A/N.: Yes I know it's been forever and I'm way sorry, but I've been working
on this new story that's going to be really good and I can't wait to post
it. Here's the update. This is dedicated to all of my faithful reviewers.
LOVE YA TO PIECES! Joc
I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Completely shoeless and tired I stopped and sat on the curb of the street with my head in my hands on the verge of tears. A car passed me on the street, splashing water up onto my face and soaking me to the bone.
"Perfect!" I screamed to no one in particular.
"While you're at it," I paused looking to the skies. "Will you please just strike me with lightening? Please it will fit this day absolutely perfectly." The sky rumbled unhappily before a bolt of light cut through the darkness like a knife through warm bread.
Another car passed by splashing more mud onto me. A few seconds later, it went into reverse throwing mud in the opposite direction. I rose to my feet, preparing to run, as the window rolled down. Coach Benson leaned across the seat and opened the door.
"Hey there," he said. "Need a ride?"
I nodded and climbed into his SUV.
"Where to?" Coach asked as he watched me put my seatbelt on.
"The hospital," I replied and watched the windshield wipers flick back and forth on the window.
Without any further questions we were on our way. A soft melody played from the back seat of the car as we headed to the hospital.
"So I heard what happened with you and Tommy. My wife is the towns gossip queen. I'm real sorry. Eden Hall would have been an awesome opportunity for you if you would have gone all 4 years. Colleges like to see that kinda prep school shit on applications," Coach informed me.
"Yea I'm gonna miss the ducks."
"Hey, you know your position is always open on my team. As a matter of fact, we're having a little scrimmage tomorrow. If you wanna come you can see everyone again. I'll pick you up and everything. I know how your dad is."
My thoughts flashed back to what had just happened at my dad's with Joel. I felt an evil smile flicker at the corner of my mouth. "Oh I'll be there Mr. Benson, but I think I'll be staying at Tommy's tonight. What time did you say?"
"Probably 9-12." He pulled up to the hospital entrance and parked the car. "Tell Tommy I said hi." Quickly I opened the door. "And that I'm sorry about his loss."
I paused for a moment before entering the building. His wife really must be a gossip queen. Yanking the door, I rung my soaking PJ's out and continued through the doors.
Wandering up to the desk, I smiled at a pleasantly plump lady behind the desk. "I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Jamie Reagan."
"I'm sorry I can't give away information unless I know your relationship with her," the lady grinned obnoxiously.
"I'm her aunt Gertrude. I just wanted to see how she was doing," I lied just to spite the lady.
"Well she's in ICU on the forth floor right now. So you can't talk to her."
"Sorry for wasting your time," I told her walking away, hurrying to get to an elevator. The doors opened, there stood Tommy, his usually bright eyes looked dull now and his fingers nervously tapped on the side of a coffee cup. When he caught sight of me he gave me a bewildered look which was soon replaced with a smile. He handed me the cup of coffee as I pulled him into a hug.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. The doors on the elevator slammed shut and I felt Tommy drop the coffee onto the floor. Still in my arms he cried softly. His shoulders shook as he mumbled about Jamie and the baby, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Bright and early the next morning Coach pulled in the driveway just as he had promised.
I hustled into the locker room and was suddenly hit with all of the memories of the past that I had forgotten about when I stepped on that plane to Minnesota 3 years before. There stood my old team dressed in their hockey gear with their helmets in hand.
"Hey Gaffney!" Robbie yelled as I walked to my old locker, waiting for the guys to exit.
"Hi," I smiled to him and Joey who had each grown at least a foot since the last time I had seen them. Almost in a sprint I ran into the girls' locker room.
Quickly I grabbed my gear out of my bag and began to change when I heard the sound of a locker slam from across the room.
"How's it going?" A voice said from behind me. The voice was all too familiar.
"What do you want?" I asked him, trying to keep him from bothering me.
"Didn't I make it clear what I wanted last night?" he whispered in my ear. Just his voice sent shivers up my spine.
