Meadow567- I am glad you enjoyed the Pittsburgh part. It's kind of important. And speaking of Chev, I typed her name in this chapter and had to go back and fix it! LOL
Prettypinkcheer5- I live in the Pittsburgh area and I hate, loathe and despise the Steelers. But it's cool that you like them. If you want to know what Jake looks like there is a pic of him on meadow's website. Or if you know what the WWE wrestler John Cena looks like!
Lia06- It's nice that I needed Pittsburgh references in this story, since I now live near Pittsburgh.
Flowersc721- I am so glad that it was good tears. I know how you feel about wanting to talk with those who've passed on, I've felt that way a few times.
Emador- Sorry that I didn't warn you about the Halloween chappie. Don't die about the Rizzo line, my Chev muse told me to do it. And the miracle line wasn't supposed to be cheesy. It was supposed to be Jake telling her everything would be okay and kinda foretelling the game, oh well.
Sonatack- Yes, the Steelers fans hate the Browns more than anything in the world. It's a nasty rivalry. And I know some Browns fans that despise the Steelers. One kid won't wear anything black and gold, even if it has nothing to do with the Steelers. And when the original Browns became the Ravens, Pittsburgh hated the Ravens because they used to be the Browns.
Happy New Year everyone. Hope the new year is full of good health and happiness for all! Peace and Love.
November, 1979
Cambridge, Massachusetts
"I'd like to thank all of you for coming out tonight. I'll answer questions for about ten minutes." I said to the reporters outside the locker room. The team had just beat Harvard.
"How does the team feel about defeating Harvard?" one reporter yelled at me.
"The members of the team that attended Boston University are celebrating the most, but the whole team is proud of the good game they played. It was a tremendous team effort." I answered.
"As the Olympics are fast approaching, any word on the last player to be cut?" another yelled at me.
"No comment at this time. That is the soul decision of the coaching staff. Neither Coach Brooks nor Coach Patrick have indicated to me at this time they have decided on any roster changes." I said.
"Why did Herb Brooks schedule a game against the Soviets just three days before the opening ceremonies?" someone yelled at me.
"Coach Brooks wants to give the team a broad range of opponents to prepare them for Lake Placid." I answered.
"Sources say Mike Eruzione is struggling in practice and will likely be the last player cut." Someone said.
"As I said earlier, there has been no decision about the roster made at this time. I don't know who your sources are, but I am with this team everyday and can tell you that Eruzione is on the ice everyday, working hard and putting his best efforts forward." I said.
"How is the team preparing to face off with the EHL all-stars?"
"Coach Brooks has the boys in an intensive conditioning program and will have them ready for the game. Herb doesn't look past any opponent and takes every game seriously." I answered.
"You've been spotted around Minneapolis with Coach Patrick, any comment on the nature of your relationship?"
"What kind of gossip column you write for? We're talking hockey here and nothing else. My life is my business and I am sure Coach Patrick feels the same way." I said. "If there are no other questions, thank you for your time. Goodnight."
I turned and walked into the locker room, carefully keeping my eyes down. I walked to the back where refreshments were being served. I saw several parents of the team milling around. I saw Donald Craig standing along the wall.
"Mr. Craig, hi. I'm Kylah Jenkins." I said.
"Oh yes, the PR agent, Jimmy has told me so much about you." Donald said.
"It's so nice to meet you. I want you to know how proud we are of your Jimmy. He's a great addition to the team." I said.
"We're very proud of him too." Donald said.
"So how are things at home with Jimmy away?" I asked.
"We're hanging in there. Been a little rough, but this is important to him." Donald said. "Miss Jenkins, can I give you some unwanted advice?"
"Sure you can, and call me Kylah." I smiled.
"I know it's none of my business, but Jimmy has mentioned to me that you had a brother killed in Vietnam." Donald said and I nodded. "Jimmy lost his mother just three years ago."
"I know, he told me about her when I interviewed him earlier in the season. He told me she was the one that encouraged him to come out for the Olympic team." I said.
"Yes, and while the way your brother and my wife died are very different…I still think that talking to Jimmy might help you. He spent a lot of time talking to Rizzo after his mom's death." Donald said.
I smiled. "I can imagine. Mike tries to help everyone."
"If you need anything, talk to Jimmy or Mike…their good kids." Donald said.
"Thanks, I will." I said. "Well I am going to let you spend some time with Jimmy before we have to leave. It was nice meeting you."
"Nice to have met you too." Donald said.
I walked to the back of the locker room where Doc was checking injuries. Craig was with him.
"Hey, any serious injuries?" I asked.
"No, everybody is doing well." Craig said. "How did the press conference go?"
"Everyone wants to know who is going to be the last player cut and somehow they've zeroed in on Rizzo. Not to mention some idiot out there was asking about us." I said.
"What about us?" Craig asked.
"Oh we've been seen out and about and gossip has started. Didn't seem like a ports writer to me. Probably works for some tabloid or other trashy magazine. You know the kind that wants to invade celebrities' privacy." I rolled my eyes.
"I didn't realize I was a celebrity." Craig laughed.
"I shut him up anyway. I am sure that Tanya Tucker and Glen Campbell will get drunk and tear through a hotel room again in a few weeks and it'll pass." I said.
"Hey, do you mind if we don't spend the evening together? Johnson wants to talk so I told him we could go out for a late snack." Craig said.
"Not a problem. So I guess I'll see you back at the hotel late tonight?" I asked.
"Sure thing." Craig said and leaned down to kiss me.
