Brides Maids

“It’s cold here,” I decided, as I walked across the mall parking lot next to Jordan, the rest of the group a step ahead.

He laughed, “Says the girl from Vancouver.”

“Hey, Vancouver is only cold for half of the year,” I argued. “We just have winter and summer. There’s no in between phase.”

Jordan shook his head. “I don’t see how that would make it less cold, but okay.”

“Is it a good idea for some of the Pittsburgh Penguins to be hanging out at the mall?” I asked, speeding up a bit so I was with the rest of the group, leaving Jordan to mutter behind us all.

“Well, it’s fine for us,” Marc told me, reaching up to straighten out the toque he was wearing. “I mean, Sid will be attacked for a little bit, but Pittsburgh fans don’t care for him as much as most do.” Peyton frowned when this statement was made. “That’s weird. He’s the captain of their hockey team, but they care about him less than others?”


“They don’t’ care about him less,” Tyler corrected, startling me since I had forgotten he was there, “It’s just that they see him all the time, so it’s not as big of a deal for them to see him.”

“Don’t let that fool you,” Max cut in, “He’ll still be mauled. Expect to hear many underage girls screaming, “Oh mah Gawd! Sidney your soooo dreamy!’” He squealed, raising his voice up so high that it almost cracked as he spoke.

“I like how you talk about me as if I’m not standing three feet away from you,” Sidney spoke, causing both Max and I to look at him with blank stares. He sighed, waving a hand through the air, “Sorry, just ignore me,” he mumbled.

“Anyways,” Max continued, as if Sidney had never said anything, “It will be fun either way.” He lifted up an arm, making a motion as if he were about to place it around my shoulders, but I stopped him.

“I’m sorry, you’re not allowed to show me signs of affection until you’ve bought me dinner. And since I don’t want you to do that, it won’t happen,” I explained.

Max scoffed, “Right, I fly you out to Pittsburgh, pay for your hotel and arrange for a ride to your hotel, and I can’t even show a friendly gesture?!” He shook his head. “Women.”

“Technically,” Sidney called, turning around so he was walking backwards and facing Max and I, “I paid to fly her and Peyton out, booked a hotel and had my dad pick them up from the airport and drive them to their hotel.,” He held up both of his hands, “I’m just saying.”

Max rolled his eyes, making me laugh.

“This mall is a little bit different than the Gilford Mall,” Peyton decided as she looked around. “I don’t know how to feel about it.”

“I’ve never had Jack In The Box,” I said, causing all six players to turn around and stare at me. “We don’t have them in Canada. Shouldn’t you know that? You’re all Canadian.”

“We’ve been Americanized,” Marc admitted with a grin. “Well, I guess we know where we’re heading first,” He said, nodding over towards the Jack In The Box.

“They have the most amazing burgers,” Jordan told me, walking backwards towards the tiny Jack in the Box in the centre of the food court so he could talk to me. “Seriously, food will never be the same for you.”

“He’s lying,” Sidney informed me. “KFC Chicken Bowls are better.”

“I’ve never had one of those, either,” I informed him.

Sidney’s mouth fell open. “What? How could you consider yourself a human without having ever tried a Chicken Bowl or Jack in The Box?” He shook his head. “I’m actually a little bit sad for you.”

I had to laugh, stopping to stare up at the menu board. “Wow, a lot of options.”

“I’m ordering for you,” Jordan said, stepping in front of me so the menu board was blocked. “Are you allergic to anything?”

“Just bison,” I answered, earning a quizzical look from him. “That was a joke. I actually have no allergies.”

“Good, we know you won’t die now. Go pick a table,” He instructed, pointing off towards the tables and nodding his head. “Sidney can go with you.”

“What if Sidney wants to order something?” I asked.

“Then he can order something. What are you, his mother?” Jordan made a face, turning around to look back up at the menu board.

“I don’t want anything from there,” Sidney assured me, leading me off towards a few empty tables before he began to push them together and make room for everyone. “I’ll get a Chicken Bowl later.”

“Can you wait an hour? I figure after an hour I can eat one, too.” I explained.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding, “Your dedication to food impresses me.”

I merely grinned.

------------------------------------

“I swear to God, if you buy that I am putting you on a plane and flying you back to Vancouver and saying horrible things about you in interviews!” Jordan yelled at Peyton.

Peyton let out a sigh, turning to look at him. “Are you kidding? It’s a pair of pants.”

“It’s a pair of pants with ‘Juicy’ written across the top. That is begging for people to throw pennies and disrespect at you,” He argued.

“Hanna, help me out here,” Peyton said, looking at me.
“I frowned. “I’m sorry, but I’m with Staal. I hate Juicy pants.”

“Ha, Juicy pants, that’s what they called me in College,” Max said.

“You didn’t go to college,” Sidney reminded him.

“I didn’t go to college for classes, is what you mean,” Max corrected.

Sidney shook his head. “That’s just stupid.”

“I wasn’t actually a sleazy guy,” Max said, turning to look at Peyton and I. “I swear. I’m a pretty wholesome guy.”

“Not according to the girlfriend forum,” Marc said, causing all of us to turn and face him. He cleared his throat, “Not that I check those sometimes and write nice things about myself.”

“I knew it! I knew when I read the comment about how nice your teeth were that you lurked!” Max yelled, pointing at him.

“So…you read them, too?” Jordan asked, laughing.

“Do you all read them?” I asked. “You can just admit it, I won’t judge you.”

“I don’t,” Sidney said. “But that’s just because I’m scared of the internet.”

