part 15

She spent the next half hour sitting cross legged on the middle of his bed, ducking every now and then as he threw a pair of over priced jeans out of his closet.

"You know you're coming back tomorrow, right?" she asked chewing on a cereal bar she found while raiding his cabinets.
"Nothing to wear!" he responded as if she hadn't spoke.
"You're worse than a girl, I swear!" she said getting up, grabbing him by his shirt. "Move."

She threw him down onto his bed and kicked the pile of "not to wear" clothes out of her way.

"Look." she continued holding up a pair of jeans and a hollister shirt. "Your ass looks amazing in these jeans, and your arms in this shirt...hello!"
"Shoes?" he asked taking the outfit she picked out.
"What's wrong with the ones you wore today?"
"They're wet."
"It's called a dryer."
"Smart ass." he said grabbing her wrist and pulling her onto his lap, and in to a kiss.
"You like it."
"Maybe that's why I keep you around." he said pushing a loose hair away from her eyes.
"Thanks that makes me feel wonderful."
"What are you going to do while I'm gone."
"Um..party...get drunk...mess around. You know good stuff I don't get to do while you're around."
"mmmm."
"I'm kidding. I don't drink." she said holding back a smile. "I'm going to go back home for a few days. I haven't talked to my parents in a while."
"Are you driving?"
"No, I'm gonna walk to Canada." she sassed raising one eyebrow.
"I thought you might fly there." he said giving her the same look she was giving him
"I miss my jaguar."
"I'd miss it too, maybe you should trade me."
"Gee I'll miss you too baby, I hope you have a wonderful time with your parents!" she mocked.
"Oh baby" he mocked back pulling her into a to tight hug. "What am I going to do while your away from me?"
"shut up." she laughed pushing him off her.
"Oh no." he said pulling her back to him." I've got about an hour to kill.
"Don't you wink at me."
"Watch, I can use both eyes."
"No love that's call blinking."
"Is that your phone ringing?"
"No. Mines on vibrate."
"Hold on."

He pushed her off him onto his bed.

"Yes Sasha, Okay, No, I'll be there, Okay, Why? No I'm not arguing. Okay. I'll tell her. Bye"

He threw his phone on top of his bag that was over flowing at this point.


"So it looks like were leaving a little early. Apparently there's a lot of snow up there."
"..and I bet a lot of snowmen too." she said standing up to walk into his opened arms.
"Yes Brooklyn." he laughed placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Let's get you home so you can pack, I'd help but you'd end up going naked."
"I don't think that's what my parents want to see, I can hear my mom now. Oh My God she's only been in D.C. a few months and she's already a hooker, I told you not to let her go!"

She laughed so hard she had to muffle her snorts in his chest.

"Let's go."


After a short 2 minute drive home and a long 10 minute good-bye kiss, she was alone in her apartment. She spent 15 minutes lying on her back in her closet floor staring at her clothes.


"When did this closet get so big?" she asked herself. "where's my duffel bag?"


She rolled onto her stomach to look under her bed. She pulled out a few boxes and her bag after that. She picked the dust bunnies that made a new home off the straps and threw enough clothes in to last till the weekend. She waved to Mr. Patterson, who nodded his hat. Slid into the drivers seat of her Jaguar and headed back home.


She didn't know if she should have called or not as she shuffled up the long missed sidewalk to her parents house, her bag dragging behind her. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, or the tears from falling. She missed it here. Home. Her friends, her team. The team she built from nothing. Her family that helped her through everything. Held her hand when she was struggling to walk after her knee surgeries, made her laugh when her goldfish died, laughed at her when her cheeks puffed up after getting her wisdom teeth out. She hated to admit it but she even missed him, Brody, her ex. After growing up together its hard to just let someone go that easily. Sure he cheated on her right in front of her face, but that wasn't enough to make her let him go completely. She was happy with Nicklas, Brody could never change that, but there was something there with Brody that Nicklas didn't have. What that something was, she wasn't sure yet. She shook his memories from her head as she reached the front door. She took a deep breath and rang the door bell, waiting for her mother to rush out, tears streaming down her face...but nothing. She rang it again. After the 4th time she dug for her key.


"Hello? Mom? Dad? Rachael?" she asked her echo. "yeah Brooklyn, like the cats going to answer back."


