Getting to sleep that night was hard. I almost pulled an all-nighter just thinking about the kiss Cassie left on my cheek but then finally calmed down enough to sleep when I realized that I had practice the following morning. I tried not to think about it during practice but it was hard not to get distracted. Actually it took a hard hit from Stacey into the boards to really get me to focus in again.
The rest of the weekend after practice was quiet. Instead of going back to the dorm after practice, I went out with Megan, Toni, Stacey, Becca and a few other girls for an early dinner. Becca managed to pull me aside at dinner and asked about what happened with Cassie but I brushed it off trying not to think too much about it as the rest of the dinner went on. After dinner when I got back to the dorm Cassies door was shut and all was quiet.
Sunday I spent relaxing and getting ready for the week ahead. I also mailed out a package of ice hockey swag to mom hoping she will get it in time for our first game this weekend. Our first game has me nervous but also excited at the same time. Our first two games are away at The Ohio State University, one of our biggest rivals. We are going to be leaving early Friday morning to get there with enough time to get a practice and skate session in.
But we still had to get through this week. The second week of classes weren't bad. I know I'm going to have to be on top of my school work though. These classes aren't a joke and it wouldn't take long to fall behind if I'm not on top of things. I made sure to complete all of my homework right after my classes.
Tuesday's practice was actually a full game. Coach Decker wanted to see if our stamina improved and wanted to see different line combinations playing together. When we wrapped up, I stayed behind and instructed my first private lessons. All three kids I have are girls whose parents wanted to get them some extra coaching before they really start playing for their school teams. For their first sessions I wanted to see them individually but then I was most likely going to have them train together as it is better to have them play against each other to improve instead of them just skate around me and constantly running drills.
As I went through my week, Cassie was always a thought in the back of mind. No matter what I tried to do, the kiss was replaying at different of times of the day. I know it was only on the cheek but it was the first real interaction with another girl after my last relationship blew up. I tried talking to Travis about it but he just said I should go for it, but also to be careful because Chad is a big guy who seems to be over protective of his little sister.
Needless to say I was surprise to come home on Wednesday night from working at the ice rink to find him sitting on my couch.
"Chad" I said and dropped my gear bag by the front door hoping that Cassie would hear it and come out from wherever she was hiding.
"McKenna" Chad said and went back to playing on his phone. I didn't stick around much longer and went into the bathroom for a shower. After I was done, I found a post-it note waiting for me on the counter from Cassie saying that she and Chad went out for dinner.
I sighed and decided to go down to Gordon Market, the dining hall that happens to be right across the street from our dorm. When I got there I was surprised by the large amount of choices there was to pick from. In the end I ended up getting a burger and some French fries and cinnamon roll for dessert before finding a seat. I only managed to take one bite of my burger before I heard someone sit down in the chair across from me. When I looked up from my burger I found Stacey sitting in front of me.
"What are you doing all the way over here?" I asked and wiped some one extra bits of burger off my face.
"I was with Becca and we wanted to get something for dinner, she is still trying to decide what she wants." Stacey said and took a bite of her pasta.
It wasn't long before my line mate sat down next to Stacey with her food. We didn't really chat much between us as we were all pretty hungry and just wanted to eat. When I was done with my dinner, I started to pick at the cinnamon roll and Becca pushed her tray away.
"That was too much food." Becca groaned and leaned her head down on the table.
"You can go sleep it off shortly, don't worry." I said and chuckled as Stacey patted Becca's head.
"Is Travis' band still playing tomorrow night?" Becca asked not lifting her head from the table.
"Yea, he texted me the details before. They are playing at a bar called Up North." I said after rereading the text to make sure.
"Travis is in a band?" Stacey asked perking up at the new information.
"He is, he is pretty excited about this one too." I said and gave Becca a piece of my cinnamon roll that she has been eyeing.
"What's the band called?" Stacey asked.
"Dad Without A Child." I said.
Stacey snickered and I laughed thinking about the name again. We didn't stay too much longer at the market as we all want to get some sleep before our long day tomorrow. When I got back to the dorm Chad and Cassie were sitting on the couch watching TV. I left them to it and turned in early for the night.
