Chapter 2

--------------------------------------------------------

"Sam, where are you going?" Mrs Dullard asked.

"I'm going to play hockey with the others." he replied.

"Did you remember all of your protective padding, I don't want you in the hospital."

"Don't worry, let me go already. I have everything I need and yes, I will be careful." Sam was used to his mum being very overprotective. Annoying as it was, he could never forget the reason why.

He walked out the door to meet his friends. He watched them use Twister as target practise. Reggie waved him over.

"Finally, a real goalie's here. Hey Squid, whats up?" Otto asked. "We've been waiting for you."

"Sorry, you know how my mom gets."

"Why is she so overprotective anyway? It's not like anything has happened to you, right?" Reggie asked.

"I don't know, she just is." Sam brushed her off, hoping that she wouldn't take the subject further. None of them knew the types of things that happened in Kansas.

Twister had some idea though. He had always wondered why Squid acted the way he did and figured out that most of his personality traits came from being a victim of child abuse. Also, that he tended to stick by Reggie, rather than the guys. Though, he brushed it off as a coincidence. After all, Reggie and him had alot more in common and he hadn't had much skating experiance in Kansas.

"Earth to Twister, you coming or not?" Otto waved a hand in front of his face.

"Yeah yeah, keep your pants on, for all of our sakes."

-----

After the hockey game, the gang were walking back towards the Shore Shack.

"Sammy, you rocked out there!" Reggie exclaimed. "How do you manage to block pucks so well?"

Sam really didn't want to answer that, because he hated lying to people. Luckily Otto came in and saved him, "because no-one can get passed the Squid, plain and simple."

"Come on, there has to be a reason."

This was probably the first time that Sam really didn't want to talk to Reggie. It didn't matter to her before, why now? Then again, he couldn't blame her for being curious. "I've had experiance."

Twister could see that Sam was feeling really awkward. "Hey Sam, I'll buy you fries for helping us win."

"Hey, it was a team effort! After all, I scored three goals." Otto said.

"I wouldn't say it was something to be proud of, since their goalie bites." Reggie was finally off the subject, which relieved Sam, greatly.

-----

Sam ran through the door of his house, calling out to his mom. "Hey, we won our hockey game. I was really awesome out there. Anyway, what's for dinner?" Sam saw her in the kitchen, looking more stressed than he'd ever seen her. "What's wrong?" He was met with silence. Which showed him that something was really stressing her out.

"What happened? You didn't get fired or anything? You're scaring me. Say something."

Finally she answered him. "Sammy, sit down honey, something happened today that we really need to discuss." Sam did as she said, feeling really worried about what was to come. "This may come as a shock to you, but I recieved a phone call today. Sammy.....it's about your father.

-----

Twister looked down at his homework. It was so easy, he could have done it blindfolded. Though he knew his parents would send him to that school, and if his friends ever found out he was smart, he would be the Squid again. He threw it to the other side of the room. He would just tell the teacher as always that he didn't do it. It had always worked for him. He figured when he was old enough to get out on his own, he would do well in his final years at school and go to Harvard, the only place he wanted to be sent away to. By then his friends would be mature and understanding.

"Maurice, are you in there." Mrs Rodriguez pounded on the door. She entered the room to find him sitting on his bed, lost in his own little world. She felt guilty about what she was going to say next, her son looked so happy and innocent, but it wouldn't go away. "Maurice, I think it's time we talked to you about your grades."

"What about my grades?" Twister asked, though knowing it was probably something bad.

"They're getting to be really bad. If you keep this up, you may fail. So your father and I discussed it and we think it's time you get a tutor."

--------------------------------------------------------

Chapter three will be heaps better and longer for that matter.