The Ice Ball
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mighty Ducks, I just write fanfics about them.
It was a cold December day in Minnesota and hockey season was in full effect at Eden Hall. The Junior Varsity Ducks were still riding the effects of beating the Varsity and were well on their way to a possible state tournament championship. The Ducks were suiting up for practice when Coach Orion walked into the locker room.
"Alright, listen up. Here at Eden Hall we have a tradition. The winners of the annual JV/Varsity Showcase are recognized at the Ice Ball coming up and since you all beat the Varsity this year it means that you will be required to attend as honored guests ." The Ducks looked up from putting on their gear and cheers of excitement could be heard all around the lockerroom.
"Okay, quiet down. The Ice Ball is a formal event and you are expected to treat it as such. That means the proper attire and you must have escort to walk with at the Ice Ball coronation. Anyone who fails to follow these requirements will not be allowed to attend the ball." Coach Orion explained further and soon found himself met with a team of very flustered JV hockey players. "Coach, do we really have to bring a date?" Connie asked wearly much to Guy's dismay. "Yo Coach, no offense, but I'm not wearing no monkey suit." Russ added shaking his head.
"What's a coralnation? Dwayne asked confused. "The word is coronation." Kenny corrected him but Dwayne still looked just confused. "Hey Coach, will there be food at this Ice thing?" Goldberg interjected.
"Enough. You have five minutes to finish up dressing and get out on the ice for practice." Orion ordered before stepping out of the locker room and the Ducks quickly gathered up around their captain Charlie, hoping he could help save them from this Ice Ball madness that their coach had just dropped on them, most of them repeating the same questions they had just asked along with more gripes .
"Come on guys, it won't be that bad and besides it will be chance to rub it in the Varsity's face of how much we creamed them in the Showdown." Charlie said with a smirk hoping to give his fellow ducks some encouragement. "But Charlie, what do we know about some preppy school dance?" Goldberg complained and a good amount of the team agreed with him.
"Well do have a resident Cakeeater that's probably been to allot of things like this and could give us a tip or two." Russ pointed out and everyone turned their attention to to the exact person they all knew he meant, hoping they could help them out.
Adam blinked surprised at the sudden attention by his fellow teammates. "Uh...Well..." Suddenly the door to the locker room blew open as frustrated Coach Orion barged in.
"Why am I the only one out on the ice right now?! You guys have a game tomorrow. Laps! All of you." he ordered and the team groaned as they headed out to the rink.
After some laps and bit of grueling practice for being late Coach Orion gave the team a water break so most retired to the bench to catch their breath.
"So Banksie, who are thinking of asking to the Ice Ball?"Charlie asked Adam curiously as he slugged some much needed water. "Well I was kinda thinking about asking Julie but I don't know." he replied unsure. Charlie smiled, not at all surprised by Adam's choice. Since the Goodwill Games he had noticed Adam and Julie getting closer. "Go for it man. I mean you guys are friends, so it shouldn't be a big deal." he said encouraging his friend.
Adam sighed and ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair. "I'm just not very good at this kind of thing, Charlie. How did you go about asking Linda out?" he asked maybe he could get some idea of how to even go about asking Julie to the Ball. The truth was thanks to Adam's dad pushing him through hockey all these years that girls had never really been on his mind let alone asking one to a dance. Although he had to admit to himself since the Goodwill Games, Julie had peaked his interest some although he didn't really know in what way.
"Well actually Linda hated me when we first met because she thought I was Warrior jock." Charlie went on to explain a long winded story about how they got together involving a petition, Pantera and hockey. Adam tried to listen but he found himself drifting off to watching Julie chatting with Connie further down the bench. She looked over at him and gave him a friendly smile. Adam, suddenly strangely felt embarrassed for being caught staring, quickly looked back to his long winded friend and Julie couldn't help frowning at his reaction, finding it sorta weird. "Just ask her." Charlie added as he ended his story and Adam nodded with a shy smile. "I think I just might. Thanks, Charlie." At that moment Adam decided that somehow in the next few days he was gonna muster up the courage enough to ask Julie to the Ice Ball, no matter what it took.
Unfortunately Adam didn't get a chance to try until the second period of a intense game against the Chanhassen Storm. The Ducks were finally ahead enough that both Adam and Julie got a chance to rest on the bench. "Whew, what game so far. Glad we finally got ahead." Adam commented as he slugged back some water and smiled at her, relieved.
