To You, With Love

Chapter Nine: Over and Over

For the next few months, Jiri and I had been going steady and had spent almost every evening together. But soon after, I'd realized that it wasn't easy dating a professional hockey player. Occasionally, work would get in the way and overwhelm him completely.

And it wasn't easy for me, either.

Two weeks after we started our relationship, Jiri was assigned to the Marlies. Sure, they're still located in Toronto, but Jiri was devistated.

I tried to tell him he was only 18, and that many hockey players take years to develop, but it was tough.

Everytime I'd try to text him, he'd be too busy at practice to talk.

Misty-
Hey.

Hours later, and after refreshing my phone what felt like thousands of times, he finally replied.

Jiri-
Hey.

Misty-
How was your day?

Jiri-
Busy. Look, I've got to go. The game starts in two and a half hours. I'll text you when I get home.

As much as I'd wanted to go see him play, my father forbided it unless he was present.

And as if life couldn't get any worse, it did.

My, once so sweet and innocent mother began growing pushier and pushier by the day, and it became very obvious that my father wasn't putting up with it very much longer.

"Would you just relax?" He'd tell her.

"No, I will not relax. This house is a Goddamn mess." She'd reply.

"You're all pigs."

"Well, why don't you clean it instead of sitting on your phone 24/7?" My father would shout back.

And the arguments began. It was a daily routine by now, and it eventually got to the point that I was rooting for a divorce.

Because of how disfunctional my family had become, my grades got crappier and crappier as each semester passed. At one point, I actually scored a C+, which was the highest mark I'd gotten since the eighth grade. I'd bring my tests home and hide them from my parents.

"How was school?" My mom would ask as I walked into the house.

"Not bad." I'd reply, heading straight up to my room before the yelling began. Almost as soon as I was laying in bed, the screaming would start.

"I don't want to be here anymore!"

After finally hearing enough, my brother would rush into my room and sit next to me on my bed, tears rushing down his face.

At this point, we were all wishing they'd get a divorce already. Which, months later, they finally did, and that's how our mom ended up in California with the guy she'd been cheating on my dad with over the Internet.

So, that's basically why my mother means nothing to me anymore.

---

Ever since I'd let my brother in on the little secret, we grew closer than we'd ever imagine. It got to the point where my dad eventually let me go to Jiri's hockey games if Lochlan was with me.

It turns out, my brother was a lot less dorkier than I originally thought.

After each game, I'd sneak off to the locker room and check up on Jiri. He'd meet me outside the room every evening.

I always looked forward to the hugs I'd get from him.

"You played awesome tonight." I'd tell him as I stood there in his arms, "Two goals. Not too shabby."