Chapter 6-How I Feel

On Wednesday, Jordan picks me up at six and we go to an Italian place for dinner just to catch up. After we order some drinks, Jordan gets right into what I didn’t want to discuss over the phone yesterday.
“So, how’s Ryan?” he asks as he takes a sip of his water.
“Well, you just get right into things, don’t you?” I ask him as I laugh.
“Well, yesterday you said we’d talk about it tomorrow night, and its tomorrow night, so tell me about it.”
“Um, well, I broke up with him yesterday.”
“You did?” he asks me, somewhat eagerly, and that makes me wonder for a second, but I ignore it.
“Yeah, and it wasn’t the easiest of things to do. He didn’t see why I was breaking up with him.”
“Well, he’s a dumb shit if he didn’t see that one coming.”
We both laugh, and I tell him exactly what happened. We don’t really talk about hockey, since that’s a bit of a sensitive subject with Jordan right now. The only thing he asks me is if I want to come to the game tomorrow night, and of course I say yes. I love going to games and watching Jordan play, it’s so much fun (and I get to go for free).
After dinner, Jordan drives me back to my apartment, and he hangs out with us for a little while. He offers Ann a ticket for the game too, and she says yes. Helen’s going out tomorrow night with a guy she met in class, or else she’d probably come with too. Jordan heads home around eleven, and I give him a hug before he leaves. Ann and I talk for a little while longer before we head to bed, and I’m thinking about the game tomorrow night, and Jordan and how he’s playing Eric, and that I’m glad I don’t have to hear Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey say that “the Staals are brothers” fifty times while I watch the game.
Jordan’s POV
As I drive away from Maddie’s apartment, I can’t help but think about how she broke up with Ryan and is single again. She dated a guy for awhile right when we first met, but was single all of last year. I didn’t even think about it at all before, but now I think about it a lot. Heather and I had another fight on the phone last night, and we haven’t talked to each other since. We haven’t gone that long without talking ever before, but I want to wait until tomorrow to try to call her. I tried today, twice, but she never called me back, which means she’s pissed, and I’m pissed too. I’m trying to be the bigger person; I didn’t even start our fight and I’m not the one that hung up first, but with Heather, that never matters. I’m starting to wonder how much longer I can deal with this.
I’m also starting to wonder about Maddie, especially because she’s someone I can always talk to about anything, no matter what she’s doing or what time it is. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and we’ve only been friends for a couple of years. The fact that I have feelings for her is making me think twice about my relationship with Heather. I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship, but if I don’t tell her how I feel soon, I don’t know what I’ll do. I have to sort things out with Heather first though, and see if our relationship can get past this, because I do love her. Or at least I think I still do. Shit.
Maddie’s POV
I have trouble sleeping that night, and finally just decide to get up around seven, even though I don’t have class until nine. I decide to take a shower and eat some breakfast, and get to class a little early and talk to some of my friends before it starts.
*****
I get through my three classes of the day and go back to my apartment to make lunch and do some of my homework before Ann and Helen get back.
“So, you haven’t really told us about this guy you’re going out with,” I tell Helen as we sit in our family room. “What’s he like?”
“Well,” she begins with a smile on her face, “his name is Steve, and he’s a junior too. He’s also an architecture major, and he’s about six-foot two, and well, hot.”
We laugh and ask her more about him, and then get ready for the game because Jordan’s just going to pick us up on his way there. Jordan calls me and tells me he’s on his way, so we head downstairs and wait. When he pulls up, we run outside through the rain and get into the car.
“Hey how’s it going?” he asks as we close the doors.
“Not too bad, how about you?” we ask.
“Oh, not too bad. I’m hoping I get to lay Eric out tonight.”
We laugh, and I ask him about Eric and how he’s doing, and he tells me he’s doing well, and that he wants to see me after the game. We pull up to Mellon and Jordan parks the car right next to Kris Letang, who’s just getting out of his.
“Hey Kris,” I greet him as I open my door.
“Hey Maddie,” he says back and we hug.
Ann says hi to him as well, and we head inside. The boys head to the locker room and we get our tickets and hang out in the family room for awhile before heading up to our seats.