"Well sorry Joel, I wouldn't do that with you if we were the last two people on earth."
"But you'll do it with that Adam kid won't you, skank?" I turned to face him.
"How do you know about Adam?" I gritted my teeth.
"Don't think you're the only one with friends in Minnesota," he taunted.
My fists clenched in tight balls as I looked at him. "Why don't you just mind your own business you fucking pervert?"
"You're so cute when you're mad," he snickered and turned to leave. "See you on the ice, SLUT!"
Anger pulsed through my veins as I watched him leave the room a huge grin on his face.
"Nice game, Julie," Joey grinned, brushing his sweat covered brunette bangs out of his eyes. "I don't think we can say the same thing for Joel though."
I smiled back at him when we finally stepped off the ice and reached the locker room. "He's had it coming for quite awhile now." As if on cue Joel screamed in pain from the locker room as the physical therapist wrapped his legs tighter in a bandage.
"I don't think I've ever seen a goalie get in a fight with a player. Anyway," he thankfully changed the subject. "I heard you're not going back to Eden Hall for Senior Year."
I stopped to look at him. "Umm... my mom ran into Mrs. Benson at Giant last night," he laughed. "So do you want to go to Ruby Tuesday's tonight? We could catch up and everything."
"Yea that'd be fun," I replied.
"Okay, I'll pick you up around 8."
"Allright Adam," A sudden guilt attack hit me. "I mean Joey."
He nodded and walked to the guy's locker room to get cleaned up, but I hadn't noticed. My thoughts were wrapped around Adam.
"Hi, this is Julie Gaffney. Is Adam available?" I stood in the dining room of Tommy's small colonial house.
"Oh yes Julie," the voice on the other line who I assumed was Mrs. Banks replied. "He's should be back in a few minutes. A couple of the ducks and him went down to some diner in the city to get a bite to eat."
"Well okay. Do you want me to just--"
"There he is! Adam, Julie is on the phone," the voice called to him.
"I'll get it in my room!" he yelled as a pitter patter of feet ran up the stairs. "Hello?"
A click came on the other line signifying that Mrs. Banks had hung up. "Hi Adam."
"How are you? How's Jamie and Tommy? Are you coming to visit before school starts up again? The Ducks--"
"I'm not coming back," I managed to say while Adam was shooting off question rapid fire.
"You what?"
"I.. My dad won't allow me to come back. He's got custody of me for now. The trial for Tommy to get custody of me will be in May and by then I'll already be 18 and it won't matter," I mumbled. The other line was silent for a moment.
"So you called to break up with me?"
A lump formed in the back of my throat. "I just think it'd be better. Long distance relationships never work out. I'm sorry I just don't want you to be tied up with me--"
"Okay Julie I got it," his words came out cold and hurtful. "I still love you."
A stray tear rolled down my cheek. "Don't say that. Please don't say that."
"What do you want me to say?" his voice was numb with pain.
"That..." I really wasn't sure to be quite honest. This wasn't right. I didn't want to do this. I loved him too. "Just goodbye."
"Goodbye."
"Bye." I hung up before he could say anything else to make the guilt trip I was on any worse.
A comforting arm encircled my shoulders. "It's gonna be okay," Jamie hugged me tightly her skin white as a ghost. "I'm sorry everything worked out this way and that you won't get to see your friends."
Looking into her eyes I felt so weak. Crying over a boy when she had just lost something that was irreplaceable. A baby. Tommy entered the room, a tired Sierra at his side who he'd just picked up from Jamie's mother's house after Jamie was discharged from the hospital.
Flash back ends
As we wondered out to the limo Cassie was still babbling on about the whole one man for the rest of my life.
"What was that?" Rose came up behind us.
"What was what?" Cassie finally stopped.
Rose opened the door to the car. "Oh perfect," I shook my head. "It's raining."
"Relax," Rose assured me as she sat down in the car. "It's good luck according to my grandma, if it rains on your wedding day."
