�Well well well, look who it is.�

�Hey, it hasn�t been that long.�

�Yeah, and two months isn�t a long time. I�ll give you credit because you were in the playoffs. How are you?�

�I�m fine.�

�No you�re not. No one is ever fine. Fine is the four letter abbreviation for fucked.�

�I�m not fine.�

�Is it about Sammy?�

�Yeah.�

Pause.

�I had this dream the other night. Remember when we rented that bar in Boston for New Years� Eve?�

�The one you two fucked in?�

�We�ve fucked in a lot of bars..�

*Laughs*

�I had a dream that at 11:59, we went out and sat on the steps in the back of the bar. Then, when we heard everyone counting down, Meghan came out and as soon as the ball dropped, he kissed her. But as he kissed her, he looked at me with the sex look.�

�That was a dream? That seems like something he would�ve done anyways.�

*Twists the cord around his finger and begins to pace*

�I don�t know. But still, it got me thinking.�

�About how much you miss him?�

�Yeah. I haven�t actually talked to him in..�

�You know they traded him to Edmonton, right?�

Silence.

�Guess you didn�t.�

�Wow.�

�Yeah. I can�t believe you didn�t know. You gonna call him?�

*Beep*

*Caller ID reads 'Sammy'*

�He beat me to it. I�ll call you later.�

*Click*

�Hey, you.�

�I got traded.�

�I know. PJ just told me. How are you?�

�It hasn�t set in yet. I..I don�t know how I am.�

�It won�t set in until you get on the ice, look down, and don�t see a Bruins jersey.�

*Sigh*

�How�s San Jose?�

�Sunny and 72.�

�I�m jealous.�

�Edmonton and San Jose aren�t that far.�

�1192 miles.�

�What time is your flight?�

�9. I didn�t find out until 3, so they had to book a late flight. Do you...Never mind. I�ll talk to you later?�

�Do I what?�

�It�s not anything. But...do you have any�can I come over for Easter?�

�Sammy, you can come over whenever you want. Go pack.�

�I�m already gone.�

*Click*

To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]

Dear Sammy,

I didn�t want to disturb you while you should be packing (but probably aren�t, knowing you), but I just wanted to make sure you�re okay. Being traded sucks, and you didn�t really say much. I hope you know that I�m here whenever you need someone to talk to. Don�t take the trade personally. They just needed someone to shake things up, and you were the only good guy on that team left. You�re going to do so great in Edmonton. Call me when you get settled in.

Joe

�Hello?�

�It�s cold here.�

�Duh. Edmonton is practically the north pole.�

�Yeah, no shit. Don�t even tell me what the weather is in San Jose. I don�t want to know.�

�You don�t want to know that it�s sunny and 72?�

�Fuck you.�

�Love you, too.�

�At least the hotel they put me in is nice.�

�Well, that�s good. You going to start looking for an apartment or something?�

�I don�t know.�

�You don�t like it there?�

�I don�t think so.�

�You�ve only been there like five minutes. You haven�t even played yet.�

�I know. But I just have a feeling.�

�I think you just miss Boston.�

�I think I just miss the east coast.�

�Well, we�ll see about that once you�re out there longer. The east isn�t all it�s cracked up to be. Everyone is a lot more laid back out here.�

Silence.

�Oh my God.�

�What?�

�You�re turning into one of them.�

�One of who?�

�One of those hippie California people that go around smoking pot and saying �stoked.��

�I may have you know that I haven�t smoked pot once since I�ve been out here.�

�Bullshit.�

�Okay. I�ll have you know that I haven�t smoked pot once in my car since I�ve been out here.�

�That�s more like it.�

*Giggles*

�So, you�re going to come for Easter?�

�If it�s alright with you.�

�No shit. I�ll introduce you to everyone, and we�ll go to this really nice restaurant, and we�ll go to San Fran and go clubbing, and we�ll get stoned by the bay, and..�

�I�m already excited. Is that bad?�

�No, because I�m already excited, too.�

Silence.

�Have you met anyone out there?�

�Well, duh.�

�No, I mean like..have you met anyone out there?�

*Places emphasis on �met�*

�Oh. Like, anyone I want to have a relationship with?�

�Yeah.�

�No. All the guys out here are pussies.�

�Maybe you haven�t turned into a real Californian after all.�

�I lived in Boston for like..ever. I�ll always be a Bostonian first.�

*Beep*

*Caller ID reads 'PJ'*

�PJ�s on the other line. I�ll call you back later.�

*Click*

�Good evening.�

�How�s Edmonton?�

�Cold.�

�Get used to it.�

�Thanks for the support.�

�Anytime. So, how are you?�

�I�m fine.�

�Fine is the equivalent for fucked.�

�I�m not fine.�

Silence.

