The Lost Duck
Chapter 1: Not a Traitor
Adam's P.O.V
Varsity. Just the word makes me cringe. When the Ducks new coach put me on the varsity dread had filled me quickly. I knew that being a freshmen and a scholarship student would not go over well the members of varsity. I was also worried how the Ducks would react; even though I had been with the Ducks for a number of years sometimes I felt like an outcast. Sometimes I felt like the Ducks still saw me as a Hawk, an interloper from another team. Unfortunately for me this fear was realized very quickly. Instead of congratulating me they said nothing and began avoiding and ignoring me until they began having problems with Varsity then I became enemy number one. Although that didn't mean I stood with my new team in fact the war with the Ducks just made my life even worse than it already was. When I first was put on Varsity the team just ignored and isolated me. This made me feel very inadequate and even more alone than I already was feeling. Then the war with the Ducks started the Varsity members began to get violent with me. When the violence first started it was just overly hard board checks, name calling, and locker slam but all too soon it turned to fists, kicks and from some members full out beatings. The worst beatings and such came from the Varsity's captain Rick Riley because it seems like he has made it his personal mission to 'keep me in line' as he puts it. And I suppose that all of this is what lead me to being whipped with a belt while my arms are legs are bound so that I would be unable to escape my 'punishment' from my new captain. I can hear him laughing above me as he swings the belt down across as I begged him through my gagged to just let me go. Wishing that anybody would save me but knowing that nobody would because I am alone in the world. Knowing that possibly only one person in would care if I died came crashing down on me as I resigned my life to this but then maybe not even that one person cared made everything just so much worst. Now though for death I hoped because honestly I don't know how much longer I can live like this.
"HEY, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" a sharp scream shakes me out of my reverie. I look towards the voice to me my best friend, Jesse Hall along with Fulton Reed standing in locker room doorway with horrified and angry looks upon their faces. And all I can think to myself as I finally give in to the darkness that has been try to pull me down is why do they look angry, don't they hate me?
Jesse's P.O.V
Oh man, this place is huge is all I can think as I approach Eden Hall, the school I gave up a scholarship from. I couldn't believe it when the Ducks got scholarships to this fancy private school. I decided on for going my scholarship to stay with my father and help with my brother. Though sometimes I felt like I made the wrong choice in refusing the scholarship but that is neither here or now I guess. I shake my head to clear my head as I ask a petite blond girl to point me to where I could locate the Ducks. She points to the J.V. Hockey Teams Dorms across the lawn and I make my way to it quickly. I step inside to find most of the Ducks sitting a living room type area. I glance around and disappointed to see that Adam is not there. The whole reason for my visit is to see Adam, last night I received a weird message from him after not hearing from him for a good month and a half that caused me to worry. Prompting me to make a visit to Eden Hall. I look around again to see that no one has noticed to make my presence known.
"Hey, Ducks! It has been a long time," I call out and to my great delight half of the Ducks jump with fright. Once the shock of my presence has worn off I am greeted in a very Duck fashion. Soon things begin to calm down and I look around and feel like I have final come home.
"Not that it's not good to see you, man, but what are you here?" I got asked by Charlie once the noise has died down.
"Well honestly I am looking for Adam." I say with a slight smile. As soon as I say this my smile disappears as the mood in the room shifts to an angry tense one.
"Why are you looking for the traitor?" Charlie practically growls out at me to my great surprise.
"Um, did I miss something? Why and how is Adam a traitor?" I ask hoping that maybe the answer will explain at least partially Adam's strange message.
"He got put on Varsity," the soft voice of Kenny Woo supplies the answer and I begin to understand what is going on and my worry for Adam increases. Because I alone understand that Adam's greatest fear has been realized.
"Okay, I don't understand why being on Varsity would make Adam a traitor but I need to something rather important. So, will one of you point me to where I can find me?" I asks quickly in hopes of avoiding confrontation with the Ducks.
"Sure, the Varsity team should just about to finish practice, so why don't I show you to the rink?" to my surprise it's Fulton who steps up and decides to help me to locate Adam. Fulton and I quickly make our way out of J.V's housing and towards the rink. Fulton quickly fills me in on what's been going on between the Ducks and Varsity. I find many things I am told funny but some of it makes me upset on Adam's behalf. He, also, explains to me how he doesn't think Adam is a traitor but hadn't been able to talk to Banks since the whole mess had started. Soon we arrive at the rink and Fulton leads me to Varsity's locker room. As I step into the locker room my heart instantly stops beating because on the floor bound and gagged is Adam while an unknown assailant is beating him with a belt.
"HEY, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I scream as the unknown attacker raise the belt above his head ready to strike Adam again. This seems to shock both the attacker and Adam. Adam seems to glance over at us before passing out from the pain. The assailant looks at Fulton and me before he drops the belts and runs off in the other direction. I don't bother to see where he runs off to because my only focus is Adam. We make are way to Adam and when I get a closer look at Adam I feel sick. Adam is deathly pale, he is bleeding from his back, covered head to toe in bruises and is so skinny that I can practically count every single rib. Fulton begins to mutter to himself about taking out some guy name Rick Riley as he cuts the rope that binds Adam. I gentle turn his face towards me, he has dark circles underneath his eyes and his weight lost is even more evident by his sharp cheeks bones. Adam starts to come too as Fulton cuts the ropes from his wrist and I remove the gag from his mouth.
"Adam, can you hear me?" I ask him gently.
"Please don't hurt me Riley? Please?" he whimpers out unaware that his attacker who I assume is this Riley guy is gone and that it is Fulton and I with him. So I just pull him close to my chest and quietly reassure him that no one is going hurt him anymore and this seems to calm down and I begin to wonder if I should call an ambulance.
"Jesse, maybe we should call an ambulance," I look over at Fulton as he voices my very thoughts.
"What?! No ambulance. Please, no ambulance," a now aware Adam begs us.
"But Adam your hurt really badly," Fulton tries to reason.
"No. Please no," Adam begs once again.
"Alright, no ambulance but we need to get you cleaned up," I gently tell him in a need not to scare him. For a brief moment, I consider calling an ambulance anyways but decide against it. I motion to Fulton to help me get Adam on his feet and help him into the shower. We make our way to the shower as fast as we can which isn't all that fast due to Adam's injuries. After we get there, I tell Fulton to find a first aid kit and a fresh set of clothes for Adam. I helped Adam out of the clothes he is current waring and cringe slightly as more bruises are revealed.
"Okay, Adam I'm going to turn on the water so we can get you cleaned up. I sent Fulton to get you clean clothes and a first aid kit, okay. Shhhh... Hey, it's going to be okay. I am going to make sure of it," I gently tell him as he begins to sob almost silently as I begin to clean up his back. After a few minutes, I shut the water off and wrap in a fluffy towel that I had grabbed and lead him back into the main part of the locker room. It is then, that I become aware that my own clothes are now soaked and that other than to beg for an ambulance not to be called Adam has not said one word to me. I look around to see that Fulton has not came back yet so I set Adam down on a bench and try to get him to talk to me with to no avail.