Adam's POV
I gazed silently at the new green grass. Spring had arrived. Everything looked the same. Same trees, same flowers, same fresh air, same old Ducks. Then why am I feeling like crap? Hah! Who was I kidding? I knew very well why. Penny. The very thought of her was painful memory. In the distance, I could hear merry chirping. Two sparrows were hopping across the lawn. The one with the red bib must be the elder. He pushed his sister from behind and got a peck on the.. I stopped. Sister. My sister was gone. Two more joined them on the ground, slightly bigger in size. They must be family, I realized. Family. I didn't want to think about that either.
When mom heard about Penny, she went hysterical. Every weekend at home was filled with the constant shrieking and tears. The wild look on her face every time someone mentioned Penny was enough to shut them up again before she threw one of her tantrums again. I remember one night as I passed the master bedroom to my own. "Penny.. Penny.." she cried in her sleep. My father was rarely at home. When he was, he would carry himself in a chipper mood, trying to joke and make us laugh which was very unlike him. He never joked with us, not with me especially. As far as memory went, all he ever did was push me hard to play hockey. And now all of a sudden he's a saint. I laughed bitterly at the idea.
He was no father. He was the master and I was the slave he ordered around. I never retaliated. When I had first joined the Ducks, he tried to stop me. He would beat me every night until mom threatened to call the police. Then he gave up. Sometimes during my stay at the dorms I felt guilty. I had escaped from home and left mom and Penny there with that monster. I fought hard with him to get Penny to move in with us when she started at Eden Hall. It was mom's idea, she was brave. I hated to think of her alone at home with him, but she insisted.
Penny.. she was as bright as her name held. Barely until my shoulders, she was merely five feet tall. She was like a little ball of fire, fiery and full of energy. She brought smiles on faces everywhere she went. Mom always favored her. Not that I minded, I loved her with all my heart. She was always the brave one, like mom.
---- Flashback ----
"I'm sorry Mrs. Banks, but I'm afraid it's bad news. Your daughter has been diagnosed with pneumonia," the doctor told us gravely.
Mom crumbled to the ground and I felt a lump rising in my throat. My mouth went dry as Penny came out of the doctor's room. She rushed to mom's side at once. I stood there numbly, watching her. Suddenly she seemed so small, so frail.
"It's ok Mom, everything's gonna be ok," she whispered softly but with courage. She looked at me encouragingly and I managed a wavering smile. I was afraid. So afraid for her. More afraid than she ever was for herself.
***********************************************************************
"Adam! Adam!" Penny shrieked and leapt on my back. I hoisted her into a piggy back and started skating down to the other end of the pond and around again and again until we fell back onto the ice in exhaustion.
"Adam? You know what I'm going to do when I grow up?" she asked me as we lay on the ice.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm gonna earn lots and lots of money and buy a big house so we can live in it together," was her reply.
I grinned at the thought and sighed contently. We always shared the best times together. I started tickling and poking her sides as she laughed in glee. "Stop it Adam!"
---- End Flashback ----
I never felt alone with Penny by my side. She had been there for me when the Hawks turned their backs against me and when I wasn't sure if I fitted in with the Ducks. Playing with the Ducks had always made me feel like I was flying. But Penny's spirit created magic on the ice for me.
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Charlie's POV
I skated through the gates and stopped in front of Adam. He was so into his thoughts he didn't even look up.
"Hey! Earth to Banks!" I waved my hands in front of his face. He snapped out of the trance.
"Oh.. sorry, didn't see you there Charlie," he said.
"Where were you during practice?" I asked him. "Coach was having a cow. He made us do extra laps coz half the team showed up late."
I winced as I sat on the grass. My back was still sore from the bruises I got from the fall I took during our last game against the Bears. Those guys are brutal and that's saying nothing. Adam didn't answer me.
"What's up man? Whatcha thinking about?" I tried again.
Silence.
I sighed and stretched my legs on the grass. Useless question. I knew he was thinking about Penny again. That was all he ever did these days. I just wanted to make sure he was ok. I leaned back against the tree. Together we stared across the horizon and watched as the sun set behind the hills. 'Hang in there Adam..' I thought inwardly. 'The sun will rise again.'
A/N : Sorry not a very long chapter. Hope you all liked it. Will write more on Charlie and start on Guy in the next chapter.
Katie : Yeah.. I have a sister too and we're really close. Thanks for the reviews and the suggestion!
anne918 : Yes, Penny is Adam's sister. I'm not sure if it'll be an Adam/Julie fic. Decide as more chapters come up. Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed the story!
