Chapter Eight.

REINA:

            On our way home from Public Speaking, Casey and I always stopped at Starbucks to get our usual. She got a caramel frappe and I got a chi iced-tea. If it weren't for coffee, I don't even know how I'd function for the rest of the day.

            "How many?"

            Casey has been on the phone with Scott for the past five minutes so I've been walking in silence, forced to listen to their sappy conversation.

            "And you're sure he won't mind? I don't want anything like last time to-" She paused, letting out a sigh. "Okay, hold on."

            Something tells me I'm not going to like what she has to say.

            "Scott wants to know if you want to come with us to the hockey game tonight. Hurricanes verses Maple leafs."

            "The canes play tonight? Damn. I must have missed that."

            In my mind, I was going crazy. In my mind I immediately went back to last year when Justin and I went to the same game. I don't know if he'll be there but if he is, I know it won't end the same as last time. We won't be fooling around in his car I don't think.

            "Is he going to be there?" I asked bitterly.

            "Uh, yeah... I think so. That's why I'm saying you don't have to come Reina. Scott just thought it'd be rude if we didn't-"

            "I'll go." I said, taking another sip of my tea.

            "You sure?"

            "Yeah. He's not going to control everything I do just because we're friends with the same people. That's ridiculous."

            He'll probably think I'm a psycho for going. He'll probably think I'm a stalker and that I'm going just to be near him but to be honest, I really wanted to see the game. I loved the hurricanes and I loved everything to do with hockey. I won't even sit next to him.

            "Okay. Cool. She said she's going Scott. What time will you pick us up?"

 ————

            Later that evening, Casey was looking herself over in the mirror while I, on the other hand, was just chilling on my bed waiting for Scott. I didn't care what I looked like anymore and I mean, yeah, I tried to look nice, but I just didn't care what he thought. The more he kept treating me like this and pushing me away, the more I just didn't give a shit.

            "You look like such a hard core fan." She laughed when she saw my jersey.

            "Elias Lindholm." I grinned proudly. "Number sixteen baby."

            "Do you like him just because he's hot?"

            "No! I'm not one of those girls. He's an extremely good center.... Who just so happens to be foreign and single."

            We both erupted into laughter when knocks on the door sounded and when Casey opened up the door Scott was there. I was too busy finding my bag thankfully so I could ignore their make out session.

            "So uh, Justin and Colby are riding with us too. I think you're sitting next to Colby though Reina. Casey's going to sit up front with me."

            "I figured." I sighed, opening up the door to our building. "I'm sorry Scott. You know, for how confusing everything is. If it were up to me you know things would be different."

            "I know. Just give it time Reina."

            Colby opened up the passenger door from the inside and sent me a wide smile as I crawled in and tried everything I could to ignore Justin. I didn't even want to see what he was wearing. The less I look at him the better.

            "It's so crowded back here..." I giggled, shutting the door behind me. "My ass can't fit in this Scott."

            "Here." Colby chuckled, placing his arm around my shoulder. "There. More room."

            Justin started moving uncomfortably in his seat and that almost made me laugh again but I withheld it. Jealousy is such an ugly trait Justin. He can sit here and say he doesn't care about me and that he hates me but two weeks ago in my dorm room that's not what he meant at all. That day in my dorm room, he wanted to kiss me. I know he did.

 ————

            "Oh come on!" I shouted, throwing my hands up. "What the hell are they doing!? IT'S CALLED DEFENSE BOYS!"

            God, I was so pissed off. Nobody else in our group was even paying attention to the game except me it seemed like and when I shouted like that, they all paused and looked at me. Colby started to laugh, who was sitting next to me, and sent me a smirk.

            "You seem to know what's going on out there Reina."

            "Yeah, well. I like hockey. I always have."

            "CROSS CHECK!" Justin screamed from two seats over. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE REFS LOOKING AT?"

            "There was no fucking cross check!" I yelled back. "Maybe you should open your eyes a little bit."

            "Skinner didn't have the stick on the ice Reina what the hell? Don't even go there."

            "I'm pretty sure the refs would have called that."

            The buzzer sounded around the arena for the end of the quarter and Justin stood to his feet, looking back at everyone for a second.

            "Anyone want something to eat?"

            He was excluding me, I know that he is. I just stayed silent even though I could really go for a cheeseburger right now. I could always go for a cheeseburger, especially during a good game.

            "I'll buy something for you if you want." Colby said.

            Justin looked at him, then looked at me.

            "Um, thank you Colby but I'm okay."

            I wasn't okay. I was starving so I just closed my eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. If I accepted Colby's offer, I don't know what that would make me look like. I wasn't trying to make Justin jealous and I didn't want him to think that I was trying to win him back by doing that. He clearly told me how he felt back at the dorms and if I'm the one ruining his life then I just needed to stay away. I need to understand that somehow.

            "Justin get me a hot dog!" Mark yelled when he was almost at the stairs, earning a nod from him in return.

            "You two are funny you know." Colby said. "You and Justin."

            "How so?"

            "You can just feel the tension. I don't know."

            "Oh trust me, I know."

            "Just don't take it personally Reina. He's like that with everyone lately. Really stressed out. I just think he's trying to figure himself out and get his life together right now. Maybe when he figures that out and he gets his life on track, he'll start thinking of others. Like you for example."

            I sent Colby a smile, looking down at my jersey for a second. Here I thought Colby was trying to hit on me but he actually just made me feel ten times better. I think he's trying to make me feel less awkward and it's working. He's helped a lot actually and I really can't be more thankful. He's an amazing friend.

            "Thanks." I said sheepishly, picking at invisible lint. "It's not easy being around him but you're making it a lot less shitty."

            "Well, I'm trying. I'm glad it's working."

            For the next five minutes we all went back to talking with each other before Justin returned with an arm full of food, passing Mark his hot dog, and sitting down with his popcorn and drink. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that I even paid attention to what he was saying.

            "The person made a cheeseburger by accident instead of my hot dog so he gave me it for free." He said, my heart completely stopping. "Anyone want it?"

            "I will." I immediately said. "If you don't mind."

            Passing me the cheeseburger, he didn't really make eye contact with me. He just relaxed back more into his seat and when I lifted the bun, I smiled so hard.

Pickles only.

            I'm not sure if this was an apology or if it was just a nice gesture, but he couldn't hate me that much. If he hated me then he wouldn't have done this.

            When he saw me smile at the cheeseburger being exactly how I like it, he didn't smile, no, but he almost did. His hand covered his mouth with a little smirk on his face and he just focused his attention back on the game when it started up. 

A/N:

JEINA FEEELSSSS!!!!!

UGH Prolly one of my favorite chapters! Hope you guys thought so too :)

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