you're like an indian summer in the middle of winter;; three

The next morning I'm sitting on my porch waiting for Jonathan to show up. I'm wearing cut off jean shorts, a zebra print bikini top and an off the shoulder black t-shirt, with my pink flip flops. My hairs in a bun on the top of my head and my eyes are covered with ray ban glasses. Still, what the hell have I got myself into? I'm letting Jonathan Toews drive me up to lake Winnipeg.

I suddenly see a silver Honda Civic slowly pull up to the curb. It's Jonny. I let out a deep breath before I head towards the car as he's getting out.

"You're late." I say before I open up the door.

"By two minutes. You know you suck at directions."

"You suck for not paying attention."

He just rolls his eyes as we get into the car. I began to play around with his iPod he has hooked up to the speakers in his car. I'm hoping to find something decent. Suddenly, I begin to smile.

"What?" He asks as his own smirk appears.

"Your iPod. You have every song that I do."

"I guess we're not so different then, eh?"

"To an extent." I reply as I put on Keith Urban.

The miles began to roll by us as we both sang to the songs. It was him first who started to sing as his eyes slowly looked over at me. I felt my heart race as I let the lyrics fall past my lips. In that moment, we were both singing like idiots at the top of our lungs, causing looks from a few cars we passed on the highway. My laughing came to a complete stop as he reached over and grabbed my hand. My skin felt like it was on fire. I bit back my innocent smile as I looked out into farmland of Manitoba, keeping a tight grip on his hand.

It felt like we were in that car for longer than we should've been. I furrowed my eyebrows as I read the map. I followed the lines with my finger, when I stopped dead in my tracks.

"You took the wrong fucking exit!"

"I did not."

"Jon, stop the fucking car."

"Don't use that tone with me."

"JONATHAN TOEWS, YOU STOP THIS FUCKING CAR RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME GOD!"

The car came to a screeching halt. We were in some really small town. There was a diner on one side, and a gas station beside it. I took out a deep breath as I looked at the map while Jon kept quiet.

"We were supposed to take 413 ... you took 421."

"I did not!"

"Fine. I'll just go and ask someone over there where in the fuck we are!" I yell getting out of the car in a huff and running over to the other side.

"Ally, stop!"

I turned around on my heel, and started to walk back over to him. He met me in the middle of the road as I glared up at him. "Why? You don't admit that you're wrong! You're so fucking stubborn."

"We are not lost. So what? We missed a couple exits."

"A couple?" I snorted. "More like 8 exits too far. I can not wait to see your face when a local person tells us how far we've really gone. You're all the same you hockey boys. Hell, all of you men are the same. You can't admit you're wrong when it comes to directions. If you disagree with me, so help me god, I'll walk --"

I got cut off with both of his hands wrapped around my neck and his lips pressed against mine. My feet melted onto the burning pavement as my lips finally relaxed and pressed harder into his. We broke apart and his hands ran down my arms before our fingers locked together. I couldn't wipe that stupid smile off my face as I looked up at him.

"You're right. I missed eight-too-many exits. We'll turn around and take the right one. You can even drive if you want"

I shrugged, "Or we could stay here for a bit. I'm starving, and that place better serve milkshakes."

"Hmm, that sounds good. Make mine a strawberry."

"Who said I was buying you one?"

He just laughed before he kissed me again. The way it should be.

so hysterical, this can't be healthy;; two

"YOU TURNED JONATHAN TOEWS DOWN?"

I looked over at my best friend Stephanie. She was flabbergasted at my news. We sat in the foot court down at the Forks - a huge market, and a tourist attraction in Winnipeg. I pushed away the rest of my chinese food as I shrugged. So what if I turned him down? Sure I liked him, but, I wasn't going to fall at his feet. That's exactly what he wanted. Plus that cocky attitude of his completely irked me.

"Stephanie, he's a jerk. I don't know what happened to him, that school changed him."

"You're insane. He's totally gorgeous, everyone wants him, and YOU turned him down!"

"You've said that 5 times already."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm getting ice cream." She replied getting up from the table.

I sat back in my chair, puffing hot air from my cheeks. I wasn't crazy for turning him down. Not in the slightest bit. He was only asking me out for the sake of having a girl on his arm. It's just the way these hockey players worked. If he really liked me, he'd be the one falling at my feet. Simple as that.

"So, I've got a proposition for you." Steph said as she sat back down with her ice cream.

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"Are you gunna listen to me or not?"

I chuckled and leaned on the table, waiting for her answer, "Okay fine."

"Jonathan and his friends are playing softball tonight. Behind St. Paul's like they always do every Friday when Jonny's back. The girls and I were going to go watch them ... you should come."

"Why would I be interested in a sotfball game?"

"Don't lie, you love baseball. I'm just saying that if you're there, and Jon sees you. Maybe he'll attempt to ask you out again."

"He likes the chase, Steph. I'm not fueling his fire."

"Maybe he doesn't want to chase you."

"Maybe you're a dumbass."

"Bitch."