The next morning I was up and at it early. Cassie and I worked silently around each other in the kitchen as we both had morning classes to get ready for. Class went by quickly today and not before long I was getting worked over during practice. Coach Decker put us through the ringer and after practice was over I had no interest of staying behind at the rink for my private coaching sessions.
With last minute instructions from coach for timings tomorrow he let us all go for the night. I made sure all of my gear was ready for traveling tomorrow so one of the team assistants would come and pick it up for the bus. Once it was all settled I met my kids on the rink for the session. Even though I was tried and I couldn't wait to get off my feet, I tried not to let it show to the kids.
The extra hour on the ice with them didn't go as fast as I wished it would have. But finally their parents came to pick them up and I finally was able to get my skates off. Once they were off I made sure everything was tucked neatly away for the team assistants and slipped on my shoes before going off to get the Zamboni keys so I could cut the rink for the public skate session that was coming up later tonight.
After the ice was cut and the Zamboni keys were returned I grabbed my schedule for next week and left the rink. The walk back to the dorm felt like it was 5 miles. As I got home I dropped my backpack by the door and practically collapsed onto the couch. I groaned as I felt my legs cramp up and all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die.
"McKenna are you okay?" I heard Cassie say coming out of her room.
"Not really, fuck" I said and felt my leg start to cramp so bad it felt like it was being crushed by a boa constrictor.
"What can I do?" Cassie said.
"Can you put pressure on my calf and rub it a bit. My leg is cramping so bad, fuck." I said and tried to keep from crying.
Cassie moved closer to me and applied pressure to the spot that needed it the most. Once she started to rub over the spot the relief felt amazing. Slowly the tension in my leg was released and I felt like I could breathe again.
"Thank you" I said and sat up a bit.
"Better?" Cassie asked and removed her hands.
"Definitely, thank you." I said and swung my legs over the edge of the couch. Just as I was about to stand up Cassie pressed her hand into the middle of my chest to keep me from getting up.
"Where do you think you're going? You could barely walk two minutes ago." Cassie said.
"I was going to run a hot bath; I usually try to soak in it after hard practices or games." I answered.
Cassie didn't say anything but she got up and walked away. A few seconds later I heard the water running in the bathroom. Cassie came back out into the living room a few minutes later and held out her hand. I took it and walked on wobbly legs into the bathroom.
"You going to be okay if I leave you alone?" Cassie asked and slowly took her hand off my waist. Right away I missed the warmth.
"Yea I'll be fine, thanks for getting it started." I said pointing towards the tub.
"Call if you need anything." Cassie said and left the bathroom. I sighed and pulled my pants and shirt off before climbing into the tub.
The hot water felt amazing for my muscles as they really started to relax. I ended up staying in the bath longer then I should have. When I finally had enough I took a quick shower to clean off the last of my practice smell. After my shower I had to walk to my room in my towel because I forgot to bring clothes to change into. Once I threw some clean clothes on I set a timer on my phone for 6 and knocked out for a nap.
My alarm rang a few times before I realized I needed to get up. I hit snooze and slowly got up from my bed. I made sure my alarm was off before I walked out of my room to find Cassie sitting on the couch with a blanket throw over her lap.
"Did you want to get some food before we go out to Travis' show?" I asked leaning against the door frame.
"Yea that sounds good. Do you have anywhere in mind?" Cassie asked and paused what she was watching on Netflix.
"Nope, you can pick. We can go in like a half hour to give us enough time to make it to Up North early for Travis." I said.
"Sounds like a plan." Cassie said.
Not long after that we were off in her car to whatever restaurant she wanted. I just watched the streets go by as Cassie drove to the restaurant. The drive was barely 15 minutes before we stopped and parked in front of a place called The Come Back In Tavern. The bar wasn't too busy for a Thursday night and we were seated right away. It didn't take long to decide on something to eat and the waitress came and took our orders.
"So I wanted to let you know that I will be gone all weekend. We are leaving tomorrow morning for our first game in Ohio. I'll be back late Sunday night." I said as the waitress came back with our waters.
"I know, well I knew about your games because of the schedule on the fridge, but thanks for letting me know a bit more of the specifics." Cassie said.
