Chapter 229: Tangers XXI

A/N: The roses are from Jad.

 

Chapter 229: Tangers XXI—Enough Not to Care

 

            There was a whole lot on my mind on Sunday when I came into the Pepsi Center Locker Room. I mean everything that had happened was just egging me. I had the phone number to one of those girls but I wasn’t going to call them. I had even considered calling the police over what they had done, but I knew that the guys wouldn’t like that, me airing my problems in public like that. It’s not like I was physically hurt or anything, but still! They had taken advantage of me!

            I still had some of that pink stuff on my wrists, it was like a stain. Water didn’t seem to rinse it off and I didn’t really try to scrub it because whenever there was any real active movement on it, well, I would get aroused. It was terrible! Even the tickle of a cuff or sleeve against the pink stain would just get me all warm and tingly and, oh how embarrassing. I didn’t tell the guys that though, cause Lord knows what sort of ideas it would give them.

            A manrape drug, that’s what it was. I guess something like that had to come on the market sometime. The ladies always knew how to even things out sooner or later.

            So that was the main thing on my mind. The other thing on my mind was Modano. Ever since my talk with him at the beginning of that roadtrip, Mikey had seemed in a better mood. And I noticed that he didn’t seem to be making any untoward movements to Joey. Still, Mike never talked to me about it, and he seemed to avoid my every move to his direction, even switching roommates with Adam just so he could stay away from me. Was he mad at me for knowing his secret? I mean he had to admit that he didn’t exactly go to great lengths to keep his affections secret.

            My goal of course, the way to make things better, would be to find someone nice for Mike. But how did one go about that? Where did the men of Modano’s sexual persuasion meet? Did I just go find one of those bars and strut my stuff, beg for someone who would be willing to date a hockey player and not talk to much afterwards? Oh that was so wrong. That could be more damaging than anything.

            My head hurt. Why did I have to care about these things? Life would be so much easier if I didn’t have all these troubles to think about, and they weren’t my troubles most of the time they were someone else’s! I really needed to relax and not take so much to heart. Michele told me that once before when I was younger and scared.

            Could I talk to Michele about this problem? Would she know how to make Mikey happy? No, I shouldn’t bother her with a problem like that. I had to carry the burden on my own. I couldn’t risk dragging everyone else into it.

            “Hey, Tiger,” Joey said to my instant chagrin, “What’s on your mind?”

            “Oof!” I huffed. “Nothing!”

            Joey smiled. There was something different about the captain’s smile too, something that made him look oddly like the other guys. I had never seen Joey smile in a common way before, but really, that’s what the smile looked like. “What ya mean nothing?” he said. “You look like you’ve got a burden on your brain aye? You can tell us, or did you get into trouble again?” And he lifted his eyebrow, and sorta gave me a wink.

            “Captain!” I gasped. “Nooo! Not like that again, noo! I’m just tired, I don’t think I slept well last night.”
            Joey nodded. “Sure,” he said. “Well after tonight maybe you’ll get some sleep.”

            “Maybe,” I said.

            I threw myself down on the bench and stretched, yawned. I wasn’t really ready to just jump out of my clothes and into my gear. My main fear was that I would brush my shirt too much over the pink guck on my wrists and that I’d be standing there naked and with a flagpole saluting the troops. That would be death! Oooo If I could just give those ladies a piece of my mind! How would they like it if some guy dropped something into their drinks?

            “Hey, Patty,” I said to Patrick. I saw him as he sat on the bench in his hockey socks and long underwear. I saw at that point the grimace on his face. I knew that look. It was the look he got when he was in pain and angry about it. One of his pale hands was pressed over his hip, he was rubbing at it.

            Patrick looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “Hey, Alex,” he said in a soft voice. “Doing okay yes?”

            I nodded. “And you?” I asked.

            Patrick shrugged and frowned with an expression that made him seem years older and that tugged at my tummy. “As good as I will get for today I suspect,” he said. “Not much I can do about it. I am a little tired, is okay.”

            “That’s good,” I said.

