don't let me get me

seventeenth

World Juniors went by quickly. Canada did much better. They won a silver this year, and Dylan was good with that.

Silver was an actual medal, that's why.

January was a busy month for Dylan. Well, not really, he just had to remember three birthdays and that was kind of difficult for him.

Matt was first. It was his eighteen so it was a big deal. Dylan posted something nice for his baby brother on Instagram. He couldn't wait to be tagged in the photo he used by a bunch of random people online that would repost it.

Next was Connor's. Dylan couldn't really do much for that.

Besides make old jokes since he was turning 20.

Connor laughed with him over FaceTime. He was on a road trip so Dylan didn't get to see Alli as well. Connor and Dylan talked for hours until they fell asleep on the phone. Dylan needed that sometimes.

Kennedy was spending the last week of January with Dylan for her reading week. The last week of the month happened to be when Allison's birthday fell. Dylan and Kennedy decided to get some well needed FaceTime with her.

But her birthday wasn't going that well.

She didn't tell them that, but Dylan could tell when he called her and she didn't seem absolutely thrilled to talk to him. He could also see that her eyes were red like she had been crying. Kennedy could also tell and she had known Allison for a small amount of time. But Kennedy could tell why more.

"How's it going?" Dylan gave her a small smile.

Alli shrugged. "I'm just not having a great day."

"Are you like pmsing?" Dylan frowned.

Kennedy shook her head. "Did something happen with Connor?"

Alli's bottom lip quivered as she nodded, then burst into tears. Dylan felt heartbroken. Why would Connor make her cry on her birthday? He loved Alli, that was so not him.

Dylan shook his head. He grabbed Kennedy's phone, typed in her password, then ended the call with Alli on his phone. Kennedy stared at him in confusion until he called Alli from her phone. He stood up and walked out of his room.

"Sorry, I think he went to call Connor." Kennedy explained as she sat up. "What's going on?"

"He's just been so hard on himself lately, and he's been so upset, and we just haven't spent much time together. He just trains, and trains, and then comes home and sleeps. He's breaking my heart." Allison cried to Kennedy. "I want to help him but I don't know how."

Dylan actually teared up when he heard that through the door. He let his FaceTime ring while he waited for Connor to answer. Connor answered and had obviously been sleeping... He was sleeping while his girlfriend was crying in the living room, on her birthday. Dylan was mad.

"I'm so upset with you." Dylan said before he could get a word in.

"What did I do?" Connor's brows furrowed as he sat up.

"It's Alli's birthday and she's out there crying because of you!" Dylan exclaimed.

Connor muttered a curse before there was shuffling. Dylan noticed him walking towards the bedroom door.

"Wait, she's venting to Kennedy." Dylan stopped him. "Look, I know how hard you are on yourself, but you don't have to be anymore, Davo. You made it! You're in the big leagues! Give yourself a break."

"It's hard to stop working to get where you want to be." Connor sighed. "I worked so hard for so long to be the best that it's just, it's a part of me."