Today was bound to be eventful, being the Ducks' first day at Eden Hall Academy, though it started out pretty simply.
Adam was getting ready to meet up with the Ducks- well, the ones who lived in Minnesota- to skate to Eden Hall, the private school that the whole team would be attending thanks to scholarships offered and accepted after their triumph in the Junior Goodwill Games. They would meet the out of state Ducks at the school, where they were staying in dorms for the school year.
Thinking of school made Adam long for summer, for the weeks spent at his family's lake house, for the weeks spent with six foot, broad shouldered, blue eyed football player Danny Henderson. Those three weeks spent with Danny were the best time he's ever had, not that his parents knew, or would ever know if he had his way.
No one knew of Adam's attraction to his own gender, not even any of the Ducks, though he thought Russ and Kenny might have their suspicions, being from the very liberal California. He wasn't about to confirm anything though.
It's not that he doesn't trust them, he does, absolutely. He trusts all of the Ducks. It's just that, telling the Ducks means a chance of one of them mentioning it around his parents. Adam honestly wasn't sure how his parents would react to finding out he was gay, it could go either way, really. Good or bad. He knew his parents loved him. His mother doted on him, doing everything she could to keep her younger son happy. The reason for that doting came in the form of his father. The man did love both his sons, he just had a tendency to push both of them too hard, mostly when it came to playing hockey. He wanted the best for his sons, the best gear, the best team, the best coach, the best chance to go pro. It was what drove his older son, Nick, to quitting hockey in high school after he made Varsity sophomore year, and what lead to Adam almost not playing in pee wee's after the district lines were redrawn, putting Adam on the losing District Five team. That pressure was the reason for Adam's uncertainty about his dad's reaction to his sexuality. He wasn't sure whether his dad would see it as something that got in the way of his son having and being the best.
Luckily, the District Five team became the Ducks with the assistance of Coach Gordon Bombay, the best thing to happen for the team. That team was the best thing to happen for Adam, giving him people he considered to be his real friends, and giving him the chance to play in the Junior Goodwill Games, even if they were unwilling to accept him at first.
Thinking about his time joining the Ducks made Adam consider how far they had all come, even if some of the original Ducks were no longer on the team, they had met new friends and became as close knit with them as they had once been with the original team. Despite that closeness, Adam did sometimes still feel out of place, like when his father and he decided to turn down the offered scholarship so that it could go to someone who needed it more. Adam would have been attending Eden Hall with or without the Ducks, it had always been part of his dad's plan to send Adam to Eden Hall. It was where his brother had gone to school and played as a Warrior, the school's fierce mascot.
It would be odd playing with the Ducks, but being called the Warriors instead. Oh well, he'll get used to it. They all would.
Ending his pondering on the past and the future of himself and his team, he headed downstairs. His parents were waiting by the front door, his mom ready to take his annual first day of school picture, camera in hand and smile on her face. As he smiled and got in position for the picture, his dad broke the silence, "Now remember, Adam, you'll be meeting your new coach today." Coach Bombay wouldn't be their coach this year. He got some job with the Goodwill Games. It was too good for him to pass up. Adam's dad continued, not noticing that he was barely paying attention,"You need to be on your best behavior. Make a good impression on your teachers and your coach. Show him your skills. You're the best player on that sorry team. Don't let me down son." Anytime the subject of hockey came up Philip Banks just had to make a pass at the Ducks. It was even worse when Bombay was mentioned. Adam's dad never really forgave him for pulling Adam off the Hawks, even if it was the best thing in his life.
Adam responded with a simple "Yes, sir." before looking to his mother. She gave him a sympathetic smile, knowing he didn't like when his dad talked badly about the Ducks.
"Have a great first day, sweetie." she almost started tearing up, "My little baby is in high school now! Where did the time go? I swear just yesterday you were staring pee wee's." Adam's mom clasped her hands in front of her, trying to resist the urge to reach out and smother her son with a hug.
Adam smiled at his mom, "Don't worry, mom, I'm not that old. Just think about Nick, off at college."
"Oh, Adam! Don't make your mother feel so old!" She may have been scolding him, but it was done with a smile, "Now, go meet your friends and get to school before you're all late."
Adam gave his mom a big grin and a goodbye in response before heading out the door, on his way to meet up with his friends.
When he met up with them, the team was already teasing Guy and Connie about their relationship, bugging them and asking if they were finally gonna get serious this year and stop with the whole on-off thing they had going on.
"It would be about time." Adam added his two cents.
