3. Tyler

“Jesus Tyler! In your whole twenty-five years how many times do I have to tell you to make your bed?” My mom yelled when she entered my room to wake me up, but I am already awake few minutes ago and I just finished changing into some cotton shirt and some sweats.

“And in the whole twenty-five years how many times do I have to tell you to get used to it?” I replied back which made her glare at me. “I’m just kidding mom! Please don’t give me some lecture please, my head is burning.”

I’m feeling another wave of hangover again for the nth time since I came back home, my best friends here in Edmonton and I got a little get together last night one last time right before I go back to Houston to start working on my business again and going to training camp.

“Ty, you know drinking too much is totally bad for your health.” My mom said as she makes my bed for the nth time since I came back here in the house too.

“I don’t drink that much all the time mom.” I said as I head to the kitchen to drink some ice cold water to feel a little better.

“Don’t bullshit me Ty.” My mom replied as she tails me heading to the kitchen.

“I am not.” I firmly said opening the fridge.

“You think I don’t know what have you been doing in Texas Tyler?”

“Mom!” I snapped. “I’m already old. You don’t have to hire an investigator or something to watch over me or something. I know what’s good or bad for me and I’m telling you, I am good.”

I only heard her sigh.

“Seriously Ty, gather your shit up again. You might regret that sooner or later.” She said. “I don’t like this version of you anymore. I hated that you always involve yourself into drinking and fighting. Have you seen the news about you?”

Yeah, I am not going to lie I am a shit at the moment ever since the game season ended because I don’t have anything else to distract myself yet. Being on the ice makes me feel better and occupied and it helps me to stop thinking about all the things that still do fucks me up even up to this day, but I am trying to forget all of those, everyone have already moved on about what had happened but I refuse to do it myself.

But yup, no distractions as of yet. The team’s physician wants me to use the little break off the ice since I also had a little injury on my ankle during the pre-season and didn’t get much time for recovery. So no ice for me at the moment until camp. So as of the moment, drinking has been the only thing that distracts myself from thinking about Elise, I'm just gonna say it!

“Mom, don’t believe everything on the news, okay? Some of it are manipulated.” I replied but I only received a long stare from her. I know what my mom thinks and feel about me right now but I just don’t give a shit. Everything that happens to me at the moment is happening caused by a shitty circumstances and not because I initiated it myself.

“I hate that you still care for that girl and somehow risk your own career.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then why did you punched McCovey?”

“Because he’s being a dickwad.” I replied completely annoyed when the night before I flew here in Edmonton flashed back into my head. That asshole made my life and image in such a mess!

The incident is all over the news and thank god that this time they all finally agreed that I was the victim in the situation. That wasn’t the first time we had a fight, in the past two years before and after Elise and I have broken up we’ve been already fighting in and out of hockey. People and hockey analysts keep on suspecting that this was all about the hockey rivalry since Texas and Switzerland are rivals for so many years but actually, it’s not just about that.

I joined my sisters on the living room to avoid any further questions from my mom.

“Really Andy? You’re spending the weekend watching a boring documentary about babies?” I commented when I noticed the TV show my sister watches in the living room.

“Boring?” She echoed. “Babies aren’t boring Tyler!”

“Whatever you say.” I said and chugged on the glass of water I’m holding.

“We won’t be watching that if Elise didn’t…” she started mumbling but I wasn’t able to hear the rest.

“What did you just say?” I asked pretending that I don’t know what she was trying to say.

“Oh nothing.” She answered. “Just go eat something.”

My family was broken-hearted too about what happened to me and Elise two years ago. But life happens and seems like me and Elise weren’t really for each other. I am still healing from that tragic moment of my life too. It affected me, my whole being and I am even surprised that I get through that because it literally swallowed me whole, up until now.

But accordingly, life isn’t about rainbows and cupcakes. There’s always storms along the way and those hurricanes will help you to be wiser and smarter this time.

“Andy, what the hell?” My youngest sister Cassie said adjusting on her seat when our mom joined us later. My whole family is here at our little cottage to chill out for the weekend, basically, I asked them to spend it with me because I am going back to Houston on Monday morning.

The show is showing a woman giving birth on a bathtub or something and it is totally awful to watch, I don’t know what is up with my sister at the moment. I like kids, but thinking about how they get out from a woman’s body is pretty disturbing to think about.

“I am not looking forward to that I’d totally prefer C-section.” Andy commented.

“Actually, you don’t look forward to any of those until I let you get married!” I said bursting her bubble.

“And when exactly is that?” Andy beamed at me.

“Until I say so.” I said firmly.

“You’re the worst!” Andy answered. “Mom, what will you feel if I get knocked up?”

“Andy!” My mom exclaimed eyeing my sister.

“Your boyfriend better fly to the moon before I beat the living shit out of him.” I warned as I joined the three important woman in my life.

“But mom picture this out, what if Andy don’t know who the father is?” My other younger sister Cassie asked ignoring what I have just warned them.

“What? Are you whoring around now?” I asked kind of annoyed with the situation they are trying to picture out.

“Tyler! You don’t talk to your sisters like that!” My mom exclaimed again. “Seriously Ty, it doesn’t mean that a girl disappointed you once means all the girls are already like that.”

“I didn’t said anything!”

“But it sounds like you are.” My mom added and beamed back to my little sisters. “Well, Andy at your age I already have your big brother, besides you already finished college, so it’s fine with me. But not you Cassie, you’re way too young.”

“There’s no way I’m gonna let that happen.” I chimed in.

“Because you want to be the first one to have a baby first? Or get married?” Cassie asks and snorted. “Fat chance bro!”

“And what exactly does that mean?” I challenged.

“You’ve been treating girls as toys so there’s no way you’ll get married first.” Cassie dropped which made me snicker because as of the moment, that’s actually what I am doing.

I seriously don’t have plans on getting into a serious relationship yet, or maybe it’s just that finding a girl who likes me for who I am rather than what I am is kind of hard. People think that if you are a world well-known hockey player you always get surrounded with girls, it’s true, we always get surrounded by pretty girls all the time who by the way, only wants to sleep with us so that they will have something to brag with their friends.

It’s hard, really.

We need a person who’s ready to keep up with our schedules, ready to stick with us and be loyal as fuck because we are constantly away. I thought I already found one before but I only ended up being disappointed.

“You don’t know that.” I only answered.

“Mm-hmm. We’ll see about that.” My little sister commented.