Chapter 6

As everyone came in, they all saw Sidney sitting on the couch and then looked at Karen to see how she looked. Karen noticed what they were looking for and just shook her head at them.

"Ya'll are pathetic. We were just talking until you pulled up."

"Is that true Sid?" Nate yelled from the hallway.

"Well I tried to keep her off me but she was so irresistable I couldn't stop her." Sidney said as he joined everyone in the hallway.

"I guess we got here in the nick of time" Stacie said handing Sidney a small paper bag. "We can turn the tv up loud if you want to go upstairs and finish." She walked past Karen into the kitchen laughing the whole time.

The others followed and Karen had blushed for the second time that morning. She saw Sidney start to open the bag, but she grabbed it from him before he could.

"What's in the bag?" trying to take it back from her.

"It's nothing. Stacie is just trying to be funny." Karen had the bag behind her but Sidney was still playing around to get the bag.

"Just let me see what's in there?" he said laughing as Karen had a death grip on the bag.

Karen realized how close Sidney was to her and she leaned in and kissed him, hoping to get him to forget about the bag and its contents. Stacie walked out of the kitchen and saw the two of them kissing. She grabbed the bag from Karen's hands and walked off with them. Breaking away, she looked at Sidney with a smile and showed him her hands which were now bare.

"I will know what's in that bag before I leave today" he whispered.

She whispered back "maybe" and then kissed him again before walking into the kitchen.

"So what are we doing?"

"Well Karen, this is called opening a beer and then taking a drink" Jason said mimicking his actions.

"Not what I meant smartass but thanks for the play by play from your alcoholic ass. I meant what are we doing now, starting to make lunch before the race, wait until the pre-race, what?"

"The guys bought some pizza to make when the pre-race is under way. They didn't want you to go to too much trouble." Liz stated.

"It wouldn't have been trouble but whatever you guys want to do is fine. We have an hour and a half before it starts, what do you guys want to do?" Karen asked the group.

"Why don't we play a game?" Samantha smiled knowing which game to pick.

Karen turned to Sidney, "this could get ugly."

"Why, what game will they want to play?" he whispered back.

Before Karen could answer him, Stacie shouted "truth or dare."

"Can't we play something a little more fun? There will be no surprises since we've known each other forever unless....." she looked at Sidney's confused expression then looked back to her friends, "you are not going to torture Sid by asking him all the questions."

"But how else will we get to know him?" Jason said matter of factly.

"Just by talking to him."

"But that's the boring way. We want to see what we can get him to do if he takes a dare." Andrew said then took a swig of his beer.

Karen looked to Sidney, "it's up to you. Do you want to play truth or dare?"

"Will you play too?" he said smirking at her.

"Yes I will play too."

Everybody grabbed a few more beers and headed to the living room. Karen asked Sidney if he wanted some Ice Tea or Water knowing he couldn't drink with practice coming up in a few hours. She got them both some Ice Tea and then they headed to the living room too, seeing the spot on the couch for both of them.

"Ok, we already flipped for it and I will go first" Tom said. "Karen, truth or dare?"

"Oh god, yeah let's just start with me, truth."

"Did Sidney spend the night last night with you?"

"No he didn't" she said.

"Ok, my turn" Stacie chimed in.

"Wait, isn't it the turn of the person who answered the question?" Karen asked.

"That's not how we're playing this time" Stacie said. "Sid, truth or dare?"

"I'll take truth."

"How many girls have you been with since you've been in Pittsburgh?" Stacie asked which got the attention of the whole group, except Karen who shot her a glare.

"I'd say about 15."

"Were they all puckbunnies?" Karen asked in a serious tone.

"You can't ask another question out of turn?" Stacie said

"Yes you can" Karen stated. "If a question is asked and the answer leaves room for another question that is a continuation of the first question, then it's allowed."

"Okay then. Yes they were all puckbunnies." Sidney said looking at Karen but she just looked down when he answered.

