Staal [A Jordan Staal Story] Forty-three

Sorry for the wait, I`ve been really busy with school. Taking AP English really wans`t the best idea I`ve ever had. But the Guins are on their way to Sweden & are coming off a great come back win last night against the Leafs. I hope you enjoy the chapter, & comments are very much appreciated.

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Jordan & Nik's birthday came, but before they could do any partying they had camp. Jordan took a few hits & got a nice bruise on his right arm. They got back to the house after finding out that they had both "made" the team. Miriya made her burgers, & Cassie & Geno came over early to help set up for the party.

"Happy Birthday to Jordan & Nik, happy birthday to you," Everyone sang.

They ate cake & had present time, & then Cassie & Geno went to the middle of the room. "Everyone, Cassie & I have an announcement to make," Geno said.

"The locker room is gonna be full of little kids soon, Geno & I are going to have a baby."
Everyone cheered & gave both Cassie & Geno hugs.

"Well you didn`t wait long, did ya?" Miriya asked.

"Nope," Geno said with a smile & put his arm around Cassie.

After everyone left Jordan started to clean up. "Baby I love it when you clean up, but it`s your birthday. Go shower or something & I`ll meet you in the bedroom when I`m done out here."

Jordan went to take a shower & Miriya cleaned up the mess from the party. When Miriya got to the bedroom Jordan was laying on the bed watching TV, however when she stepped into the room he turned the TV off & a smile spread across his face. "Happy Birthday baby," She said getting on top of him.

"It just got better," he said before kissing her.

The next day it was camp to camp, Miriya, Cassie, & Michelle stood on the bench. Miriya with the other announcers, Cassie with the equipment staff, & Michelle with the training staff. There were two teenage girls sitting behind the bench, talking & taking pictures as the different players passed.

Nik who had been down at the far end of the ice came up & grabbed a water, saying hi to Miriya. Once he skated away the two girls really started to freak out.

"Oh my God Dominik is my favorite rookie. I watched the draft this summer & fell in love when he was drafted. I would do anything to meet him," the girl with brown hair said.

Miriya, Cassie, & Michelle couldn`t help but laugh at this since for one he was living in Miriya`s house & had been hanging out with the three of them for over a month.

They turned around to face the girls, the who would had been talking looked to be about eighteen, had short curly light brown hair & green eyes. She was now standing up & looked to be about five-eight. She was wearing American Eagle jeans, a black Penguins' shirt, & a pair of checkered vans.

Would we be able to get a picture of you three?" The blonde asked.

The three of them leaned against the boards & smiled. "Thank you so much," The blonde said.

"You`re welcome," the three said in unison.

"Do you think you would be able to get me Dominik`s autograph?"

"Well," Miriya paused. "First of all he likes to be called Nik & I think maybe I could get you in to meet him & get the autograph yourself."

"Are you serious? Thank you so much Mrs. Staal."

"You`re welcome & please call me Miriya."

"Thank you Miriya," the brown haired girl said. "Oh & I`m Erin, Erin Jones & this is my best friend Sam."

"Could you sign your husband's pages in last years year book since we don`t have anything with you?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Cassie said. Both girl handed their year books over the glass, Miriya, Michelle, & Cassie turned to their husband's pages & signed.

"Here you guys go. When the scrimmage is over today stay until all the other fans leave. Then we`ll take you to the locker room to meet the team," Miriya said handing the year books back.

The scrimmage ended & the fans filed out, all going to the parking lot to try & get autographs. Sam & Erin meet Miriya at the runway & followed her to the locker room. She led them to the lounge & offered them a bottle of water.

"You girls stay here, I`ll go see if he`s out of the shower." She walked into the actual locker room, "Hey Nik there`s someone here who wants to meet you."

"Kay one sec, lemme get dressed," he said standing at his stall in just a towel. He threw on a pair of shorts, a Guins shirt & hat, & then walked with Miriya to the lounge.

"Nik this is a fan of yours Erin Jones, Erin this is Nik Vandershmut."

"Nice to meet you," Nik said & shook her hand.

"You too, could you?" she managed to say holding up a picture.

"Sure."

Erin's friend Sam took a picture of her getting the autograph & Miriya took a picture of the three of them. "Well it was really nice meeting you," Erin said.

"You too, would I be able to get your number?" he asked reluctantly.

Erin wrote her number on a piece of paper & gave it to Nik with a smile.

"Well I`ll call you & maybe we can hang out sometime."

"Ok," she said & somehow smiled wider.

At dinner that night Nik smiled & was kind of off in space when Miriya asked him to pass the bread. "NIK!"

"Huh?"

"Could you pass the bread?"

"Yea sorry I was thinking about something."

"Oh what`s that?" Jordan asked.

"Oh no one."

"Oh so it`s a who, not a what?"

"Yea, um this girl named Erin," he said with a smile.

"So you`re gonna hang out with her then?"

"Yea & I wanna ask her out, but I don`t wanna be like 'Hey will you go out with me?' & then not make the team, have to go back to Germany, & never see her again."

