Author's Note: chants reviews over and over again. I would love to hear from you. The first chapter got looked over, hopefully it's better. A little change though, before I had said Holly's wedding was in a month, it's actually in December.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Flowersc781: Yeah. There are no stories out there about Ralph Cox and this came to mind like a month ago. I was going to wait until I was finished with it, but decided to go ahead and post it.

Killerkeanegirl: Jess, I know. I went back and changed a few things. I realized Holly's wedding was a month in, but really I put it down on my brainstorming paper in October or November. nods As for being fast with the date, I wanted to change it up a bit. The normal MIRACLE story, nobody gets together for a while. So, I wanted to change it.

Emador: I had to make Janny a MILF hunter. He's an easy target. As for being fast with the date, I wanted to change it up a bit. The normal MIRACLE story, nobody gets together for a while. So, I wanted to change it.

Hawk50: Love the criticism. That's what helps makes a story a little bit better. I did go back and change the errors. If the errors are still there, just email me. As for the guy being Coxie, I just had to do it. It's usually OC, Mac, or Rizzo.

HeartsAndLies: I hope it's going to be a good story. I'm kind of going in blind, but I'm pretty sure it'll be good. Here's your update.

"Val!" Avery screamed in her room. "Val!"

Val screamed back, "Yeah!"

"Can you come in here! I need your help!" Avery was looking through her closet for an outfit to wear that night. It was one o'clock and Avery was panicking.

"What do you need help with?" Val asked walking into the room. When she saw all the Avery's clothes on her bed, she laughed.

"Appreciate the fact that you think this is funny."

"Why are you freaking out?"

"When was the last date I had?"

Val nodded in understanding. "First off, he hasn't called yet, you dork. Secondly, wait until he does to see where you're going."

"We should have made it for tomorrow."

Val walked over to Avery, lead her to her bed to sit down. "Breathe in." Avery did, but didn't let it out. "Let it out. I know you're nervous, but you got to calm down. There's no need to panic. It's just a date."

"It's just a date," Avery repeated. The thought of it made her really nervous. "I can't do this."

Val smiled. "Yes you can."

Avery looked over at Val and smiled. "I'm going to go throw up." Avery went to stand, but Val kept her in place.

"Keep repeating 'it's just a date'," Val told her. "What could come out of one date? He's not going to propose."

Avery let out a chuckle. "That would be crazy."

"Really crazy."

Avery took another deep breathe. "This is crazy. Why did I agree to go out with him?"

Val put an arm around her. "Because you have something to prove."

Avery asked, "Like what?"

"Drew," was all Val said.

Avery looked over at Val and nodded. "Part of it was because of her. The other part, I really wanted to go out with him. He was nice."

"And the truth comes out."

"What should I wear?"

"I told you to wait until he calls you. When he does, I'll help you."

vvv

"How did you get her to agree to go out?" Phil Verchota asked Ralph. They were in the locker room getting dressed.

Ralph turned to the side, grabbed his right shoe, and while he was putting it on, he told him. "I asked."

Rob, whose locker is right next to Ralph's, scoffed, "Right. Did you threaten her?"

Ralph sarcastically replied, "Yes, that's what I did."

Michael "Rizzo" Eruzione looked over from his locker. "What's so bad about her?"

Ralph told him, "A friend of Rob's, who is a friend of Avery's, told these guys that she's very uptight. When I was talking to her, she seemed fine."

"Maybe this friend of hers is jealous," Rizzo replied.

Ralph pointed at his head and then pointed at Rizzo. "That's what I was thinking."

Rizzo stood up, but before he left he told the guys, "Never judge a book by its cover."

Jack O'Callahan laughed. "Leave it to Rizzo to talk some sense into you guys."

