Broken Hearts

by Rebecca Jenshak

  And she’s good. Within two minutes, she’s cut through the awkwardness and put me at ease. She tells me all about the company, then the job. It’s an entry-level position that creates sales materials for the healthcare software the company sells. The company is big, with two locations, which they call campuses. And each campus has amenities like a cafeteria, game room, meditation space, and a gym that rivals the one here at Valley.

  I knew a lot of these facts already. My dad has worked at Dalton for twenty-five years. In fact, the position I’m interviewing for is one he held early on in his career. He worked his way up to being an executive in the customer education department, where he works now, but over the years, he’s held a lot of different jobs with Dalton, so at least some of what Kelsie tells me makes sense.

  “Do you have any questions for me about the campus or the position?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” I say. “I’ve been to both locations with my dad so I’m familiar with where they are and everything.”

  She smiles big again. I wonder if they teach that in HR classes. I try to mimic her. I’m not positive I want this job, but I know that I need to act like I do.

  “Your dad is the best. Everyone loves him around here.” Another huge smile. “Well, should we talk about next steps?”

  “Umm, sure.”

  “I’m going to email over information packets with all the details I told you on the phone. Look over everything, and you can just email me back if you have questions. The healthcare benefits are incredible. I think you’ll be really pleased with that. I know preexisting conditions can be difficult.”

  I blink a few times, trying to think what to say. Kelsie doesn’t pick up on my hesitation, and I manage to compose myself.

  “Thank you. I will look everything over.”

  “If you’d like to talk to one of our sales managers, I can set that up, but I’ve already been given the go-ahead to extend an offer to you, so I will also be emailing that over.”

  “Wow. Really?”

  She nods enthusiastically. Big grin. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” I guess?

  “It was really wonderful to meet you, Sienna. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all, and congratulations again.”

  We say our goodbyes, and Kelsie ends the meeting. With a what the heck just happened sigh, I sit back in the chair. I just got a job.

  I pack up and head back to the dorm.

  “Hey,” Josie calls from her desk without looking up. “How was the interview?”

  Her hair is piled up on her head with two pencils sticking out of it. Josie is an art major, and I know how deep she is in the creative zone by the number of colored pencils holding up her hair. Right now we’re at a point she can still communicate. Four or more, and there’s no talking to her. She might speak, but she won’t remember it later.

  “Good. I got the job.”

  She swivels in her chair. “Oh my gosh, Sienna. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks.”

  She gets up to hug me. “Or not? You don’t look very excited.”

  “I’m stunned. They just gave me the job. I thought I’d have to answer questions about my strengths and weaknesses, tell them all the really amazing attributes I have that make me the perfect candidate.”

  She snorts. “You were just grumbling about those questions last night.”

  “I know, but I spent two hours preparing. What a waste.”

  “What is your greatest strength, Sienna Hale?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I am disciplined and focused, and action-oriented,” I say, just as I rehearsed.

  “That’s three, wow.”

  “Right? And I can provide examples for all, mostly around skating.”

  “Which would be great if you were interviewing for skating jobs.” She gives me the look—the one that says she disapproves of me giving up skating after college.

  The thing is, very few people make it as a professional skater like Elias and Taylor. Far more take jobs with ice dancing shows. Those are great. Josie works for one every summer and plans to do it after she graduates next year, but those shows are high-performance. There are flashing lights and loud music and all sorts of drama and flair. That’s what makes them super fun and exciting for an audience, and also dangerous for me. Even if my doctor signed off, most companies wouldn’t hire me, knowing the risk.

  If I just came right out and told Josie that, she’d stop giving me that look. I guess I don’t want her to. Some part of me wants to let her believe I’m capable of that. Half the battle with my heart condition is keeping people from feeling sorry for me or treating me differently.

  And, I’m okay with skating being a hobby from here on out. I love it, but I accept that it’s not my destiny. The problem is nothing else interests me enough to be excited about doing it for the rest of my life. I like my business classes, and I’m sure once I settle into a job, everything will be fine. It just seems like everyone else is so excited about their plans after graduation, and I feel very meh.

  I reach for one of the positives. “They have a really great fitness studio with yoga classes.”

  “The selling point is yoga?” She laughs. “You can do yoga anywhere.”

  “Thanks for ruining the selling point.”

  She sits on her bed. “Well, what are the other selling points then? Outside of yoga.”

  “It’s close to my family, the health benefits are excellent, 401k match, and I know it’s a great company that’s treated my dad well. I just thought I’d feel more excited.”

  “I don’t know if anyone takes an entry-level job thinking it feels great. You can work up to a better position, though. It takes time.”

  I don’t point out that she’s ecstatic every summer when she heads off for her job. Last year she was performing on a cruise ship, though, so her job definitely has more selling points than the one I was just offered.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I stick out my tongue at her. “That’s exactly what he said when he recommended me for the job.”

  “Are you going to take it?”

  “I don’t know.” I fall onto her bed and slump over so my head is in her lap. “I don’t think I’m cut out for the real world. Maybe I’ll get a bunch more degrees. What is women’s studies anyway?”