"I don't see how," I explained while the others piled into the car.
"Yea," Mae exclaimed. " How is rain on your wedding day lucky? Wasn't your grandma the one that swore she was abducted by aliens, who seduced her... then she had your father?"
Rose nodded. "She wasn't completely senile though." She patted her blonde hair and looked out the window at the pouring rain. "
"I really hope not." I shook my head.
Gabby and Sierra were playing tea party on the floor of the car while Cassie, Rose and Mae argued over the senile grandmother and superstitions and Connie and Jamie spoke quietly about the arrangement of the reception or something.
"Do you want some tea, Aunt Julie?" Sierra asked passing me a small cup.
"Why of course," I held out the cup for gabby to pour some pretend tea into. Soon we reached the church and sat there for a moment waiting for the rain to calm. Which got me to thinking....
Flashback
Senior year rolled around and Joey and I started dating. Our hockey team won states that year and I even passed Science with flying colors. The Ducks became a very distant group of people, Connie being the only one I ever talked to. The Prom and graduation flew by and soon it was time for college. Joey and I both decided to go to schools in the boston area. I was going to Gibbs and he was attending The Boston Architectual school.
"Do you want some coffee, Julie?" Joey asked, holding my hand in his as we walked towards a coffee shop on the corner.
"Sure, but I do need to pick some things up at the store," I replied, looking across the street to a small store where I did most of my shopping for food.
"All right, I get some coffee for us and I'll meet you in a few minutes," his green eyes met mine and I stood on my tip toes to give him a kiss before walking across the street. As I cruised down the aisles I ended up in the back of the store when a group of college age looking guys started my way. All of them were harassing each other and shoving each other into racks in a playful manor. As they walked by one of them, a short brown haired kid, pushed the tall blonde right into me, knocking us to the floor.
"Oh God," he looked down at me embarrassed. "I'm really sorry." He was about get off me when he looked at me then did a double take. "Julie?"
For the first time I looked him right in the face. "Adam?"
A/N.: Yep i'm ending it there. I'm tired. Review and I promise I'll respnd in the next chapter sorry. I gotta get some sleep.
I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Completely shoeless and tired I stopped and sat on the curb of the street with my head in my hands on the verge of tears. A car passed me on the street, splashing water up onto my face and soaking me to the bone.
"Perfect!" I screamed to no one in particular.
"While you're at it," I paused looking to the skies. "Will you please just strike me with lightening? Please it will fit this day absolutely perfectly." The sky rumbled unhappily before a bolt of light cut through the darkness like a knife through warm bread.
Another car passed by splashing more mud onto me. A few seconds later, it went into reverse throwing mud in the opposite direction. I rose to my feet, preparing to run, as the window rolled down. Coach Benson leaned across the seat and opened the door.
"Hey there," he said. "Need a ride?"
I nodded and climbed into his SUV.
"Where to?" Coach asked as he watched me put my seatbelt on.
"The hospital," I replied and watched the windshield wipers flick back and forth on the window.
Without any further questions we were on our way. A soft melody played from the back seat of the car as we headed to the hospital.
"So I heard what happened with you and Tommy. My wife is the towns gossip queen. I'm real sorry. Eden Hall would have been an awesome opportunity for you if you would have gone all 4 years. Colleges like to see that kinda prep school shit on applications," Coach informed me.
"Yea I'm gonna miss the ducks."
"Hey, you know your position is always open on my team. As a matter of fact, we're having a little scrimmage tomorrow. If you wanna come you can see everyone again. I'll pick you up and everything. I know how your dad is."
My thoughts flashed back to what had just happened at my dad's with Joel. I felt an evil smile flicker at the corner of my mouth. "Oh I'll be there Mr. Benson, but I think I'll be staying at Tommy's tonight. What time did you say?"
"Probably 9-12." He pulled up to the hospital entrance and parked the car. "Tell Tommy I said hi." Quickly I opened the door. "And that I'm sorry about his loss."
