[ CHAPTER FIVE ] --» Practice Makes Perfect

About a week had gone by since that night with Sidney, and I'm slowly beginning to think that it has changed my life. Tessa hasn't talked to me, like full on comfortable conversation, for awhile now but I know she'll come around. Cami, on the other hand, is more than happy for me. She was right, as usual, when she said that Sidney was good for me. He gave me everything, but more importantly, he loved me. And I loved him back just as much.



I twirled a piece of my dark brown hair around my finger as I stared at the screen of my laptop like a friggen zombie. The last thing on my mind right now was this stupid paper. The only thing I've been thinking about was how much I miss Sidney. The team's on a 4 game road trip and to say I'm having trouble dealing is a huge understatement.




I've never had to deal with boyfriends before. So I clearly do know what it's like to miss one, and my rookie dating experience was really starting to show. I sighed into my hands and let out a frustrated grunt hoping that something good would come from it. Instead, I got nothing.



Grumbling things under my breath, I got up off the couch and walked drowsily over to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I finally decided on a delicious looking tub of ice cream and smiled brightly at my discovery. Making my way back to the couch, I caught Tessa out of the corner of my eye. She gave me a quick look and turned away, but then she did something she hadn't done in over a week.



"Hey...I know I've been kinda sketchy lately, but do you wanna like do something tonight? Y'know, just like old times." She sat down on the opposite side of the couch from me, and my mind began running in dizzy circle.



Tessa was my friend. Even through all the stupid fights about Sidney, she was always going to be that one friend I knew I could always count on. So I gave in. "Yeah that sounds good actually. I can't focus enough to even attempt to write this paper. So where do you wanna go?"



"Well, there's this new sports bar a few blocks up the street. I figured we could check that out for a while, sound good?"



I let out a small smile and nodded, "Yeah, I'll probably be ready in like an hour or so."



"Great, I missed you Leigh...let's not fight anymore alright?" She leaned forward and lightly tapped my arm.



I bought my eyes up to meet with hers and smiled, "Yeah, I missed my partner in crime, let's just go crazy tonight alright?"


She let out a small squeal and wrapped her arms around my shoulders for a tight hug. I released my arms and hopped up off the couch. We both scurried off to our rooms to get ready and Cami popped her head out of her room to see what all the excitement was about. She walked over to my room and lightly tapped on the door.


"Where are you going Leigh? I thought you were working on that paper?"



I turned around from my vanity to face her. "Nope," I said with a small laugh and bobby pins sticking out from my teeth, "Change of plans. Me and Tess are gonna check out that new sports bar, you should come."



"You know what, I think I will. I could use a day off from all this damn homework," She answered smiling back at me.



"Ahhh! This is gonna be great! Do you know how long it's been since all three of us have gone out together?! I'm so excited! Did you here that Tess?" I screamed across the hall to Tessa causing her to run across the hallway to my room.



"Hell yeah I did! Get ready girls cause tonight's gonna be crazy!" We all let out an excited squeal and returned to our rooms to get ready.



***



After about an hour of getting ready, we were all finally done and ready to go. I decided on my favorite pair of ripped bullhead jeans, my all white vans, a black halter top, and a black and white flannel shirt from rvca. I pulled my medium length dark brown hair to a loose ponytail on the side and let my bangs fall wherever they desired. I linked arms with my two best friends and we made our way outside to my car. After we all piled into my Jeep, we were off. I hadn't been this excited to go out in a long time, and it was clearly showing.




As soon as we arrived and made our way inside, I made a b-line to the bar to get myself a drink. With Tessa and Cami by my side, I felt indestructible. The three of us together was a great and deadly combination at the same time. But tonight, I didn't care. With school work piling on, and missing the crap out of Sidney, ever single shot placed in front of me was downed within seconds.




I held tightly onto the wooden frame of the bar counter and let one last intoxicating drop of strong Russian alcohol burn down my pipes. I closed my eyes tightly as it slowly made its way down and received a round of hugs from Cami, Tessa, and the group of guys that now surrounded us. One guy was blatantly all over Tessa, and she loved every second of it. Cami was talking with another guy, still clearly keeping her distance because she had a boyfriend. And then it hit me.