  She snorts and runs a hand over my hair. “You’ll figure it out, and you’ll be great at whatever you do.”

  My phone rings in my backpack.

  “What’s your weakness?” Josie asks as I get up to retrieve it. That’ll be my family ready to Zoom.

  I grin. “Limited experience.”

  She rolls her eyes. “That’s everyone interviewing for their first job.”

  “I know, right? It’s the perfect bullshit answer to a bullshit question.”

  11

  Sienna

  “Hi!” I answer my phone and wave at the screen while Josie goes back to drawing at her desk. My parents are crammed together on our living room couch.

  A second later, Mom moves the phone to show me Allison sitting in the armchair across from them.

  “Congrats, Al.” She plays on her high school junior varsity team, but got bumped to play varsity for the first time because one of their star players got injured.

  “Thanks,” she says, trying to play it cool. She breaks seconds later. “It was so awesome, Sie. They turned all the lights down, and the music was so loud that the announcer had to yell our names. I’ve never felt more important in my entire life.”

  She keeps rambling about her hockey game last night.

  “Mom sent me the video,” I say, when she takes a breath. “The only person yelling louder than that announcer was Dad.”

  She snorts. “Mom threatened to sit across the rink next time.”

  “I’m going to at least need to invest in earplugs,” Mom says. She’s smiling though and just as proud of Allison.

  My chest tightens thinking about how I’m missing watchi
ng her play. Add that to the selling points of Dalton. I could actually see my sister play a few games. “Did your coach say whether or not this was going to be a permanent thing?”

  “I hope so. Chelsea is out for the rest of the season.”

  “I’m so proud. My little sister is crushing other people’s dreams to make her own happen,” I joke with my hand held over my heart.

  “Hey, it isn’t like I injured her. And I’m sorry she’s out, that royally sucks, but you have to take the opportunities given to you.” She’s all sass and fiery determination. We are alike in a lot of ways. We have the same dark hair and same green eyes. But at five foot eleven, she looks older than fifteen. In fact, by the time she was ten, she was already taller than me. I’m more quiet determination and Allison is unapologetically tenacious in everything she does.

  “You’re not wrong there. When’s the next game?”

  “This weekend. It’s going to be a tough game.” Her expression goes serious, and she gets quiet, presumably worrying about their next game.

  My parents jump in to ask about skating and school. Dad hammers me with questions about the interview and congratulates me when I tell him they already sent over an offer.

  “They’re a great company,” he adds. “Good benefits, nice office building.”

  “It would be so nice to have you living closer again,” Mom says.

  “You know I’ll visit more no matter what,” I tell her. “And Kelsie mentioned the great health benefits.” I roll my eyes. “Doesn’t it seem sketchy that they offered me a job without a proper interview. I don’t even have any experience!” I don’t want to tell people how to do their job, but maybe Kelsie should be fired for hiring someone without properly interviewing them.

  He waves me off. “No one comes in with any useful experience. It’s about character, and Bob knows you’re a good egg.”

  “Bob?”

  “I worked with him when I was overseeing the program managers, remember?”

  “No.”

  “Handlebar mustache, wore flannel before it was trendy.”

  I huff a small laugh. “Vaguely sounds familiar.”

  “He’ll be your boss. He’s a great guy and has a good team. They’re at the south location with the good cafeteria.”

  “Another selling point,” I mumble.

  My dad looks like he’s two seconds away from giving me another lecture on working my way up, climbing the corporate ladder, when Olivia walks through the door.

  “Game is in five,” she says. “Are we watching it here or downstairs?”

  There’s a bigger TV downstairs in the lounge area, but Josie’s already propped up her laptop and is finding the game.

  “You’re watching hockey?” Allison asks, brows raised.

  “Of course. Valley is in the semifinals.” And my new crush is playing. I run two fingers along my bottom lip thinking about Rhett and wondering if I should keep kissing him.

  “If they win, they play the championship at Valley!” Allison says.

  “I know.” In the past I probably wouldn't have known but thanks to Rhett, I am well aware. “We’re really excited.” I move my phone so they can see Josie and Olivia.

  “Hi girls,” my mom says. Except they can’t hear her because I’m wearing my earbuds.

  “My mom says hello,” I tell them.

  They wave and say their hellos.

  “Here we go,” Josie says. I glance over in time to see the camera zoom in on Valley U’s hockey team warming up. If they win they’ll move on to the championship this weekend. If they lose, their season is over.

  As the game starts, Josie and Olivia settle on the floor to do homework, and I listen as my parents fill me in on everything happening there and periodically glance up at the screen to check the score, and okay, to see if Rhett is on the ice.

  Allison and my dad are talking about her last game again, all things they’ve already told me, but they’re both really excited so I let them chatter on. I’m tuning them out, anyway, watching the game. Number twenty-three comes onto the ice and I can’t tear my eyes away from him. Valley has the puck and he speeds down the ice. Several guys take shots at the goalie, but nothing makes it in. Finally after three or more attempts, Rhett rebounds a blocked shot and passes to Adam on the other side of the net for the first goal of the game.