"My turn" Jason said "Karen, truth or dare?"

"You know it will always be truth because I know how you guys get at picking dares."

"Why do you still wear the ring Rick gave you?" he said

Karen glared at Jason knowing that question came from Liz. "Because its my birthstone and I happen to think it's a beautiful ring." Turning her glare from Jason to Liz, "I still wear the jewelry that my parents gave me too. What do you want me to do Liz, stop wearing everything someone gave me because they are no longer in my life?"

"It wasn't suppose to be meant that way." she tried to clear up.

"Fine. Liz, truth or dare?"

"Truth" she said quitely.

"Why do you still have your ex boyfriend's number on speed dial?" Karen asked angrily

"WHAT?" Tom practically shouted.

Liz just glared at Karen as she continued "Come on Liz, it's apparently a crime for me to still wear a ring my ex boyfriend gave to me, but it's fine to have David's number still in your cell phone."

"Karen, enough" Samantha said trying to calm everybody down.

"Whatever" she said while getting up. "You guys obviously had an agenda thought up on the way over here. You want to finish playing the game and get everything out of Sidney, finish without me."

Karen left the living room and went to the kitchen. She put the pizzas in the oven for them and stopped telling them to get them out in 12 minutes before heading upstairs. Sidney sat on the couch not knowing what to think.

"Sorry Sid, we didn't mean to get out of hand" Andrew said "we just wanted to quiz you and see what you'd say to our questions."

"Speak for yourself Andy" Liz spatted out. "She took it one step to far."

"Only because you did Liz" Samantha said "you know how bad he hurt her and how she was when she finally came home. Maybe that ring symbolizes a happy thing for her that she'd rather hold on to." Looking to Sidney "did she tell you anything about their relationship?"

"Actually, that's what we were talking about before you guys showed up. I think I'm going to check on her." Sidney said and got up, going upstairs to find Karen.

As he got to the top of the stairs, there were three doors but one was open. He figured to try that one first and found Karen sitting on the bed with her back against the backboard staring at the ring she was wearing. When he got closer, he could tell she had been crying.

"You ok?" Sidney asked softly.

"Yeah. Sorry you had to sit through that" she said, still not looking at him. "Liz always knows where to take things."

Sidney walked over to the bed and went to sit beside her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. He picked up her hand and looked at the ring, thankful it didn't look like an engagement ring.

"It is a beautiful ring. Why did he give it to you?" Sidney asked cautiously.

"It was for my birthday. He bought it for me June of '93 because I should have something beautiful to wear everyday. That's all this ring means nothing more, nothing less and she knows that. Are they pissed that I came up here?"

"I think only Liz is mad at you because you're mad at her and then Tom is mad because he wants to know why she still has her ex's number. Everybody else stood up for you that she shouldn't have had Jason ask that question."

"I knew it came from her before Jason finished the question. She always lectures me about old boyfriends and yet she can't let go either." Karen looked at the ring again "maybe I am still holding on to something wearing it. Holding on to the fact that once upon a time, love did exisit for me." Looking at Sidney "I guess it's time to tell you that I truly am unstable. Half the time I don't even know what's going on in my head."

Karen smiled when she heard Sidney laugh "do you think that I might think it means something else?"

"Not really. If you want to question every piece of jewelry I own to see who gave it to me, then go ahead. I have nothing to hide from past relationships."

"Neither do I."

"Have you had a real relationship before?"

"In school I dated a girl for a year and a half, but that was the longest I've been with anyone and of course we were 15 at the time so I don't know how real it could have been."

"Ah, the exploring age."

"I thought any age in any relationship was an exploring age" Sidney smiled at her as he caressed her cheek.

"Really now?"

Sidney leans in and captures Karen's lips in a kiss. They both move down the bed to where they were lying down on their sides. As the kiss continues, Sidney moves Karen's leg on to his and pulls her closer to him, not leaving an inch between them.

Breaking the kiss "were you mad about the puckbunnies?" he asked.

