Off The Ice // A Patrick Kane Fanfic

Making Friends

“Baaaaaaaaaabe!” I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more drunk in my life. And for some reason they think I’m their babe.

“Um, not your babe,” I say apologetically. I point to myself. “I be Jen,” point to the girl sitting next to me. “This be Kailey,” point to the man playing with Kailey’s hair. “That be Captain Annoying,” gesture to encompass us all. “We not be your babes.”

The girl looks so confused, I feel bad for her. I guess she really thought one of us was her babe. “Noooooooo,” she complains. “I swear I saw my babe over here. Where is he? He was just hereeeeeeeeeee.”

Okay, so not talking about us then. Also, not looking for a wayward girlfriend. Looks like she’s scouting out her wayward boyfriend. Well good luck finding him in this place. The bar is full of drunk guys hitting on girls they didn’t come with. Any one of them could be her babe.

I shrug helplessly, wondering how long she’s going to stand there. I feel so, so bad for her. She’s completely wasted, and she’s lost her boyfriend who she probably came with, so she’s all alone. I would help her but I have no idea how.

“Well he’s not here now, sorry,” she’s pouting and sighing in turn, and I am starting to wish she had been talking about one of us so we could let her down gently and she would go away. It’s getting uncomfortable with her just standing there.

“So,” I say in an effort to ignore the weirdness that has seeped into our area. “When are you planning on telling your parents that you’re going to move in with Captain Annoying over here?”

“Careful, people might start to think you don’t like me,” he says before taking a drink from his beer. I frown at my own nonalcoholic drink. Figures the place Kailey’s boyfriend wanted to meet at has a strict 21 and over policy. They check closely too. I sigh, shifting uncomfortably.

“Well,” I say to him. “You’re one of my favorite players. You’re extremely talented on the ice. You seem like a decent guy. And you’re obviously crazy about my best friend.”

“All terrible qualities in a boyfriend I must say. Why am I dating you again?” Kailey jokes.

“I have no idea and I don’t plan on enlightening you in case you wise up and change your mind,” he replies cutely. Ugh, they’re just getting more and more disgusting as the night goes on.

“However,” I say pointedly to get back on topic. Okay, and also to remind them that there are other people at the table. “You’re seven years older than her. Your famousness means your actions are often in the spotlight, where she hates to be. Your job makes you travel a lot and that takes time away from her. And there’s a constant risk of you getting hurt every single day.

“So you see I’m not sure how I feel about you. You’re a great player, but I have no idea if you’re a good boyfriend. And my best friend deserves a good boyfriend.”

Toews shakes his head at my words, and Kailey bites her lip nervously. She has no doubt considered all of these things already, but hearing them from someone else might weigh more heavily on her mind.