Back Off I'll Take You On...

Sidney stood there with his hands full.  His face had gone through ten emotions within seconds of walking through the door.  He was gripping the paper bags with everything he had, they were sure to rip any second.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Sidney growled.

Elaine took a few steps to stand in between him and Brendon.  She looked at him with pleading eyes, as if to ask him to let her handle it.  Sidney was giving her five minutes to explain what the hell was going on before he dropped everything and murdered Brendon right there on her kitchen floor.

Brendon glanced between Sidney and Elaine with a know-it-all smirk.  “You still going to deny it?”

“I never once cheated on you Brendon.  Believe it or not but I was in a relationship with you, I liked you.  Though for some reason,” she laughed lightly, “I can’t quite figure out why.” her voice dripping with disdain.

“Oh fuck you,” he spat.

Sid came at him, but Elaine put her hands on his chest and shoved him lightly.  He couldn’t help but put a hand on her hip protectively, like he’d be able to keep her out of the way when he threw a punch.

“Leave Brendon.  I’m not going to let you come into my home and accuse me of shit like this.  There’s nothing else to deal with here.  Leave,” Elaine discreetly leaned back against Sidney’s chest for support.

Walking over to the family room, Brendon grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch.  He stopped just short outside the doorway.  “You can have her Sidney, she’s shit in bed,”

In the blink of an eye Sidney decked Brendon right in the face.  Brendon stumbled to a knee and clutched his nose.

“Don’t you ever fucking come near her again,” Sidney barked, slamming the door.  They could hear the faint shouts on the other side of the door.

Sid whipped around and pulled Elaine into his arms, holding her tight.  “Are you ok?” he asked.

“Me?” she tried to hide a sniffle and reached for his right hand, “Are you ok?”

---

The remnants of lunch covered the coffee table while they watched Friends on TV.  Elaine was sprawled out on the chaise lounge part of the L couch and Sidney sat comfortably beside her head.

A bag of ice was resting on his right hand at his side.  He told her he didn’t need it.  “Patty,” she glared.

Elaine giggled at a witty comment, bringing Sid out of his daze.  He hadn’t been paying attention to the TV at all.  His mind was elsewhere.

She told him what had happened, from the beginning.  Why they broke up, why Brendon came over… it only made Sidney even angrier.  How could someone be such an asshole, and to Sid’s best friend?  Hell, how could Elaine fall for someone like that?  Though that wasn’t fair to Elaine, he could tell she was upset even though she did her best to hide it.

“It’s done.  My heart didn’t break—just a little bruised.  Nothing to worry about.” Elaine had told him rationally.

His eyes fixed on the girl who was snuggling with his left arm, holding it tight against her like a teddy bear.  Sidney stared at her while her body shook his arm in laughter. 

Brendon had been wrong about one thing: Sidney and Elaine hadn’t been together.  As for there being something between them, he wasn’t going to deny it.

The past couple months flew through Sid’s mind.  The first time they met and how much fun they had together.  The numerous nights they spent together, grabbing dinner or a movie.  Being each other’s sidekicks out at the club.  Trusting each other and spilling secrets, something neither of them had done before.

Sidney didn’t know why he never thought of it before, how he never caught on that he always mentioned Elaine to his mom on the phone, or always factored her in to his future plans.

He had fallen for his best friend, and in just a matter of months.  

The only thing that scared him more than that, was that after everything that had happened, she might run away to hide behind her castle walls.

You Can't Hide Your Lyin' Eyes...

I sat nervously on the couch, sitting as far away from Brendon as I could.  He had come over to see how I was doing--so sweet of him, right?

I couldn't find the strength to say anything, I knew I'd get upset.  Avoiding looking him the eye, I let my eyes wander my apartment.  If all he had seen was my place, he'd think I was doing just fine.  Cleaning was my own method of clearing my head, it was always relaxing to be in a spick-and-span environment.  Magazines were stacked straight on the coffee table at our feet, blankets were folded nicely on the back of my cocoon of a chair.  I had rearranged my bedroom furniture and wiped down the countertops in the kitchen.  Curtains were pulled back to let the sun in and my view of Pittsburgh was on display.

After what felt like an eternity of silence but in reality was only a minute, I saw out of the corner of my eye Brendon sighing before he dropped his head on the back of the couch.

"Look, I just wanted to come by and apologize.  I didn't plan for it to happen like this."

