T for safety.
As flashbacks of the actual injury begin to arise within the chapers, there may be some mild language.
"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."
~PROLUDE~
Through out Derek's life people have always seemed to have one question for him.
"Why hockey?"
Ever since peewee when he'd first started and fell in love with it, giving it all his free time.
His reply has always a simple one. It starts with a shrug of the shoulders, followed by a small grin showing only the top line of his pearly white teeth before speaking, short and simple, "I don't know, I guess I just love it."
But that's answers partly a lie.
Derek always loved hockey, even to this day, though its no longer a part of his life. The lie though, was when he said he didn't know why.
Derek Venturi had many loves about hockey. The fresh shine of the ice 60 minutes before a game when the Zamboni cuts the ice. The butterflies that overwhelm your stomach as you take your position on the ice game after game. The fealing of power as you slide the puck back and fourth, with nothing between you and the goal but the goalie. The buzzer, ringing loud in your ears, after you finally get that puck past the goalie.
But that would take to long to explain.
And the adults who would ask him, were the kind who wouldn't understand.
Or care.
21 year old Derek Venturi in the lobby of his new apartment, looking back and fourth from the sign on the door to his left that read, 'stairs' and the one on the right that read 'elevator.'
Judging by the throbbing sensation of his right knee, his obvious first though was to take the elevator, but his doctors words rang clear in his head.
Newly off his crutches for the first time in months, the doctor had clearly stated to take the stairs whenever possible, and if the pain was to bad, it was immediately back to the crutches.
Sighing at his own defeat, Derek pressed the 'up' button on the elevator and made his way to the 5th floor.
As he listned to the elevator play an old Beetles song, he suddenly became filled with fustration.
It pained him mentally to know that his body, which once could carry hin through three and a half hour lonh grueling hockey pratices, now couldn't even last a trip up the stairs, or a jog through a park.
Swoalling his fustration and stepping out of he elevator with a noticeable limp that would get better as time went on but may never fully go away, Derek entered his appartment. He grabbed an ice bag from the freezer before proping his sore knee up on the couch.
"Things are goina work out.." Derek told himself, more for reasureance than anything else
Because even if Derek's hockey career was over before really even takeing off, he still had Edwin.
Edwin little brother.
Sophomore in high school.
And now, about to be the next big thing to come to hockey.
That is, if Derek has anything to say about it.
"Welcome home son." George greeted, takeing a bowl of pasta salad out Dereks hands
"Happy Thanksgiving Dad." Derek said with a smile as he hund his coat on a hook in his parents home and shut the door behind him.
"Same to you, how are things going? Did you get moved in alright?"
"Yeah, its all in there now." Derek answered, ignoring the first question.
"Smerek Smerek Smerek!" rang the voice the bouncy 6th grader as she ran down the stairs and into Dereks outstretched arms.
"Smarti!" Derek laughed, throwing the girl up into the air before placeing her gently back on the ground, "I've missed you!"
Marti smiled before running off. Derek was amazed at how much older his youngest sister had become sence the last time he'd seen her that night in the hospital after the game. She'd grown out her hair. It must have been almost 6 inches longer reaching her mid back straight as a line.
"Well, Noras in the kitchen if you like to say hello to her. Casey and Lizzy went shopping but they should be back soon, and Edwins in his room. I'll go call him down."
Derek nodded and limped into the kitchen. He'd tried to stay off his knee as much as he could today to avoid showing his family that it still bothered him, but he already felt the electric strikss of pain every time he put pressure on it.
"Nora!" He exclaimed, drawing out her name as he opened up him arms for a hug.
Nora took off her apron and replaced the exhausted look on her face with a bright friendly smile, "Oh Derek!" she cried, hugging him close and warm, "It's been to long."
"Can I help with anything?"
Nora droped her hands and put them on her hips in thought, "Well, no. I think everythings under control in here. Becides, you're the guest."
"Are you shure?"
"Yes yes, go ahead and help yourself to some appitizers. There on the table. Drinks are in the fridge. George and Edwin will join you in the living room shortly."
"Thanks Nora."
Derek grabbed a soda from the fridge and took a seat on the couch. His hands instinctly went to his knee, attempting to rub away the pains but failing.
Soon Edwin came down the stairs, followed by his father and Derek stoped rubbing when he noticed his fathers eyes stareing at the movement.
"Hey there bro, long time no see." Said Edwin as he took a sead next to Derek.
Derek put an arm around his only brother and hugged him close for a moment. "Ahh, I've missed you. Hows the old high school going?"
"Just fine. You've left me with quite a rep to keep up."
Derek laughed, thinking back to his years of running the hichschool. Thinks we eaiser the compaired to collage. It was a awesome experience of coarse, and the partys and friends you made were great, but the level of work make Derek wish he;d payed more attention in high school. It was not something he was excited to going back to now that his Hockey carrer was over.
Derek took himself out of his thoughts when he noticed his father stareing again, this time at the bulk the brace of his knee made through his jeans. It made Derek feal uncomfortable.
"You getting excited for Hockey this year Edwin?"
Edwin shifted his weight in his seat at the same time as George did. Derek clenched his teeth. This is why he'd been avoiding his family for so manny months after the injury. They made things ackward.
"Umm..yeah diffidently."
Derek smiled through his anger. "Maybe we can head down to the rink sometime tomorrow and you can show me what you've got."
Edwins face lit up, "That would be awesome!"
"Cool. Well check it out tomorrow then" Derek laughed, just as Casey and Lizzy came through the door.
"DEREK!" Lizzy screamed, dropping her bags and running up to him, giving him yet another hug.
"Hey Liz. Hows Highschool?"
"Different." She smiled.
Derek smiled back, but all the smiling was starting to seem so forced. He didn't know why his family was being so nice to him. He'd avoided them for so long.
Derek messed up her hair a bit with his hand and took a mental note of the make-up she now wore. She diffidently looked older. Prettier.
As he lifted his head to Casey, she gave a nod in his direction and then sat down on a chair before looking away. He wasent going to get any faked fealings form her anytime soon.
"Nice to see you Case."
"Yep. You too." She replied dully,
"How's collage?"
"Same old same old."
Dereks side of conversation ended there as everyone began talking to one another. He sat there in silence,sipping his soda and listening to ohis family talk. Soon enough Nora called them in you eat.
Once again sitting aroung the table made Derek think of oold times.
"Lets say thanks." Nora said, "Lets go arounf the table and say one thing were thankful for this year. Ill start. Umm..I think the thing im most thankful for this year is that we call all be together again under this one roof." She smiled. "George?"
"Im thankful for that too." George replied.
"Im thankful for Smerik!"
Derek smiled at Marti. "And I'm thankful for you Smarti."
"Im thankful for Derek being here helping me with my hockey this year." Edwin said grining wide.
"Umm…" Said Lizzy. "Im thankful for thanksgiving break!"
"And im thankful for the good weather." Casey said, ending the 'giving thanks' part on the meal.
From there everyone joined in their own conversations again, and Derek was quiet.
Thanks for reading.
Feedback is encouraged.
~R.A.M~
Preview:
"You know I don't agree with you showing your face around here all of a sudden." Casey said sternly