Robbie
"You really screwed up." Ali tells me as we leave the classroom, I look at her,
"I screwed up what the hell did I do?" I ask, she gives me the look that I know is her way of saying I'm stupid for not knowing the answer to the question. If you were to ask me, I have no idea why her and Payton are so close.
"Why would you tell her to ask him out?" She questions,
"If I recall you were all about it." I reply,
"I may have suggested it, but you were the one who told her to do it." She puts her hands on her hips, stopping in front of her next class.
"You're a bitch Ali." I tell her as I walk past her and out the doors heading up towards the arena, ask me and the best part of being on the hockey team is there is no regular gym classes. We basically get to screw around on the ice for forty-five minutes while the other guys who aren't on a team run the track in whatever weather Boston decides to bless us with. I drop my backpack on the bench, Pony looks up at me, "So I tried talking to Payton." I start,
"I'm gonna guess it didn't work out to well?" He questions, I shrug,
"If it makes you feel better, she's way more pissed at Ali and I than about you turning her down." I tell him.
"You know what it kinda does." He replies with a grin. Truth is Payton does have a right to be pissed at me, she had mentioned she was curious about him, and I had basically told her to ask him out that he was interested. I honestly had no idea he would turn her down. "I guess at this point any shot I had with her is done?"
"Payton's complicated." I start, "If I tell you this and you tell anyone I will deny it and then I will kill you." I tell him,
"Ok…" He says slowly,
"Payton dated this guy for over a year, we all figured this was it for her. They were that couple." I start, "Figured they'd get married after college." I pause for a second, "Carter was on the hockey team, and he was good, had natural talent but never really wanted to work to get better, he just figured he'd coast by, and that Payton would use her connections to get him in the NHL." I pause a second to tighten my pads, "Then there was his mom. She is a total social climber; they were always just on the outside of Boston's high society and Payton's family was her golden ticket."
"Sounds like a bunch of assholes." Pony comments,
"Basically. And Carter took advantage of it, her family considered him a part of the family. He went to major sporting events, think Stanley Cups, World Series, the Super Bowl. They took him on vacations." I pause, the whole thing still doesn't sit well with me. While Payton and I never had anything romantic we've been close since I started school with her in 8th grade and knowing her and her family this whole thing with Carter was just messed up. "Towards the end of the season last year Carter got caught up in the whole stripper thing with a bunch of the seniors. He thought Payton's dad would be able to get him out of it. Then the video of him with a stripper came out, Payton's dad basically told him to get lost that there was no way he wanted his name associated with him. Carter blamed Payton told her she didn't really love him, tried to guilt trip her, when that didn't work, he broke up with her. After telling her that he had used her the entire time to get what he wanted."
"Did you beat the shit out of him?" Pony asks as we make our way towards the ice,
"Sawyer beat us all to it." I reply with a chuckle, "It took four of us to break the two of them up." I pause and turn towards him, "Here's the thing since then she hasn't really put herself out, so asking you out was a huge deal. She won't admit it but I'm sure she has a hard time knowing who she can and can't trust." Pony thinks for a second or two,
"One question. Who is her dad?" He asks as we step onto the ice,
"You don't know?" I reply, he shakes his head, "Greg Cooper." Pony drops his stick and almost trips over it,
"Like Captain of the Bruins, Greg Cooper?" He asks his mouth hanging open,
"Same one, and Josh Cooper is her uncle." I reply. He looks at me,
"Her and Sawyer seem so normal." He says, I have to laugh, I can't tell you how many times I've heard this,
"They are. From what Sawyer has said, Greg made a point that the two of them would have a normal childhood. He grew up poor as shit and had to work for everything he has, so he didn't want two spoiled brats." I tell them, "Greg's a great guy, so is Josh and Liv, Payton's mom is a sweetheart. Totally normal."
"So is Carter still around?" Pony asks, as I block his shot,
"He's a senior this year. Edwards banned him from the hockey team, last I heard his parents were trying to petition the board but the whole stripper thing didn't go over really well with them." I reply,
"Any chance of him and Payton getting back together?" He questions,
"He pretty much steers clear of her, Sawyer put the fear of God into him." I pause, and I choose my words carefully watching Pony's face for a reaction, trying to gage if he's really interested in Payton or if my instincts are way off, "She does have a date this weekend though." Clear as day I can tell he's jealous, and I have to move out of the way as the puck comes flying towards my head. I chuckle, my instincts are never wrong.
Saturday Night
Payton
I smile and nod, pretending I wasn't wishing I had listened to Robbie and Ali about not going out with Dylan. Dick doesn't even start to describe him. Almost immediately he made mention that he didn't like what I was wearing. Ok, asshole. Then he gave me his reasoning, he doesn't like anyone else to look at what is his. It took everything in me to not walk out at that point. "When we go out again next weekend, you can meet my friends. Of course, if they don't like you, then this won't work." I look up at him from my salad that I've been sort of picking out. Being with him has made me lose my appetite or it's because he insisted on ordering for me. You know because girls can't think for themselves.
