The Hockey Lie

Chapter 13

TY

November 2

"Sorry I'm late, practice went a little later than I thought," Easton breathed as he sat down across from me at Applebee's.

"It's all right, I already ordered for us," I replied with a half smile. I found it somewhat annoying that he was late, but I guess it wasn't really his fault that practice had gone late. Lucia tended to keep us late at least once a week.

"Spinach and artichoke dip for the app and riblets for my entrée?" Easton questioned.

"Duh," I replied sarcastically. "What else would I have ordered?"

"You know me so well," Easton smiled. "And you got the chicken penne, right?"

"You know me so well," I mimicked him.

"Hey, it's not very nice to be a copycat," Easton whined, pretending to be offended.

"Get over it, you big baby," I scoffed.

Before Easton could reply, our waitress returned to the table with our spinach and artichoke dip. Easton and I liked most of Applebee's appetizers on the two for twenty menu, but the spinach and artichoke dip was our favorite, the mozzarella sticks following behind at a close second.

"Oh, so this is the boyfriend," the waitress smirked, eyeing Easton over.

"Yup, that's me. I'm the boyfriend," Easton smiled.

"Did she get your order right?" the waitress asked.

"She got it perfect," Easton smiled, gazing straight into my eyes.

"Well, this isn't the first time we've been here," I said pointedly.

"All right, you two have fun. Your entrées should be up soon," the friendly waitress smiled before leaving our table.

"She seems nice," Easton commented.

"Yeah, she was giving me a bad time about you being late," I laughed. "She was joking with me, saying that you had probably stood me up."

"I'd never do that to you," Easton denied.

"I'd certainly hope not! I'd kick your butt if you ever did," I threatened.

"I definitely wouldn't put that past you," Easton smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I know you've always been into kinky things," Easton whispered, joking.

"You take that back, you jerk!" I cried, slugging Easton across the table.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I was joking!" Easton apologized in a hurry, rubbing his arm.

"Thank you. Now if you ever say that again, I'll kick your ass," I vowed menacingly.

"Ooo, bringing out the swear words, I see. I must've really riled you up," Easton taunted.

"Shut up," I muttered, taking a bite of a chip.

"Never," Easton smirked in reply.

"I figured as much," I sighed.

"Oh, you love me," my obnoxious boyfriend smirked.

"I suppose I have to," I muttered. "So what have you been up to since the last time I saw you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Practice, games, hanging out with the guys," Easton said nonchalantly.

"The team's looking good this year," I complimented. "Your line is looking like it's going to be the big scorer."

"Yeah, that's what Pominville, Parise, Yeo, and I are hoping. Koivu doesn't really like the fact that I'm playing with veterans, but it happens all the time on both our team and other teams around the league. He's probably just salty that our line is scoring more than his."

"Koivu's a good player. I doubt that he's threatened by your line," I reasoned.

"Well, I don't know what his problem is," Easton shrugged. "He probably just hates me, same as always."

"Are you still being disrespectful to him?" I asked seriously.

"I'm better than I used to be," Easton replied vaguely.

"Easton, he's your captain. You need to treat him with respect and listen to what he says," I scolded.

"Yeah, but he's so... serious all the time. He needs to lighten up a bit," Easton argued.

"Easton, he's your captain, and that means you listen to him whether or not he cracks a joke every now and then. Actually, I think Koivu's a pretty funny guy. I've heard Jason and Charlie talk about his humor. You must just really piss him off," I shrugged.

"Ugh, I don't want to talk about cranky old Koivu anymore. How's your team doing?" Easton asked.

"I think we're doing pretty well. Lucia seems to think that we have a real shot at winning the national title," I smiled.

"Wow, if Lucia's willing to say that out loud, you guys must be good. How do you like being a captain? Are all the upperclassmen treating you with respect even though you're a freshman?"

"Yeah, all the guys are great. They don't seem to care that I'm a freshman captain. They must think I'm a good enough player and leader to be a captain," I told him.

"Do you like your co-captains?" asked Easton.

"Yeah, they're all great. Cullen is the actual captain. He's a great senior leader, but if you ever need a ride, never, ever get one from him. He's the scariest driver that I've ever met. It's terrible. For some reason, when all of us captains get together, he's the one that ends up driving. It's so sketchy," I said, cringing at the thought of Cullen's driving.

"Is he nice at least?" Easton asked.

"Yeah, he's really nice," I replied. "I'm trying to set him up with my roommate."

"And how's that going?" asked Easton.

"It's too soon to tell."

"What are the other captains like?" asked Easton.

"Well, there's Jared. He kind of reminds me of Charlie and Jason, except he's only one person. Jared's a huge dope. He's kind of an airhead," I laughed.

"Oh gosh, I can only imagine."

"Yeah, the other night at Cullen's party, he got super drunk. He was miserable at practice the next day," I chuckled at the memory.

"Shouldn't he know better than that?" Easton questioned.

