*Please imagine this chapter taking place in French… I could have written it in French, but I thought it would be annoying for those who don't speak it…

Chapter Thirteen

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Max screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping feet first onto the couch in his parents living room. "MARIO FUCKING LEMIEUX!"

"Yeah 234th hot shot! You barely made it!" Frankie laughed, pushing his brother over.

"But I made it bitches!"

His mother and Amber walked in from the kitchen. They had been sitting on the couch beside him for the whole day, as they watched player after player get selected. Every time Montreal was up, Max sat at the edge of his seat waiting with his fingers crossed. When the Habs made their last pick, everyone hugged him as if his grandpa had just died. Everyone knew that Max, like most Quebec hockey players, wanted to be drafted by the Habs or at least to get drafted.

"There's still a chance!" He insisted. He wasn't going to give up. His mom and Amber got up and started clearing the lunch plates.

He knew there wasn't a huge chance of getting drafted. That's why his parents wouldn't let him go to the draft conference, they didn't want to deal with the disappointment, but there was still a chance! And he had clung to that all day. NO! All year!

"What was that screaming?" His mother asked excitedly.

"I was drafted! I am going to Pittsburgh! With Mario Lemieux!"

"AHHHHHH!" Amber screamed and jumped into Max's arms. "YOU REALLY DID IT!"

His mother ran to the phone to start calling everyone she knew. His father congratulated him and his brothers sulked. It was perfect… not number one, but he'll take it!

"You probably won't make the team…" one of his brothers mumbled.

"Fuck you! I am going to be a superstar… you just wait!" Max jumped on his brother and gave him a huge, wet Willy.

-.-

"So, when do you leave for camp again?" Amber asked, plopping herself on the bench of a picnic table.

"They say to report for September 4th. It's going to be great. I am going to blow them away!" Max leaned back against the table and passed Amber the bottle of wine they had snuck out of their parent's car.

"Wow, that seems so soon…" She took a sip and handed it back.

"Two weeks baby."

"Where's their farm team?"

"Scranton but I am going to make the team!"

"Max, you will probably end up playing for the AHL, at least for the first bit…"

"Why do you have to talk like that? Why can't you believe?"

"I am just being realistic… If you go in thinking you are going to make the team and don't, you'll be upset but if you go in thinking about making the farm team, which is more likely, and you get the team then you'll be happy…"

"Whatever, I reject your logic! I am going to make the team…"

"They might even send you back to the Q…"

"Shut up! What's wrong with you?"

"Whatever? Is that so bad? At least I will be in Ottawa… We'll be closer…"

"Sorry babe… I am going to be in Pittsburgh, playing with Mario Lemieux…"

"You were 234th… even first picks seldom make the team…"

"Is this how you want to see me off? Fighting with me? Crushing me?"

"I'm not fighting…"

"Have another drink…" Max insisted, handing her the bottle.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Amber flashed him a half smile.

"If it means you stop fighting with me…" Max laughed back. "Besides, there are way better things that I can think to do right now…" He slid closer to her on the bench and wrapped her arm around her waist, pulling her right to his side. He dipped his head in to kiss along her neck.

"Max stop it! We're in public!" Amber attempted to push him away, but didn't really try. It felt good and the wine was starting to get to her…

"Whatever, we need to teach these snotty Ontarians how to do it…"

"Oh please… there are probably only like four actual Ontarians here… Niagara Falls is like the most tourist-y place on the freakin planet! We're just going to look like drunk, horny teenagers…"

"Well, I don't know about you but I am a drunk, horny teenager…"

"Our parents are trusting us."

"That was their stupid mistake… really they should know better by now!"

"Max…"

"Come on, let's go back to our room… maybe we can sneak another bottle out of the car first…"

Amber hesitated at first but then stood up and put her hand out for Max's. "Okay, fine but no funny business you hairy little Frenchman!"

"Scouts honour!" Max agreed and stood up. Good thing he had never been a scout, he thought to himself, because he had no intention in being on his best behaviour.

-.-

Amber woke up in the morning in a tangle of sheets, the light from the window, creeping across the room and directly into her eyes. She sat up to close the curtains, but quickly laid back down as her head felt like it weighted a tonne. She felt nauseous and dizzy and her head started pounding.

How much wine had she drunk last night?

She rolled onto her other side to get away from the bright light and came face to face with her partner in crime, drooling on the pillow beside her.

"Oh crap," she muttered as she quickly looked down under the blanket. No clothes.

"Max wake up!" She said in a panic, shaking him.

"Ugh… what?" Max yawned and rolled on to his back.

"Did we…you know?"

"You know what?" Max looked at her sheepishly.

"Have sex?" Amber blurted out.

"Damn, you don't remember? What the hell?" Max sat up and looked at her angrily.

Amber glanced around the room and counted the empty wine bottles… one, two, three… oh my god is that four? She thought to herself while holding her head up.

"Did we drink all those?" She asked.

"Mostly you, baby…" Max leaned in and kissed her bare shoulder, which sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Amber rolled out of bed, and took the sheet with her. "How are we going to explain this to our parents?"

"What's to explain? I'm 18, you're going to be 18… we're adults; we make our own decisions… We were celebrating!"

"Celebrating? Celebrating what?"

"Pay attention! I am going to be a super star hockey player!"

"Max! Be serious, this is serious! Did you… you know… use a… condom?"

"Yeah baby, don't worry! I'm going to take care of you… trust me!" Max grabbed her by the sheet and pulled her towards him.

"I do trust you…" Amber softened her resolve as she let Max pull her back to the bed.

"Well then relax… maybe you'll remember this time…"