Author's Note: Wow guys, thanks for the support. Oh, and if anyone is confused READ THE OTHER STORIES! I'm serious folks, it'll help. Anyway, yeah, it should be good.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.


Chapter 4: Friends, that could work

Friday came quickly, which was a surprise to Kitty, usually when she had something to look forward to the weekend time dragged. She had eaten lunch with Andy for the past few days. He was funny and charming, and she enjoyed spending time with him. But she had noticed that except when they were on the ice and needed to communicate Julian completely avoided her, he would run the other way when she walked over, or if there was no escape, like at lunch, he just stared at his plate and didn't say anything. Not that he had said much in the two days before, but he was at least friendly. As they were leaving practice that day, Andy stopped her.

"Hey," he said, "So do you want to just get changed, and then go?"

"Actually I wanted to get a shower in," Kitty said, "I smell like the inside of a skate, and I look even worse."

"OK," he said, "I'll meet you,"

"In front of the dorm," Kitty said, instructing him, "give me like forty minutes."

"Sounds good." He smiled, "See you later."

"Bye," she said. She hadn't told her mom about Andy, although she felt like maybe she should. She saw Julian sitting on a bench, probably waiting for his ride. She decided that she was going to end the awkwardness now. She walked over, and sat down. "Hi."

"Hi." He said, looking for an out.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kitty said looking at him. "I mean, I've barely had time to, but I just get this feeling that you don't like me, and since we're going to be on the same team, and going to the same school, we should at least be able to talk to each other." She sighed. "Look, I know we're in a uniquely weird situation."

"I'll say," he nodded. "It's not that I don't like you Kitty. It's just that, I don't know how to act around you, and well, I don't really know what you are to me."

"I feel the same way," she said. "Did they tell you everything?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I would have rather not known to be honest. But that doesn't solve our problem"

"We could just be friends Julian." She shrugged. "That way we have a label."

"OK," he smiled. "Friends, that sounds good."

"Great, look I have to go get ready." She said.

"Right, the big date with Andy," he said quietly.

"Yeah." She said. "I'll see you Monday." As she got up and walked away, Adam drove up to pick up Julian. He picked up his bag and got into the car.

"Is that her?" Adam said, watching the young girl walk away.

"Yup." Julian said buckling his belt.

"What were you two talking about?" Adam said as they were driving. Julian hadn't said much about Kitty, just that she was going out on a date with Andy, and that her room mate was "this weird red head."

"She just said that she wanted to be friends." Julian shrugged. "I guess I haven't been exactly friendly cause she thought I didn't like her."

"Do you like her?" Adam asked, not that it mattered.

"She's nice," Julian shrugged. "Oh, Dad, did Deena talk to you?"

"What about?" Adam asked, "last night she told me about the first day of school. She's having trouble with long division."

"No, Dad, she wants to play." Julian said. Adam and Heather had never discouraged Deena from playing hockey, but they hadn't exactly nurtured the interest either.

"Right." Adam sighed, "For the Ducks, I would guess?"

"You should let her." He said, "She's really good Dad, better than I ever was."

"Yeah." Adam said quietly.


"So what are you wearing?" Lexi said, as Kitty blew her hair dry in a bathrobe.

"I was thinking the red sweater and the skinny jeans," Kitty said. "I don't want to look too formal or anything."

"Wear blue," Lexi said, "not red. It'll look better with your eyes. What's with that anyway?"

"With what?" Kitty asked, flicking her now dry curls around as she turned.

"Your eyes, they're light, but the rest of you," Lexi noted, "well, isn't."

"My dad's Italian, my mom's Irish." Kitty shrugged. "It comes with the territory. My brother Danny has red hair and olive skin."

"How many siblings do you have?" Lexi asked, this was the third brother she had heard Kitty reference.

"Five," Kitty smiled, she waited for the reaction.

"Five?" Lexi said, open mouthed. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Kitty laughed, "Me, Danny, Theresa, twins, Reid and Fulton, and Marie."

"Wow, six kids." Lexi said, "My mom always said she had enough trouble with just me."

"My parents always wanted a lot of kids." Kitty shrugged, pulling her jeans on. "It's actually one of the reasons my mom and Adam got divorced. When they were married he said he didn't want kids. Ugh, my blue sweater's dirty, what about the green?"

"Green's good. But then he had Julian?" Lexi said, "How did that work?"

"People change," Kitty said, applying the last of some eye makeup. "Alright, I have kept him waiting way too long. How do I look?"

"Perfect!" Lexi said. "Have fun."

"Thanks." Kitty said, pulling on a pair of black pumps as she rushed out the door. She walked down the stairs. When she walked out, she saw Andy sitting on the stoop. He stood up quickly.

"Wow," he said blinking. "I mean, hi."

"Hi," she said, shuffling her feet.

"Come on, we have to catch a bus." He smiled. "You really look beautiful."

"Thanks," She said as they walked towards the bus stop at the edge of campus. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"So have you ever been to the Mall of America?" He asked.

"I can honestly say I haven't," Kitty smiled. They took the bus over. When they got out, Kitty was stunned. "Wow, I mean, my mom told me it was big, but wow."

"So what's the story on your family?" Andy said, as they walked around the mall.

"Do you want the normal story or the whole convoluted sordid screwed up version?' Kitty laughed.

"Well, that's up to you," he said. "I know some of the crazy-ness from Julian."

"Then I'll give you the normal version." She smiled. "My mom, is Julie "The Cat" Gaffney, or just Julie, or Cat, or Cat Lady."

"Which is where Kitty comes from?" Andy asked.

"Right," she confirmed. "She's from Maine, but she ended up in Minnesota for a while. But you know about that. My dad, Dean Portman is from Chicago, he owns two bars, with my godfather, Luis Mendoza, who also happens to be my mom's ex boyfriend from high school. I have three little brothers and two little sisters. We're really really into Catholicism; we go to church every week."

"You're Catholic?" He said.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Me too!" He smiled.

"You play hockey and you're Catholic?" Kitty said. "My parents better not meet you, they'd go crazy!" She sat down on a bench. He followed.

"Good crazy or bad crazy?" Andy said, taking a risk and putting his arm around her.

"Good crazy." She smiled and slid closer. This was working out better than she expected.


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