***Boyd's POV***

"You're smiling."

I glance over at Dandy, who is sitting in the plane seat next to mine. "I am?"

He rolls his eyes. "Yes. You are. For the first time in like...a week. What gives?"

I blush. "I told him."

Dandy's eyes widen. "You're KIDDING me!" I shake my head. "And you're smiling?"

"He doesn't hate me." I still can't believe it. I can feel a goofy grin spread across my face. "He said he wants to be my friend."

"I told you so!" Dandy shoves me gently. "I told you he wouldn't get pissed."

I duck my head. "Ok, so you were right. Once."

He laughs. "What are you talking about? I'm right all the time."

"Oh, you so are not! You're wrong about EVERYTHING." I cross my arms over my chest.

His eyes widen in faked shock. "I am NOT wrong about everything! Name one thing I've been wrong about."

"Let's see..." I pretend to count on my fingers. "There was that time you were SURE you had your VCR set to record the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, but it really wasn't."

"It was set," he mutters. "I just forgot to turn the VCR off."

I snicker. It feels really good to joke around with him again. "How about during camp, when we were betting on whether Malts could defeat Mac in Playstation wrestling? You were wrong then."

"I was not! Mac was cheating, I know he was!"

"Or..." I lower my voice, "you were wrong about your sexuality, you know."

Dandy turns a fascinating shade of purple. "Do you have to say that so loud????"

I lean away from him in self-defense. "I wasn't being loud! I whispered it!"

"Still!" He glares at me. "That shouldn't count. I wasn't really WRONG, I was just....late to catch onto the idea."

"Suuure. You keep telling yourself that." He hits me, I hit back, and soon we're having an all-out slap fight, giggling like idiots.

That is, of course, until our fun is spoiled by Chris Chelios' loud voice from the front of the plane. "Will you two idiots shut up? I'm trying to sleep here!!!"

"Sorry, Chelli," we say in unison.

"Wouldn't want to take away from your beauty sleep," I add.

Dandy smirks. "Heaven knows you need it."

The two of us narrowly miss a wad of paper flying at our heads. "Cut it out, or I'll tell Bowman on you," he threatens, but with a smile.

Me and Dandy quiet down, but we're still grinning. We lean back in our seats. "So. You really told him, huh?" Dandy says.

I stare downward. "Yup. I sure did. I didn't really have a lot of choice in the matter."

Dandy tilts his head. "Why not? Did something happen?"

"I kinda had a panic attack in the hallway after the Edmonton game." I blush. "Steve sort of rescued me from that, and he ended up making me tell him." I look up at Dandy. Should I keep going and let him know what's been bothering me since that discussion? He smiles encouragingly at me, and I decide that I might as well just tell him. "He said he wants to be my friend and... I believe him, I do, but I just don't know. I mean, what am I supposed to do now? Try and pretend like he doesn't know? Just hope that this goes away?" I sigh. "I'm so confused."

Dandy wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I find myself leaning into the touch. "Confused? Oh gee, I can't say as I have any experience with THAT one..."

I laugh. "When did you get all smart and stuff?"

"Well, while you were busy hiding under the blankets and having a nervous breakdown, I had a minor epiphany."

I raise my head up to look at him. "Oh really?"

He nods. "I figured....so what if I like guys? If I keep worrying about it, I'm gonna end up as mental as you..."

"Oh, thanks," I mutter.

He squeezes my shoulders. "I meant that in the nicest possible way. Anyways. So, yeah, maybe I'm gay or bisexual or something, and yeah, maybe I'm not totally ready to deal with it, but that doesn't mean I have to get all freaked out about it."

I can't help but smile. "Well, that's a smart attitude to have. Hell, you figured that one out in like, three weeks. It look me three years to get that far."

"Hey, some of us are quicker bloomers than others." He grins maddeningly at me.

I hit him. "Oh, shut up." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chelli flash me a warning glare, and I place my hands in my lap obediently. I see Dandy do the same, and hen we catch each other's eyes, we both collapse in a fit of giggles.

"Are you two EVER quiet? You sound like a bunch of fucking schoolgirls," Brett Hull yells from his seat.

Shanny sits up from where he was napping on Hull and blinks tiredly at him. "Christ, Brett, do you have to be so LOUD? I was trying to sleep!"

"They started it!" Hull exclaims.

Nick Lidstrom stands up from his seat. "And I'm ending it. All of you, be quiet. Don't make me turn this plane around."

I shake my head and laugh. Ok, so maybe I don’t know what to do. Maybe I'm still scared of what the hell I'm gonna say the next time I see Stevie. But at least I'll be entertained until then.

I'm not a child anymore
I'm tall enough to reach for the stars
I'm old enough to love you from afar
Even if I never hold you...
- "Beautiful Child", Fleetwood Mac

Part 14 | Part 16