"Yeah if defense holds the lead, we might just win this." Julie agreed smiling back at him. They both turned their attention back to game for a few minutes as Adam realized this might be chance to ask her. "Hey Julie, I was wondering...well...if you..." stuttered trying to find the words to say, he didn't know exactly why but asking her to the ball was making him feel incredibly shy. Julie turned to Adam, a bit confused by his behavior. Sure he was kind of shy when they had first met but he had seemed to warm up to her and they became friends so why he was struggling to ask her anything seemed strange once again.
"Gaffney, go relieve Goldberg! He's getting sloppy out there." Coach Orion called out and Julie got up from the bench, grabbing her helmet. "Sure Coach." She glanced back at Adam and gave him a smirk. "So much for a breather." she said before climbing over the wall onto the ice. Adam sighed, knowing he had blew his first chance and he was going to have to look for another chance to ask Julie.
The game ended with the Ducks winning against the Storm, it wasn't a shut out but the lead was large enough to still be impressive especially to the fans. By this point the word had gotten out to the student class that the Ducks would need dates to the Ball and many of the underclassman girls had saw after the game as a chance to chat up their favorite Duck in their favor of getting asked. Of course the Ducks were well of aware this and had been kinda egging each other on to ask the girls, most riding off the confidence of winning a intense game.
So maybe this what influenced Adam to try again at asking Julie again.
They were all gathering up their equipment when Adam saw Julie get up to leave with Connie. "Hey Julie." He called over to her and she turned to give him her attention.
"I wanted to ask you if...if..." Once again that strange shyness came back and it was stopping him from getting those important words out. "If...if..." he glanced around nervously and grabbed pair of skate guards that were next to him, as quick cover up over his failing attempt to ask her. "If these were your skate guards." Adam asked slightly defeated.
"Thanks, but I already have mine on." Julie replied as she lifted her foot to show him.
"And I think those are Fulton's." He glanced at her skates and at the blade guards in his hands that clearly said Fulton in huge letters. "Right, sorry." Adam said embarrassed, quickly setting the guards back on the bench and headed off to the locker room, try to hide how stupid he felt.
"That was weird." Connie commented as she and Julie made their way to their own personal side of the locker room. "That's the not the first time either, he's been acting like that since yesterday. I don't get it." Julie said shaking her head. "It's the stupid boy disease, most of the team acts like they are infected with it." Connie said with a laugh. "I actually thought Adam was immune to it but it's probably all the time he spends with Charlie, probably rubbing off on him." Julie couldn't help laughing to as she set her equipment down at her locker. "Talking about boys, has Guy asked you to the Ball yet?" she asked Connie as she took off her pads. "Yeah he finally got the guts to do it this morning before the game. Took him long enough...What about you, Jules? Any guys ask you yet?" Connie replied as she worked on rebraiding her hair. "Nah but I am hoping a certain one actually gets around to ask me." she said with a sigh as she glanced at her blade guards.
"Smooth move, Cakeeater." Russ said with a laugh as he plopped down on the bench next to Adam in the locker room, making it obvious he had witnessed the whole thing."What exactly were you trying to do?"
Adam sighed looking up from untying his skates and shook his head. "Trying to ask Julie to the Ball...I have been trying all day but I just can't seem to get the words out." he said clearly getting frustrated with himself. A few other had begun to gather around as well to support their fellow struggling Duck in his quest for a date including Averman, Guy, Goldberg and Kenny.
"Why do you wanna ask the Cat Lady anyway?" Goldberg asked as he took hug bite of the jelly doughnut he had in his hands, a present from one the girls. "Patty was just tellin' me there's like twenty girls just waiting for you to ask em'. You got a thing for her or somethin'?"
Goldberg's information wasn't wrong, since the Showcase, Adam had earned himself several female fans, if you could call them that. It was probably a combination of him being kinda a star hockey player and the fact he was the only freshman to make Varsity that year even though he chose to play JV. Honestly Adam found their attention very awkward and did his best to politely ignore them. None of them sparked his interest like Julie did.
Adam blushed lightly as he thought about Goldberg's question. "I don't know, besides being an amazing Goalie, she's smart, funny...Pretty..." he shyly admitted.
"Pretty? Uh oh! Cakeeater's got it bad." Russ said with a laugh and the other joined in, making Adam blush a lil redder. "Cakeaters's crushin on the Catlady. Wantin'to..." Averman was about to start up one of his obnoxious acts once again, quite louder then they were all talking.
"AVERMAN!" they all yelled at him and Adam nervously glanced over at the girls's side of the locker room, praying they didn't hear.