"Next weekend?" I say putting my fork down, Dylan nods as he checks out his reflection in his fork making sure his unnaturally perfect hair is still perfectly styled. "I'm sorry I already have plans for next weekend. Made them weeks, months in advance. Can't back out." I tell him, with the fakest smile I can muster up. He slams his hand down on the table, causing me to jump slightly.
"Not acceptable Payton. You didn't clear this with me." He pauses, when the waitress stops by to refresh our drinks, he literally turns his head to watch her walk away, "She's got a nice ass. You should work out more." Then he turns back towards me, "When the NHL season starts you are going to get me and my friends box seats, and that's not a question it's a requirement to date me." He tells me with this smug look on his face. This is the last straw for me, I put my napkin on the table and stand up,
"Have a good night, Dylan." I say as politely as I can, I am not into making a scene, especially in a restaurant.
"Sit down now." He orders,
"I'm sorry this isn't going to work." I reply, "If you want someone to order around, I'd suggest buying a dog, because no girl in their right mind is going to tolerate you and your bullshit." I add. Dylan's mouth opens, and then closes. I am guessing no one has ever stood up to him, and he can't quite figure out what to say to me. "Have a good night." I say again I grab my purse and phone and walk out of the restaurant onto the bustling sidewalk. I think for a minute then grab my phone and call Robbie.
"Let me guess your date sucked the big one?" He greets,
"You mean when he told me he didn't like what I was wearing or that the waitress had a nice ass, and I should work out more?" I ask, Robbie chuckles,
"That's what you get for going out with some rich prick from Stanton." He tells me, "You walk out?"
"After he ordered me to get him and his friends box seats to the Bruins game." I reply.
"You know the guy who you should be on a date with is sitting home alone doing homework." Robbie hints, "Admit it Pay you should have given him another chance. Or at least a shot to explain why he told you no."
"Ok you were right, this time." I say, "Don't get used it though." I pause, "I do owe him an apology though."
"I'll text you, his address." Robbie says before hanging up on me. I look at the phone in my hand almost immediately it beeps, from a text. I take a deep breath and get into a taxi telling him where to take me.
Pony
I stretch out on the couch and pull my laptop out, I need to catch up on homework, between hockey and me just starting my new job I've been busy. Tonight, is a rare night the apartment is quiet, Soda is out with one of his many girls, Steve is working on some project with one of the guys he goes to night school with, and Darry and Liz are out on date night, since by some divine miracle Darry had gotten off of work early. They hadn't been super keen to leave me by myself, that's usually when I would sneak out and do something stupid in Tulsa, but Darry agreed after Liz talked to him about how it was time, they started giving me some leeway. I look up when the doorbell rings, I push my laptop over and get up, figuring it's one of Soda's girls who have now taken to randomly showing up, "He's not here." I start saying as I open the door,
"Who isn't?" Payton asks.
"I uh, no one." I say, "What are you doing here? And how did you know where I lived?" I ask, stepping back so she can come in shutting the door behind her.
"I wanted to talk to you, and I asked Robbie." She replies. I pause a second,
"Didn't you have some date tonight?" I ask. It's clear she had been out, she's all dressed up, and she somehow manages to look adorable and sexy all at the same time. She's dressed in a gray and white striped top, with a pale pink skirt and a pair of heels. She wrinkles up her nose,
"It was horrible." She replies, I have to bite my lip to keep from smiling. "I owe you an apology." She says.
"For what?" I ask,
"For not giving you a chance to explain yourself and why you didn't want to go on a date with me." She pauses a second, "Robbie said you were interested and then you turned me down and you keep sending me mixed signals."
"Mixed signals?" Payton nods,
"You turn me down, then tell me how beautiful and perfect I am but then tell me how you're not the right person for me. I just don't get it." Payton stops and looks at me, "Why won't you go on a date with me?"
"Payton, I think you're misunderstanding this." I start, "Any guy would be lucky to have you, but you are so out of my league. I just don't want to start something to have you change your mind down the road." Payton nods slowly,
"Pony I am not suggesting we run out and get married. I just, I think you're a nice guy, and you're smart, and attractive. And I just want to get to know you, spend some time together." She pauses, "Your mind seems pretty made up though, and I respect that." She turns towards the door, and I know in that second, it's make it or break it time. If I let her walk out, I know there is no way I'm going to get a third shot with her. Without really thinking about it I reach out and grab her arm, she looks up at me surprised.
"Payton please." I say, "I don't want to make any promises, I suck at relationships, but I would like to get to know you and spend some time with you." There's something about the way she's looking up at me, that kills every ounce of willpower I have. I reach down tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear,
"We don't have to rush anything; it doesn't even have to be a relationship." Payton says slowly her eyes locked with mine. "There is no reason why we can't just hangout and be friends."
"Right exactly." I reply, the next thing I know she's leaning up on her tiptoes her arms around my neck, her fingers in my hair and her lips pressed against mine.