            “You still have that pink stuff on you,” Patty said, to change the subject I suppose and of course he had a knack for picking a nerve!

            I frowned and looked at my wrist. “It won’t come off!” I said. “I don’t know what it is; I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

            “I have,” Patty replied in a calm voice. “Have you tried scrubbing with soap and water?”

            “Yes, I scrub all the time,” I lied. “And you know what this is?”

            Patty sniffed. “Perhaps I do not,” he said. “I have seen something similar, but I wouldn’t know how those women would have had it. So maybe it isn’t the same.”

            “Well it’s a rotten thing for them to do,” I muttered. “I have feelings too you know, I’m not a machine for their pleasure.”

            Someone laughed and patted me on the back but I was too irritated to see who it was. Stupid ladies ruining my week! I was prepared to pout all evening now; no one was going to change my mind on that. I crossed my arms over my chest and was appalled to feel that ecstatic feeling when my wrists brushed up against the cloth of my shirt.

            “Alex Tanguay?” a voice said loudly.

            I raised my eyebrows and looked up at who had said it. I saw one of the staff workers.
            “Yeah?” I replied.

            He pointed down to a box at his feet. “This came in the mail for you. It was too big to put in your cubby.”

            “Yup,” I said, I could feel my eyes widen. Most of our fan mail was routed here to the Pepsi Center and we just got it in our cubbies to look at. I liked reading it but there was way too much of it to reply to all the time. I didn’t get as much as say someone like Patty or Joey and Foppa but it was nice. Sometimes, one of us would get a box of presents from a fan. Now that was funny and strange. I mean some fans would send things like expensive colognes or, *gulp* gift baskets to their favorite player. It looked like I had just received my very first important fan gift.

            I walked over to the very big, important looking box. I wondered what it could be.

            “Hey,” Robbie said loudly. “I don’t see any air holes in it, how can she breathe.”

            I scowled and looked at Robbie.

            “She?” Drury asked. “What do you mean she?”

            Robbie grinned. “The mail order bride of course!”

            All the guys laughed and I scowled and turned around. I concentrated on the box. “Should I open it?” I asked. “I mean I don’t know who sent it. It could be like anything, how do I know if it’s safe?”

            “Just open it!” I heard someone say, and I shrugged. Might as well. I guess I could have someone open it for me but I liked opening boxes meant for me. I peered at the address in the top corner and then I smiled. “Hey,” I said. “It’s from Rick, Rick Berry. I wonder what he sent.”

            I wasted no more time in ripping it open. What was Rick up to now? Maybe it was an “I’m sorry” gift from him for letting me get man-raped. The first thing I pulled out was the myriads of Styrofoam nuts and then I felt something cold and smooth. I frowned as I pulled it out. It was a six pack of cans.

            “Soda?” Joe said, “He sent you soda?”

            “Aww,” Blakie said, “Where’s the pretty pretty bride?”

            I rolled my eyes. “Not just any soda,” I said. “In fact I don’t even think it’s carbonated. It’s BRAWN, only the most cutting edge technology in energy drinks.” I made sure to punctuate the sentence with a well placed “sniff”. “Or haven’t you heard of it?”

            There were blank looks in everyone’s eyes and finally Morris said with a grin. “Of course I’ve heard of it… I mean… it’s an energy drink.”

            “Ha!” I said. “You haven’t heard of it.” My blood was already fizzing at the mere thought of the bitter liquid fiery and fierce inside me. I knew that it wasn’t good though, because I still couldn’t remember a damn thing about what had happened to me the first time I had some. “Still,” I said. “I don’t think any of us should be drinking it.”

            “Is that a taunt?” Patty asked with narrowed eyes and he hobbled over to me and snatched the cans. He snapped one of the lining and squinted at the label.

            “Uh, Patty,” I said, “I don’t think that it’s safe.”

            Patty laughed. “Berry drinks this?”

            “All the time,” I said.

            He opened the can.

            “Patty don’t!” I cried.

            Of course Patty would have none of it and he took a drink from the can that turned into a long glug.