I gazed silently at the new green grass. Spring had arrived. Everything looked the same. Same trees, same flowers, same fresh air, same old Ducks. Then why am I feeling like crap? Hah! Who was I kidding? I knew very well why. Penny. The very thought of her was painful memory. In the distance, I could hear merry chirping. Two sparrows were hopping across the lawn. The one with the red bib must be the elder. He pushed his sister from behind and got a peck on the.. I stopped. Sister. My sister was gone. Two more joined them on the ground, slightly bigger in size. They must be family, I realized. Family. I didn't want to think about that either.
When mom heard about Penny, she went hysterical. Every weekend at home was filled with the constant shrieking and tears. The wild look on her face every time someone mentioned Penny was enough to shut them up again before she threw one of her tantrums again. I remember one night as I passed the master bedroom to my own. "Penny.. Penny.." she cried in her sleep. My father was rarely at home. When he was, he would carry himself in a chipper mood, trying to joke and make us laugh which was very unlike him. He never joked with us, not with me especially. As far as memory went, all he ever did was push me hard to play hockey. And now all of a sudden he's a saint. I laughed bitterly at the idea.
He was no father. He was the master and I was the slave he ordered around. I never retaliated. When I had first joined the Ducks, he tried to stop me. He would beat me every night until mom threatened to call the police. Then he gave up. Sometimes during my stay at the dorms I felt guilty. I had escaped from home and left mom and Penny there with that monster. I fought hard with him to get Penny to move in with us when she started at Eden Hall. It was mom's idea, she was brave. I hated to think of her alone at home with him, but she insisted.
Penny.. she was as bright as her name held. Barely until my shoulders, she was merely five feet tall. She was like a little ball of fire, fiery and full of energy. She brought smiles on faces everywhere she went. Mom always favored her. Not that I minded, I loved her with all my heart. She was always the brave one, like mom.
---- Flashback ----
"I'm sorry Mrs. Banks, but I'm afraid it's bad news. Your daughter has been diagnosed with pneumonia," the doctor told us gravely.
Mom crumbled to the ground and I felt a lump rising in my throat. My mouth went dry as Penny came out of the doctor's room. She rushed to mom's side at once. I stood there numbly, watching her. Suddenly she seemed so small, so frail.
"It's ok Mom, everything's gonna be ok," she whispered softly but with courage. She looked at me encouragingly and I managed a wavering smile. I was afraid. So afraid for her. More afraid than she ever was for herself.
***********************************************************************
"Adam! Adam!" Penny shrieked and leapt on my back. I hoisted her into a piggy back and started skating down to the other end of the pond and around again and again until we fell back onto the ice in exhaustion.
"Adam? You know what I'm going to do when I grow up?" she asked me as we lay on the ice.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm gonna earn lots and lots of money and buy a big house so we can live in it together," was her reply.
I grinned at the thought and sighed contently. We always shared the best times together. I started tickling and poking her sides as she laughed in glee. "Stop it Adam!"
---- End Flashback ----
I never felt alone with Penny by my side. She had been there for me when the Hawks turned their backs against me and when I wasn't sure if I fitted in with the Ducks. Playing with the Ducks had always made me feel like I was flying. But Penny's spirit created magic on the ice for me.
************************************************************************
Charlie's POV
I skated through the gates and stopped in front of Adam. He was so into his thoughts he didn't even look up.
"Hey! Earth to Banks!" I waved my hands in front of his face. He snapped out of the trance.
"Oh.. sorry, didn't see you there Charlie," he said.
"Where were you during practice?" I asked him. "Coach was having a cow. He made us do extra laps coz half the team showed up late."
I winced as I sat on the grass. My back was still sore from the bruises I got from the fall I took during our last game against the Bears. Those guys are brutal and that's saying nothing. Adam didn't answer me.
"What's up man? Whatcha thinking about?" I tried again.
Silence.
I sighed and stretched my legs on the grass. Useless question. I knew he was thinking about Penny again. That was all he ever did these days. I just wanted to make sure he was ok. I leaned back against the tree. Together we stared across the horizon and watched as the sun set behind the hills. 'Hang in there Adam..' I thought inwardly. 'The sun will rise again.'
A/N : Sorry not a very long chapter. Hope you all liked it. Will write more on Charlie and start on Guy in the next chapter.
Katie : Yeah.. I have a sister too and we're really close. Thanks for the reviews and the suggestion!
anne918 : Yes, Penny is Adam's sister. I'm not sure if it'll be an Adam/Julie fic. Decide as more chapters come up. Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed the story!
