The next day at school
Word had somehow gotten out about the big bust up between some of the Ducks, Linda and Scooter. Apparently the screaming fest had been heard across the boys dorm building and Sascha didn't help matters much by telling anyone who would listen about what her and Guy got up to that night.
Scooter had chosen to ignore Julie and glare at Charlie all day. He even opted to sit alone at lunch time. He went as far as to ignore Allie to an extent to which she was not exactly thrilled about. Portman didn't mind though, it meant he could have his girlfriend to himself for the entire day.
Unfortunately, the day wasn't going so well for Charlie as it was for Portman. Linda had refused to let him into her dorm on Sunday and had refused to take his call or return them. She also wasn't speaking to him until after the bell signalling the end of lunch had rung.
"Linda please talk to me, I'm really sorry and I want to make it up to you" Charlie pleaded following her around for the millionth time that day. He was like a lost puppy dog.
"You want to make it up to me?" Linda hissed turning around to finally look at him.
"Yes I do" Charlie said half smiling at her. He was hoping she was about to come around.
"Then leave me the hell alone" she yelled spinning on her heel and storming off.
"Linda wait!" Charlie pleaded running to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm to make her stop. "Please" he begged.
"Let go of me Charlie" she warned tensing up. She didn't like being grabbed like that.
"Not until you let me explain" Charlie bargained.
"Oh this'll be good" Linda said sarcastically rolling her eyes.
"Linda, it didn't mean anything to me. Julie is my friend and a team mate, nothing more and nothing less. You're the only girl I want" Charlie started giving her the puppy dog look.
"If I'm the only girl you want then why'd you go and kiss her Charlie? Why'd you do it and then come back and pretend to me like nothing happened?" Linda challenged.
"I don't know. I'm an idiot. No wait, I'm an asshole, I admit it" Charlie said softly becoming aware of the crowd that was now forming around them.
"Yes you are an asshole Charlie" Linda said feeling herself soften slightly. Then she noticed Charlie glance at someone in the crowd. She followed his gaze and saw Julie standing in the crowd looking a little sad. She felt her anger rising up again. He'd made a fool out of her and now she was going to do the same thing to him.
"Do you forgive me?" Charlie asked stepping in towards her and taking her hand.
Linda said nothing but let him get close enough to think he was going to be able to kiss her and then….
CRACK!
She brought her hand up to slap his face as hard as she could leaving a bright red hand print on his cheek.
"When hell freezes over" she replied through clenched teeth as she turned to push her way past the crowd.
"Linda" Charlie called as he ran to follow her but Fulton stopped him.
"Dude, let her go. She needs time to cool down" he advised.
Charlie simply nodded as he turned to face the rest of the snickering crowd staring at him.
"What the hell are you looking at" he yelled before angrily bumping his way past a few people and storming off down the hall in the opposite direction of what Linda had just taken.
Julie quietly slipped behind Goldberg as the rest of the Ducks made their way towards their next class.
"You okay Catlady?" he asked sympathetically. He knew none of this was really her fault and he could see the pain in her face.
"Y…..yes" Julie stammered trying to hold the tears in. She hated knowing she was the cause of the fight between Charlie and Linda and she hated knowing that she was the reason Scooter had retreated back into himself and wouldn't talk to anyone. She'd hurt him and she'd hurt him bad.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. You'll see" Goldberg stated wrapping an arm around his fellow goaltender.
Julie nodded and a small sniffle escaped. She couldn't bring herself to speak.
"Hey Cat come on please don't cry" Goldberg pulled Julie in for a brotherly hug making Julie cried even harder. It never occurred to her before just how much Goldberg really cared about his friends. She was so used to the wisecracking, farting Goldberg that she forgot about his softer side.
"I'm sorry" she said between sniffles.
"You know it's a good thing you don't wear that make up junk otherwise you'd have to be apologising to my mom" Goldberg joked making her smile a little.
"Oh shut up Goldie" she said lightly punching his chest as she was pressed against it.
"Oh that's just great, I offer you my shirt as a Kleenex and there you go telling me to shut up" Goldberg joked gently leading her towards their next class.
