Just Hold Me (Sidney Crosby) EDITING THEN CONTINUING

Chapter 3 - Autographs

Soon the game was over and Marilynn was overly excited for the autographs.

She jumped out of her seat and threw her hands in the air.

"Ah! My butt is alseeeeeep!" She whines, loudly.

I stood up and looked around at the people staring.

"Marilynn, shut up. You're really loud." I said quietly.

"UGH! Let's go get our autographs!"

She took me by the wrist and pulled me away from our seats.

We walked around for a bit until we came to a table for the autographs.

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and a guy from the Washington Capitals?

Well that's kinda fucked up. It's a home game.

I don't know exactly how, but we were the first ones there.

Marilynn walked up to Sidney first. Of course.

He leaned forward and signed her shirt with a breathtaking smile.

I just stood behind her and kinda watched. He kept looking at me. Is there something on my face?

I mentally shrugged it off again thinking of awful things he could be thinking.

I stayed behind Marilynn as she made her way to Malkin. As I turned to follow her, I was stopped by Sidney's voice.

"What about you?" He asked, pointing his marker at me.

"Um, no thank you. It's okay." I replied simply, getting scared I might say something stupid like I always do.

"You aren't going to stand there and look pretty in my jersey without an autograph."

I froze.

He thinks I'm pretty.

What. No.

Probably is feeling sorry for me because of my face or is trying to be that role model hockey figure who is nice to everyone. Even the ugly ones.

"Come on." He said, urging me to come forward with a white smile.

I walked over to him, hesitantly and leaned in for him to sign my jersey.

"Thank you." He says, looking up at me from his seat, smiling.

"Now, who should I make this out to?" He asked calmly, his cologne suddenly coming forth.

"Um...Hannah."

I looked at him and then looked away, not wanting to seem desperate.

Nothing is more annoying than someone who is desperate, and that is totally the last impression I would ever want him to have of me. Wait. Why do I care what he thinks of me? He's a normal human being too. Just like me. Just really cute and muscular and tall and has dark hair and dark eyes and...SHUT UP. I scrunch my eyes for a split second, getting rid of the thoughts. The best way to not get your heart broken is to pretend you do not have one. The wall I've built will stand taller than any feeling I could ever have towards him. I must act like it does not phase me.

He signed my shirt.

"Thank you Sidney."

Hearing his name come out of my mouth made my heart flutter. God, I can hardly bear these emotions.

I walked away from him and to Marilynn. She was trying to understand Malkin. She kept giving off confused looks at his rough English.

I turned to him and spoke.

"Moy drug ne sovsem ponimayu vas. Ne mogli by vy podpisat' yeye rubashku?"

(Translation in bold.)

My friend doesn't quite understand you. Could you sign her shirt?

He seemed shocked at my sudden outburst, but then smiled.

I knew he was probably getting really frustrated because Marilynn can be annoying in English and Swedish.

"Konechno, mogu. YA poluchayu nemnogo ustal povtoryat sebya. Spasibo." He replied, smiling.

Of course I can. I was getting a little tired of repeating myself. Thank you.

"What did he just say?" Marilynn asked, confused.

"He'll sign your shirt. Now shush."

I winked at Evgeni and smiled as Marilynn walked to the guy from the Capitals.

"Mozhete li vy podpisat' moyu rubashku pozhaluysta?"

Can you sign my shirt please?

"Konechno, mogu. Kakoy vash imena vozlyublennoy?"

Of course I can. What's your name sweetheart?

"Khanna."

Hannah.

He tugged on my shirt, pulling me closer and signing it right next to where Sidney had signed it. He looked over at Sidney and flashed him a weird look. I looked back at Sidney who shrugged back at Evgeni.

"Spasibo."

Thank you.

He nodded with a smile. I turned and walked on.

Marilynn was chatting with the guy from Washington. She seemed to be having a really good time.

She came to me with smile on her face.

"Not only did he sign my shirt, he gave me his number. WOOT WOOT! DOUBLE WHAMMY MOTHERF—"

"Mary!" I said, giving her wide eyes and a surprised jaw drop.

I eyed the younger kid behind her. I received a dirty look from the boys' mother and mentally flipped her off.

"Good for you. Can we go home now before we get security called on us?"

"Yes! OH MY GOD."

Shaking my head, I take one last final glance at Evgeni and Sidney. They were both looking at me expressionless. I continued trying to forget about it until we got to my truck.

On the way home, I kept trying to put two and two together. Why did he keep looking at me? Did he like me? Please, Hannah. Don't flatter yourself. He doesn't like you.

After that thought, I pushed whatever picture of Sidney in it away, but throughout the ride and partly the whole night, he kept popping back into my head.