Ralph smiled. "I'm off. I gotta go call her."

vvv

It was three oh nine, according to the clock on the wall of Avery and Val's apartment. Avery was sitting in the living room, reading the text from her history class. For the past two hours, she's tried to keep herself busy. What ifs have come and gone. She's nervous that she's been scared for no reason, but also scared that she was waiting for nothing. She looked back at the clock, yet it hadn't changed in the last five seconds. Avery jumped when the shrill sound of the phone rang through the quiet apartment.

Getting up from the couch, she walked the few feet to where the phone was. "Hello."

"Is Avery there?"

"This is her."

"Hey it's Ralph."

Avery smiled. "Hi."

"I'm sorry the call came late. We had a long practice."

"That's all right."

"I was thinking I could pick you up at seven. There's this place called Mario's, it's a pizza joint."

Avery replied, "That sounds like fun. I love pizza."

"Ok… good."

"Here's my address." She rambled off the directions.

"Ok. I'll see you at seven."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Avery hung up the phone and smiled. She went back over to the couch and started to read again.

vvv

"You look pretty," Ralph told her when she opened the door for him.

Avery smiled, but blushed at the same time. Avery, with the help of Val, picked out a simple outfit. A sleeveless shirt, but a light, buttoned up shirt was over it, and a skirt. Her brunette hair was down, and she had put her makeup on lightly. "Thanks."

"Have a good time you two," Val called from the kitchen.

Avery chuckled as she closed the door. "Ready?" Ralph led the way out to the car.

When they got to Mario's they were seated right away. Sitting there they went into an awkward silence. The waitress had already got their drink order, and they had already decided on what kind of pizza they wanted. Avery was watching customers at their tables talking or eating. When she looked back over at Ralph, they shyly smiled at one another.

"Um… how long have you been playing hockey?" Avery asked, breaking the silence.

Ralph sat up a little more. "Since I was four."

"That's cool." Avery looked down at the table. "Where did you go to school?"

"UNH," Ralph replied. The waitress came over and placed their drinks down. "We'll get the medium pizza with green peppers."

"You played on the hockey team there?"

"Yes."

They fell into another period of silence. Avery wanted to keep the conversation they had going, but nothing came to mind. When that happens, she gets more nervous. What came out next sounded foreign to her. "Ah… um… what position do you play?"

Ralph smiled. "Right wing."

Avery smiled back at him. "I'm sorry. I don't know why, but I'm a little nervous. The last first date I had gone on was in junior year of high school."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Steven, my ex."

"How long were you two together?"

"We had been together until two years ago," she told him. "We broke it off clean. We still actually talk."

"Nice. What made you guys split?"

Avery itched a spot near her ear. "Well, we waited a long time to take the next step."

Ralph nodded. "Sex changes everything."

"Well, yeah. We grew apart," Avery said. "When was the last relationship you were in?"

Ralph took a drink of his coke. "It was around the same time as you. Laura was sweet, but she just wasn't ready for a huge commitment."

"What do you mean?"

"Laura and I dated a year. I asked her to marry me, but she said no. At the time, it was hard, but I see her point now. We were young, thought we loved each other."

Avery nodded. She took a drink of her coke. "Any brothers or sisters?"

Ralph nodded. "Oh yeah. There's Michael and there's Brett. Both young, both in college, both play hockey also."

Avery smiled. 'Family full of hockey players."

"What about you?"

"Kimberly is at Northwestern, getting her degree in English. Kevin is a junior, and Rice is in eighth grade."

"Rice?" he questioned.

"I know. When my mom was pregnant with her, all she ate was rice," Avery explained. "All of my grandparents questioned my parent's sanity over the name." Avery laughed.

Ralph laughed as well. "That is actually a cool name."

Avery started to play with the paper that covers the straws. "When is your birthday?"

"February 27."

"Oh hey. We almost are in the same month. January 20," Avery said. "If you were born in '57, I'm older than you by a month and seven days."

Ralph put a hand over face. "Guess what? I'm not older than you. That means… I can't date you." When he looked up, he saw the perplexed look on her face. "I'm kidding. I think it's cool that you are older, but only by a month and seven days."

Avery smiled after giving him a mean stare. "That was just mean."