I paused for a moment before entering the building. His wife really must be a gossip queen. Yanking the door, I rung my soaking PJ's out and continued through the doors.
Wandering up to the desk, I smiled at a pleasantly plump lady behind the desk. "I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Jamie Reagan."
"I'm sorry I can't give away information unless I know your relationship with her," the lady grinned obnoxiously.
"I'm her aunt Gertrude. I just wanted to see how she was doing," I lied just to spite the lady.
"Well she's in ICU on the forth floor right now. So you can't talk to her."
"Sorry for wasting your time," I told her walking away, hurrying to get to an elevator. The doors opened, there stood Tommy, his usually bright eyes looked dull now and his fingers nervously tapped on the side of a coffee cup. When he caught sight of me he gave me a bewildered look which was soon replaced with a smile. He handed me the cup of coffee as I pulled him into a hug.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. The doors on the elevator slammed shut and I felt Tommy drop the coffee onto the floor. Still in my arms he cried softly. His shoulders shook as he mumbled about Jamie and the baby, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Bright and early the next morning Coach pulled in the driveway just as he had promised.
I hustled into the locker room and was suddenly hit with all of the memories of the past that I had forgotten about when I stepped on that plane to Minnesota 3 years before. There stood my old team dressed in their hockey gear with their helmets in hand.
"Hey Gaffney!" Robbie yelled as I walked to my old locker, waiting for the guys to exit.
"Hi," I smiled to him and Joey who had each grown at least a foot since the last time I had seen them. Almost in a sprint I ran into the girls' locker room.
Quickly I grabbed my gear out of my bag and began to change when I heard the sound of a locker slam from across the room.
"How's it going?" A voice said from behind me. The voice was all too familiar.
"What do you want?" I asked him, trying to keep him from bothering me.
"Didn't I make it clear what I wanted last night?" he whispered in my ear. Just his voice sent shivers up my spine.
"Well sorry Joel, I wouldn't do that with you if we were the last two people on earth."
"But you'll do it with that Adam kid won't you, skank?" I turned to face him.
"How do you know about Adam?" I gritted my teeth.
"Don't think you're the only one with friends in Minnesota," he taunted.
My fists clenched in tight balls as I looked at him. "Why don't you just mind your own business you fucking pervert?"
"You're so cute when you're mad," he snickered and turned to leave. "See you on the ice, SLUT!"
Anger pulsed through my veins as I watched him leave the room a huge grin on his face.
"Nice game, Julie," Joey grinned, brushing his sweat covered brunette bangs out of his eyes. "I don't think we can say the same thing for Joel though."
I smiled back at him when we finally stepped off the ice and reached the locker room. "He's had it coming for quite awhile now." As if on cue Joel screamed in pain from the locker room as the physical therapist wrapped his legs tighter in a bandage.
"I don't think I've ever seen a goalie get in a fight with a player. Anyway," he thankfully changed the subject. "I heard you're not going back to Eden Hall for Senior Year."
I stopped to look at him. "Umm... my mom ran into Mrs. Benson at Giant last night," he laughed. "So do you want to go to Ruby Tuesday's tonight? We could catch up and everything."
"Yea that'd be fun," I replied.
"Okay, I'll pick you up around 8."
"Allright Adam," A sudden guilt attack hit me. "I mean Joey."
He nodded and walked to the guy's locker room to get cleaned up, but I hadn't noticed. My thoughts were wrapped around Adam.
"Hi, this is Julie Gaffney. Is Adam available?" I stood in the dining room of Tommy's small colonial house.
"Oh yes Julie," the voice on the other line who I assumed was Mrs. Banks replied. "He's should be back in a few minutes. A couple of the ducks and him went down to some diner in the city to get a bite to eat."
"Well okay. Do you want me to just--"
"There he is! Adam, Julie is on the phone," the voice called to him.
"I'll get it in my room!" he yelled as a pitter patter of feet ran up the stairs. "Hello?"
A click came on the other line signifying that Mrs. Banks had hung up. "Hi Adam."