XXXxxxXXXxxx
I walked down the hall of the hotel looking for Rizzo's room. I was bored sitting alone in my room. Finding the room I was looking for I knocked.
"Kylah, what's up?" Jimmy said opening the door.
"I came to talk to Rizzo. I brought a six-pack." I said.
"Come on in. I switched rooms with OC for the night. OC and Silk went to the hotel bar to pick up girls, so I just moved in here for the night in case they actually got one to come back to the room with them." Jimmy said.
I giggled. Rizzo was inside the room laying on one of the beds, looking through the room service menu.
"Hey Kylah, what are you up to?" Rizzo asked.
"I was bored sitting in my room alone. Craig is out for the evening, so I thought I'd come hang out here." I said.
"Sure, come on in." Rizzo said.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and Jimmy pulled over one of the rooms chairs.
"How are things going with Coach Craig?" Jimmy asked.
"Good. I think we're getting along well." I said.
"You two seem happy." Rizzo said. "Who has your kitten while we're here?"
"Herb took Smokey home with him yesterday so Kelly could keep him for me. He was a bit exasperated about the whole thing." I giggled. "Why didn't you two go looking for girls?"
Jimmy shrugged. "I wasn't in the mood."
"Me either." Rizzo said.
"Oh…did Phil go with them?" I asked.
"Nah, he is rooming with Ramsey tonight and used the excuse that he didn't want to have a girl in front of a virgin. Said it was like eating in front of a starving man." Jimmy said.
I rolled my eyes. "What is it with him and Ramsey?"
"I don't know. According to Broten, Schneider, Janny…you know guys from Minnesota- Phil and Ramsey have always been this way." Rizzo said.
"Well for heaven's sakes. We should find a girl for Ramsey then." I said.
"I've seen Ramsey around girls and the way he reacts to guys talking in the locker room, I think we'd have to get him an instruction manual to go with a girl." Jimmy snickered.
I shook my head. "What do you guys know about Pittsburgh?"
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "The Steelers are having one hell of a season. They'll probably repeat a Superbowl championship this year."
"And the Pirates just won the World Series. And their song is Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family'. They play it during introductions and after homeruns at Three Rivers Stadium." Rizzo said.
"Do you know anything about Pittsburgh other than their sports teams?" I asked.
"Not really. I've never been there." Rizzo asked.
"I've never been there either. The city has three rivers running through it. It's the home of Iron City Beer. They have lots of steel mills." Jimmy said. "Why do you ask?"
"Someone mentioned Pittsburgh to me the other day." I said, not feeling like having them think I was crazy because I believed Jake talked to me from the other side.
"You planning on visiting Pittsburgh soon?" Rizzo asked me.
"No, I was just curious about it." I said. "Hey Jimmy, do you ever dream about your mom?"
"Not anymore. I did right after she died, but after six months or so they stopped." Jimmy said. "You been dreaming of your brother?"
"Something like that." I said.
"It's normal to dream of someone after they pass away." Rizzo said.
"Jimmy, what kind of dreams did you have? Like what was your mom doing? Did she talk to you?" I asked.
"Whoa, where is all this coming from?" Jimmy asked.
"You've been there. You're the only one who might understand." I said.
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes I would just hear her voice in my sleep, like off in the distance. Sometimes I would dream about her funeral…."
"The funeral. I never dreamed of his funeral!" I said.
"Huh?" Rizzo was confused.
"I never once dreamed of Jake's funeral. He had a military funeral. He was buried in Arlington, he had a 21 gun salute and officers handed mom his flag, who handed it to me." I said.
"But…are you okay?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. Jimmy didn't look convinced. "I just wanted to see what you had been through and compare it to me."
"I see. Well, I hope I helped." Jimmy seemed confused.
"You have. More than you realize." I said.
About that time, the door burst open and Verchota came stumbling in.
"What's going on Boston boys? Oh and you got the coach's woman in here too." Verchota stumbled in. He was obviously drunk.
"Philip, what on earth is wrong with you? Why did you get drunk?" Rizzo asked.
Phil threw himself across the bed. "I wanted to get drunk since I couldn't bring a girl back in the room. Virgin boy is back there watching TV." Phil said.
"Philip, why is Ramsey's personal life so amusing to you?" I asked.
"He is like the world's oldest male virgin." Verchota said. "Speaking of sex…how's it with the coach?"
"I think that is none of our concern." Rizzo said.
"Come on Eruzione. Have you stopped to think about this? Craig is an older man who is dating a gorgeous woman that is younger than him. That is like every guy's dream. He's probably screwing her four times a day and six times on Sunday." Phil said.
"Oh dear." I sighed.
"Verchota! Only you would want to know what our coach does in his private life." Jimmy said.
"Come on, we all like a good story. And there is no juicier gossip than finding out what our coach has going on between the sheets." Verchota laughed.
"Call Patti why don't you? Better yet, call Velta." I rolled my eyes.
"Maybe later. Right now I want to hear all about Coach Craig." Verchota smiled and laid his head on my knee.
"Philip, I am not telling you anything about my personal life." I tried pushing him away.
"Oh fine. I'll tell you one of my stories." Verchota said.
"No thanks. I'd rather not hear it." I sighed.
"Well we know these two aren't getting any. Rammer's a virgin. Is no one around here getting laid?" Verchota wailed.
"Go talk to Janny. Maybe he met one of the boys' moms tonight and took her out." I chuckled.
"That's not a bad idea." Verchota said and stood up and stumbled out the door. "JANASZAK!"