"Oh shut it, Cake-eater, you don't even have a girl!" Well, Guy wasn't wrong about that. He just didn't know that Adam never would have a girl; not really where his interests lie.
Goldberg was indignant about the attempted subject change, "Oh no you don't, Germaine. Don't you even try to change the subject! Banks's relationship status has nothing to do with you and Connie!"
Charlie, being the responsible captain that he was, put an end to the argument before Connie ended clocking someone, which wasn't too far in the future going by her expression, "Hey, alright!" Everyone quieted at Charlie's call for calm, "We gotta get goin' if we don't wanna be late for our first day at Preppie Academy."
"Oh, yeah! Wouldn't wanna keep the preps waiting on us, now would we?" Averman looked all too happy about the idea of Eden Hall waiting on the Ducks. "Oh, nice tie by the way Banks. Really suits the whole preppy vibe you got goin'. You'll fit right in!"
Adam rolled his eyes at Averman's 'witty' remark, and the stifled giggles from Connie.
"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go before we're late."
And off they were. It was a smooth trip, other than Goldberg losing control of himself and Charlie having to go after him. Oh yeah, and the part where they skated backstage and ended up pulling the entire curtain down on top themselves. So much for making a good impression.
After the fiasco that was getting to school, it was time for class to actually start. The first class on Adam's schedule was biology, what a horrible class to have first period. The teachers in all of Adam's classes seemed friendly enough, except maybe the last one before lunch. He had History with most of the Ducks, and their teacher seemed a bit odd. He gave a speech about humanity being a dwarf and history a giant, and ended it by using a very large book to smash the dwarf on Fulton's desk. Fulton was a bit nervous about that class to say the least.
While walking to his next class, Adam saw a Varsity player check Luis into the lockers. The same guy and a few of his teammates then took Kenny's lunch. Adam didn't know much about these guys, but he knew the Ducks wouldn't get along very well with them, if at all.
It was at lunch that Adam and the rest of the Ducks who had skated to school learned of what the Varsity captain, Rick Riley, had said during that morning's assembly regarding the Ducks and how they shouldn't be here.
"Seriously? Man, what is this guy's problem?" Charlie already didn't like these Varsity goons, "It hasn't even been a full day of school and they already hate us?"
"Just ignore them," Julie spoke up, "I think our main concern should be our new coach."
"Yeah." Kenny, who had bought a school lunch, piped up, "I heard he used to play in the pros."
"Man, I just hope he ain't too much of a hard-ass" Adam agreed with Russ. It was already going to hard for the Ducks to transition to playing high school hockey as the Eden Hall Warriors without Bombay, it would be even worse if their new coach was more like a military sergeant than a coach.
"I'm sure it will be fine. Even if he is, we'll get through it," bless Guy for trying to be the voice of reason.
Before anyone could respond to Guy's optimism, the bell rang, signaling lunch was over. The Ducks all cleared the table heading off to their last two classes of the day before hockey practice. Adam really hoped that Guy was right and everything would be fine, if not, Adam wasn't sure how he would feel about this year.
As the Ducks left the locker room before their first practice with the new coach, Adam was feeling quite nervous. He didn't know what to expect from their new coach. He was pretty sure most of the team was feeling the same way, Charlie suggesting a game of Cowboy Roundup to get everyone to relax.
It was as they were messing around that their new coach showed up, and things were not off to a good start for the Ducks and their new coach, Ted Orion. Charlie, being the hot tempered teen he was, ended up doing laps for the first part of their practice, which consisted of Coach Orion giving them a speech about work and will in hockey, and practicing scoring with Goldberg then Julie. Everyone had been able to easily make goals against Goldberg, not impressing Orion at all. Julie, however, was much more difficult to get the puck past. Most of the team couldn't do it, only getting encouraging words from the goalie, but Adam managed to get a few in, which didn't escape Coach Orion's notice. The second half of practice consisted of a scrimmage.
Upon getting back into the locker room after practice, the Ducks were exhausted, with a few of them making cracks at Orion. Not a second later, the man walked briskly into the room, announcing his A/B grades rule before posting the team's positions. Most of them were playing the same position they always had, with the biggest changes being Charlie no longer being captain, Goldberg being benched in favor of Julie, and...Adam not playing?
"I'm not even posted." Adam voiced my confusion.
Connie, who was at his side, looking at the list, cleared things up, "Yeah you are, Adam Banks third line center, varsity?"
What? He's not playing with the Ducks?
"I made Varsity?"
This was gonna suck.