Fire & Ice//Claude Giroux

Chapter 8

Christine reluctantly followed Jessie through the crowd of Flyers fans to the arena-turned-carnival. Christine's plan was to stay on the sidelines as far away from the player autograph booths as possible. Unfortunately, Jessie had other ideas.

"I have another surprise Christine! I got us tickets to get an autograph from the captain himself!"

Christine felt her stomach drop and she started feeling light headed. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't face him. Not now, not ever. She wasn't ready and doubted she ever would be.

"You know, Jessie, I don't really want any autographs. That is just dumb stuff for kids. I'll just walk around or ride the Ferris wheel while you get autographs."

"Oh, come on Christine, you are just nervous about meeting the Flyers. It will be fine, I promise. I'm sure they are very nice to their fans."

Christine had the feeling she was not getting out of this one, but the line at Claude's autograph table was long, so she had a little time to figure out her next move. But as the line inched closer to the table, she got more nervous and knew she had to act fast. She was starting to sweat and her heart was racing. She knew what came next, and a full-on panic attack would be a total disaster.

Before Christine had a chance to make a dash for the restroom, she looked up to see a cute blonde come up behind Claude, place her hands on his shoulders, and whisper something into his ear. He turned and smiled at her in a way that made it obvious they were together. Before Christine had a chance to look away, Claude kissed the woman on the cheek and flirtingly whispered something back before she stepped away and disappeared into the crowd.

Christine knew that Claude was likely now with the woman he had on his mind that morning at the Liberty Place observation deck. But seeing him with someone else was totally different, and Christine couldn't handle the sudden shock and sadness. For a moment, everything around her disappeared and all she felt was black. She came out of the haze when she realized that someone was tugging on her arm.

"Christine! Are you okay? You are as white as a sheep. What is going on?" Jesse asked in a panicked tone.

Christine suddenly remembered where she was and realized she had to get out of this line before Claude saw her. "I don't feel good. I'll be right back."

Christine gathering enough sense and strength to dash for the nearest exit, making a B line for the restroom. She ducked into a stall, sunk to the floor and burst into tears. After what seemed like hours, Christine heard Jesse's voice calling for her in a desperate search. Enough of this, Christine thought. I need to face reality and get my act together unless I want to spend the foreseeable future in this bathroom. Christine stepped out of the stall and hugged Jesse. "Sorry I scared you," she said. "I'm okay now. I'll explain everything later, I promise. Thanks for being my friend."

Jesse smiled with relief and asked Christine if she wanted to go home. Christine knew that was the easy answer, but not the right one. She had to face the truth and finally move on with her life. Running away would not solve anything.

"No, not yet," Christine smiled. "We have some autographs to get. Let's go."

As they headed back to the carnival, Christine felt a bit sad, but she also felt strong and hopeful. It was as if a cloud that had been hanging over her since that night finally cleared. She was not sure where she was heading, but she knew it no longer involved the Flyers captain. She pulled off her Flyers jersey and placed it on the table in front of her and beamed as she watched Sean Couturier sign it. Christine would always be a huge Flyers fan. And that was enough.