This is AU, but my dad was telling me this story about high school sweethearts, young love and timing in life and I could see this story unfolding in my mind.
This chapter is a bit slower because I needed to introduce the minor changes in the plot, mainly Tommy and Claire still being together.
I know I should be working on You Can't, An Hour A Day, and Stopped You but this idea was bouncing around in my mind.
Any and all grammatical errors I own, and apologize for!
ENJOY!
They had known each other forever it felt like, they had gone to through the school system together. Never too close but they were always around each other. It wasn't until they got into high school where they really became close, and just clicked.
Everyone saw it, she would take the bus from her dad's restaurant to arena to watch his hockey games, with absentee parents like his, he often had to catch rides with his teammates. She'd go to every game, it was their thing, and she wanted to support him, to be there for him.
One of the biggest differences between him and her was their family dynamic, while he had a different up bring, with his mother being a nurse and doing shift work unlike your typical 9-5 job, and his father not being around all that much, leaving him fend for himself, and his sister, Sarah.
As for her, she lucked out, having two amazing parents who just made life look easy, her father was doing better, for awhile there no one was too sure. He was a copper, who had seen somethings that made him find comfort at the bottom of a bottle, but come hell or high water, her mother stood by him, helping him get better. Now he ran a successful restaurant and Claire was a stay-at-home mom.
He felt like they were his second set of parents, the ones he secretly wished he always had, he loved his mother and father, they did the best they could but her parents just adored him, supported him unlike his own.
"Hey, you did great today!" She said, greeting him in the arena lobby as he exited the change room, freshly showered with his wet hair, and dress clothes. He was wearing a blue button up, a striped tie with four shades of blue, black dress pants and matching dress shoes.
"Thanks! Do we have any plans for tonight?" He asked her, dropping his hockey bag and pulling her into a hug, kissing her forehead as she pulled away.
He had never really been one for showing affection in public, probably because he never really received it from his parents but with her it was different, it was just easy, he wanted to be with her all the time.
"Actually, we do, my dad's going to pick us up in a couple of minutes and were going to go to the restaurant and have something to eat with my mom if that's okay with you?" She asked, hoping he would say yes.
"Sounds great, I haven't seen your mom in forever with school, hockey and work. It will be nice to see her. Let me just go tell Jerry I don't need his parents to drive me home, I'll be right back!" He said, leaving her to go talk to the Barber's.
He walked up to the Barber's, and was greeted with smiles and high fives, "Sammy, you were on fire tonight! Well done son!" Mr. Barber said, looking at the two boys. They had been friends since kindergarten, Ms. Edwards class, and attached at the hip since then.
"Well, I'd have to thank your son over here for showing me how to handle the stick better," He said, grabbing Jerry pulling him into a half headlock, half hug sort of deal.
"Anything, to help us win, Sammy!" Jerry responded pulling his head out of the head lock. "Do you need a ride home tonight?" He asked, Sam hated to admit it but he needed people's help and it was nice knowing that there were families like the Barber's and Shaw's who would look out for him.
He could count on his hand the amount of times his father actually attended a game, in a way it effected him, he felt like he wasn't good enough for his father's time, he respected that his father had to work, but at some point he realized it wasn't worth it to even invite him anymore, because it would always end the same way.
"Hey pops, I have a game at Pine Point Arena against, the Pickering AAA team at 8, if you want to come and watch?" Asking, but knowing he'd probably make some kind of excuse for not being able to make it.
"Jeeze, Sammy, you know I want to but I have to do a pick-up in Ajax, and then a drop of in Scarborough all before 7 and then you know the traffic coming back," He would tell him.
"Not a problem, just thought I'd ask," Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he'd walk out the front door and start his walk to school.
He never expected his father would say yes anymore, but he always told him when he was playing, so he had the option of coming.
"Actually, Andy's dad is going to drive me back, were going to have dinner with her parents. But thanks for the offer!" He said to his friend, knowing he had people like Jerry and Oliver on his side just made everything easier, "Kenny, it was great as always to see you, and thanks again for the ride to the arena!" He told Jerry's father.
"It's no trouble, you know you're always welcome in our home, you're a good kid Sammy." He smiled at the young man, extending his hand out for a format handshake.
"Thanks! And I meant what I said on the way over here, if you ever need someone to help you shove you're driveway once the snow starts to stick, please, let me know, it's the least I can do for you guys!" He felt bad never being able to give them anything after all they had given him, it was hard enough to cover the cost of playing and all his equipment, let alone paying the Barber's or Shaw's for gas.
