Chapter 13 - Bye Bye Bye

The guys where at practice when they saw Connie and Marie sit in their usual spot. Coach Brooks tried to quiet them down when they cheered for Marie. They hadn't seen her in two days and they only heard what Rob told them. Marie laughed, but hide her face in embarrassment. Once they quieted down they started practicing again.

After the practice, the girl's waited again like they always do in the lobby. Marie's back was to the locker room door and she didn't see Cox come out with Jimmy. She screamed a little when he picked her up. When he put her down, she turned and smacked his shoulder.

"Ow," he groaned rubbing the spot.

Marie said with a shrug, "You scared the shit out of me. Serves you right."

"I see you're feeling better," Buzz said coming up.

Marie shrugged again. "Yesterday morning when my alarm went off it took me a while to get up. Then I just said to myself that I can't stay in bed for the rest of my life."

"I'm glad to hear that," Rizzo replied behind Buzz. "I was concerned about you."

Marie gave him a hug. "It's nice to be concerned about."

"Hi. Your best friend standing right here," Connie called out, pointing to herself.

Marie smiled. "I'm thrilled with your concern, but when the Will thing went down I only had you, Rob, Regan. I'm pretty sure Frankie, Greta, Jane, Josie, and everybody else."

Rob put his arm around his girlfriend. "She just now has a full team back behind her," Rob said. "And trust me. If anything were to make Regan or you depressed we'd be there to lend support."

Marie went over to one of her many best friends and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

Connie simply said, "Well… I knew you appreciated it. I was trying to give you a hard time."

Marie let her go and gave her a smile. "What would I do without you?"

Connie replied, "Be a snob."

Marie chuckled. "Yeah… right."

Silk and Mark finally came out of the locker room and when Marie saw Silk she smiled over at him.

"Silky!" Cox exclaimed. "How come whenever he's around he's the one that gets that beautiful smile?" He turned to Rizzo to ask that.

Marie's face turned a little pink. "Whatever Ralph."

Mark, Jimmy, and Rizzo shared a look. They thought it was interesting that Marie got red from just a simple complement that involved Silk. Everybody went off together, but split when they got to their cars.

vvv

"Let's go Rammer!" Bah shouted out when Mike picked up the bowling ball he was using. Marie silently watched as he got a strike, then she watched Buzz get nine pins down on the other lane. She looked over at Rob in her lane and watched him get five pins before getting the spare.

"Here you go," Regan said while handing her a cup of water.

"Thank you," Marie said while taking it. "Did you go to Wisconsin for it?"

Regan nodded. "Yeah, they have the best water."

"What took you so long?" Connie asked sitting down after she went.

Regan just said, "I had to pee."

Marie took a sip before heading up and picking her ball up. She concentrated on the middle arrow and let it go. "Yes!" she yelled out when she got that strike. Jimmy gave her a high five when she passed him when she walked back to the sitting area.

"When was the last time you bowled?" Rob asked after marking the strike down.

Marie simply said, "When I went out with Simon that first night."

Silk patted her back and she gave him a confused look. "I'm fine. Ok… it's been eleven days, but I'm good."

Rizzo came up with a pitcher of beer for his lane and took his turn. He completely botched his first turn by throwing the ball to hard to the left. He swore and went again once his ball came back. Marie, Regan, and Connie cheered him on and when he got the spare he did a small cartwheel in. Everybody laughed at him, but Marie made sure the manager didn't see, otherwise they'd be in trouble.

When Marie's turn came up again, she concentrated and got another strike. She yelled and since Silk was right next to her about to take his turn she jumped up and down in his arms before she went back to the guys and got high fives from them. 'Two in a row! That has never happened to me before!"

"Way to go!"

"That's awesome!"

Marie sat down and watched as Silk got a strike as well. She gave him a double high five and a hug. Some of the guys gave each other a look, but didn't question anything else. Some of them thought that Silk and Marie were cute together and maybe one day they'd do something about it. For the rest of the night they played and had fun.

vvv

Marie was doing her duties when the bar started to quiet down again. She headed over to a table to collect some of the empty glasses and right as she got up to the bar, a voice asked her, 'Can I get a scotch?" Marie halted in her steps and turned around. She sighed in disgust when Will came into her view.

"Sorry… I don't serve assholes. You might want to try another bar… in Green Bay," she sarcastically said to him.

Will shook his head. "Did you treat Simon that way?"

Marie's shoulders tensed. "How do you know his name?"

