Chapter 7 - Some Kind of Wonderful

I was alone in my apartment for MAYBE an hour before the buzzer rang. Confused I pushed the intercom. “Hello?”

“I come bearing ice cream.” Sidney’s voice replied. “And movies.”

I sighed. “You are far too persistent for your own good.” I replied, before buzzing him into the building.

A minute later there was a knock at my door. I opened to the door, and there Sidney stood, a tub of Nestle Strawberry Sundae in his hands. “There’s whipped cream and real strawberries in the bag.” He told me.

“What exactly are you planning on doing tonight?” I asked him, eyebrows raised.

He chuckled. “Well I’m not going to lie, that would be fun, but something tells me its not going to happen.” He looked me over. “Actually, you just struck me as a strawberry kind of girl, what with the strawberry blonde hair and all.” He paused. “Actually I have a question about that.”

“About my hair?” I replied intrigued, as I took the bag from him and he followed me into the kitchen.

“Well kind of.” He said with a sidelong glance as he opened the container of ice cream. “See Taylor said that you told her that you are Ukrainian, but you don’t exactly LOOK like you’re Ukrainian.”

I laughed. “I’m definitely the odd one out at family gatherings.” I told him. “Actually my Dad’s ancestors are English and Irish. I apparently look just like my Dad.”

“Apparently?” He asked, eyebrows raised.

“I don’t know him.” I told him with a shrug. “He doesn’t want much to do with me or my Mom, so we just don’t bother. It’s not worth it.”

Sidney nodded. “Better one loving parent then two that aren’t happy with each other and take it out on you huh?”

It was incredibly perceptive of him, most of the time people sympathize with me… like it was the worst thing that could happen. Instead, Sidney had seen it the way I see it… or try to see it. I will admit that there are days when I am not particularly successful.

I nodded. “Pretty much yeah.” I said with a shrug as I pulled two spoons out of the drawer. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m not too big on doing dishes.”

“I could tell.” Sidney said dryly, looking at the stack of dishes in the sink.

“Hey I managed to clean up the take out boxes.” I said indignantly.

Sidney laughed. “Well that’s an improvement.” He said.

“So when do you turn 18?” I asked taking a huge bite of the ice cream, because, well this was exactly what I needed.

“In just under a month.” He said. “Why?”

“Because I have a strawberry wine that could totally go with this, but I won’t drink around people under 18.” I said.

“Don’t you mean under 19?” He asked. “Because that’s legal age out here.”

“Oh yeah.” I said, having forgotten. “Well then, umm, damn.” I paused. “I’ve got nothing. Why can’t you people be normal out here?”

He laughed. “You do realize that only 3 provinces allow 18-year-olds to drink right?”

I shrugged. “And I’m from one of them, and I started going to the bars at 16.” I said. “And you’re a hockey player so you probably started drinking a lot earlier. You’re point?”

He shrugged, as he took a big bite of ice cream, spraying some whipped cream on top. “Don’t really have a point Dare.” He said. “But I am thinking that you should come to Quèbec with me for my birthday.”

“You’re going to Quèbec?” I asked. “Why?”

“I played there for two years.” He pointed out. “Plus well, I can get good and drunk before I head out west for the World Junior camp.”

“You’re going to go?” I asked, eyebrows raised. “A lot of people figured you wouldn’t.”

Sidney shrugged. “If I’d been invited to the Olympic Orientation Camp I wouldn’t have. But since I wasn’t…” He paused and shrugged again. “Well Dad, Pat and I figure that this is a great chance for me to impress the Team Canada staff.”

I nodded and took another bite of the ice cream, this time allowing Sidney to spray some whipped cream into my mouth. After swallowing I said. “That makes sense. I don’t see why they couldn’t have at least invited you to the orientation camp, but then again, I’m not sure why Mario Lemeuix and Stevie Y are on that list. I mean I know they were the leaders of the past, but its time for guys like Joe Sakic to step up.”

“But how to do you do that to Mario Lemeuix?” He replied. “I mean, it’s like Gretzky. He honestly probably shouldn’t have been on that roster for the Nagano games, but how do you tell him no?”

I nodded again, this time accepting a strawberry from his fingers. “That does make sense.” I told him. “But there comes a point where these guys need to step down you know? And maybe a year off has been good for them, injury-wise, but maybe it hasn’t.”