I laughed, turning my attention back to the rack of clothes in front of me. “When do you guys play?”

“Tomorrow,” Sidney answered, stretching his arms out and letting out a small yawn. “So we’ll all be checking in early tonight so we’re ready for morning practice. If you two want to go out on your own, that’s cool.”

“Hanna and I aren’t the go out type,” Peyton informed him, having placed the pants back on the rack. “We’re more the sit at home and eat donuts kind of girls.”

“Ah, the rare breed,” He joked. “I’m not a go out, either. I go to a club with the guys maybe once every two months, but I usually only last an hour.”

“Me too,” Peyton agreed. “Who knew I’d have so much in common with Sidney Crosby?”

He smiled, turning to look over at the rest of the guys and checking his watch.

“Do you want to head out soon?” I asked him, catching the worried look on his face.

“No, I’m just…” He trailed off, his eyes landing on something behind me.

I turned, seeing a group of four teens, one of them a boy in a Crosby jersey, all staring with their mouths open at Sidney. I turned to look at him again and nodded, “I see. You were wondering how long you’d gone unnoticed.”

He gave me a tiny smile. “Yeah. Sorry, I have to go say to them,” He apologized, brushing past Peyton and I and making his way over to the group.

“How does he not go crazy?” I asked aloud.

“He’s a special kind of guy,” Max answered, surprising me. “He was made to be this icon. If he wasn’t as humble and aware as he is, no one would respect him. But he gets it, and that’s why he’s okay.”

Peyton made a face. “That made no sense to me. It sounded like you just left out chunks of that explanation.”

“That’s okay,” He said, still looking at me. “Hanna gets it. Right?”

I let out an awkward laugh. “Actually, I do.”

Max only grinned. “Alright, girls. Hurry up with your shopping. Us boys have others plans.”

Peyton gave me a look. “What’s going on with you, Hanna?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just observant?”

Peyton shrugged as well, “Maybe,” she mumbled, sounding unconvinced.

----------------------------

“What are these?” Peyton asked, peering at the envelope Tyler had handed her.

He laughed, “Open the envelope and see.”

She tore the top of the envelope off, looking into it and then grinning. “Tickets to the game?”

“Tickets and passes,” Sidney corrected. “We figured you could watch the game from the Press box.”

“I’d rather be in the stands,” I admitted, earning a look from the boys. “I’m sorry, that sounded ungrateful. Thank you for going through that trouble.”
Sidney laughed, “No, it’s fine. We play again the day before you guys leave, so I’ll get you seats in the stands.”

“Aren’t all the games this month sold out?” I asked.

“Yes, but I’m kind of a big deal out here, so I can pull some strings,” He reminded me, smirking.

The statement caught me off guard, but I laughed once the brief shock had passed, making him chuckle along with me. “Well, I appreciate it,” I repeated.

He nodded, his attention moving over to Jordan and Max, who had somewhere in the day acquired a Karaoke machine and were setting it up in Peyton and I’s hotel living room. “Oh, this is going to either be painful or funny.”

“Hopefully both,” I said, moving over to where everyone else was.

Marc was standing behind the couch, watching as Jordan, Max and Peyton tried to hook the machine up. Tyler had abandoned us to meet his girlfriend, who had flown in for the week, and I had no idea where Kris was. Marc took a sip from the glass of milk he had in his hand and, without looking at me, spoke, “He likes you.”

I frowned, “Who?”

He laughed, “Sidney. He doesn’t embrace people as eagerly as he has to you. He puts up walls, and it’s impossible to get through them without him taking them down.”

I smirked, “I think he’s just being nice. And we talk about ridiculous things, so I think it’s easier for him.”

Marc laughed. “Oh, Hanna. So naive.”

I opened my mouth but shut it quickly as Sidney walked into the room, looking over at Max and Jordan with a laugh. “Guys, the TV isn’t plugged in.”

“Well, shit!” Jordan yelled, throwing down the cords in his hand. “If I had known that, this would have been so much easier.”

“Wow, your lives.” Peyton said, standing up from her spot on the floor and moving to stand next to Sidney, muttering something to him that made him laugh.

“And you see that,” Marc spoke, catching my attention again, “That look you have right now? That is the look of someone with a crush.”

“What is this, tenth grade?” I asked. “I just don’t trust Peyton around boys. She didn’t know who Sidney was until the night you guys met her. She’d never even watched hockey before, so it bothers me that she’s all over him as if she has any idea what his job is like.”

Marc smirked at me, nodding his head. “You’re right, there are no feelings at all between the two of you. He is not already smitten with you and you are not jealous of Peyton.” He shrugged. “I must just be mistaken because I’m French.”

“What about the French?” Max yelled, leaning back so he could look up at the two of us.

“They have very memorable chins, sometimes,” I answered, making Max laugh.

“You see,” Marc said, subtly nodding towards Sidney, “He has the same look you did a second ago.” He grinned at me. “I want to be your brides maid.”

“Do you mean the best man?” I asked.

“No. I mean the prettiest girl next to you,” He responded. “Something strapless, preferably. I have great shoulders.”

“You can’t be my-I’m not getting married, shut up!” I hollered, a little louder than I had intended, and smacked his arm.

Marc laughed, offering no explanation to the curious looks we had received before he moved away from me and over to Max and Jordan.

I sighed, shaking my head to rid the image of Marc in a strapless purple dress from my head. I glanced up, catching Sidney’s eye and causing him to shoot me a small smile before he returned his attention to the Karaoke machine.