Wow chapter twenty already. So what's going to happen in this one? If I told you that you wouldn't read it now would you? Enjoy.

Chapter 20: Late Christmases

Saturday morning there was a knock on my door. I pulled it open and looked up to see Dean standing there. "Good morning Beautiful." He said.

"I just woke up Dean I look like crap."

"No you don't you look beautiful."

"What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"Are you going to try to talk me into playing?"

"No I just want to talk to you. I miss you." He said.

"Alright get in here." I said moving out of his way. He walked in and stood awkwardly. I crawled back into my bed curling up under my blankets. "Shut the door and sit down." I said. He did as I asked sitting on the opposite bed.

"Charlie, Dwayne, and Adam have stopped anyone from talking about getting you to play again."

"And what about Fulton?"

"I knocked some sense into him. He's your best friend and after giving you his opinion he should support you."

"You didn't hurt him did you?" I said sitting up slightly.

"It was nothing he couldn't handle. We've gotten into fights before and Fulton wasn't fully the victim."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. He lifted up his shirt to reveal a bruise on his stomach.

"He's got a strong punch and I deserved it for what I said to him but it doesn't matter anymore. No one's going to push you to do something you don't want to. I think only Guy, Averman, Goldberg, and Connie are pushing for it but they won't say anything about it."

"Look Dean I know you mean well and all it's just that...well I can't be so sure that they won't say anything and I need a few days to think about it."

"So what's going to happen between us? Am I allowed to talk to you or do I still have to stay away?" He asked. His look was trying to go for cool indifference but his eyes showed pain and disappointment.

"Aw come here ya big teddy bear." I said moving to the far side of the bed. He got up and sat down next to me leaning back against the headboard and the wall. I looked at the clock that read 6:45. "Why in the world did you get me up this early for?"

"I had to talk to you and I couldn't sleep." He answered.

"Well now maybe you can." I said tossing the blankets over him. I moved as close as possible to him and laid my head on his chest. "Dean...?"

"Yeah."

"You're going to have to lie down." He slid down and got comfortable lying next to me. His right arm wrapped around me with his hand on my waist and his left hand was laying gently over my right on his stomach. He started massaging my hip but I wanted to sleep so I linked my left hand with his right and settled against him. "Dean I love you."

"I love you too beautiful." He answered quietly rubbing his thumb over the back of my right hand. I fell asleep and was woken up by a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said trying not to wake Dean. Dean shifted slightly but didn't wake.

"Hi Lizzy." Fulton said looking at his shoes. "I'm sorry...damn it I apologize about what I said the other day I should be supporting you and not fighting you."

"I understand and I forgive you what can I do for you now?"

"A growing hockey enforcer needs his lunch." Fulton said smirking. I looked up a Dean whose grip tightened on my waist.

"I don't think he wants to leave." I said.

"He needs his energy for the game tonight."

"Oh alright. Dean, Dean, Dean teddy bear wake up. It's lunch time." I said shaking him.

"Five more minutes Mommy." Dean whined. I cocked an eyebrow at Fulton and then smirked. Fulton just rolled his eyes. I leaned down to Dean and kissed him hard on the lips. He pulled me closer cracking an eye. When I saw that he was awake I pulled back. "Damn." He muttered.

"I am not your Mommy Dean, now get up." I said smacking his stomach. He got up and walked to the door.

"So everything's ok then?" He asked standing shoulder to shoulder with his bash brother.

"My best friend and my boyfriend." I sighed. "Get out of my room so I can get dressed and we can go to lunch."

"You're going to sit with us today?" Fulton asked.

"No, but I'll walk down there with you guys, besides a growing baseball pitcher needs her energy. Now out both of you." I said. He smiled and walked out shutting the door behind them. I got dressed and picked up Dean's jacket after running a hair brush through my hair. I held the jacket to my nose and inhaled his scent.

"God girls take forever." I heard Dean say.

