Chapter 2 - First Impressions
"Blue line, back, red line, back. Far blue line, back, far red line back, and you have 45 seconds to do it. Get used to this drill. We'll be doing it a lot. Why? Because the legs feed the wolf, gentlemen," Coach Brooks said to the team as he skated back and forth in front of them.
Marie and Connie were yet again sitting in the stands, watching practice. It's been a few days since the team started, and so far since the incident Rob and Jack haven't gone after one another. The two girls were half watching while they were talking. Connie was telling Marie about a phone call she got that morning from her mom. Growing up, Connie only had her mom because her dad died in a car accident. So as she grew up, she became increasingly close to her mother. The last few years, her mom has been dating this guy who's really good for her, but she's been doubting if they're meant to be together.
"Um… not to change the subject… but I saw Jessica the other day. I didn't know… if I should have told you," Connie said.
"Oh?" Marie quietly mumbled.
"Yeah. She asked about you."
Marie turned to Connie and put a hand to her chest like she was concerned. "How incredibly sweet of her to ask about me. Did you tell her it's none of her damn business considering she screwed our friendship over by sleeping with my boyfriend?" Marie sarcastically asked.
Connie stayed quiet for a few minutes. "Will and her…"
"I don't really want to know anything that they're up to!" Marie exclaimed softly. "They can live their messed up life the way they want to. I don't give a flying rack of shit about them."
Connie's eyes widened. She didn't know what to do, so she turned toward the ice and watched the team skate back and forth doing the drill.
After a few minutes of silence, Marie turned to Connie. "I'm sorry. It's just… Will hurt me and I thought somehow he was the one. I thought I knew him, turned out I didn't."
Connie put an arm around her shoulders. "No I'm sorry for bringing it up. I was thinking that you would have wanted to know that I ran into her."
Marie gave Connie a hug. "It just sucks is all."
"Maybe we should go shopping."
Marie chuckled a little. "No. That's ok."
Connie nodded and they kept on watching the rest of practice. After the practice, they hung around the lobby waiting for the guys to come out of the locker room. Mike Ramsey was the first guy out and when he saw the girls, he smiled and waved.
"It's hard to believe that he's the youngest on the team," Connie said.
"He's not that young."
"Who's the oldest?"
Marie replied, "Buzz, but only by a month and a half before Rizzo."
"How do you know that?"
"The other night at the bar, he came over and we started talking," Marie explained. "He is such a great guy."
"Oh really?" Connie slyly smiled.
Marie rolled her eyes at her friend. "It's not like that. Rizzo is only a friend."
"Do you think he thinks that?"
"What?" Marie turned around for a second to make sure he wasn't standing there. She really didn't want any hurt feelings if he did think of her that way.
"No, he's not behind you. I'm asking you. Seriously, what do you really think of him?"
"He's a great guy. I think if we were to date, he'd treat me with respect," Marie answered.
"Than why not go for it?"
"Because I don't think of him in that way," Marie told her.
"Who are we talking about?" Rob asked behind them.
Connie gave her boyfriend a hug. "We were talking about a guy that came into the bar the other night." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. "They got to talking and well… she's not sure about him."
Marie tucked a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Yeah."
"Hey Marie!"
Marie looked over to the locker room door and saw Rizzo with Jack O'Callahan. She waved at Rizzo before he started walking away.
"Oh, hey Mac, some of us just decided to head over to O'Malley's tonight," Rizzo called over to him.
"Actually Connie and I are going out tonight. Thanks for telling me though," Rob replied.
"All right," Rizzo said. "Marie, are you working?"
"You know it," Marie replied.
They said bye and Rizzo turned to a Jack who looked annoyed. Marie rolled her eyes and before Jack left, she caught his amused face. Whatever, she thought as she started to leave with the two love birds.
vvv
Later that night, Marie started cleaning glasses after it started to slow down. She was looking around the room when she landed on some of the guys who came in that night. They were joking around about something.
"Can I have a beer?"
"What kind?" she asked before turning toward the customer.
"What the table's been drinking," Jack said, smiling at her.
Marie nodded and went over to pour the drink. When she moved over there, Jack moved too. She shifted her eyes up for a second, and then looked back down to make sure the drink didn't spill over the rim. Placing the glass down onto the counter, she walked away after he gave her the money. "Here's your change," she said to him when she gave him the cash.
"My name's Jack by the way," he said while holding out his hand.
"Marie and I know who you are," she replied shaking his hand.
"That's good to know," he said giving her another smile.
Marie nodded. She felt uncomfortable with him staring at her like she was some sort of meat on a hook. "Can I get you anything else?"
"No. That's ok."
"Are you sure?" she asked him when he didn't move.
"How long have you been working here?"
"A year and three months. Why?"
"Well, you know, someone so pretty like yourself, must get a lot of guys trying to pick you up."
Marie smiled after he said that, but started to laugh a second later. "That was sad."
Jack was taken aback. "What?"
"Next time don't try so hard. Most girls go for it. I'm not like most girls. Yeah, I'm blonde, but I do have a brain."
Jack took a drink of his beer. She wasn't sure what Jack was thinking because he stayed quiet.
"Jack, you seem like a nice guy… but the only impression I've gotten so far has been a jack ass that went after my friend," Marie stated.
Jack sighed. "Maybe he deserved it."
"For what? '76 was three years ago. Wouldn't you think if he had done that to Rizzo, he would have forgiven Rob those many years ago?"
"Who are you? My mother? Because I really don't need a lecture right now," Jack replied.
Marie sarcastically told him, "Yeah I am."
