PART SIX

On Monday, I received a call from Allegheny Towers informing me that I could move in at my convenience. I immediately packed up everything I had brought to Uncle Mario’s and hired movers to take the rest of my stuff from my storage unit to my new apartment.

“Thanks so much for letting me stay here,” I said to Aunt Nathalie and Uncle Mario for the millionth time. I gave them both a hug before I loaded the last of my stuff into my car.

“You’d better come visit us,” Aunt Nathalie replied.

“Are you coming to the game tomorrow?” Uncle Mario asked.

I shrugged. “Probably not. I have a feeling my apartment is going to be a disaster area for a few days, plus since it’s against Montreal I’d probably be safer watching it on television,” I replied. Although Colby, Ryan, and a few of the other guys had dubbed me an ‘honorary Penguin’ at the afterparty on Saturday, my heart still belonged to Montreal and I didn’t want to make the boys angry by cheering for the opposing team.

I told Uncle Mario and Aunt Nathalie goodbye once more and started my car. Sidney was at practice, but I had already talked to him earlier in the morning. We had exchanged phone numbers and he had promised he would visit as soon as he could.

I felt a little sad as I pulled out of Uncle Mario’s driveway. In a way, I wished I hadn’t found an apartment so soon—I felt really comfortable at the large, busy house. Although I was excited to have my own place, I was going to miss constantly having someone around. And, I admitted to myself, I was going to miss Sidney.

***

Unpacking and setting up my apartment was a major ordeal. By the time the movers were finished, my kitchen and living room areas were a maze of boxes and furniture. I spent all day Tuesday arranging and assembling furniture. I was hoping to go to the game Wednesday night, but I still had a lot of unpacking to do, so I opted to watch it on television. I had conflicting emotions when Montreal beat Pittsburgh three to two. At first, I was happy when my favorite team won, but when they showed Sidney and the rest of the guys returning to the locker room, hanging their heads and looking extremely dejected I regretted cheering for the Canadiens.

Around seven o’clock the next night, my Gilmore Girls marathon was interrupted by a very loud knock on my door. I sighed and dragged myself off of the couch.

“I bought you a blender!” Sid said gleefully as soon as I opened the door.

“And I brought booze!” Colby added, lifting two large brown paper bags up in the air.

“You guys should have called,” I whined. “I look like shit.”

“We don’t care,” Marc-André assured me, entering the apartment behind Sid and Colby. Behind him, Max, Erik, Jordan Staal, and Geno invited themselves in. “Sid told us you moved, so we decided to throw you a housewarming party.”

“Uh huh,” I replied skeptically. “I think you all just wanted to party tonight but no one wanted to have to clean up their place the next morning.”

“Really, Karine, can’t your friends just stop in and say hi?” Sid asked, looking hurt.

“Make yourselves at home, guys,” I said sarcastically. Colby was setting up the blender and pulling bottles of alcohol and cocktail mixes from his bags, and Marc-André and the rest of the guys had taken over my living room and had tossed my Gilmore Girls DVD on the floor.

“You’re not mad, are you?” Sid asked quietly.

“No. I was getting kind of lonely anyway.” I gave him a small smile.

“Yo, Karine, do you have an X-box?” Jordan called from my living room.

“Uhh, no.”

“What?!” Marc-André stared at me in disbelief. “Everyone has an X-box!”

“No, every guy has an X-box,” I corrected.

“It’s cool,” Erik interrupted. “I brought mine.” He unzipped his duffle bag and pulled out the game system, along with a ridiculous amount of games.

“Colby, make me something strong,” I said. “I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

***

A few hours later, everyone but Sidney had left. He was stretched out on my couch, about to pass out.

“What time is it?” he asked drowsily.

“Almost four,” I replied. Colby and the rest of the guys had left a short time ago, but Sid stuck around and offered to help me clean up. Not surprisingly, the boys had made a huge mess of my apartment.

“I guess I should go.”

“You could stay here if you want,” I suggested timidly. “I mean, if you’re too tired to drive.”

Sid sat up and looked at me with an unreadable expression. He stared at me so intensely I started to feel self-conscious. “What?” I asked, feeling blood rush to my face.

“Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

“Isn’t it kind of a weird time for dinner?”

Sid rolled his eyes. “I mean tomorrow night. Well, I guess technically tonight. Friday night.”

“I’d love to.” I felt my stomach do a tiny flip. Finally, I thought. Sid was right about me making excuses. The truth was, I had always been afraid to get too close to people, especially men. But I could already feel myself falling for Sidney Crosby. Although we didn't know each other very well, I trusted him and I was willing to take the risk and go out with him.

“Great!” Sid replied enthusiastically. “I mean, cool,” he amended, trying to hide his excitement. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Perfect.” He told me goodbye as he slipped on his shoes and left my apartment. When he closed the door behind him, I turned off the lights and flopped into my bed. I felt an unfamiliar feeling rise in my core; a mix of tension, excitement, and nerves. Honestly, no other guy had made me feel this way before.