"He's a junior, so yeah, he should know better," I said with an eye roll. "Like I said, he's kind of an i***t. He's also a Red Wings fan, which adds to the idiocy. Anyway, the last alternate captain on the team is Seth. He's become one of my best friends. He's like Cal, in a way, but of course he could never take Cal's place. Seth was actually really nice to me the day I went and practiced with the team last year on my visit."

"So you and he are really close?" Easton asked in an almost jealous way.

"Yeah, but we're just friends. You don't need to feel threatened," I teased.

"I'm not jealous," Easton muttered.

"Oh come on, you're a jealous hothead. Don't even deny it."

"Whatever," Easton harrumphed.

"You know, I have to admit, it's really fun playing with all these really talented guys. Everyone fits together so well. And the speed of the game in college is so much faster! It's awesome! As great as it is playing college hockey, I do miss playing with all my high school buddies. I'm hoping that we'll get to meet up during Christmas break."

"That'd be fun. I have to admit, I kinda miss Cal. Do you two talk a lot?" Easton asked.

"Yeah, we text like every day," I laughed.

"How's he doing up in Duluth?"

"I think he's pretty good. He likes all of his classes, and he loves his new team. He and I are looking forward to playing each other later in the year," I smiled. "Whoever wins that game will have extreme bragging rights."

"Yeah, I bet. It'll be fun though."

"You know it," I laughed. "My guess is that I'm going to be the one with the bragging rights."

By that time, Easton and I had finished all of the dip, and our waitress brought our entrées over. "Wow, it looks like I had perfect timing," the waitress laughed.

"You sure did," I replied with a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," the waitress smiled.

"This is so good," I groaned after I ate my first bite.

"You say that every time you eat that," Easton pointed out.

"Well, it's good," I replied defensively.

"I didn't say it wasn't!" Easton replied.

"Don't insult my chicken penne," I warned, narrowing my eyes.

Easton's eyes widened, and he suddenly looked scared. "Note to self: don't get in between Ty and her chicken penne."

"Exactly, you should know better," I said pointedly.

"Well, I know now," Easton huffed jokingly.

"You're such a dork," I teased as someone walked up to our table. "Hey, Jared!" I greeted my co-captain.

"Hey, Ty. Is this the famous Easton West of the high and mighty Wild?" he asked jokingly.

"Yup, this is the boyfriend, the boyfriend that plays for the best team in the NHL," I laughed in reply.

"Best team, my ass. Nice to meet you," Jared said to Easton.

"The Red Wings suck, and by the way, we were just talking about you," Easton replied with a smirk.

"Man, you're gonna insult my Red Wings, too? I can't catch a break in this state." Jared's face fell. "Wait, you were talking about me?"

"Yeah, I was telling Easton about how much you drank at Cullen's party," I informed him.

"Oh no, I don't remember anything from the party. I just remember waking up with a killer headache in one of the rooms of the frat house," Jared cringed. "I don't think I'll ever drink that much again in my life."

"You'd better not. The team needs you," I said seriously.

"I still can't believe what you told me at the party is true," Jared shook his head.

"What was that?" Easton asked.

"I told him that one night of drinking wipes out two weeks of conditioning. It's a proven fact," I shrugged.

"And you were at this party, too?" Easton asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "I figured that you'd assume since I was talking about it."

"Oh."

"So, Jared, who are you here with?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm here with my roommate and a few of my other buddies," he replied, pointing at a table across the room. "I just figured that I'd come over and say hi."

"So, have you heard anything else about my roommate Steph and Cullen? I left them together at the party and I went back hours later and they were still there! They literally stood there and talked for hours! I don't even know what time she came back to the dorm. I must've been sound asleep when she came back," I said, recalling that I hadn't asked Steph about Cullen since the party.

"Well, I kind of remember him telling Seth and me about some girl he met at the Halloween party, but he didn't mention a name. I can try to find out some more info if you want," Jared offered.

"That'd be great. I feel kind of bad snooping around, but at the same time I want to know if they're dating," I said.

"That's kind of ironic since you're snooping around anyway with this whole hockey business," Jared noted.

"I suppose you're right. I'm just worried that this hockey lie is going to catch up with me sooner than later," I sighed.

"Eh, you can cross that bridge when you get there," Jared shrugged.

"That seems like the best idea for now," I agreed.

"Well, I'm going to get back to my friends. It was nice talking to you," Jared said with a wave.

"See you at practice tomorrow, Jared," I replied.

"He seems nice," Easton commented once Jared was out of earshot.

"Yeah, he is," I agreed.

"He didn't seem too airheaded, but then again, he is a Red Wings fan."

"Well, you weren't around him long enough," I laughed.

"So you went to a party?" Easton asked seriously.

"Yes, Easton, I, a college student, went to a frat party. What's the big deal?" I asked pointedly.

"Ty, you shouldn't be partying. You should be studying," Easton said.