"Regan told Frankie about what happened. She told Jessica," Will replied. "You're pathetic. Couldn't even satisfy his needs could you?" Will walked up to her the rest of the way. "You know you're not worth it. Why do you keep torturing yourself by even dating anybody at all? You're a bitch and always will be."

Marie looked down at the ground. "Go fuck yourself," Marie growled when she looked back up. She was sick of this little act he was trying to pull. "Just because I told you what Justin said to me, doesn't mean you get to do it. Stop harassing me. You're the one that ended it badly, remember?"

"Because of you."

Marie turned around to head back behind the bar but stopped when he grabbed her elbow. "Let me go," Marie miffed.

"It's not nice to turn away from a conversation," he said to her.

"There's nothing to discuss. Actually there is. What the hell did I see in you?" Marie asked. "I can't believe I spent all those months loving you. Why are acting like you have some power over me?"

"Because I fooled you into believing that I loved you. That's why it's so pathetic," he sneered.

"Will, let her go!" Rob exclaimed behind him.

Will turned around and to his surprise it wasn't just Rob. He rolled his eyes at the guys. "Oh look, rent-a-brother to the rescue," he sarcastically said. "Why don't you take your little buddies and go play with them out in traffic, Rob."

Marie had set the glasses down on the counter and when she turned back to the scene, she shoved Will. Will turned to her and shook his head.

"Oh… I didn't know you had a backbone?" Will jeered. "When did this happen?"

"I'm sick and tired of you thinking you have some sort of power over me," Marie told him. "You don't, Will. Yeah I spent eight months thinking you were happy and yeah maybe I didn't do some of the things you wanted me to do, but I don't regret it. The minute I caught you with Jessica, my heart broke and you knew that. It's like to you it's funny because you played with my emotions and I guess after you still were doing it. Not any more."

Will sneered, "See pathetic. Thinking you aren't in love with me still. Trying so hard…"

"I hope one day Jessica sees you for who you truly are. Are you using her just as well until that next piece of ass comes along?" Marie asked him in a low voice. "You're the one pathetic." She jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

He went to hit her, but Jack's hand stopped him. Silk called out, "You touch her you're dead. You're such an asshole. I can't believe you did what you did. You had the most special woman and you treated her like shit."

"She is not worth it. Can't you guys see it. She's a scared, shitless bitch," Will scoffed.

Silk turned to Rizzo and put his hand on his shoulder. "I take it back. What the hell was I thinking?"

Rob said, "Look why don't you leave before we take care of it for you."

Will chuckled. "You're shitting me, right?"

Jack took a step forward and went to remove Will himself, but Will smashed his fist into Jack's face real fast. Marie's mouth opened in shock and went to see if Jack was ok. When she stood back up, she turned to Will. "Oh… you've done it now. Will… I'm giving you the count to ten to get out of my bar! You're not welcomed here anymore! 1… 2…"

"Make me," Will simply said. "You don't have the guts to do it."

Marie's temper was really boiling now. She smiled at Will. "You know what? I guess you're right." Without a flinch, she punched him square in the nose. Will shot back and covered his nose that was seriously bleeding. After everybody's shock cleared, they all cheered for her. "Now get out!" She pointed to the door while giving him a death glare. "Go fuck yourself as well!"

Rizzo called out, "While you're at it, you might want to play in the traffic."

She turned to the guys once Will was out the door and grimaced. She held on her hand in pain. "That hurts like a son of a bitch," she winced in pain.

Rob pulled out a chair for her and one of the waitresses went and got her some ice. "I'm proud of you. I was seriously about to do what you did, but you beat me to it." She gave him a look like whatever.

"That was one hell of a punch," Jack replied holding a bag of ice to his face as well. "Remind me not to get you mad."

Marie laughed in spite of how much her hand hurt. "I should have done that a long time ago. That felt good."

Buzz gave her a hug and a kiss on her head. "We're proud of you."

Marie looked at all the guys and smiled at them. When she got to Silk, he mouthed that he was proud of her and she smiled even more.

vvv

The soft wedding ballad floated beautifully through the church as Marie walked arm and arm down the aisle with her dad. She was smiling at everybody that she knew before looking straight at the groom. Her vale made it difficult for her to see the guy's expression, mostly due to the fact that there was a blur in front of his face. When her dad lifted the vale up to give her a kiss that was when she saw who it was. Dave Silk took Marie's hand to help her step up on the stair, before the Priest started with the ceremony.

Marie stirred in her sleep before waking up to check the time. She sighed and sat up. 'Third time this week with this dream. What the hell?" she whispered to herself. She opened her drawer and took out her journal. The one thing she put in there was, I'm in trouble. Am I falling for my best friend?