Plié and Clout

Chapter 53: That's Paxy, Baby

this,,, this algorithm seems to be a HUGE fan of the double updating. I've jumped 300 readers every day like all week. 

Anyway I'm impatient

-rabid

***

STEPH

Paxton corners me between periods and pulls up his helmet.

"Okay, so I thought I'd tell you this later in the game, but then I couldn't not tell you because you'd be mad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your girlfriend is here."

"August is here? What?"

"Yeah, I saw her and Jilly during warmups. She's in your jersey, which is cute, but she's here, which is weird because I totally thought you guys broke up." He shrugs. "It's not like it's a bad thing that she's here, I just didn't expect her to be."

"She's here? Why?"

"Don't ask me, I didn't bring her. Ask Jilly."

"What?"

"Jilly's here, with your girlfriend. As in, Jilly brought your girlfriend."

I take a long breath. "God I wish she wasn't so headstrong sometimes."

So I check. We get back out on the ice and I turn to the stands, scanning and finding Jilly, she waves at me, then points at the person next to her, then shrugs at me. I make the 'we gotta talk about this' gesture at her; pointing my finger at her, then at me, then back and forth a couple more times.

AUGUST:

"What does that mean?" Steph just did some sort of hand movement argument with Jilly from halfway across a stadium. She made a shrug at him, then he pointed around a little. She's now standing on her chair giving him the 'what else did you want me to do' look with her hands up. He raises his back at her. Then he points at Paxton who raises his arms in surrender. Jilly is gesturing back at him and then they blow the whistle and he drops his hands to his knees, lining up again.

Jilly drops back down into her chair. "Yeah, I didn't tell him I was bringing you, and he's annoyed."

"I didn't mean to annoy him-"

"No, no, I annoyed him. You're fine."

"How did you get that from that." I gesture at him. "He's wearing gloves."

"Eh, we came from the same gene combination." She shrugs. "I know what he meant."

There's a long pause between us as I take in more and more of the game. Each pass and each hit and each shot is thrilling in it's own way. 

I break the silence. "So, does he get injured a lot? Has he ever been injured like really bad?"

She shrugs. "He broke a rib once."

I feel my throat catch. "He what?"

"Yeah, he was nineteen. First playoff season."

"What? He broke a rib?"

She looks at me, then grins. "I feel like this is too much caring for someone who is no longer dating him."

"He broke a rib????"

"Yes, and it's okay now, but gee, girl, you want him or not?"

"Okay, fine, I would like to keep dating him because he was a really awesome guy and I really like him, we just need to have one hell of a conversation."