"I'm old enough to make my own choices. You don't get to make choices for me. By the way, I don't even drink so what's the big deal? I go to parties to socialize with my friends. I also go to parties to make sure my friends don't do stupid things. The other night I was obviously too late to help Jared, but I made sure Steph was going to get back to the dorm safely when I left," I explained.

"When was the last time you saw me?" Easton asked, doing a complete one-eighty.

"Uh, my birthday, I guess. Why?" I asked, confused.

"How long ago was that?" he asked.

"Like a week and three days," I replied. "Easton, what are you getting at?"

"I don't know, Ty. I just think it's ridiculous that you can make time for parties, but you can't seem to make time for me," Easton shrugged.

"Excuse me? We're on a date right now. What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"I don't know, Ty. It just seems like ever since you went off to college we never see each other anymore," Easton said, starting to get frustrated.

"That's not my fault," I countered. "You're always busy, too. We never hang out because usually you're doing something, whether it's practicing, playing a game, or hanging out with your teammates. If you say that I can't make time for you, I can say the same thing about you."

"Yeah, well I'm a professional, unlike you. My schedule is more grueling than yours," Easton argued.

"You did not just say that," I said, my temper rising.

"You're only in college and I'm in the NHL. My schedule is more important and tougher than yours."

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?" I shouted. "I'm not only going to practice, playing games, and hanging out with my friends, but I'm also GOING TO FRICKIN' COLLEGE! I have class and homework along with hockey, unlike you, who just have hockey."

"So?" Easton said flatly.

"So I'm going to college and practicing and travelling for games, too. Your schedule is a breeze compared to mine!" I shouted. I'm sure my face was bright red, I was so mad.

"Uh, I don't think so. Everything's harder once you get in the pros, not that you would know," Easton smirked.

"What the heck, Easton, of course I don't know what it's like to be in the pros, I'm two years younger than you, so I haven't even had the chance to get into the pros. Besides, whenever I want to hang out you're always busy, and come to think of it, most of the time when you're "busy", you're hanging out with your teammates that you see every day. I actually have class to go to during the day unlike you, who sits around on his couch all day watching Sports Center," I hissed.

"That's not true!" Easton shouted. "I have to do tons of stuff during the day! Hockey is a full-time job!"

"Likely story," I muttered. Our fighting had drawn a lot of attention in the restaurant by now. Even Jared and his friends were staring.

"You know, I bet you barely do anything all day, either. You probably have one or two classes a day and then you go out partying with your friends."

"I only go to parties once in a while, and I have at least three classes a day, five days a week," I spat my words out.

"It's still annoying that you can never find the time to come see me," Easton whined.

"You know what, that's not true. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I'm the one driving somewhere to see you. You live ten freaking minutes away from me. If you miss me so much, grow some balls and come see me. You don't need to mope around all day when you're at home when you could get in your fancy little car and drive over and see me. Don't even think about saying I don't try. It's you that isn't trying," I said firmly.

"I never know when you're around," Easton argued weakly.

"Well then text me and find out!" I yelled. "It's not as complicated as you're making it!"

"You know, it's easier when you drive over to my apartment," Easton said pointedly.

"Yeah, easier for you! I don't visit you a lot because normally I'm doing my homework in my dorm, something you don't have to do, Mr. Hotshot Professional Hockey Player," I spat.

"I bet you don't even have that much homework to do, especially if you have time to party," scoffed Easton.

"Yeah, right! I already told you, I don't go to parties very often. Plus, I always have tons of homework because my psychology teacher is a psycho, which I'm sure I've told you at least a hundred times. Obviously, you haven't been listening to me, which isn't really such a shocker since you're so self-absorbed!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Easton shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

"It means that you're the egotistical asshole I thought you were before I got to know you. I guess my instinct was right all along," I said, standing up. "I don't understand how you can sit here and act like your life is more important than mine and try to tell me that our lack of seeing each other is my fault. I can't even stand to look at you. I don't even know who the hell you are anymore." I grabbed my coat and turned to leave.

"So are we done?" Easton yelled at me, standing up.

"To be completely honest, I don't know, but if you look at the fact that I don't ever really want to look at your stupid face again, I think that says a lot," I finished before storming out of the restaurant. Easton didn't even try to follow me.

I didn't know where Easton and I stood, but I knew for a fact I didn't want to see or talk to him again for a long, long time. I didn't know what had gotten into him, but he wasn't acting like the guy that I knew and had fallen in love with. He was acting like the arrogant jerk I thought he was before I had gotten to know him. I didn't know which one was the real him.

As I drove back to campus, I could feel a knot growing in my stomach. I regretting leaving things like we had at the restaurant, but I didn't really want to talk to Easton when he was acting like that. I still couldn't believe that he had basically said that his life was more important than mine and had tried to tell me that I couldn't go to parties and do what I wanted like he owned me. I couldn't believe that he had acted so heartless.

By the time I reached my dorm, I was crying. The second Steph saw me, she jumped up and asked, "Ty, what happened?"

"Easton and I got into a fight," I sobbed shakily.

"Hey, it's okay. Tell me everything that happened."