She dropped her bag on the floor and quietly latched the door behind her. As she walked to the kitchen, she smiled at the last family picture they all had taken together 3 Christmas eves ago. She ran her hand over their smiling faces. She missed those days. When had it gotten so bad? She forced herself to look away. She had forgotten how big her house was. Well compared to her tiny apartment. As from habit she opened the huge fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and headed up to her old bedroom. Just like she did when she was little she counted the stairs on the way up. 23...24...25...turn...26...27...28...there. She laughed at herself and slowly pushed open the bedroom door. Her light red walls, almost pink, covered in pictures from the last 17 or so years. Autographs of heroes, and cards from family and friends. Her message to herself, elatus sinun johtaa jalkeilla, still written on her mirror. It was cleaner than how she had left it. No towels laying on her bathroom floor, the shower curtain closed. Apparently her mom had spent sometime in there. She sat on what used to be her bed, looking out the window she had spent so many rainy days in front of. She had just gotten comfortable when her phone vibrated in her back pocket.


"Hello" she said holding back the stammer of tears in her voice
"Are you okay?" Nicklas asked.
"Fine. How was your flight."
"Okay. Quiet actually."
"Is that not normal?"
"With Sasha and Alexander together...no."
"I can imagine" she laughed.
"That's what i like to hear." he said with a smile in his voice. "How was your homecoming?"
"I don't know yet. I'm here alone."
"Is that weird?" he asked.
"Not really. It is Friday. They both work. I'm hoping someone gets home soon."
"You know, maybe I should call my parents."
"I'm such a wonderful influence."
"Sure. You can call it that." he joked.
"Brooklyn?" a formilar voice called.
"Who was that?" Nicklas asked confused.
"It sounded like..."
"Brooklyn? Are you here?" the voiced asked again.
"I'll-Ill call you back" she studdered running down the hall.
"How about I call you after the game? It should be starting soon."
"Alright. Good luck baby."
"Bye Babe."

She slid to a stop at the top of the stairs. "Brody?"
"Brooklyn Lidwell." he said meeting her at the last step.
"Brody!" she screamed jumping into his arms.
"It's about time you come home, it's been months you know!"
"I know. But I fell in love with D.C."
"Or a boy in D.C...."
"Maybe." she said looking away.
"It hasn't been that long since you broke up with me." he said pulling her head up by her chin.
"You mean since you cheated on me..." she snapped pulling away.
"Brooklyn. You can't blame that whole thing on me."
"Oh you mean...I made you go to that party....I made you flirt with that sluty blond all night...I in some magical way made you make out with her. Do you remember what happened next? or should I remind you again?"
"Maybe if you put out once and a while I wouldn't have needed to go to all those parties."
"Parties? More than once?"
"Duh Brooklyn. I though we were passed this?" he said pulling her back into his arms.
"No Brody." she said pushing his arms away. "I though we were. But then I remembered how much of a harkko you are."
"Don't speak your Finnish to me. I came here to make things better. Apparently your new man changed you."
"His name is Nicklas, asshole."
"Aw Nicklas. Let me guess." he said pushing his dark brown hair back. "He has blue eyes and blond hair. Oh and he plays for that team...umm the Capitals."
"How did you know that?"
"Your easy Brooklyn."
"Yeah that's why you didn't get any from me." she said pushing past him towards the kitchen.
"Watch your mouth." he said pushing her up against the wall.
"God! You're so self centered!" she screamed trying to wiggle out of his arms. "Get off my back!"
"Stay off yours!." he said only half an inch from her face now.

Before she knew what she was doing the punch was already thrown. She didn't hit him hard, nor, did she want to. He stepped back a few steps his hand over his cheek, shaking his head. She turned again towards the kitchen but his hand stopped her. Her face stung from her eyebrow to her lip. She ran the back of her hand across her lip. The blood already dripping.

"Leave." she whispered. "NOW!"

She was still standing in the living room when her mother walked in the door a few hours later.

"Brooklyn baby your home..." she stopped when she saw the fresh blood on Brooklyn's hand. "Baby! Oh my god! What? Who? Was it that boy down in D.C.?"
"No mom."
"Who baby."
"Brody."