I headed home right after our lunch. Steph said if I changed my mind, she'd pick me up at 6. It was 4:30 now. I was so bored that I hit the shower, got out, did my make up, dried my hair and started to curl it.  5:30 rolled around and I was STILL curling my hair. I heard my phone ring in my bedroom, it was Steph.

"Hello?"

"Are you coming or not?"

"I guess."

"GOOD! Cause me and Gina are outside your house right now."

"Oh fuck you guys. I'll be out in five."

I put my hair into a side ponytail to cover up the hair I didn't get to curl yet. I threw on a pair of ripped jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt, and slid my feet into my pink flip flops. I got into the car and glared at Steph, who just laughed as she put the car in gear and drove down the street. I felt nervous for some reason. I kept picking at my nail polish the closer we got to the park.

Then I saw him.

He was standing with two of his friends as the pitcher warmed up. I caught him smiling and I felt my chest tighten up. He turned around and saw me. Great.

"Ally!"

Better talk to him now or he won't leave me alone. "Jonathan."

"So are you still thinking of my offer?"

"Not really."

"Ouch. That's cold."

"I'm sure you have other girls you can ask." I snapped as I turned on my heel and began to walk away.

"But, that's the problem." He said as he forcefully grabbed my arm, causing me to spin around and be met with his midnight like eyes.  My god those eyes. "I only like you though. Forget those other girls."

"...what?"

"I thought about you a lot when I was gone. I'm being serious here."

"But you're always serious. How can I believe you?"

"Do you want me to crawl over broken glass to prove it to you?"

"It'd be a start."

He threw his head back, like he was asking for help. I crossed my arms and waited for him to come back to earth.

"You're going to the Lake tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Everyone goes there for Canada day."

"Let me drive you up there. We can talk. I'm not a bad person, Ally."

"Fine. Pick me up at 10. Do not be late."

He flashed me some smile that could've knocked me to my feet if I wasn't leaning against the fence behind home plate. I gave me him my address and he walked away. Now I wonder what the hell I got myself into.

I'm just trying to find that sweet love of mine;; one

Winnipeg - Summer 2005;;
They all joked about him, they even called him the situation. He was the hottest hockey player in the city. The girls wanted him, the guys wanted to be him. Of course I was one of those stupid wide-eyed girls who adored him. It was those big brown eyes that won me over. Oh those big brown eyes.

He always joked around with me. I counted down the days till he came home for the summer. I first met him when we were both 16, which was last summer. I was at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers football game with my family when Jonny's family sat in front of us. My mother recognized his mom, and they began to speak.

I was completely lost in the game, and Jon ended up explaining some of the rules to me. Before I knew it; we were full on talking, and not caring about the game. The summer sun pelted on us and didn't help that weak feeling he gave me in the knees. We bought popcorn and pelted it at fans of the opposing team. He made me laugh till I couldn't breathe, made me smile till it hurt. It was an unforgettable day.

I saw him later that summer, at the local park playing baseball with his friends. He told he was leaving the next day to go to Shattuck St. Mary's for school and to play hockey for the year. I haven't seen him since then.

Now I fear he won't even remember me this summer.

I woke up one bright morning to my normal routine: shower, blowdry my hair, curl it, put my make up on, put my work uniform on, eat breakfast, listen to my iPod as I take the bus to work. I worked at a smoothie place in the local mall. It wasn't much, but it was a job. I made money. That's all I cared about.

It was getting close to the end of my shift when I heard the muffled noises of teenage boys. They got closer to the counter as I watched them all. Some tall, some even taller, blonde, blue eyed, and ...

That's when my heart stopped.

That's when I noticed him.

I saw those brown eyes before I saw his face. I could feel my cheeks flush a shade of red as our eyes locked. He got closer, and had this cocky smirk on his face. He wore beat up jeans and a blue jays t-shirt, his hair was a short-spikey mess on top of his head. It's been a year since I've seen him. He's grown so much. He looked like a man, not an awkward teenager anymore.

"Have we met?"

"Yeah, we met at a bombers game --"

"No, I know now." He cut in, intently staring up at me. "Ally, right?"

"Yeah. How was St. Mary's?"

"It's was great. I'm going to UND in the fall."

"That's great. Are you gunna order anything or just stare at me?"

He shook his head, as his cheeks burned from embarrassment. It made me feel a little more comfortable, knowing he was just as nervous as I was. Wait, why would he be nervous? I'm just another girl for him to flirt with. Another girl that loved his charm. I was no one special ...

"I don't know. What do you recommend?"

"Strawberry banana. It's my favourite."

He nods as his lips curve into a smile. "Then that's what I'll get."

"Do you want a protein shot in it?"

"No thanks, I'd rather have you meet me at the movies across the street tonight at seven."

"What?"

"You heard me."

I couldn't even react. He was asking me out? Get real. His drink came and I slid it over to him as he paid for it. "You're crazy, Toews."

"Fine, turn me down. You'll regret it." He smugly replied before taking a sip of his smoothie.

I just laughed and watched him walk away. I had a funny feeling it was going to be one big game of cat and mouse this summer.