"Don't say that about Lizzy." Fulton answered. I pulled open the door and looked at them. "See didn't take that long." I smirked and Dean wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged it off and saw that Fulton smirked. Dean wasn't deterred though. He just shrugged and wrapped his arm around my waist. I looked up at Fulton who almost immediately dropped his arm around my shoulders.

I smirked and walked with them into the cafeteria where the room went silent and then broke into whispers. I glanced up at both who were looking at me and it was all the three of us could do not to start laughing. I could feel all eyes on us as we walked to the line to get some lunch. I rolled my eyes and got lunch and then Fulton and Dean walked me to the baseball table before walking back to where the Ducks were sitting. "Lizzy didn't Dwayne tell you to stay away from the team?" Bash asked.

"Yes he did but..."

"There's no buts about it stay away means stay away." Max jumped in.

"No just listen. Dean apologized for what he said and so did Fulton and I was just talking to them. I spent the last 5 hours with Dean and he didn't say a word about hockey other than he was sorry." Bash sighed but said nothing. Later that night I was sitting in the stands with Mike and Brian Norman, our backup catcher, at the hockey game. The game drug on and the Ducks won but just barely.

The next Friday, the 21st, I was sitting in the Rec. hall and the doors opened and a guy walked in. He had shaggy brown hair, was about 6 foot, and was wearing an Eden Hall letterman jacket. I was sitting with the baseball team and the hockey teams were spread out across the room when the guy strode across the room to the Varsity team like he owned the place. I strained my neck to get a better look and saw that he was really cute but had a total preppy air to him.

"Hey Rick what are you doing here?" Scooter asked. Then it sank in as he glanced around the room. Rick Riley. I knew Rick but it had been a while since I had talked to him. I glanced at Charlie and his jaw was set and seemed to be trying to kill Rick with a glare. Rick reached out and shook hands with Scooter and a few of the other before answering.

"Hey Bash who's that?" I asked just to make sure I had gotten the right guy. He looked over at the guy and sighed.

"Rick Riley, last year's Varsity hockey captain and star center." Bash answered. I couldn't believe that Charlie had warned me against a guy that I knew. I stood up and stretched as Rick answered Scooter's question.

"I had the evening off and I just thought I would stop by and see if you guys could beat the JV this year without me." Rick answered. I turned towards him and stepped around the back of the couch leaning on it. I had forgotten that the JV/Varsity game was tonight.

"It's possible but probably only because Banks got benched for his grades." Scooter answered.

"Riles." I hollered. Rick froze on his way to sit down. Ever so slowly he turned toward me. He looked at me and shook his head a few times.

"No way it can't be." He muttered. I tried not to roll my eyes as I gave him a 'who-else-would-it-be' look. "It is, the ever beautiful Jakie-poo." He said striding to me. "Well now what are you doing here? Last time I heard you were in Ohio as a sophomore."

"Yeah well I'm still a sophomore but crap happens and things change I'm up here now. So are you too cool to give me a hug?" I asked.

"Of course not beautiful." He said pulling me into his arms hugging me tight. "Now tell me what are you doing here." He demanded loosening his grip letting his hands rest on my hips.

"When was the last time Seth talked to you?"

"Three weeks ago."

"And he didn't tell you?"

"You mean about him getting kicked out until Christmas? Yeah I heard about that."

"Did he tell you the reason why he got kicked out?"

"No."

"He um...He...well to put it simply he beat me. Every time he found my friend in my room it was a few swats with his belt across my lower back. Seth said it was 'cause he thought I was sleeping with him."

"But Jake it's none of his business. You're 16 and if you want to sleep with your friend behind closed doors then he should keep his nose out of your business."

"That's what Matt and I both told him, after the fact of course." I said.

"I thought you said..."

"Yeah I know it turns out he got drafted for the Redwings instead of the Stars and Mom disowned him. Chris told us; me and Ben that is, about it 2 days before Eden Hall went on break. Then Matt threatened Seth when he drug me down there during Christmas Break."