�I fell asleep on the plane and I had this dream that..remember that bar we rented out for the Christmas party a couple years ago? It was your last season, I think.�

�The one by the harbor?�

�Yeah. Well, in my dream, I was sitting at the bar by myself and all these empty beer bottles were in front of me. I turned around and I saw Joe kissing the girl, only he was looking at me with that sex look.�

�That sounds like something he would�ve done.�

�I know. But it got me thinking about�us.�

�You miss him?�

�Yeah. I don�t know if I love him, but all I know is that I�ve never ever felt this way.�

�Then it�s a good thing you�re not that far from each other. You can visit him and see if it is love.�

�I don�t think I love him.�

�Love is a funny thing. You can try to convince yourself as hard as you can that you don�t love someone, but then as soon as you see them, all the feelings rush back and you realize you feel more for them than�like.�

Silence.

�Profound.�

�I�m feeling very poetic lately.�

�How are things with you?�

*Sigh*

�They suck. But it�ll get better.�

�It will.�

�I just have to keep telling myself that and maybe one day I�ll believe it.�

�One day you will.�

*Baby screaming in background*

�Shit, gotta go. I�ll call you tomorrow. Don�t think about Joe too much.�

*Click*

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Dear Joe,

Sorry, I just got your email. I�ll be fine. I only have a couple months that I have to be out here, and then I can sign with another team. In the meantime, are you busy tonight?

Sammy

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Dear Sammy,

I was thinking about going to a club or something with one of the guys, but I�m not in the mood. I think I might just stay at home tonight and get drunk, or something.

Joe

�Hello?�
�What�s your address?�
�200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, California, 95113. Why?�

�Just wondering. Hold on a sec.�

*Muffled voices in the background*

�Sorry about that.�

�It�s okay. Are you feeling a little better about Edmonton?�

�Yeah. I mean, I only have a couple months I have to be here. And it can�t be this cold forever, right?�

�Right.�

�And it�s not like I�ll be in Edmonton that much. We have road trips, and I can always visit my friends.�

�Yeah! Your attitude made a complete 360 degree turn, huh?�

�Well, it�s probably because of the weather.�

�Cold weather puts you in a better mood?�

�Oh, it�s not cold. It�s sunny and 72.�

�Sammy, where the hell are you?�

�You still haven�t brought in the newspaper? Lazy bum.�

*Sound of phone dropping*

�Information. How can I help you?�

�I wanted to find the phone number of someone, but I�ve never found it calling information. How do I..�

�Where is the person you�re trying to reach located?�

�Chicago, Illinois.�

�And their name? Last name first, please.�

�Lapointe, Martin.�

�Okay. Hold on a moment while I patch you through.�

�Okay. Thank you.�

�Hello?�

�Marty?�

�Yes? Listen, if this is a crazy fan or something, I�ll-�

�It�s PJ.�

Silence.

�Oh my God��

�Yeah. It�s been a long time.�

�No shit. How..�

�What�s your address?�

�What?�

�What�s your address?�

�834 Lake Street Oak Park, Illinois, 60302. Why?�

�Just wondering. Hold on a sec?"

*Muffled voices in the background*

"Sorry about that."

 �It's okay. PJ, how are you?�

�I�m fine.�

�Fine means you�re fucked.�

�I�m not fine.�

�Want to talk about it?�

�It�s..I�m just..�

*Sigh*

�I didn�t think my career would be done this early. I always figured I�d play until I was like 90, and here I am at 31, and I have no fucking clue what to do with the rest of my life. I have a wife and two kids at home who look at me like I�m a failure, and I just can�t deal with it anymore. I can�t..I can�t do this anymore.�

�Well, you always have me.�

�Oh, am I interrupting anything? Sorry, I called you totally out of the blue.�

�No, you didn�t interrupt anything. Tania and the kids are at her mom�s house, so I was just sitting in front of the TV with a beer.�

�Okay, good.�

Silence.

�Marty, do you ever think about us?�

Silence.

*Twists the cord around his finger*

�All the time. Do you?�

�All the time. Do you..I think..I�ve been trying to suppress my feelings for you since you left.�

�You could try and suppress your feelings all you want, but as soon as you see the person, they�ll just come rushing back to you.�

�I know.�

*Knock at the door*

�You better answer that.�

�You heard the door through the phone?�

�No. I heard it when I knocked on it.�

�What?�

*Sound of door opening*

*Sound of phone dropping*