"No. I didn't know you then, if that's what you went for that was your choice."

"That's not my choice now. I just need you to know that."

"I know."

They started to kiss again with hands roaming. Sidney's hands had moved from Karen's back to her stomach. He played with the hem of her t-shirt before moving them inside her shirt. He lightly touched her body, feeling her shiver at his touch. Karen placed her hands inside of Sidney's shirt to feel the muscles she knew was there. She had imagined what he would look like without a shirt on but feeling how cut his chest and stomach was turned her on immensely. She moved her hands to his back and left them there, digging her fingernails into the skin with every minute they continued to kiss. Sidney decided to test the waters and moved his hand up towards her breast. At first he slid his hand to the side and started to rub his thumb over her breast. He heard her moan into the kiss and moved his hand over to completely cover her, lightly massaging her.

Sidney left her lips and kissed his way to her neck, staying in one place and changing between kisses and light nips at her skin. The more he did this, the more soft moans escaped Karen's mouth. She had thoughts to tell him to slow down or stop, but she couldn't force the words to come out. When Sidney was satisfied playing with her neck, he moved back to kiss her. Karen was about to deepen the kiss when she heard a clicking sound. She pulled away from Sidney and looked over his shoulder to see Stacie standing in the doorway with her hand covering her eyes. She couldn't help but laugh and it caused Sidney to turn to see what was funny.

"We are still dressed Stac, you can uncover your eyes?" Karen said still laughing.

"That's ok, I don't want to take the chance. I was just checking to see if you were ok and by the sound of it, you are fine. I just wanted to bring you these." Stacie pulled the small brown bag from behind her back and threw it, hitting Sidney in the arm and landing between them. Stacie giggled before leaving and closing the door behind her.

"Oh god" Karen sighed.

Sidney removed his hand from under her shirt and picked up the bag, emptying the contents.

"Condoms? She bought these for me or you?" he couldn't help but laugh.

"Apparently both, sorry" she said with a smile.

"Hmm, a 12 pack. We could really have some fun with these" looking into her eyes "when we're both ready." Seeing her smile, "so where were we?"

"I think we were ready to stop."

"Why in god's name would we be stopping?"

"Because when I looked at Stacie, I saw the clock and it's 5 til 2. Don't you need to get to the arena?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Don't sound to happy to go play hockey with your teammates?" Karen said laughing.

"I'd rather stay here and play with you, why do you think I came over today?"

"I thought it was to keep my other boyfriends from coming over to play with me?"

"Oh, you have other boyfriends?"

"Yeah, I was waiting for the right time to tell you that I decided to not only play with you but with Ryan and Jordan too."

"Out of the entire locker room, you pick those two?"

"Um, out of the entire locker room, I've only met you, those two, and Marc and Evgeni. I took a shot and said two names that popped in there first."

"How about popping them out of your head and just keeping me in there all alone?"

Getting out of his grip and off the bed, "don't worry, you won't be alone in there. I have like numerous voices floating around in there so you will always have someone to talk to."

They both laughed and headed downstairs. Sidney stopped and said goodbye to everyone sitting around watching the tv and then grabbed Karen's hand, walking outside.

"Before I go, the reason I came over was to spend time with you. I think your friends are cool and everything, but I'm glad the last hour was just us."

"If you wanted it to be just us until you had to go to practice, why didn't you stop me from inviting them over?"

"Friends are important, I don't want to be that type of a potential boyfriend to keep you from your friends."

"That's sweet" she leaned up and kissed him "you better go. I don't want you to get in trouble for being late because of me."

"Yeah. Can I call you later?"

"Absolutely. I won't be heading down to Wheeling until about 8pm."

"What am I going to do without seeing you until the next home game?"

"I'm sure we can figure something out."

Sidney kisses her one last time and then runs down the street to Mario's to get into his SUV. He had already put his bag in the car to save time. Karen could see him drive down the street and out of sight before heading back inside.