thirty-three: chapter two

(kings of leon - use somebody)

5:32pm. Buy me a burger, will you? -theo

5:32pm. I'm in training, cant escape the big boy. Please be a good best friend and get me a burger. -theo

5:34pm. Oh and a soda too. I don't care what kind of soda it is. Just get me your favorite or something. -theo

5:40pm. Don't even think of ignoring my texts, angel. I'm your ride home. I know you really hate the smelly buses so I'm your only hope!!! –your fav man

A scoff escaped her mouth as she read the string of texts he had sent her. He was smart; he knew that her classes had just ended. It was the perfect time to ask, or rather demand her for a meal. Her eyebrows pulled together and a scowl displayed itself on her face when she imagined the impish look on his features as he typed those messages.

5:41pm. i'm not your personal slave. –thena

Her nose flared when she clicked send. She couldn't believe he was discreetly threatening to ditch her!

Their houses were more or less one street away from each other which made it easy for her to hitch a ride with him on Fridays. She had promised her dad that she would head home every weekend so they could spend some quality time as a family. Besides, who knew what would happen to the house if she didn't go back and forth between Yellowfields and St. Cloud to check up on them every now and then.

Without Theo, she wouldn't be able to get a ride to Yellowfields since she absolutely hated buses. To be fair, the only buses that she resented were the very ones that led to her hometown. No one ever needed to ride a bus to their hometown since there were only about a thousand residents living there so the buses were all prehistoric. Whenever she did become unfortunate enough to have to experience the awful bus, the foul stench and the few nosy riders just made her blood boil.

5:43pm. Never said you were. I distinctly remember calling you a good best friend. But if I don't get my burger, you may as well be an awful one. Should I get a refund from the best friend department? Mine seems to be having an error at the moment. –thena's #1 man

Athena groaned as she knew she had lost the moment he mentioned home. She bit back a sigh as she made her way to the burger joint. Aggravated by her high-handed best friend, she kicked an invisible rock in front of her in an attempt to release her anger.

It was as if the world despised her in that moment because she staggered in front of the joint, giving the group of seniors seated near the store a comedic show. Though she was certain that the crowd had seen what had happened, relief still filled her soul. If they did snicker, they did a good job at concealing it. At least they had the decency to laugh behind her back instead of in front of her. They were a lot better than the damn freshmen that didn't know how to stifle their laughter.

5:43pm. you win. it was a cheat tho, and i'm mad at you for using the best friend card. be there in 20. –thena

After ordering Theo's meal, she reread the messages again out of boredom and noticed something on one of his messages. Thena's #1 man was set as the signature. Athena snorted at her best friend's overconfidence and rolled her eyes. Did he forget that she lived most of her life with five men? And two dogs, of course. She couldn't forget her two favorite running buddies.

5:48pm. btw don't be so full of yourself. you're kind of thena's #8 man –theo's #1 girl

Within a few seconds, she caught her phone flash. It hadn't even passed a minute yet and she already got a reply. For someone who claimed he was in training, Theo had so much time to text.

5:48pm. ouch. what do you mean #8? Are you replacing me with one of your archi friends? Is that how it is now? You're my #1 and I'm just your #8? –downgraded to #8 on Thena's list

Again, she rolled her eyes at her obnoxious drama queen. She wished people could see this side of Theo so they would stop being so afraid of him. Underneath his hard skin, Theo was a pretty laid back and compelling guy. It seemed like she was part of the minority that didn't see him as an asshole. 

Well, most of the time. She knew he had some asshole-ish moments.

She blew a small breath after glancing up to see that the meal hadn't been served yet. She began to type in her reply, tapping her foot as she waited for burger.

5:51pm. well, there's my four brothers, my dad, and of course artu and trippyo! And then you. –he just admitted that I'm his #1!!!

It took at least five more minutes before the burger had finally been served. "Thanks!" She smiled at the vendor and took the paper bag before paying the middle aged man. He had a scruffy beard and the attitude of a wet cat. The salesperson merely grunted in reply before going back to the kitchen.

She suddenly thought of a bright idea. "Wait!" She called out to the vendor. He looked over his shoulder and glared at the paper bag in her hand. He trudged back to the front of the store and tapped on his shoe, edgily waiting for Athena to say whatever it was that she so wanted to say. "Do you have any hot sauce?" She innocently asked, trying her hardest not to move as she felt like if she did then the man might just explode.

The vendor, or Mr. I-have-to-suck-the-life-out-of-everything as Athena silently referred to him as, grinded his molars and pointed to the table on the side. Athena's eyes followed in suite and she spotted the condiments.

An awkward smile made its way to her face, "Um, sorry. Thanks again!"

She made her way over to the side and mumbled to herself, "Cheer up, grumpy." A low growl erupted from behind her. Turning around, she saw the same vendor's eyes turn into slits and glower at her. Her eyes widened and she hurriedly dumped as much hot sauce as she could in the patty before scurrying off to leave.

Another flash stole her attention as she stalked towards the ice hockey rink. She couldn't help but break out into a grin when she read her best friend's message. The experience with the cranky vendor immediately vanished in her mind and she was now bursting with bubbles.

