Cruel Intentions
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Author's Note: I wrote this chapter. I've always seen Connie as the manipulative one, her character irks me. However the way things got set up I decided to try my hand at making Julie the catty, manipulative one. We'll see how it goes, it will be fun to play with her character that way.
Disclaimer: Ducks go to Disney. You know the drill.
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Chapter Two: Pussy Cat
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Julie walked out of the locker room, grinning roguishly. Germaine, so far, was a great catch. In their short meeting she'd found out that, though his dad drifted in and out of his life, he was a successful CEO at some finance company in Chicago. Future finances aside, he was cute. Soft lips, wavy blonde hair, given a year, she was sure he'd turn out to be a looker.
'Yep.' She sighed to herself. 'I am my mother's daughter.' Her dad influenced her to play hockey. Her mother influenced her to scheme, battle and manipulate the world to serve her needs. Her mom had grown up in a trailer in some podunk logging town on the Quebec border. By the time she was eighteen she had gotten the foreman's prep school son to fall for her and moved to Bangor to play trophy wife. She'd all but cut off ties with her parents and other family, not wanting to be associated with anything so "trailer trash", as she often said.
As a young girl Julie had felt bad for her dad, an honest man and a hard worker, who was always catering to his over medicated, over botoxed wife. She worshiped her older brothers and was doted on by her father, the perfect little tomboy. But ever since entering middle school Julie's mother had started to pay attention to her only daughter. She said she was pretty, that with a few tools, some make up and a pair of stilettos Julie would get further than she ever did. From an emotionally distant mother, the sudden attention was heaven to the former tomboy and she lavished it, doing anything to retain it. It didn't matter how many goals she stopped or As she got, her mother only cared when she was able to woo the attention of unsuspecting, worthy males.
Before she left to join Team USA, her family had a going away party for her. Her dad and brothers gave her a new Koho stick, the one she'd been salivating over down at the Players' Bench store on Main Street. They told her to go, have fun and play hard. A few wine coolers later her mother sat her down and gave her a tube of mascara. She told her to go make nice with the boys because you never knew who would be the next NHL player. She planned on taking her entire family's advice to heart she smiled, as she pushed assertively through the double doors into the searing Los Angeles sunshine.
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"You have got to be kidding me." Connie squealed delightedly, hand over her mouth in shock.
"No, I swear if we hadn't made it around that corner I'd still be sitting in juvie, instead of enjoying the company of an unnamed young woman for lunch this afternoon." Luis winked subtly, leaning back ever so slightly in the plastic chair.
"You're too smooth Mendozza, you know that." The girl regained her composure, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I haven't laughed this much in months, but we are teammates."
"So that's what's preventing this from escalating and not your boyfriend?" Luis raised his eyebrow at Connie mischievously. She bit her lip sternly.
"That was an assumed. I just want to clarify how seriously I take this team. The Ducks are my life, I put them before anything."
"It's good to see a girl with principle, so rare these days." Luis nodded honestly. "Now what about Guy?"
"Guy… he's a great hockey player. You should respect that… you will respect that."
"And?" The Latino longed candidly for another answer.
"I love him."
"As long as you truly believe that, I will respect that. Just don't disrespect yourself by lying. You deserve better than that kind of deception." Luis nodded perceptively. Connie paused for a minute, fighting the urge to grab a chunk of her hair and twirl it around her finger, a nervous habit that manifested itself far too often. For once she had nothing to say. It was going to be a long tournament.
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"Hey Conway, slow down!" A familiar voice boomed from behind him. Charlie shifted his heavy hockey bag onto his other shoulder and stopped.
"What Fulton?" He sighed wiping a matted curl from his forehead. He'd been outside for all of five minutes and the heat was melting him. He would never get used to being in California, he was Minnesota born and raised.
"I well, had a question for you. About those new people, the new Ducks." The Bash Brother nervously shifted his gaze to the heat radiating from the pavement.
"Spit it out man, I can't stand to be outside any longer."
"Well, what do you think about them?" He looked up, pushing his blue bandana further on his head.
"Don't worry man. You still got that guy from Chicago. He may look tough but I'd put money on you in an alley after midnight any night man." The captain told his defenseman supportively. Fulton sighed, looking at his captain then at Adam, who stood silently next to Charlie as usual.
"I'm not worried about Portman. I mean that guy from Florida and that girl goalie. Something about them and Connie and Guy didn't seem… right." Fulton shrugged.
Charlie's big brown eyes got bigger as a grin cracked open his misted face. "You're kidding me. We're at the World Junior Championships and you're worried that Connie and Guy will break up? Man I never did understand you Fult. You're a good kid but really?" Charlie chortled to himself.
"I mean it man. I don't say it because I'm into all that mushy crap. It just would be a bad time for something to happen to them. They've been together for… like ever. Think of what the team would be like if they broke up. Especially because of some new players we didn't even want." Fulton pushed stubbornly.
"Don't worry. This heat is making you crazy man. Take off some of that black stuff, you must be roasting." Charlie waved off his teammate's concern. "Come with me and Banksie, we're going back to the hotel and are going to hit the pool. This winter heat wave is ridiculous." Fulton stopped and looked at Banks.
"The heat causes people to do crazy things." He stated calmly, placing his free hand into the pocket of his khaki pants. "Fulton may have a point Conway. I'd watch out."
"You guys." Charlie rolled his eyes. "Let's get out of here." Skeptically Fulton followed his teammates, mind engulfed by Adam's words.
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