"So if you make the team the last day of training camp you`re gonna ask her?" Jordan asked.

"Well I`m glad that you found someone you like. But a bit of advice, if you two do start going out, keep it on the down low `cause you don`t want the media to get a hold of it."

"When me & Miriya started going out only the team, our friends & family knew. The fans & stuff found only found out when we got engaged."

"Ok thanks, when should I call her?"

"Wow you do really like her," Jordan said.

"Well I`m sure that`s she`s waiting for your call, but give it a day or two. Then tell her to meet you at camp or something then you two can hang out."

"And don`t worry there`s only two weeks of camp left," Jordan said.

"Only two weeks til I get to calm down."

The next day Miriya & Michelle met at a little place for lunch. They both ordered a baked potato & soup to bring back memories from high school.

"Mir I`ve got bad news, my grandpa died last night."

"I`m so sorry," Miriya said & held Michelle's hand across the table.

A tear fell from Michelle's eye & one fell from Miriya`s too. "I hate that you get so emotional when you`re pregnant," Miriya said.

"Me too."

A few minutes later the waiter brought their food, they dried their tears & thought about the good times they had at the lunch table in high school.

"So you know that Erin girl from yesterday?" Miriya asked.

"Yea."

"Well I introduced her to Nik yesterday & Nik really likes her. So if he makes the team he`s gonna ask her out. But before since there`s two weeks left in camp he`s gonna hang out with her. She was so happy when she met him though."

"She`s a little me."

"Yea, you saw how happy she was when she met us, now times that by like three & that`s her meeting Nik."

"I hope it all works out."

The days had gone by when it finally came to the last week of camp. Nik had hung out with Erin about twice after camp. This was when it really started to get scary though, the team had been cut down to thirty people & over the next week seven people needed to be cut from the roster. All the guys who had won the cup the year before had expected to make the team, but two people had retired after winning so there were two open spots on the team.

Some days two people were cut & some days no one was cut. When it came to the last day of camp one guy needed to be cut, so the three rookies were really scared, & Nik was one of them. Warm-ups went fine & for the first time in camp everyone had to do suicides at the same time. For the scrimmage that day each team had twelve people & it went by quickly.

The team had been narrowed down with only one spot left, Nik & the other rookie stood at center ice waiting for one of their names to be called.

"Dominik Vandershmut," Therrien said & Nik's face lit up.

He skated over to the rest of the team & high fived everyone. Then it was to the locker room where everyone cheered having made the team. Everyone was singing & dancing in the showers when Michelle walked into the locker room.

"Oh my God," she said holding her stomach. "Um Sid can you come here?"

He ran over in half a towel, that`s when something awkward happened. Colby & Erik had started, when Erik whipped Colby & his towel dropped.

"Oh hello Colby," Michelle said. "That is something I really didn`t need to see."

"Oh `cause you`ve never seen it before," Army said with a laugh.

"Right, what did you want babe?" Sid asked.

"Um I don`t remember."

Cassie walked into the locker room just as Geno was about to put a neon green shirt on. "No babe," She said & ran her hand over his muscular chest. "I love you my sexy Russian."

"And that would be why you`re pregnant," Michelle said with a laugh.

"Look who`s talking."

Nik was sitting at his stall taking his good old time to take his gear off, he had a big smile on his face, & Miriya knew why. She walked over & sat down next to him. "Well Nik you made the team, Congrats!"

"Thanks, that was the easy part, here comes the hard part."

"Asking Erin out?"

"Well that too, but actually making it in the NHL."

"Oh don`t worry about, now go get showered so you can tell Erin the good news."

"Thanks," he said giving her a hug & heading off to the showers.

Miriya & Jordan drove Nik to the mall where he was meeting up with Erin. As they drove down 279 & McKnight Rd. they passed Miriya`s parents' house & then approached the gigantic Ross Park Mall sign. Nik sat in the back of the silver sports car twirling his thumbs with a nervous look on his now pale white face.

"Nik, everything will turn out fine. Just calm down & good luck," Miriya said as they drove up the hill to the mall parking lot.

"Thanks, I`ll see you guys later."

Miriya got out of the car, moved the seat, & helped Nike out of the back seat. She gave him a hug, got back into the car & watched as he nervously walked into the Sears entrance & into the mall. Miriya & Jordan also decided to go hang out in the mall & maybe browse the store Miriya used to work in.

Nik walked through Sears to the benches where he saw the back of Erin's head. She had head phones on so she didn`t hear him walk up next to her.

He pulled the head phone from her ear & hugged her. "Oh, hi Nik," she replied.

"Ok, I know this is kind of sudden, but I made the team & have wanted to ask you this since the day I met you. Will you go out with me?"

"I would love you to go out with you," she said with a smile.

"Really?" she nodded & smiled. "Good," he said, smiled, & started breathing normally again.

They spent the rest of the day walking through the mall with smiles on their faces & their fingers laced.