"Good luck, darling." Laica gave Kahrin an encouraging smile as she got out of the beetle. "Call me if … well anything."

Nodding with more confidence than she felt, she closed the door. Chewing on the inside of her mouth she carried the two cups of coffee with her and sat on the hood of Nate's Gremlin in the parking lot. Practice, she was sure, had just let out, and Nate never showered at the arena. She wouldn't have to wait long. She wasn't sure yet if that was a good or a bad thing.

It was going to be fine, she kept telling herself. He was her friend. They were too young, and they weren't … anything more. Still, she had a small niggling feeling of doubt and nerves that made her belly flip over the more she thought about it. They'd never fought, or disagreed on anything. Though, until six weeks ago, they'd also never had sex.

She spaced out for a few minutes, rehearsing what she was going to say in her head. She hadn't noticed him walk up behind her, and dumped half of her black coffee on the front of her shirt.

"Shit. Oh, shit. I'm …" She began a futile effort to mop it off of herself, shaking and dumping the rest of the cup on the ground in front of her.

"Kahr?" Nate looked at her with one eyebrow pulled up. "You all right? I didn't mean to … here." He pulled his practice jersey off and held it out to her. He took the other cup from her and held it, protecting the preciously warm beverage from her. He tossed his hockey bag on the ground and slid up onto the hood next to her.

She pulled the sweatshirt over her head, still swearing a bit. She traded it for the jersey, wrapping her arms around herself and tucking her hands up the opposite sleeves. It was more like a dress on her than a shirt.

"Thanks. I brought you coffee, but … I see you already figured that out."

"And decided to wear yours. Very creative." He took a sip of the still-hot beverage, then handed it to her to share. "Caramel latte."

"Your favorite." She took a sip, closing her eyes. It was too sweet for her, but it calmed her all the same. She sat quietly for a few moments. One of the things she had always liked about their friendship was that they didn't have to speak. They could often just sit for hours, quietly. There was never any pressure to fill the quiet.

"You know me too well. I suppose I should start changing it up a bit." Taking the cup back from her, he took another drink. "You never come here. To what do I owe the pleasure? You could have brought me coffee at Rendon's."

"I come to all of your games," she retorted. "I …" She looked around the parking lot. "Not here. Can we … would you just … drive somewhere? Anywhere?"

He paused, the coffee halfway to his mouth. "Of course." Hopping neatly down off of the car with all the grace of a figure skater, he tossed his bag into the back and held the door for her.

She stayed quiet the whole of the trip, watching the trees pass by in a green and white blur. She let her face rest against the cool glass.

"Are you all right?" He glanced at her, concerned. He signaled and turned up the driveway, stopping to punch the buttons for the massive iron gate. "You're awfully quiet, Kahrin." His brow knit together as he waited for the gate to slide aside.

She shrugged slightly, letting one shoulder lift and then fall. "Lot on my mind. I guess."

Pulling into his spot in the garage, he turned the ignition to just the radio. He interlocked his finger behind his head and leaned back against the seat. The quiet was his way of leaving the conversation open for her. They'd been friends since they were infants. They'd napped in the same playpen and cut their teeth on the same toys. He knew that if she was going to talk, she would. If she wasn't, there was no forcing it.

"I have to tell you something," she said it so quietly that Ugly Kid Joe nearly covered it.

He turned his head just enough to look at her. "You know that isn't a problem."

Working her jaw several times, she formed the words and swallowed them. This shouldn't have been difficult. There was never anything she couldn't or wouldn't tell him. It was just another problem to tell her best friend. He would listen and … she was kidding herself. This was not the same thing.

"Nate … I … um." She stumbled over it a few moments. "I'm pregnant," she finally choked out. It filled her stomach with dread at the very same instant that it felt better to get it off of her chest.

He didn't move or so much as flinch. She listened as he took in a deep breath, then let it out.

"Not … what I expected you to say."

"Not something I ever thought I would say."

They sat in silence for a long time, the car radio the only sound. Some top forty station playing song she didn't particularly care about. She liked music, though, and it kept the silence from crushing them.

Finally, he reached over and took one of her hands. It was a simple enough gesture, and it seemed the least he could do. "So. What do you want to do?"

She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from crying. "Nate," she started slowly. "We're sixteen." She squeezed his hand back.

"So, we're going to Indiana. Not a problem." She looked up at him as he rolled his head back at the ceiling. "We have a school break coming up. I'll tell Rendon we're going to Cedar Point."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to." He pulled her by the shoulders under his arm. "We're friends, Kahrin. You'd do the same for me."

She didn't bother reminding him that she couldn't do the same for him.

"Maybe, next time we're bored, we just get a Pay Per View movie. Or go for a polar bear swim." She pushed her face into his long john top, laughing against his chest.

He chuckled in that gravely voice of his, and kissed the crown of her head. "Duly noted. Though," he paused over the words for a few moments. "I don't regret it." He said it quietly in her ear as if someone might hear him.

She was glad it had been him.

"Thank you."

"Of course.