"Be careful son, one day I might take you up on your offer!" He said to Sam, as Sam turned away to go back to Andy who was just ending a phone call who he assumed was her father.
She smiled at him, as he walked up to her and grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwining immediately.
"Hey, my dad's out front you ready to go?" She said still smiling at him.
"Yeah, I'm all set let me grab my bag and I'm all yours."
Dinner, the drive there was typical, easy, Sam felt so comfortable with the McNally family, he had met almost the whole clan, from Uncles and Aunts to her grandmother and grandfather. She didn't know if it was dumb lucky or his charming personality but they all adored him, every last one.
After the meal, he offered to walk her home, and then he'd walk himself home.
It was a typical October, fall night, cooler than the summer nights but enjoyable, and there was a light breeze.
They walked hand in hand, just talking, "So, have you started you're math assignment yet? Or are you going to wait until last minute like last time?" He asked her, poking fun at her need to procrastinate on their math assignments, it was her least favourite subject not because she was bad at it by any means but she just didn't like it.
"One, shut up and two, yes I did actually, Traci and I met up after school today and started it," She told him with a cocky little grin that appeared on her face.
"Wait, you stayed after school to start the assignment?" He asked with a sense of urgency that worried her slightly.
"Uhh yeah, why what's the big deal with that?" She questioned.
"You mean to tell me you missed an episode of the Young and the Restless?! Say it isn't so!" His word dripped with sarcasm.
Her facial expression showed how unimpressed with, he loved to tease her, just like kids on the playground. After rolling her eyes, she smiled at him "Oh you're going to pay for that, just wait until the next time you're stuck at somewhere and you want me to tell you the score of the Leaf game, I'll just have to give a detail play-by-play of what you missed on the y&r." She laughed, he loved hockey, almost as much as he loved the Leafs.
She often wondered why he chose the Toronto Maple Leafs, of all teams, they weren't exactly the team to beat, but Sam stuck by them, every year after they were systematically eliminated from the playoffs runnings, he'd simply say "There's always next season,"
Silence fell over the two of them, neither seemed to mind, they just enjoyed each other's company.
"Did I ever tell you the story about my first time watching a hockey game?" He said softly, as he pulled her a little closer.
"No." It was rare for him to really, truly open up, he had before with her. She felt so close to him when he did.
"Well, uh, you know my dad and I aren't the best of friends, well for my sixth birthday he got us tickets to a Leaf game, they were playing the Bruins, and I remember never feeling like I had anything in common with my dad. So the thought of being stuck in a public place with him seemed like more of a punishment, than a present. Anyways we got to our seats, they weren't the best but I had never seen my dad look so happy in my entire life, just the way his face lit up at ever break away or power play.I could see it in his eyes how happy he was. From that day it's the only thing we really have in common, and I think back to that day and the smile that was spread across his face from the moment we entered that arena to the time we got home, made me feel connected to him, for the first time in my life." He stopped them, and turned to face her.
Eye to eye.
She just looked at him in awh, he had such an amazing sole, it was so unfortunate that he didn't have great relationships with his parents.
"And ever since then you've been a Leaf fan?" She asked him
"Ever since that day." He said softly, before pulling her into a gentle, innocent kiss.
The rest of their walk was silent, with the two of them sneaking glances at the other.
As they approached her front porch, he got this knot in his stomach. He didn't want to say goodbye to her, he didn't want to have to wait a whole ten and a half hours before seeing her beautiful, smiling face again.
Walking up the steps, seconds away saying their goodnight and goodbye's.
He looked at her, all bundled up with her solid black infinity scarf, button up army green jacket and cute little beige gloves, and smiled, "You know I care about you right?" He whispered quietly to her.
Smiling at him, she nodded, he had this effect on her, he was able to say the smallest things to her and she'd melt, blushing uncontrollably.
"And I wanted you to know that I love you, Andy McNally." He said, then holding his breath waiting for her to respond.
He was holding his breath, and she was breathless, he loved her.
"I love you Sam Swarek." She said, before he pulled her into another kiss, but this time she felt the meaning behind it, she felt his love in his kiss.
She pulled back, knowing if her dad caught them making out on the porch, she would die of embarrassment. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked quickly.
"I'll see you tomorrow," He said before turning on the balls of his feet, grabbing his hockey bag from the bench on the porch.
Unable to wipe the grin off of his face the whole walk home, he loved her, and she loved him, and everything was good, at least for now.
What do you guys think?
Continue or no?
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