"How are you? How's Jamie and Tommy? Are you coming to visit before school starts up again? The Ducks--"
"I'm not coming back," I managed to say while Adam was shooting off question rapid fire.
"You what?"
"I.. My dad won't allow me to come back. He's got custody of me for now. The trial for Tommy to get custody of me will be in May and by then I'll already be 18 and it won't matter," I mumbled. The other line was silent for a moment.
"So you called to break up with me?"
A lump formed in the back of my throat. "I just think it'd be better. Long distance relationships never work out. I'm sorry I just don't want you to be tied up with me--"
"Okay Julie I got it," his words came out cold and hurtful. "I still love you."
A stray tear rolled down my cheek. "Don't say that. Please don't say that."
"What do you want me to say?" his voice was numb with pain.
"That..." I really wasn't sure to be quite honest. This wasn't right. I didn't want to do this. I loved him too. "Just goodbye."
"Goodbye."
"Bye." I hung up before he could say anything else to make the guilt trip I was on any worse.
A comforting arm encircled my shoulders. "It's gonna be okay," Jamie hugged me tightly her skin white as a ghost. "I'm sorry everything worked out this way and that you won't get to see your friends."
Looking into her eyes I felt so weak. Crying over a boy when she had just lost something that was irreplaceable. A baby. Tommy entered the room, a tired Sierra at his side who he'd just picked up from Jamie's mother's house after Jamie was discharged from the hospital.
Flash back ends
As we wondered out to the limo Cassie was still babbling on about the whole one man for the rest of my life.
"What was that?" Rose came up behind us.
"What was what?" Cassie finally stopped.
Rose opened the door to the car. "Oh perfect," I shook my head. "It's raining."
"Relax," Rose assured me as she sat down in the car. "It's good luck according to my grandma, if it rains on your wedding day."
"I don't see how," I explained while the others piled into the car.
"Yea," Mae exclaimed. " How is rain on your wedding day lucky? Wasn't your grandma the one that swore she was abducted by aliens, who seduced her... then she had your father?"
Rose nodded. "She wasn't completely senile though." She patted her blonde hair and looked out the window at the pouring rain. "
"I really hope not." I shook my head.
Gabby and Sierra were playing tea party on the floor of the car while Cassie, Rose and Mae argued over the senile grandmother and superstitions and Connie and Jamie spoke quietly about the arrangement of the reception or something.
"Do you want some tea, Aunt Julie?" Sierra asked passing me a small cup.
"Why of course," I held out the cup for gabby to pour some pretend tea into. Soon we reached the church and sat there for a moment waiting for the rain to calm. Which got me to thinking....
Flashback
Senior year rolled around and Joey and I started dating. Our hockey team won states that year and I even passed Science with flying colors. The Ducks became a very distant group of people, Connie being the only one I ever talked to. The Prom and graduation flew by and soon it was time for college. Joey and I both decided to go to schools in the boston area. I was going to Gibbs and he was attending The Boston Architectual school.
"Do you want some coffee, Julie?" Joey asked, holding my hand in his as we walked towards a coffee shop on the corner.
"Sure, but I do need to pick some things up at the store," I replied, looking across the street to a small store where I did most of my shopping for food.
"All right, I get some coffee for us and I'll meet you in a few minutes," his green eyes met mine and I stood on my tip toes to give him a kiss before walking across the street. As I cruised down the aisles I ended up in the back of the store when a group of college age looking guys started my way. All of them were harassing each other and shoving each other into racks in a playful manor. As they walked by one of them, a short brown haired kid, pushed the tall blonde right into me, knocking us to the floor.
"Oh God," he looked down at me embarrassed. "I'm really sorry." He was about get off me when he looked at me then did a double take. "Julie?"
For the first time I looked him right in the face. "Adam?"
A/N.: Yep i'm ending it there. I'm tired. Review and I promise I'll respnd in the next chapter sorry. I gotta get some sleep.