"Being with someone else, or getting caught--which part didn't you plan for?" I was just as surprised to hear the sound of my own voice as Brendon was.

Standing up, I couldn't stop the words from blurting out of my mouth as I paced in front of the TV.  "Was it me?  I mean, why would you do that?"

Chuckling, Brendon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.  I almost slugged him right there.  I knew I sounded like the stereotypical girl who wouldn't face the fact that she was dumped, but I was without an explanation.  And I was dying for one.

"Why?" I repeated, my voice raising.

"We weren't even together when I was with Lindsey!" He shouted back.  I couldn't hide it when I flinched at her name.  "I mean we were, just not, not officially.  It's not like you weren't seeing someone else either, I'm not stupid Elaine,"

Resting on my hip with my arms across my chest, I tapped my foot and cocked an eyebrow at him.  "So you're going to play dumb now?"  I stared at him blankly.

Brendon raised from the couch and took a few steps.  At first I thought that was it, he was going to leave and I would be even more confused.  But he whipped around, his chest rising quickly.

"You know, I can't believe you're standing here making me look like the asshole,"

"You are the ass--" Marching right up to him, I started to yell.

"Just because you may not have been fucking him, it doesn't mean you weren't cheating!" Brendon barked.

"Wha--what, Brendon who are you talking about?"

"IIIIIIII'vveee got sandwhicheeeeeeees!" bellowed Sidney as he came swinging through the front door, a smile on his lips, food and drinks in hand.

Brendon glanced at Sidney before looking back at me.  "Speak of the devil!" he said sarcastically, like he was answering my question.

Your timing is impeccable Sidney Crosby.

I'mma Fight A Man Tonight...

"He did what?!" Sid yelled, his shot going far wide of Flower in goal.

"Sidney.  You are not allowed to say anything.  You're not even supposed to know--I'm not even supposed to know." Kris stated firmly.

Brendon was dead before.  But now, now his family won't even be able to identify his body.  Not with the anger Sidney felt and the ideas he had thanks to TV and movies.

Gripping his stick hard, Sidney didn't even flinch when Coach blew the whistle to bring it in.  Thankfully practice was over, and Sidney marched to the locker room and quickly shed his gear.

"Woah there, you alright Kiddo?" Pascal Dupuis asked quietly, pealing off his own practice jersey.

"Fine," he grunted.

"Who pissed the captain off?" Dupuis announced.

Jordan's head whipped towards Kris.  "You didn't,"

"It slipped!  He was bound to find out anyway," Kris defended.

Flower and Jordan shook their heads while Kris's shoulders dropped.  "What slipped?" the other boys in the locker room wondered.

Sighing, Flower mumbled, "Vero's going to murder us.  Elaine and Brendon broke up,"

Everyone knew that already, the guys were quick to talk about how Brendon has stood Elaine and them up last week.

"They broke up because Brendon was cheating on her." Flower finished.

"What?" The guys all yelled.

"That mother fucker!"

"Is she ok?"

"I'm surprised he's still breathing," Sidney jerked his head up.  "I just found out.  Trust me if I had known," he growled.

"How did she find out?" TK asked.

"I overheard her talking with the girls.  Apparently the night he was supposed to meet up with us she had called him to see where he was.  He thought she was the other girl he was seeing," Marc explained, "it turns out, his trips to New York to see family was really him shacking up with the skank for the weekend."

Sidney had heard enough, he didn't like hearing it the first place so he definitely wasn't going to listen to it a second time.  Without taking shower he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone before storming past his teammates and through the doors to the parking lot.  When he got to his car, he jumped in and slammed the door.

He wanted to march right on over to her place and ask why she hadn't told him, but more than that he wanted to get Brendon's address so he can finish him off.

The sound of a text message brought him back to reality.

From: Elaine
Please tell me practice is over.  I'm hungry.  Feeeeeed meeeeeee!  


Sid couldn't help it as his lips curled up slightly.  He'd seen no change in her mood lately, which totally threw him off.

Quickly texting her back, he threw his phone into the center console before heading out onto the streets of Pittsburgh.

---

I had changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a long sweater and grabbed for my shoes when I heard a knock at the door.

Well, he sure is fast, I thought.

I scurried over to my door, tripping on the kitchen stool along the way, cursing at myself.  Hobbling to my front door I swung it open as I started to tease Sidney for being so prompt.

"Either you flew here or you were outside---"

My voice gave out as I my eyes met the man in my doorway, the last man I wanted to see.