Shouldn't I be doing that?



I turned to walk out of the circle when I walked right into a strong chest. I was startled a bit, with my reactions not exactly being cat-like from all I had drank. I bought my eyes up and was captivated by the bright blue pair that glared down at me.



"Where do you think you're going?" he asked in a husky voice.



I couldn't remember where exactly I was going to be honest. So I put on my best smile and simply said, "I was looking for you, silly!"



He smiled and took a seat right in front of me at the bar. Grabbing my hands he pulled me towards him, and I instinctively placed my hands on his thigh. Gazing up into his eyes made me forget that there were a good number of people surrounding me.


"What's your name?" He asked leaning down towards my ear.



"Leigh, what's yours?" I asked leaning up on my tip toes to reach his ear. He smiled down at me and grabbed my other hand with his.




Something in the back of my head was telling me to jerk my hand away and leave, but I was too clouded by my drunken haze to listen to it. "I'm Sean, and I think you are one gorgeous girl Leigh."



My cheeks flushed red, if that was even possible to tell with how much I had drank. Regardless, I smiled back at him as he let go of one of my hands and bought it to the side of my cheek. He leaned down towards me and I surprisingly turned away. Leaving his lips merely centimeters away from my neck.


"What...do you have a boyfriend or something?" He asked somewhat annoyed.



I searched through his bright blue eyes, and came to the conclusion that I had to do this. Sean was 10 times better than gorgeous and I couldn't let this chance slip by me. "Yeah," I answered turning my head back to his, "but he doesn't have to know."



I could feel Sean's smile against my blistering hot skin as he quickly closed the gap between us. Instinctively my hands wound their way around his neck as he continued aggressively attacking my lips with his. I could feel him nibbling on my bottom lip and I graciously let him enter. His hands made their way to the small of my back behind my flannel shirt. I let out a small laugh against his lips and he returned it with a smile into mine. Our lips continued to battle back and forth until I heard my name being screamed from the side of me. Before I could react, I was being pulled off Sean and dragged over to a corner or the bar where no one could really see me.



"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Cami spat at me tightly holding onto my arm.



I slid on my back down to the cool wooden floor and did exactly what any drunk girl would do after she realizes she cheated on her boyfriend. I cried. And everyone knows how girls get when they are drunk, and they cry. To say my face was a waterworks factory was an understatement. And to make it worse, I was too friggen drunk to even get words out.



Fed up with me, Cami pulled me up and walked over to the bar to tell Tessa we were leaving. She gave Cami a small nod and she walked with me out to my car, which she decided was best for her to drive home.



The whole ride home was pathetic. Cami drove and shook her head at me the whole time, and I drowned myself in drunken stupidity as I leaned against the cold glass window.



"I'm...so stupid," I finally managed to say through my heavy tears.



"Yup, you are. And you should feel like a complete idiot Leigh. How could you do that? You know have something good right now with Sidney and this is just going to making every good thing you had with him a whole lot worse. I hope you know that."



God, why did she always have to be fucking right?


"I know Cam, I know! But...what can I do now?! It's not like I can go back there and change it!" I spat back as she parked in front of our apartment.



"Well maybe you should've started with, 'oh hey random guy at the bar I don't even know, my name's Leigh. I think you're really cute and all, but I can't hook up with you tonight, or any other night because I'M DATING FUCKING SIDNEY CROSBY!' Seriously Leigh, how could you be so stupid. This is just going to complicate things with you and him so much, and don't look for me to help and bail you out on this one. I should've known better than to think that you really changed. Some people never will. C'mon, let's go inside."


I nodded and followed sheepishly behind her, like a little kid that just got in trouble with their mom in public. Once we got inside, I made a b-line to my room. I changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and crawled into my bed, with a few tears still trickling down my cheek. I reached across to my nightstand to turn off my light when my hand knocked against my now vibrating phone. I had a voicemail and deliriously put the phone to my ear to listen who it was. I rolled my eyes at the automated voice as I punched in my password, but what I heard after made my blood run cold.


First voice message: Hey Leigh it's me, we're in the airport in Phoenix right now and should probably be home tomorrow morning. I miss you and can't wait to see you tomorrow. Love you.


End of message.