This chapter is a little darker. It's my first time writing this kind of material but I hope you like it!

"What'd you get for number 14?"

"X equals 47"

"What? But…how?"

"You have to divide, remember?"

"That's what I did!" the brunette huffed.

Julie chuckled. "You divided by the wrong number, Cons."

"What?" Connie double checked her work, catching the mistake she made in her problem set. Julie shook her head in amusement. "Ugh, I give up. I can't do this anymore," Connie threw her pencil into the middle of the textbook.

"No, no! We have one more question and then we're free!" Julie grabbed the pencil and put it back in Connie's hand. She responded to the goalie with a solid pout. "Look, the faster we get this done, the closer we are to the weekend."

Connie groaned but conceded. "You're right. Let's get this done and over with." She erased her previous work and focused her attention on rewriting the equation and correct answer. "I still can't believe Ms. Diaz made a problem set due at 3:30pm…on a Friday. Like who does that?"

"The devil." Julie snorted and watched her friend finish the problem. Connie hastily dusted the eraser residue covering her sheet, before looking up at the clock above the librarian's desk, something that didn't get past Julie.

2:41pm

"Relax, Connie. We have plenty of time to finish this last problem before we have to turn it in," Julie said.

"It's not that. I told someone I'd meet them exactly at 3:15pm," she replied while scamming over the final question.

"Let me guess. He's blonde, plays hockey and is uhh, how do you say…ruggedly handsome or was it amazingly stupid?"

Connie laughed at Julie's antics. "That he is."

"I'm sure he'd understand if you were a little late, right?" Julie asked, slightly confused by Connie's need to meet Guy at such an exact time.

"Well, we kind of have to get on the road by then," Connie said nonchalantly and began marking her sheet with the number of the question.

"Ok, I'm kind of lost. Are you guys back together and sneaking away on a date none of us know about?" Julie asked. The two girls usually informed each other about weekend plans. Seeing as one lived on campus and the other didn't, they liked to keep up with each other in case one of their plans went downhill.

Connie threw her a playful glare. "No, it's nothing like that. We just have to go somewhere…" she trailed off, averting her eyes back to the math problem.

"Cons, is everything okay?" Julie asked in a serious tone. Knowing it will be the topic of conversation in the near future anyway, the Velvet Hammer let her guard down.

"Guy and I are going to visit his mom." Connie looked at Julie, unsure of how she'd interpret that statement.

"His mom?" Julie asked with a frown. "I thought she wasn't in his life anymore."

"Well, technically she isn't…" Connie trailed off, debating whether or not to continue but Julie's demeanor showed true concern for her male counterpart. She knew little of Guy's background and Connie's hesitance was telling her that it was indeed, something that needed to be kept hush hush.

But seeing that Julie was genuinely worried, Connie gave in. "Promise me this stays between you and me. You can't tell anyone."

"I swear." Julie moved in closer.

"Guy's mom has been in and out of rehab for the past few years," Connie said quietly. "Addiction. She started going sometime after the Goodwill Games. That's why he lives with his grandparents."

"Connie…Wow, I didn't-," Julie couldn't find the right words to respond. It was news to her. She was shocked that the kind and charming guy she's known for 5 years was able to keep something so private. Then again, she realized Guy's family was never really brought up in conversation among their friends. "Gosh, it must be so hard on him."

"It was…more so when he was younger," Connie was tapping her pencil against the textbook, silently recalling his childhood.

"Is-…what about his dad?" Julie asked somewhat wary of Connie's response.

"His dad was a drunk…pretty violent one," she breathed out. "He was always coming and going. I think it's how she got caught up in the addiction."

"And Guy?" the goalie inquired, still unsure if she wanted to push this conversation far enough to know the answer.

Connie cleared her throat but continued. "Guy…uhh…he got it pretty bad sometimes." She looked as though she was on the verge of tears. "The Ducks were always by his side but they didn't know how bad it was. He would come into school with bruises and he'd just make some excuse to get the teachers off his back. But eventually…"

Julie nodded in understanding. She looked away. The thought of someone putting their hands on Guy shook her a bit. It hurt and she could see that it hurt Connie to see him grow up in all the mess.