            “If Rickie drinks it all the time then what’s the problem?” Danny asked.

            I widened my eyes and held out my hands. “And how often do we hear of Rick actually getting ice time?”

            Danny grimaced. “Oo good point.”

            Patty’s pulled the empty can from his lips and his eyes were wide and dancing, almost as if he were already in the heat of game play. “Mondieuthisiswonderful!” He cried and with an almost inhuman giggle he grabbed another can and pranced away from me to his corner of the locker room singing a lyrical song in French so thick even I couldn’t understand it.

            Joe was red cheeked as he snatched another can and glared at it. “Is this like Red Bull or something?” he said.

            “No I don’t know really,” I said. I was feeling guilty and miserable now. “I had one but I don’t know why Rick would send me a box of it.”

            As Joe read the ingredient list out loud I rooted through the box and found a folded letter.

 

            Hey Tangs!

 

            Had a ton of fun the other night those babes were hot hope we can have fun like that next time. Oh and can I have a copy of that videotape? Anyway here’s some extra goodies for ya. I forgot your home address so I’ll just send it to the Pepsi Center. Hey don’t let any of the other guys get ahold of it cause it’s just for you. Sorry about only sending you six but it’s just been banned in all fifty states and that’s all I can spare ya.

 

Use wisely!

 

Berry

 

 

            I crumpled the note in my hand and muttered, “Well there goes that.”

            “Hey what’s this ingredient?” Joe asked. Chris Drury was leaning over his shoulder and he pursed his lips.

            “Woah,” he said. “Hold it. That plant makes Juno-14. That drug’s just been banned.”

            “MY WIIIIILLLD EYE-RRRISH RRRROSE!” Patty sang from the other end of the locker room.

            Joe didn’t look in Patty’s direction, he was just glaring at me. “If we scratch Patty today, Karns will need to know why and then he will want to take tests and there will be questions asked.” He growled.

            I cringed. “Yeah? I mean Karns wouldn’t tell on him.”

            Joe nodded. “But the coach would if he found out, and we know how the coach is about scratching Patty for anything.”

            At that precise moment Coach Hartley came walking in with his entourage. “Okay boys!” He said rubbing his hands together. “We need two points tonight we no longer have the division lead or the conference lead let’s change that tonight eh?”

            I swallowed.

            “Well what’s wrong?” Hartley said slowly. He looked at all of our faces.

            There was a cackling laugh from Patty.

            “Patty’s in one of his moods,” I muttered.

            Hartley nodded. “Good,” he said, “he plays best when he’s in a mood. Very good.”

            I swallowed and looked meekly at Joe’s eyes. I didn’t like being in trouble and especially when it wasn’t my fault. And this wasn’t my fault either so it wasn’t fair! I mean I told Patty not to drink it and I didn’t ask for Berry to send the box over I didn’t plan any of this and now I was in trouble with the captain. Oh the injustice just made my head spin.

            Joe just sighed loudly. “Let’s take care of this on the ice okay?”

            “Excellent!” Hartley said, “I’m glad to hear it.”

            I shrugged.

            “Alex Tanguay?” a voice said. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

            “What?” I snapped.

            The man who had brought in the box was now holding a large bouquet of roses trimmed with delicate sprays of Baby’s Breath. I know I must have made a face. “These were delivered for you.”

            “Candy, or Clarissa?” Peter said with a laugh.

            I glared at him. “Clarice!” I said. “Well I think it’s Clarice.”

            I grabbed the flowers and someone else signed for them and I peered at the card.

            “Five bucks they’re from Clarice,” Drury said.

            “Five hundred they’re from Candy,” Peter replied.

            “I’ll take 700 that they’re from the brunette.” Robbie said.

            I shook my head and glanced at them all. “Nope,” I said. “All of you lose. They’re from that television reporter, Phil Keating.”

            The guys just laughed loud and hard and Coach Hartley gave me a quizzical expression. I had about enough of all of it, enough not to care anymore. I just handed the roses to Robbie and said. “Here give em to your wife, I’m sick of all this nonsense. I’m getting changed.”