Sidney's POV

"Earth to Sid...hello?"
No reply.
"Oh my god Sid, there are three girls outside the window and they are totally flashing their tits at us!"
Still nothing.
Max and Flower looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They both knew what needed to be done. At the same time they both raised their arms and punched their friend in the arm at the same time.
"Ouch! What the fuck?"
"It's about time something snapped you out of it! We've been talking to you for the last ten minutes. Where the hell were you just now?"
"I've been sitting here assholes," I said still rubbing my tender arms.
"You may be sitting here physically, but your mind is on another planet mon ami."
"I don't think we need to guess what or rather who you were thinking about," Max added.
I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "I can't help it you guys, Bekah is...she's just so...(deep sigh) amazing! I am so in love with her; I can't even describe it."
"Then don't!" Max said. "Please spare us the disgusting mushy love stuff. Grow some balls man, you sound like a fucking girl!"
"Shut the fuck up Talbot!"
"Boys, boys come on now," Flower interrupted. "I thought we were past all this crap. Can't you get along long enough for us to have a nice, peaceful lunch?"
"Sorry Flower," I muttered looking down at my water glass.
"Yeah me to. Sorry man."
"You guys are worse than a couple of kids. Do you think you can get along long enough for me to go to the bathroom and call Vero, or do I have to take one of you with me?"
"Eeww gross, dude! We're not girls, we do NOT go to the bathroom together!"
"We'll be fine Flower," I added.

Max and I sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before I decided that enough was enough. This thing between me and Max had to stop.
"What's your problem with me Talbot?"
He just laughed.
"I'm serious. We were great friends not that long ago playing at the juniors; what the hell happened? What did I do to piss you off so much?"
"You really don't get it do you?"
"Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't be asking."
"I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings Sid, but I can't say it any other way. I am so sick and fucking tired of all the hype around you. I'm sick of hearing you're the next 'great one'; I'm sick of hearing that you're the face of the NHL; I'm sick of hearing your going to be the one who saves this league; I'm sick of the fact that we constantly have to rearrange our plan because we get delayed with the three ring circus that follows you around all the time, sometimes I just want to get on the fucking bus and go, but oh no, we have to wait for golden boy to quit signing autographs, or we have to go around the block and pick you up because you couldn't get out the door like a normal person; I'm sick of seeing your ugly mug in every newspaper, magazine, sports show, web site and billboard, you name it there's your face! I'm sick of this goody two shoes act you put on for everyone; I'm sick of you thinking you're entitled to everything in the world and I'm sure as shit sick of you getting anything and everything you want and that includes Bekah. You don't deserve her. You're not good enough for her."
I sat there not really knowing what to say. I mean, I knew Max had a problem with me, but I thought it was because I was with Bekah and he wasn't. I had no idea he had so much pent up anger towards me.
"I know," I said barely above a whisper.
"Excuse me?" Max said questioningly.
I looked him in the eye as I said "You're right. I know I don't deserve her. She is too good for a guy like me. I have no idea what she sees in me, but I thank God everyday that she loves me. She makes me better Max, not only as a hockey player, but as a person. I want to be better so I won't let her down; so I can be someone worthy of her love. As for the rest of the stuff, I don't lie and I don't intend to start now, so you can believe when I say I'm sick of me too. I would give anything to be like the rest of you. If I could make the circus leave town I would do it in a heartbeat, but I can't. For whatever reason I was chosen to carry this burden and I'm not going to apologize for it. I honestly don't think that I'm entitled to anything I don't work my ass off for. You know as well as I do that we have to have almost another personality when were dealing with the media, you don't let them see everything in your personal life or even what your entire personality is, and I'm no different. Does it suck? Hell yeah! I have an amazing girlfriend that I can't even tell anyone about just so the press and the fans don't rip her entire life apart. I don't know what else I can say to you to make things okay with us except that I am the same guy you've been playing against for the last three years and I'm the same guy that followed those girls around the city for two hours when we were at juniors. I haven't changed. I love my family and my friends and my girlfriend and I do anything for any one of them and that's the truth. Bekah said we need to find a way to co-exist in her life and I really hope we can do that, not only for her but for us as well."
Max was smirking when he said "I forgot about those girls! They led us on quite a wild goose chase!"
"Yeah, we almost got suspended for breaking curfew."
"That was awesome!"
"I'll never forget it. Not because of the girls or anything like that, but because that was something I did that made me feel like a normal kid and I got to do it with one of my best friends. I'm sorry you feel the way you do about me Max; if I could change it, I would."
He was quiet for a minute. "You just did."
"O kaaaaay," I said skeptically.
"This shit is behind us now, for Bekah and for us, but you need to know one thing."
"What's that?" I asked.
"If you do anything to hurt her; if you disrespect her in anyway; if you break her heart, I will kill you myself. Got it?"
"Loud and clear."