Part 9 - Nobody's Perfect

The next day I was so lethargic at work that my principal thought that I was getting sick and he sent me home after first period. It was only nine thirty in the morning and I had no idea what to do with myself.

Realizing that I was tired, I tried to crawl back into bed and go back to sleep, but the sun shone too brightly in the windows, even through the curtains to really let me fall asleep. With a restless sigh, I rolled over and out of bed. I wanted to talk to Sidney, but I knew that he was probably asleep.

So instead, I wandered around my place, picking up the mess that Dion, Colin and their friends had made the night before. It was as I was cleaning up their mess that I remember what Sidney had said the night before about my conversation with Amber… turn about is fair play.

Well he’d called in the middle of the night and interrupted me twice in the past six days. Surely to God I could call him and wake him up for a change. It was all for a good reason after all, because I did want to talk to him. I wanted to tell him that I love him.

So I picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. For some reason, I wasn’t really all that surprised when a female voice answered the phone. “Hello?” The tired voice said.

“Hey.” I replied. “Can you wake Sidney for me?” I asked.

“Who is it?” The voice asked.

“Drew Whitney.” I replied.

“I’m not sure I should wake him for you.” The voice said, tiredly and uncertainly.

I shrugged. “Well he called me at four in the morning local time, so since its, what, one in the afternoon out there? You can wake him for me okay?”

“Are you sure?” She said hesitantly. “Sid didn’t, like go to sleep until a couple of hours ago.”

“I got sent home from work because I looked tired, and I was, because Sidney called me at four am.”

In the background I heard Sidney mutter something as he was clearly awakened by the conversation that was going on right next to him. “Who is it Ambie?” His voice said clearly.

“Someone named Drew.” Ambie, who I assumed was also Amber, replied.

“Fuck.” Sidney replied as he took the phone. “What the hell are you doing Drew?” He asked. “It’s like, one in the afternoon and I’ve been out all night.”

I shrugged. “Well like you said last night honey, turn about is fair play.” I paused. “Besides, I got sent home from work because I looked like I was totally sick because I was so tired after one period, waiting most of the night for to call, and two, because you called me at four in the morning.”

“So what do you want?” He asked irritably in a tired voice.

“To tell you that I love you.” I snapped with a shrug, feeling irritated myself. “But if its inconvenient for you, I suppose I can tell you later.”

“Drew, I’m sorry baby.” Sidney replied, instantly awake. “I’m just tired.”

“So was I when you called me at four am.” I told him.

“I’m sorry about that baby, but I didn’t find out that you called until then.” He replied. “If I’d know I would have called earlier….”

“Yet you still clearly spent the night with the girl who answered the phone when I called and would only tell me that you were otherwise occupied.” I said pointedly.

“Ambie?” I could tell that Sidney was turning to her.

“I didn’t think you’d want me to interrupt your celebrating.” I heard her voice say.

“Fuck. Drew I am so sorry baby.” Sidney said. “If I would have known, I would have called you back right away. I didn’t even notice that she’d answered the phone.”

“Baby?” Amber asked, sounding petulant.

“Give her the phone Crosby.” I said with a bit of a smirk.

Sid chuckled. “Be nice Drew. I was nice to yours.”

“No you weren’t.” I said pointedly. “He accused of you of being jealous.”

“Well I was baby.” He replied honestly. “Aren’t you?”

“Not at all.” I replied.

“Not even a teensy, tiny bit?” Sidney teased.

“Maybe just a little bit.” I said. “Now quit delaying the inevitable and hand her the phone Crosby.”

Sidney chuckled. “I love you.” He said in a clear voice. “Talk to her Ambie.” I heard him say as he passed off the phone.

“What do you want?” Amber said hesitantly.

“I just want to point out something that you should already know honey.” I told her. “I’m not sure where you are, but when Sidney leaves, or you leave, or you both leave, Sidney isn’t going to want to see you again.”

“What makes you think that you know what’s going on his head?” She demanded. “I’m the one who gave him what he needed last night.”

I rolled my eyes. “Honey, someone will always give my sweetie what he needs physically, but what I give him is on a whole other level.”

“What level is that?” She snapped.