"How do you know Riley?" Charlie asked appearing at my side placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Seth went to school up here for his Junior year, Rick's sophomore year. Seth kinda took Rick under his wing and made him a great player and a good friend. That year for Christmas Rick came down to Ohio and we kinda bonded." I explained.

"You know Conway?" Rick snapped.

"He's my cousin Riles." I answered.

"So they wanted to protect you from Seth but how'd you get forced into Eden Hall? I thought you hated prep schools." Rick asked.

"I do but you remember how I told you that I knew baseball, football, hockey, and soccer?"

"Yeah."

"Well I was playing softball my eighth grade year and the scouts saw it. They offered me a scholarship but I turned it down. The next year I was playing a softball game right before our school's baseball game and since the scouts were early they just watched it and they gave me another scholarship but said I had until the season started this year to accept. After the incident with Seth my mom forced me to sign it and well here I am." I said cutting the story short. I didn't really need everyone knowing the entire story besides the ones that already knew.

"I bet that was hard."

"Yeah I had to leave my friend. He took it hard."

"I bet he would, no action for him until school holidays."

"Riley! I would never do that it ain't who I am. You've known me for about 3 years you think I would do something like that?" I said abashed.

"I'm sorry Jakie, you're right you wouldn't I shouldn't have said that." Rick said.

"Thank you."

"Say you want to get some dinner with me after the game? I'll take you McDonalds." He said. It was very tempting so I looked over his shoulder to where Dean was standing. Rick turned and looked at Dean also. "What's that idiotic bash brother got over you? Why would he care if I took you out?"

"Take it back." I growled gripping his wrist. Rick looked back at me.

"What?"

"You heard me Rick."

"I'm sorry I should have said what does Portman care if I take you out?"

"He's my boyfriend Riley he has a right to care." I knew Rick knew that when I called him Rick I was pissed off and he had better watch his step and what he says.

"Oh yeah now I remember. One bash brother is your boyfriend the other's been your best friend since you were knee high to a hockey stick. I'm sorry Jakie-poo. Please go with me to Mickey D's." Rick was almost begging. Dean was looking pissed but I had to have a break from the school and from the team.

"Alright fine. One condition."

"Name it."

"You're buying." Rick smiled and my heart rate increased. That smiled almost always got to me. Rick hugged me again and went to talk to the Varsity some more before they were called to the game.

Mike and Brian sat down around me and Rick sat down behind me. His hands found my shoulders and they paused. I knew he wanted me to be comfortable but there was too much on my mind to be comfortable. After the game, which Varsity was narrowly defeated again, Rick told me what he was doing now on our way to his car.

He was studying sports management at the University of Minnesota where he was on the hockey team. His sports management degree was just a fall back in case hockey didn't pan out for him. At dinner we got to talking about what had been going on and I told him the full story of what had happened to include the reasons why I wasn't on the high school baseball team instead of the softball team, and my pitching record. On the way back he told me about his hockey team and how he had to work his way back up.

Chris's PoV
2 weeks after I got back to school I had an urge to call my cousin. "Hey Ben!" I hollered across the hall.

"Yeah?" He asked coming to my door.

"You know about Bastian right?" I said.

"You mean Uncle Austin's son."

"Yeah you know he plays baseball right and he's a junior."

"At Eden Hall and he plays 3rd base, yeah I know. I knew the moment I saw him right before dinner that night with Lizzy and Matt. He looks so much like Uncle Austin."

"I have this strange urge to call him."

"Maybe he'll know if there's something wrong with Lizzy."

"You think there's something wrong with her?"

"There might be last night I had a dream about Lizzy, hockey, and Riley. I don't know but last time that happened Lizzy and Dean got into a huge fight. It wouldn't hurt." I shrugged and called him putting it on speaker phone.

"Hello?" A male voice asked.

"Bastian?" I asked.

"No this is his roommate Doug." The voice said.

"Oh hi Doug can I talk to Bastian?"