"Since you're getting your master's in teaching history, what made you decide on it?"

"My grandma actually. When I was younger, she would always tell me stories," Avery explained. "I loved listening to them."

Ralph nodded. "Does she still teach?"

"No. She's retired. She lives in Florida with my grandpa."

"Ew… Florida. Ever been to Disneyworld?"

"Yes. It's the same as Disneyland."

The waitress came back over and placed the pizza stand on the table. She took their empty cups, asked if they were good, and then told them she'd be back with their drinks and pizza. Ralph placed his arms on the table, smiling at Avery again. The silence wasn't awkward, it was comforting. The pizza arrived a couple minutes later. As they ate, they talked a little more about family, where they were born, about practice.

"This OC sounds a little tough," Avery said after hearing about Jack O'Callahan. "I'm surprised he's still on the team. Why cause trouble for the team for a month without getting in trouble for it."

"Well, OC is actually a good guy. He had a chip on his shoulder with a few of the Gopher guys."

"That's not really a good excuse."

Ralph understood what she was saying. "Everything is fine now."

Avery let the subject go. She didn't know anything about hockey, only baseball. They talked more about the practices, but more about the guys. After they were done, they paid the bill, and headed out. Ralph saw a small park in the distance and they headed over to it. They sat in the swings, looking up at the stars.

"What about your friends?" Ralph asked breaking the silence.

"Val, my roommate, is my best friend. I've known her since the first year of college. Julia, she's a musician, but is getting her degree in health education."

"What does she play?"

"The violin. She's really good. She goes out and plays on street corners."

"Maybe we could go one time."

"You'd want to do that?" Avery looked at him, leaning on the chain.

"Definitely."

Avery smiled at him before going on. "Holly, she's getting married in December. Elizabeth is already married, Angie just had a baby, and then there's Drew."

"Drew… what's the news on her?" Ralph asked.

Avery sighed. "She's a pistol."

"How does Mac and her…"

"Drew was crazy about Rob. She was obsessed. Last year she made her move and well their whole relationship was pure sex."

Ralph eyebrows raised up in shock. "Whoa! Mac? Never would have thought."

Avery chuckled. "She is a great friend, but she can be such a bitch. Lately, she's been on my case about how I don't do anything. The thing is, I'm more determined to get my degree, than to party my ass off. I want to get a PhD."

"Dr. Avery Lucas," Ralph said. "There's nothing wrong about that. You're working hard. Do you think she's jealous of you?"

Avery didn't answer. She looked down at the ground and thought about it. "That has never occurred to me." She looked back over at him. "What about you? What do you want out of life?"

"A hockey career. To play in the NHL," Ralph quietly told her.

"I think that's great." Avery smiled at him again before she started to swing. Ralph started to swing as well. The only noise was the chains squeaking as they went back and forth.

"Watch this," Ralph said before he jumped off. He landed a few feet away, laughing. "I dare you to do that."

"I have a skirt on."

"So? Who cares?"

Avery started to slow down. When she stopped, Ralph gave her a look. "What?"

"Chicken."

"That I am."

Ralph laughed and with Avery's help, he stood up. "Ice cream?" Avery agreed and they went to the ice cream parlor. As they sat there eating their ice cream, they talked a little more about his favorite team and the Cubs. After, they called it a night.

"I had a blast," Avery told him when he walked her to the door.

"Me too." Ralph replied. When Avery turned toward him, eh actually went in for a kiss, but was denied when she turned her head.

"Sorry," Avery whispered.

Ralph wasn't hurt. "It's ok."

"I like you, don't get me wrong."

"Don't worry about it. We'll take it slow."

Avery nodded. "I'll see you."

"Can I call you?" Ralph asked, kind of scared he wouldn't see her again.

Avery said, "Of course. Thanks for the pizza." She turned back to the door, unlocked it, and said bye to him before going in. When she closed the door, she realized she didn't want the date to end. It was something to look forward to in the future.