  “Oh my gosh!” I yell. Josie and Olivia look up to see the Valley players huddling up, congratulating Rhett and Adam on the goal.

  My family stops talking to see what the commotion is about.

  “We scored.” I can feel the blush creep up my neck. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a goal in a hockey game. “Valley is up by one with three minutes left in the second period.”

  “That’s a lot of time,” my sister says. “Is Luke Ketcham in the net?”

  “Uhh...” I glance at the screen. I’m not about to tell them I only know the name and position of one Valley hockey player. The team is huddled up celebrating, but then it pans to the goalie and he turns so I can read the back of his jersey. “Yep.”

  “He’s one of the best. The highest number of games won and most saves in a single game. I think he was drafted already.” She looks to me like I might know. Yeah… nope, my hockey obsession is more a singular hockey player obsession.

  The rest of the second period goes by scoreless, but when the third begins, Josie and Olivia abandon their schoolwork and I say goodbye to my family so I can sit and watch with my friends.

  “Have you heard from him since they left?” Josie asks.

  “We texted back and forth this morning, but just about the game.”

  “I hope they win. Can you imagine? It’ll be nuts.” Josie squeaks with happiness.

  “There goes what’s left of our ice time,” Olivia says.

  Josie laughs. “Hey, I think we should continue to share. It’s some serious motivation to land a jump when a group of hot hockey players are watching. It’s been the best week of practice ever for me.”

  I snort. “I doubt Coach is going to find your reasoning solid.”

  The final minute has us sitting shoulder to shoulder in front of Josie’s laptop, holding hands. If they win, I have a great excuse to text Rhett later.

  Prescott has the puck. They pass it around looking for opportunities. Valley uniforms are everywhere trying to cover every inch to block any shot attempt. Still, Prescott manages to get it within a foot of the net. There are too many bodies in front of the goal to keep track of the puck. They hack at it looking for an opening.

  I hold my breath as another shot’s fired. This one gets by everyone but the goalie. He keeps his pad down on the ice protecting it until the final buzzer sounds.

  “They won!” Josie screeches and bounces up and down, still clutching my hand. “They did it. Oh my god.”

  We jump around our room and squeal with happiness. I send Rhett a text before I talk myself out of it. Congratulations!!!

  “This is crazy,” Olivia says. “I think I can hear people yelling outside.” She moves to the window and we follow.

  Sure enough, people are screaming and dancing around in the grassy area outside of our dorm.

  “Let’s go down there!” Josie rushes to the door. The hallway is filled with people who had the same idea.

  Outside music is playing and one guy even has his face painted blue and yellow. People are hugging and high-fiving as if they’d been the ones to win tonight. It’s insane and absolutely amazing.

  I snap a couple of selfies with the chaos in the background and send those to Rhett too. The mood mellows, but people hang around. Olivia eventually leaves to finish studying and Josie and I take a seat on the grass with a hundred or more people wanting to enjoy this crazy moment together.

  “This is incredible,” I say, looking around the darkened campus. The glow of street lamps is the only light.

  “It’s a shame the hockey team missed this.”

  “I’m sure they went out to a bar or something. The
bus doesn’t come back until tomorrow morning.” My stomach sinks as I imagine a drunk, charming Rhett pulling women into dirty, bar bathrooms to celebrate.

  “Still. It isn’t the same.”

  “Isn’t it? Girls and booze are interchangeable.” I check my phone to see if he’s texted back yet. He hasn’t.

  “Do you really think that Rhett believes that?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “It would be easier if I did.”

  “And way less fun.” She pulls her hair back into a low ponytail. “I don’t think he’s this player you’re making him out to be. Nothing I’ve heard about him backs it up. Seriously, I don’t know a single person who has hooked up with him, and I’ve been asking around.”

  “You have?” A smile tugs at my lips, partly in relief and partly because it’s just like Josie to dig for dirt without my asking.

  “I might have been poking for my own purposes. There are some seriously cute guys on the team that I needed more information on, but, yes, I asked around.” She shrugs. “If he’s hooking up with an endless stream of chicks, they’re not talking about it.”

  My phone pings and I glance down to see Rhett’s face in a sweaty selfie with Maverick. They must have taken it just after the game because I can see lockers in the background and they’re in a state of being half undressed. They’re smiles are giant, though, and I feel a new surge of excitement for them. Laughing, I hold the screen out for Josie to see.

  “Your smile is as big as his, friend. No matter your reservations, you like him.”

  “You’re right. I like him. I do.”

  “But?”

  “I just hope he doesn’t crush me.”

  “I think you have to go for it. If you do and he breaks your heart, then you’ve got me to pet your hair and tell you how wonderful you are.”

  I snort laugh.

  “I would! I would do whatever I had to until you were over him. But if you don’t see where this could go, you’ll regret it, and I can’t fix that one so easily.”

  12

  Sienna

  After my Tuesday afternoon yoga class leaves, I turn on my own music to do some fun poses and basically just play around a little before I go back to my dorm room. I place my hands on the floor and go up into a handstand. I’m upside down when he walks into the studio.