5:57pm. Harsh, couldn't even make it to top 6. The dogs beat me to it? –well it's true

Too busy debating on what witty response she could send, Athena didn't even notice that she was already in front of the door that led to the rink. Thankfully, her feet stopped her before she could collide with the door. She slowly opened the entrance and peeked inside, checking if she was welcome to enter. She looked around, seeing around fifteen people inside the rink and a few more perched on the benches.

Feeling slightly disappointed that she couldn't at least watch him practice, she frowned and closed the door. According to Theo, practice regularly ended at 7:30 but at the moment, it was only five past 6.

Now that she had thought about it, she had never really seen him play. She had missed out on all the tournaments and practices. It wasn't like she didn't want to though; she really wished she could support his team and watch him play live, but he just never invited her to watch any of his games. Sure, she had seen him and her brothers play video games like NHL but actual games with real life players, not once. She had heard from tons of people that he was enormously talented, even considered as one of the best goaltenders in Minnesota, but that was as far as her knowledge went when it came to Theo's skills.

She sent him a quick text after taking another peek at the ice rink.

6:07pm. I'm here, didn't see you in the rink though? where are you? –theo's fave

Almost immediately, her phone flashed. Creases formed in her forehead as she silently read the message.

6:07pm. Tell me, honestly, are you blind? Because the first time you poked your head in, I already saw you. –sadly not thena's fave

Confused, she locked her phone and took yet another look at the rink. Low and behold, number 33 was sitting on one of the benches, waving his arms around like a lunatic. He looked like he just got out of the shower, sporting a clean sweatshirt and all compared to his sweaty looking teammates clad in bulky armor. He beckoned Athena over to his spot and she very reluctantly toddled over. Once close enough, he seized the bag from her hands and ripped it open.

"Aw Athena, you're the sweetest. Thanks for the burger." He spoke right before he took his first bite. If it wasn't for the bizarre look on his face after he chewed, she would have forgotten what she had done to the burger. She fought the urge to laugh as she watched Theo fan his tongue, meat and bread, as well as the other condiments, falling off his mouth and into the floor. His blue eyes looked like they were drowning in tears.

Her teeth were clenching as she spoke, utterly terrified that if she actually opened her mouth, the laughs would immediately escape. "Theo! Stop eating like a dog. Acting like one won't place you higher than Artu and Trippiyo, you know."

He glared at her as he grabbed the soda. After taking a few long chugs, he finally spoke, "What the hell did they put in there, the whole country of Chile? Geez, my tongue is still burning!"

She couldn't restrain the laughs any longer. Her loud giggles made him squint. "Stick your tongue on the ice if it's too hot for you. Dogs do that." She said.

His nose twitched and he pointed at her, making sure his voice was loud enough for the nearby players to hear. "Ha, she thinks she's witty."

Athena's eyes were trained on him before jabbing a thumb in his direction as well. "And he thinks he can boss me around."

Some of the players looked over and snickered at the sight of the two. They looked like they were blaming each other for both eating the last cookie in the jar.

One of the players in the rink interrupted their stare down with a roaring holler, "And I think you should both shut up and annoy each other elsewhere."

Athena couldn't tell which boy produced the yell. All of the players on ice looked pretty focused with the training but when Theo shot back, she immediately spotted him.

"Piss off, Reuter." Number 21 was on the close edge of the rink, with his back faced to them. The word Reuter was plastered neatly on his red Jersey. She noticed how all the players on ice seemed to listen intently to what he had to say. His aura radiated confidence, pretty much giving away the fact that he was probably the most important person on their team.

From what she's heard from Theo's stories, him and Reuter were a lot like Dumb and Dumber. Or Barney and Ted, except they were both Barney and a lot more ruthless.

Reuter spun around when he heard Theo's tone. He rested his hockey stick on the ice and widened his stance, making him seem challenging. "Aw, what a vile way to speak to your captain, Norcross. Coach is gone, wouldn't want me to tell him that his favorite goalie's skipping the rest of training now, would you?"

Theo merely rolled his eyes, but didn't answer. He bit his tongue to keep him from barking back and instead, switched his glance on Athena, who was just blatantly staring at Reuter, utterly confused with the boys' banter. 

Was threatening really a hockey player thing or was it just the two boys? It was the second time within the hour that she had witnessed a hockey player give a threat, whether it was palpable or implied.

She could see why they got along; both were (probably) skillful, arrogant, and prideful. It also seemed like they had to get along, otherwise sharing a dorm room would be hell for the two guys.

When Reuter saw that he had won, a smug grin made its way to his face and he winked at Athena before turning his attention back to his teammates. Involuntarily, her nose scrunched up. They really were the same.

Although Theo was still vexed with what Athena did, he still tugged on her arm to make her sit beside him. They both knew it in their hearts that Theo could never get angry at her. It was true that he was a tough nut, but he was essentially a very tolerant person when it came to his best friend.

Before she could ask about why he was skipping training, he spoke.

