of the team. I knew it couldn't have been because of Cassandra. I drove him home after the game that night, and he told me he'd talked to the sweetest, kindest, and most loving girl he'd ever known. Nothing could wipe the smile of his face"

"The first game of the season." I muttered.

"Yeah, he sighed her—"

"Phone case." I interrupted, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I passed it to her, and she examined the black, swirling and very messy writing on the back of the case.

Hermione smiled and returned my phone. She patted my knee gently and I smiled back.

"So, shall we plan a wedding?"