D4:The Final Season
By: Tammy Kaiser
Based On Characters By: Steven Brill
Chapter 1: Graduation
18 year old Charlie Conway stood in front of the duck bench. He wore his red graduation gown. It was decorated with four pins and National Honor's society cords. The first pin was in the shape of a silver skate. It indicated that he played hockey. The second pin was a duck logo pin with a star. This pin indicated that he was a star player on the team. The third pin was in the shape of the letter "C" It indicated that he was the team's captain. The last pin was his academic pin. It was in the shape of a book.
Charlie's friend, Gordon Bombay walked up behind him.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked as he picked up Charlie's mortar board that was lying on the bench
"Oh, Hi Gordon. You scared me. I just have something heavy weighing on my mind."
"Want to talk about it?"
"I want to ask Linda to marry me but I don't know how." Linda Dennison was Charlie's girlfriend of four years.
"Isn't it a little too soon?"
"Bombay, we've been going out forever. If I don't propose soon she's gonna wonder whether or not I plan on marrying her."
"Okay. Exactly when and where do you plan on proposing to her?"
"Tonight at the post graduation party."
"First of all don't do it at the party. It'll be too crowded. Take her someplace romantic."
"I know just the place."
"Second of all do you have a ring?"
Charlie reached into the pocket of his black dress pants and brought out a small velvet box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful cushion cut solitaire diamond ring.
"Charlie, it's amazing."
"It's my mom's from when she married my dad. She didn't want it due to too many memories. When I told her I was going to ask Linda to marry me she gave it to me."
"Last of all, do you know what you are going to say?"
"Yup." Charlie told Gordon what he had planned to say."
"That's a start." Gordon looked at his watch. "You better get going. They are going to be taking roll call soon." Charlie and Gordon left the rink together.
An hour later the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance filled the field house as Eden Hall Academy's valedictorian, Charlie Conway, marched his 225 classmates in. The headmaster gave the introduction and than introduced Charlie.
"The class of '99's valedictorian is not only a talented athlete but a model student. He has devoted his free time to tutoring others, helping with fund raisers and studying. He is also a 4.0 student and at the top of his class. Ladies and Gentlemen, Charlie Conway."
"Mr. Buckley, fellow students, and honored guests. Today is not a day to be sad. It is a day to celebrate. A day to celebrate 12 years of hard work and determination. A day of friends, family, and memories. When I first came here I was uncomfortable and wanted to be somewhere else . Now Eden Hall is the only place I want to be. Who knows maybe in a few years I will back here taking the current coach's job from him." There was a slight chuckle from the audience. "Today the word sad isn't in our vocabulary. Instead it has been replaced with the words future, challenge and change. No, today is not a day to be sad. It is a day to celebrate. A day to celebrate us. My fellows students go forth and accept all the challenges and change the future has to offer."
Next the scholarships were given out. The dean from U.S.C. was there to give the ducks their four year scholarships. All 13 Ducks would be going to college together. That made them very happy. Before long it was time to give out diplomas with the first 13 going to the ducks. "Lester Henry Averman, Adam Ferguson Banks, Charles Ian Conway, Julie Mae Gaffney, Guy Zachariah Germaine, Gregory Eric Goldberg, Constance Rose Maroue, Luis Carlos Mendoza, Dean Kristopher Portman, Fulton Alexander Reed, Dwayne Scott Robertson, Russell Thomas Tyler, and Kenneth Jordan Wu. Congratulations to all of our Ducks." Everyone cheered.