"Sure hold on a second." Doug said. "BASH PHONE!" He hollered. A few moments later a new voice came on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Bastian?" I asked again.

"Yeah this is him."

"Bastian, this is Chris and Ben Jacobs." I said.

"Hey guys what can I do for you?"

"Keep an eye on your cousin."

"My cousin? What cousin?" He asked confused.

"Your cousin Bastian don't tell me you forgot what Matt told you." Ben snapped.

"Oh Lizzy right. Sorry I've spent so long trying to play like she's just a friend that it's hard to remember she's actually my cousin."

"Yeah we know but you're doing a great job." I said.

"You don't think she suspects do you?"

"No I think she thinks that the fact that Mom's maiden name and your last name are just coincidences. Keep up the good work and make sure she's careful pitching." I demanded.

"Why?"

"Well because she has a tendency to pitch cold and has dislocated her shoulder before." Ben said.

"How many times has she done that?"

"Twice." I said.

"She isn't going to overhear this is she?" Ben asked.

"No she's at the game right now then she's going to get some dinner with Rick Riley afterwards."

"Ok just remember keep an eye on her." I said.

"I will oh and I have a question. Did either of you know she had started ice skating again?"

"I figured that much." Ben said.

"No clue." I put in.

"Well she's been using the rink here since she got back and I guess a week ago the JV team found out and they've been bugging her to join the team." Ben shot me a look. I shrugged.

"There ain't enough slots open is there?" I asked.

"I think there's one because Adam's benched but I don't think she wants to do it."

"How do you know?" Ben put in.

"She told us. She's really confused, she doesn't want to play but she loves to skate. She's all mixed up. Charlie told me that she got really scared when they first asked and she's been avoiding them for a while."

"Ok thanks Bash. Keep us updated."

"Not a problem guys." I hung up and collapsed on my bed.

"Ben maybe we ought to call Charlie." I was beyond worried.

"Naw let's wait. If it gets worse we'll call him." Ben reasoned then stood up.

"Where you headed?" I asked.

"Class." He answered. I was still staring at my ceiling when my roommate Andrew came in.

"Hey Andy."

"Hey Chris. Something bothering you?"

"Not really."

"Chris..."

"Well yeah I guess. You got about half an hour."

"Sure." He said sitting down in his backwards chair. Then I spilled about everything that was on my mind to him.

"Whoa slow down, from what you've told me about your sister she'll be fine. Is this her picture?" He asked picking up a picture frame with a picture of her and her friend Aaron in it.

"Yeah and that's her friend Aaron."

"Just look at her Chris, she may look sweet but I can also tell that she's a lot stronger than she looks and tougher too. She grew up with four brothers for 12 years and three for 16 years. She'll be fine."

"I know but as a brother I'm entitled to worry."

"I know what you mean." I looked over at the pictures of his 13 year old sister on his desk. He may only be 20 but he was sure smart.

"How'd you get so smart?"

"I ain't, I just know what you're going through. There's the same amount of years between me and my sister as there is between you and your sister."

"Ben thinks I'm crazy."

"He's closer in age to her than you are maybe he knows how she feels." Andy said stretching. My face must have shown I was still worried because Andy said "look I'm serious don't worry your baby will be fine. If you still don't believe me then call...Oh what's her name...?"

"Julie?" I asked.

"Her old teammate the one with brown hair, she was Lizzy's closest girlfriend."

"Connie?"

"Yeah that's it call Connie she might know a thing or two about it." Andy said crossing to pick up his gym bag.

"I still don't think it'll help."

"Look call her and then go to the batting cages it might help you relax." Andy said stopping at the door.

"Alright."

"Good I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Thanks." Andy nodded and he walked off.

She's friends with Riley that's interesting. Well technically she's not friends with Riley per say she's just close acquaintances. Either way I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will be on spring break this week so you might get a new chapter you might not. Tune in next time for another chapter of When ice and dirt mix.