"You know the scar on his shoulder blade?" Connie's question brought Julie back into focus. She nodded in return. "It wasn't from a rollerblading accident like he says it. Neither is the one across his rib."

Julie pulled away and supported her head with a fist, visibly upset. "God, Connie…I can't-…don't want to believe this. I mean…this is Guy we're talking about."

"I know. None of us did either," she offered a small, reassuring smile. "You would think something like this would ruin a person but Guy is…different." Connie was trying to explain something that took herself quite some time to figure out. She was grateful for who he was. "He's kind and loving and…nothing like his father. He's so…good, you know?"

"Good enough to even visit his mother at rehab," Julie confirmed to herself aloud. "I admire how brave he is."

The brunette nodded. "They were very close…protecting each other when they had too. For a while, he was resentful towards her but he says ever since the court granted him monthly visits last year, he's willing to rebuild what they had."

"And you go with him every month?" Julie asked with a soft smile.

Connie couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Not at first. He didn't want me to get caught up in his family mess. But I convinced him that he wasn't alone in this and he came around."

"You know we love him too and we have his back." Julie placed her palm on her friend's shoulder and shot her an honest look. "He's lucky to have you, Cons. You're the reason he's so good. You're everything he's never had."

The brunette blushed and smiled shyly her friend. For the first time, Connie may have realized what Julie was saying. The goalie laughed slightly, knowing Connie didn't know how to respond.

"Come on, Moreau. Let's get you going on the last question, yeah?"

Guy pulled up to the familiar house that sat just a few streets over from his. His eyes were glued to the three story structure. He knew this house like the back of his hand. It brought back every happy childhood memory he shared with his Ducks, from snowball fights in the street to playing hide and seek across the whole block. He loved every inch of it.

But it also reminded him of the not-so-good times…when he was too afraid to back to his own house after such a great day; when he would push for another round of poker or cops and robbers so that it prolonged the time away from home. If there was some constant reminder of his youth, it would be this very place.

Connie watched him. At 17, Guy had already been through hell and back. She could see it just by looking at him. She caught glimpses of the little boy who just wanted to hang out with his friends for as long as he could. She knew him like the back of her hand and after having grown so involved in his life, she could sometimes feel the pain too.

"Let's go sit on the porch," Connie pulled his attention away. He nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt to exit the car. Connie did the same and walked towards the house. Her house.

Guy situated himself on the top step, laying his back against the column and stretching his legs out. Connie took the step below him and mirrored his position, facing him on the other side of the porch.

"I told her about our last game," Guy said breaking the moment of silence. "How I scored a couple of goals and you did too…and that we won. She'd like to see me play…like when she used to when I was no-good District 5 kid falling all over the pond." The pair chuckled together.

"I think she'd be happy to see how good of a player you are now," Connie reassured him.

"Yea…" he averted his eyes from her to the empty street. "Maybe she'll see how everything else is good now too."

Gently grabbing one of his hands with both of hers, she spoke. "You okay?"

He looked at the conjoined hands and sighed. "I want to look past what that bastard turned her into. I want to believe in her again...as my mom and not a junkie…I just don't know how or if I should or-" he choked out quietly. "I wish things could be different."

"Hey, look at me," she said softly and he did as he was told. "After everything you've been through, you're handling it pretty well. But it's going to take time, okay? I know seeing her that way hasn't be easy but if this is what you truly want, you'll get there, Guy," she said rubbing his arm soothingly. "And I'm here for you, for as long as you need me to."

He brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it to show his gratitude. "C'mere."

Guy brought one of his legs down a step and pulled the other towards his chest, giving the brunette just enough space to settle in between. She rested her back against his chest, placing her head in the crook of his neck. Guy hugged her firmly and she reached up to caress the side of his face, reminding him that he's here and that things will be okay.

"I'm sorry for the way things are," she assured him softly. "You deserve better."

"You make me better, Connie Moreau," Guy said into her ear. Connie closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling. He kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

And they stayed as they were, watching the sun set over the house, just like did they all those years.