"You're so difficult." He huffed, "All I asked for was a burger and now five dollars just went down the drain."

She held a hand up and corrected him, "Actually, it was 6.50."

He was taken in surprise. His ears perked up before he responded, "Really? They upped their prices?" Seeming genuinely interested, he urged her to answer. Athena wondered why he was so engrossed in the topic but figured it was just a Theo thing. He must have really loved the taste of those burgers.

"Yeah, guess so."

"Damn, that sucks. Well now a perfectly good 6.50 burger just went to waste." The bummed look on his face left her feeling bad for her little prank. She wanted to make it up to him somehow.

She sighed and jutted out her lips before she replied, "Yeah, whatever. I'll buy you a new one."

"Great! I'm kind of broke at the moment." His lips curled upwards and he gave her a small, triumphant smirk. He pat her knee and stood up, motioning for her to do the same. Although a tiny part of her wanted to stay and beg him to practice with his teammates for a while just so she could finally see him play, she still forced herself to stand up and follow him to the exit.

They slowly made their way back to the burger joint in silence. Her thoughts were blank. She honestly didn't know how to ask him why he's never invited her to any tournaments. Now didn't seem like the time to ask about it though, he was tired and she didn't want to appear nosy.

She took great pride in her perfect attendance when it came to her brothers games. Athena was an exceptionally supportive sister and with no doubt, she would be a supportive friend as well. So why didn't Theo want her in any of his games?

She huffed when she couldn't think of any plausible reason for the lack of invites that she received from Theo.

A loud cough pulled her out of her thoughts. Theo gestured to the burger joint's large sign. They had already arrived. Athena's eyes suddenly went wide when she remembered the grumpy vendor that she managed to anger even more. She let out a shaky laugh and stopped.

Theo took a curious glance at her before opening his mouth, "The store's still a few meters away, angel. They're not gonna take your order from here. You're not that special to them."

"Erm, why don't you go order and I'll stand over here?" An awkward smile crossed her face as she asked the question. Athena looked over Theo's shoulder and sure enough, the vendor's signature scowl could be seen from her position. She handed him her wallet and turned around in hopes that Mr. I-have-to-suck-the-life-out-of-everything wouldn't recognise her from the distance. Theo noticed her uneasy demeanor but didn't push it and headed for the burger stand instead, following her request.

After more than ten minutes of waiting, Theo finally jogged back to Athena's side with a big paper bag on his hand. Together, they walked aimlessly around the main dining hall, looking for a place to sit. Once they found an empty table, they made a beeline for the spot at once.

Theo pulled two burgers out from the paper bag and handed one to Athena, along with her wallet. She looked at him peculiarly and he caught her eyes, lifting one side of his lip. After eyeing the burger suspiciously and sniffing it for any trace of hot sauce, she finally took a bite. She felt relieved when her tongue didn't burn.

"I was supposed to eat both but then it was like my dad flashed in my head and started scolding me and telling me to learn to be generous." He shuddered, as if the thought of sharing freaked him out. And maybe it did. "Well, it was your money but it's the thought that counts. You're welcome."

Athena's face morphed into a strange look. It was the combination of amusement and bewilderment. "Thanks, I guess."

They ate in silence for a moment. She tried to focus her gaze on anything but him, afraid that she might end up gawking once she took a look at him. 

There were moments when she could openly look at him and not feel giddy inside, but other times she could barely glance in his direction without imploding. Now felt like the latter.

Theo hadn't uttered a word since he started munching on his burger. She so wanted to see what he was doing but she didn't want to risk it. Thankfully, he spoke up, giving her an excuse to glance at him.

His brows pulled together as he gazed at her. His eyes had been trained on hers, perplexed by her wildly shifting eyes. "Are you looking for something?"

She blinked at least four times in one second. "Uh, no."

She needed to change the topic before he could push it. Say something! Anything! "So um, why did you skip training?" Athena mentally gave herself a pat on the back for the good save.

"Technically, I didn't really skip. I'd like to think of it as an early dismissal. But to answer your question, it was because I didn't eat lunch and I was starving."

"Oh."

"Plus, I wanted to see my best friend. I kinda missed my little hothead."

She looked up at his wonder filled eyes. He was waiting to get a reaction out of her. She knew his tactics and so she chose not to show any emotions. On the outside, she just nonchalantly shrugged but internally, she was already sewing her mouth shut just to stop herself from squealing.

"How suave. It doesn't fit you. And we could have just met up after your training, it would have been less of a hassle."

An eyebrow arched and he leaned forward. He was still chewing when he opened his mouth to talk. "Have you ever been out of your room past 7:30pm?"

"I have... not. Touche."

a.n. Yellowfields is a fictional place okay. There is no yellowfields in Minnesota nor is there an uncle art's diner lol I just made it up so i wouldnt have to check the map to make sure that the things i wrote were actually in MN hehe the only real place there is st cloud (where they both study in)!! Even the university is just fictional so pleaaase dont lecture me about geography bc i suck at it

also the jersey thing isnt the only reason for Thirty-Three being the title lol ders more AHHAHA