"I kind of feel bad about it. You'll be on your own for a lot of the weekends until mid-March." I said.
"It's not your fault you play a sport. I can always go home on the weekends or the weekends you're away I can go to watch the guys games. I know Chad always likes it when we come and watch his games." Cassie said.
"It seemed like you guys made up from last week, everything okay there?" I asked.
"Yea, Chad just needs to realize that he needs to back off a bit. I think he is finally starting to get it now that my parents both yell at him this week." Cassie said and chuckled.
It made me happy to hear that she is doing better now with her brother. To know she has someone here that she can go to for things makes it a bit easier for me to leave for the weekend. What am I saying? I'm not in a relationship with Cassie, I'm not her keeper. I shook the thought from my head and was about to change the subject when our waitress came over with our food. That was fast.
We ate in relative silence just listening to other parties dining in the restaurant. I was so hungry I inhaled my burger and French fries. Cassie wasn't too far behind me with finishing off her chicken sandwich. Once we were done we split the bill and left the tavern.
"Do you know how far Up North is from here?" I asked pulling out my phone ready to get directions to the bar.
"Yea, it's actually right down the street. I'm going to leave my car here and we can just walk there when the show is over." Cassie said and repositioned her bag on her shoulder.
"I'm guessing you're familiar with the bars around here then." I said.
"A little bit, over the summer Chad took me to most of his stomping grounds to show me the ropes. He did say that Up North has live music almost every night of week if you are interested in that kind of thing." Cassie said and led the way down the sidewalk.
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the info." I said and cringed at my response.
It took us less then 5 minutes to get to the bar and when we walk in, I found Travis sitting with Elliot at a table not far from the stage. Cassie and I walked over to him and I when Travis saw us he jumped from his chair and ran over to us. Travis pulled me into a hug and I smiled as he squeezed me tightly.
"I'm so happy you're here." Travis said and pulled away from me and pulled Cassie into a hug.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world dude. When do you go on?" I asked when he released Cassie from the hug.
"We go on at 9, I'm not sure if you meet everyone. This is Elliot my roommate who plays bass guitar, Henry over there is on the drums and Adam plays guitar and the keyboards. Guys this is my best friend McKenna and her roommate Cassie." Travis said introducing us all.
After the introductions were made, Cassie and I walked over to the bar and got some drinks before returning to the guys. I made sure that Cassie took the only empty seat at the table and just as I was about to ask Travis about his games this weekend, I heard someone call out my name somewhere behind me.
Becca and Stacey walked into the bar and started over to us. Travis went through the introductions again and after the two girls walked off to get their own drinks. I stayed close to Cassie and sipped on my beer waiting for them to come back.
"Do you know if any of the other teammates are coming?" Cassie asked looking around the bar.
"I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if more of Travis' team shows up. The guys usually do everything in a pack." I answered.
Becca and Stacey came back a few seconds later and joined in conversation with Cassie about a shared class they all have. It was interesting to hear they they all share a class together as I listed to them talk between each other as we waited for the guys to hit the stage. As it got closer to 9 a few more of Travis' teammates strolled into the bar along with a few of the girls on my team. Looks like the band got the word out on their first show.
With ten minutes till show time Travis and the band left the table to get up on stage and get everything set up. I took Travis newly vacated seat and sat down and sighed in relief.
"You know I would have given up the seat for you to sit down." Cassie said leaning into me.
"I know but I wanted you to have it." I said and gave her a smile.
"So what should I be expecting? Are they going to be playing any Back Street Boys?" Cassie asked and took a sip of her beer and I couldn't help but laugh at her.
"No, I think right now they are just doing covers until they write their own songs. I think they are more of a pop rock kind of band. But we will have to wait and see for ourselves." I said and tried to stop laughing.
We didn't get to chat for much longer before the Emcee came up on stage to introduce the band, Dad Without a Child. We all cheered for my friend as they came out onto the stage. Travis plugged his guitar into the amp as did Elliot and Adam.