When they were sure the coast was clear from the girls listening in, Kenny sat down on the other side of Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you really want to ask her you better do it soon, man. I overheard Scooter in the bathroom at lunch today telling some of the other Varsity players that he was planning on asking Julie."
There it was, all spelled out to Adam, if he wanted any shot at taking Julie to the Ice Ball, he had to find the courage inside himself and just do it today before it was too late.
"Thanks guys, I think I'm going to try to catch Julie before she leaves and just ask her."
He stood up from the bench and stuffed his gear in his locker before grabbing his coat but then stopped to face his friends. "I really do mean thanks, I really appreciate your help." Adam said with a smile. "Hey, what are Ducks for?" Guy said smiling back at him. "Will you go on and get out of here, Cakeeater. You're gonna miss chance to talk to her." Russ said with a grin.
"Okay, okay, I'm going." Adam said with a laugh as he headed for the door, nearly colliding with Charlie as he left. "Hey Banksie, uh...never-mind." Charlie said giving him a strange look and shook his head before heading over to the others where they were discussing what just happened. "So you think he'll do it or chicken out again?" Goldberg asked Kenny as he pulled out another jelly doughnut from the bag the girls gave him. "He better, he really wants to go with her." Kenny said with a shrug.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked curiously as he began taking off his pads. "Cakeeater's got a thing for the Catlady." Goldberg relayed to him as he stuffed the doughnut into his mouth and Charlie just smirked. "I've known that for a while now, I was just waiting for him to figure it out." he said with a laugh and they all joined him.
Adam stood anxiously in the hallway, hoping he hadn't missed her and couldn't help smiling when Julie appeared. "Hey Julie, do you want to walk back to the dorms with me?"
It wasn't a offer that was anything different then normal, he often offered to walk with her especially when games or practices went really late. They would spend the time recapping the best moments of the game or what they needed to work on for the next one as well as normal school stuff like homework assignments since they were in most of the same classes.
"Sure, Adam." Julie said with a smile, relived that he wasn't still suffering from the "stupid boy disease" as he had been earlier, as she joined him at his side.
As they headed outside they found it had been snowing through out the game and it was still coming down lightly. It gave off a pretty effect under the campus's lights.
"I am glad we won that game, we wouldn't have been able to do it if hadn't been for that save you made at the end of the 3rd period. That was an awesome save." Adam complimented her as they slowly made it through the snow on the sidewalk. "Thanks Adam, you made some really great scores that helped to clinch the game too. That one during the last few seconds of 2nd period was the best." Julie said with a smile at him as she returned the compliment.
Adam smiled back at her and they walked in silence for a few minutes. As they could see the dorms looming ahead, he knew it was now or never. He had to ask her now.
"Julie, has anyone asked you to the Ice Ball yet?" Adam ask her suddenly as he stopped under a street light, hoping her answer was no.
Julie faced him and shook her head. "No, why?" she asked with with a curious look.
"Well I was wondering if...if.." Come on. Adam thought to himself. You can do this, you've faced scarier things. Walking into the Ducks locker room, facing the Hawks, playing with a injured wrist, playing on Varsity alone. If you can't ask the girl you might actually like to a dance... Adam took a deep breath in to try at calm his nerves and looked at Julie.
"If you would like to go to the Ice Ball with me..." he finally got out but it was done a bit shyer then he hoped.
Julie smiled at Adam, almost a bit amused. "Is this what you have been trying to ask me all day?" She asked him still smiling. "Yes." Adam said with shy smile, sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "Then my answer is yes, I will go with you to the Ice Ball." Julie said with a grin and Adam felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he smiled genuinely back at her. He had done it and she wanted to go with him. "I'm glad you said yes, Julie."
A cold wind kicked up around them and he saw Julie shiver from the chill.
"Are you cold?" Adam asked concerned, the last thing they needed was her getting sick before the Ball. "A little. I need to get my dad to send me a thicker coat." Julie admitted as she folded her arms tightly around her chest to warm up.
Adam thought for a moment and then shyly wrapped his arm around Julie's shoulders, hoping it would help keep her warm but also trying to ignore the blush that was forming on his cheeks as he did so. "...Is this okay?" He asked just as shyly as he glanced down at her. "Yeah, thanks." she said quietly, very aware of how warm and comfortable it was to be like this with Adam. They walked this way the rest of the dorm, just enjoying each other company.
"So how many laps do you think Coach Orion is gonna make us do for not making tonight's game a shutout?" Adam asked with a laugh. "Probably a hundred." Julie replied with her own laugh as he opened the door of the dorm for her.