“I fulfill his emotional needs honey, all you did was let him pump and dump you.” I told her. “He loves me honey… did you hear that?”

“If he loves you so much, then why aren’t you here celebrating with him?” She demanded.

“I’m not there, not because I don’t want to be or he doesn’t want me to be honey. I’m not there because I have a life, and a job in another part of the country. I’ll see him in London.” I told her. “And he knows that.” I paused. “You know you might have been able to be his friend, but you were an idiot, and you didn’t tell him that I’d called. The way I see it, you basically just fucked yourself over.”

“Sidney?” Her voice said trembling.

“Where the fuck are we?” He asked in reply, clearly ignoring the fact that she was upset by what I was saying.

“At Blair’s.” She replied.

“How’d I get here?” He asked, and I knew that he was running a hand through his hair.

“You and your teammates came in a cab.” She said, her voice still wavering.

“Give Sid the phone honey.” I told her, deciding that now was the time to play the good cop.

“Sidney, she wants to talk to you.”

“What’s up baby?” Sidney said.

I rolled my eyes. “You heard every word of that you liar.” I teased him. “Now here is what you are going to do.”

“Oh really?” Sidney said, before I’d had a chance to give him any of my instructions.

I rolled my eyes again. “Just listen before you get all pissy honey.” I told him. “You are going to find your pants. I don’t care if you can’t find your drawers and you have to go commando. You are going to find your pants and you are going to put them on.”

“Done and done Drew.” Sidney replied a minute later.

“Now find your shirt and the RBK hoodie you were wearing last night.” I told him. “And put those on.”

“How did you know I was wearing an RBK hoodie last night?” Sidney replied.

I had no choice but to roll my eyes again. “When are you NOT wearing an RBK hoodie these days?” I teased him.

Sidney chuckled. “Good point babe. Speaking of RBK, did you get my package yet?” He asked.

“Package?” I asked. “Not yet.” I paused. “Why did you send me a package?” I asked.

“I sent you a package because I wanted to.” He said and I knew that he was shrugging.

“Well now I’m going to be anxiously waiting for it.” I told him. “But you didn’t have to send me anything.”

“I wanted to.” He repeated. “Okay “Mom”.” He teased me. “I put my shirts on. Now what?”

“Now you are going to go call Junior or Eric and one of them is going to come get you and take you to your parents place.” I told him.

“What about me?” I heard the girl whine in the background.

“Tell her that she is going to go call one of her friends to come pick her up and then she is going to go home and spend the rest of her life kicking herself because she pisssed off the phenom’s girl.” I told him.

Sidney chuckled. “It’s never a good idea to piss of my girl baby. Even I know that.”

“You’d better know that.” I told him with a grin. “Because otherwise you’re going to end up having to do a lot of making things up to me.”

“Well I can think of many ways to make things up to you baby.” Sidney said, and I could hear him shutting a door behind him. “But unfortunately, I don’t think that you’re going to let me try any of them until after my birthday.”

“You’re probably right about that honey.” I told him honestly.

“I know.” He said mournfully. “So I’m going to have to rely on girls like Amber for a little while longer.”

I rolled my eyes. “So what are you going to do today honey?” I asked.

He paused. “Find a way home to my parent’s place.” He said. “Talk with you on the phone all day, since you have the day off.”

“All day?” I replied, raising my eyebrows.

“All day.” Sid answered firmly.

“Do you really think that we have enough to say to each other to keep ourselves occupied all day?” I asked him. “I mean, not that I don’t love the idea of talking to all day and all honey, but I do have some things that I should probably do.”

Sidney pouted. “But I miss you.” He whined. “And I want to spend the day talking to you.”

“You’re hung over.” I accused him with a bit of a smile. “You’re going to want to eat and drink before long.”

“That sounds like a bit of a challenge to me.” Sidney replied.

I shrugged. “Take it how you’d like honey.”

“Well then, I bet you that I can hold out longer than you can.” He told me.

“Oh really?” I asked, eyebrows raised. “What exactly are you betting me?” I asked him.

“If you hold out the longest then I’ll come and visit you for part of the summer out in Red Deer.” Sidney told me.

“And if I lose?” I asked.

“Then you’re going to have to let me do some of those things I’ve been thinking about doing to you long before my birthday.”