"Thanks for coming out to our first show guys, we are Dad Without a Child. We have Henry behind us on the drums, Adam is on the keys, Travis on the guitar over there who will be singing for you tonight and I'm Elliot. We are going to play some cover songs for you guys tonight and an original towards the end of the set. If you know any of the songs we are playing don't be afraid to sing along and jump down here on the dance floor. Our first song of the night is Rock Show by Blink-182." Elliot said.
He got a few cheers from the crowd and Travis took over the mic from him. Elliot got himself set up in front of his own mic and Henry counted them in. Travis' voice rang out through the speakers of the bar and I stood up from my seat and started bouncing around to the song. When I looked over to Cassie she downed the last of her beer and stood from her seat and joined me.
"This is your dancing?" She asked over the music.
"No, this is me getting hyped at the song." I said and yelled out the chorus to the song. Cassie joined me in singing and when the song was over we both cheered loud for my best friend.
"I see we have some fans already, alright we have another Blink-182 song for you guys, this next one is What's My Age Again." Travis said.
He started the second song and a few more of the guys joined Cassie and I on the dance floor. They started jumping and dancing around so I pulled Cassie a bit away from them so we were closer to our table and away from there flailing around. Becca and Stacey bought us a second round of beers and the four of us bounced and dance around to Travis and the band. They ended up playing a lot of old rock songs and the crowd was really into it.
As they played deeper into their set more and more people showed up for the show. I was surprised at the turn out. Most of our hockey teams were here and Cassie even shared a dance to American Idiot with her brother. After the song ended Cassie bounced over to me and we just had a good time dancing around to the music.
"Okay guys we have reached our final song of the night, our first original song Elliot and I wrote together in our dorm room. It's called Fire. We hope to see you again soon." Travis said and took a sip of water before launching into the final song of the night.
As he sang the final song of the night, I really listened to the lyrics. I turned my attention from the stage to Cassie and found her head banging lightly along to the song. Everything about her drew me right in. She's smart, beautiful, caring. I could see myself in a relationship with her. But then the past always comes to the forefront of my mind. The last time I tried being with someone, things ended so badly. Don't stand to close to the fire unless you're gonna let it burn. Travis' lyrics rang through my brain as the song continued. Cassie could be a fire that burns me if I let her if I'm not careful.
I'm here to play hockey, I didn't come to college to find love. Hockey should be my number one focus if I want to have a career in it after I graduate. Cassie is a distraction to that goal. If I let myself get too close to her then I could lose everything, just like I have in the past. But my feelings for her are already growing and I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop them from getting stronger. When it gets too hot, don't let the flame tame me, let it burn.
The last line of the song was sung and everyone in the bar went nuts for the band. It took me a few seconds to get out of my head and start cheering like everyone else. The band took a few minutes to break down some of the equipment before hopping off stage to join us again. I pulled Travis into a hug and congratulated him on such an amazing first show.
I bought the band a round of drinks while they chatted with a few of their friends who came out for the show. After a few minutes of chatting, Travis came over and sat down at the table with Cassie and I to drink a bit of the beer I got him.
"What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?" Travis asked.
"We are leaving the hockey house at 10am." I said and checked the time on my phone. It was already pushing 11 and I still needed to pack for the weekend away.
"You should head out then, I know you leave everything for the last minute." Travis said when he saw the time.
"You sure?" I said.
"Positive, I'll come to the hockey house tomorrow morning and see you off." Travis said.
I got out of my seat and gave Travis another hug before Cassie and I left the bar. We ended up taking Stacey and Becca home with us instead of letting them order an Uber back to the house. As we walked back to Cassie's car I can tell her leg is bothering her. I think all the jumping might not have been the best thing for her to be doing. She tried not to let it show as we walked up to our dorm room. But I could see the limp getting worse. She didn't bring her cane with her tonight either so I know this is probably painful for her. Becca bid us a good night and we planned on meeting up at 9 to walk over to the hockey house together.
When we got into our dorm room Cassie quickly said good night to me and walked off to her room and closed the door. I sighed and stared at her closed door for a minute before going back into my own room. Just like her door, I need to close off my feelings, it's game time.
a/n: song on the side is Fire by Trapt. fits kinda with McKenna. Our girl has some issues she needs to work on.