Sidney nodded. “That’s what my Dad and Pat said. I mean, I know what I have to do if I want to be on the team.” He said, his eyes burning into mine as he watched me lick whipped cream off a strawberry. “I have to play my way onto the team, and its not like I haven’t had to do that before.”

I snorted. “Like when?” I asked.

“Like when I was 16 and I played my way onto the World Junior team.” He replied smirking. “Or when….” He paused, clearly thinking. “When I was younger and I was playing up… with guys who were older than me.”

I laughed. “So like, 3 times in your whole life.”

He shrugged, that smirk still on his face. “Well yeah, but I’ve still had to play my way onto the team.” He said. “And I know I can do it again.”

“I’m sure you can.” I said, offering him a particularly whipped cream filled bite of ice cream off my spoon as we sat together at my kitchen table.

“Thanks.” He said looking at me with such… tenderness that I had to look away.

“What movies did you bring?” I asked, changing the subject. “And do your parents know how old I am and that you’re with me?”

Sidney chuckled. “My parents are well aware that you are 22.” He told me. “I told them and you told my Dad, though Taylor told them that you were a teacher so they knew you were at least 21. And yes, they know where I am.”

“And…?” I asked eyebrows raised.

“And what?” He replied shrugging.

“And they don’t care that you’re hanging out in the apartment of a 22-year-old on a Friday night?” I asked pointedly.

Sidney shrugged. “I’m not out drinking and partying, so they’re cool with it.”

“Which is what you would be doing if you weren’t pestering me?” I teased.

He grinned. “Yep pretty much.”

“Now what movies did you bring?” I asked.

“Well I wasn’t sure what kind of movies you liked.” Sidney said. “So I brought ‘Remember the Titans’, ‘Coach Carter’, ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ‘Ocean’s 12’….” He glanced in the bag.

“Let’s just watch ‘Coach Carter’.” I said interrupting him. “I haven’t seen that yet and I want to see it.”

“It’s good.” He told me. “For a basketball movie.”

I shrugged. “Well its not like many good hockey movies have been made.” I pointed out. “I mean, ‘Miracle’ is probably the best one that I’ve ever seen, but it was so pro-American that it made me want to puke.”

“You mean you didn’t like ‘The Mighty Duck’s’ movies?” Sidney pretended to gasp in horror.

“Yeah, when I was like 11.” I said, rolling my eyes. “But that whole flying V thing? It would never work.”

Sidney laughed. “True. But what about ‘Slapshot’?” He asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, because that movie doesn’t perpetuate the stereotype that all hockey players are just goons and not athletes.”

Sidney raised his eyebrows. “Did someone forget to tell you that it’s summer and you don’t have to talk like a teacher?”

I laughed. “Hun, I am teacher, 24-7, 365. It’s not something you just turn off.” I told him. “And to tell you the honest to gosh truth, I always use big words. When I was, like, 16, a younger friend of mine gave me a key chain that said ‘It’s early, talk slower, use smaller words’, she said it was something I needed to do.”

Sidney laughed. “I think I agree with her.” He told me. “You don’t have to use words like “perpetuate”.”

“Oh come on Sid.” I said, rolling my eyes. “You are not that stupid. You know what perpetuate means.” I paused. “And if, on the off chance you don’t… please get out. It’s nothing personal, except, well in the summer, I can’t handle stupidity.”

Sidney laughed. “Yet you’re working with children all day.”

“Kids aren’t stupid.” I pointed out. “They just don’t know as much as we do because they’re kids. Hell, you probably don’t know as much as I do because compared to me you’re a kid. You’re the same age as my little brother.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” He asked, eyebrows raised.

“Just that you’re young Sidney. Probably a lot more worldly than my little brother.” I said. “But he’s never really been anywhere or had to deal with adults outside of being a student. You’ve been dealing with the media and coaches and other adults since you were really young. That definitely helps with the whole growing up thing.”

Sidney shrugged. “I’ve always been more mature than other kids my age. Then press and other stuff didn’t really help.” Then he paused and looked at me meaningfully. “Maybe that’s why I need someone more mature… I’ve long outgrown girls my own age.”