"Sorry Goldberg" Julie said laughing slightly.
"I forgive you just this once" Goldberg continued. When they reached the door to their classroom Goldberg reach out and gently wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"We don't want the preppy snobs thinking we're anything less than tough" he said lightly before opening the door.
Julie quickly leaned over and kissed his cheek "Thanks Goldberg" she said.
"Anytime Catlady" he replied turning away quickly before she could see him blush. Girls didn't usually kiss Greg Goldberg and he tried his hardest not to let the tingling sensation on his cheek where she'd kissed him bother him. The last thing Julie needed was him getting a crush on her, he thought taking his seat next to Luis and he certainly didn't need a pounding from Scooter and the Varsity team if they ever found out.
"Ouch that looks nasty" Banks whispered surprised that a girl as little as Linda could hit that hard. He'd been fooled once before though, he thought Connie was too petite to pack much of a punch but he soon found out she was every inch as tough as the guys after she decked Olaf Sanderson from Iceland in the championship game of the Goodwill Games.
"I don't want to talk about it" Charlie snapped pretending to be engrossed in his Geography worksheet.
"Okay" Adam said turning towards his own worksheet.
"Class I have to step out for a few minutes, keep working on chapter 12. and don't even think about trying any funny business. I'll be quizzing you on this stuff tomorrow" the teacher warned before leaving the room.
Almost immediately two JV cheerleaders flocked to Adam and Charlie's desk.
"So Adam, I hear that you're not dating Sascha anymore" the one Adam knew as Emma cooed trying to be smooth.
"Yeah, so?" Adam said trying to give them the hint that he wasn't interested. News about him and Connie hadn't gotten around yet and they were hoping to keep their relationship to themselves for a little while longer.
"So I was wondering if you needed help to get over her" Emma replied running her hand up his arm.
"No thanks" Adam replied turning towards Charlie as if he was going to say something but was interrupted by Emma.
"Well if you change your mind" she said kissing her fingertips and placing them on Adam's lips before walking back to her seat making sure she was wiggling her backside with her friend right beside her.
Adam ignored them and turned to Charlie "Can you believe some of these girls?" he whispered.
Charlie just nodded glumly "Yeah, none of them even compare to Linda" he said softly placing his head in his hands.
Or Connie Adam thought to himself turning his attention back to his geography work. He couldn't wait to see Connie again at practice that afternoon.
"I can tell this is gonna be a whole lot of fun" Portman complained to Fulton as they dragged themselves to practice.
"Yeah I know, if Coach says anything to Charlie he's gonna rip his head off" Fulton replied as they made their way down to the locker rooms.
"Hey guys, practice has been cancelled. Coach Orion had an emergency to attend" Connie came walking down the hallway with Adam trailing behind her with a goofy grin on his face.
"Sweet! Not about the emergency part, that kinda sucks but I don't think I can handle Charlie's mood today" Fulton piped up wondering whether he should go find Hayley or not.
"Tell me about it, he's been going on and on about it since it happened" Adam spoke rolling his eyes when the others laughed.
"Its what you get for sharing a room with him Cake-Eater" Portman laughed slapping the smaller boy on the back.
"Aw guys be nice to Banksie, it can't be easy sharing a room with temper tantrum Charlie" Connie stood up for Adam.
"Only for you Connie Wonnie" Fulton said in a high voice and pinching her cheeks.
"Do that again and I'll castrate you" she warned slapping his hand away.
"I love it when she gets feisty" Averman butted in coming up behind the Bash Brothers.
"Bite me Averman" Connie said pushing past the three guys.
"I'd love to Connie but I just ate" Averman replied and the Bash Brothers laughed. Once in a while Averman came out with something ballsy.
"GRRR!" Connie threw her hands up in frustration and walked off leaving two amused Bash Brothers, a beaming Averman and a scared looking Banks behind.
"I'm gonna go for a skate" Banks said quickly running off in the direction Connie went. He knew it was the lamest excuse ever but he was sure the Bash Brothers wouldn't catch on to what was really going on.
"That's Banks for you, always thinking about hockey and skating" Fulton replied.
"Dude I'm starving, wanna hit Maccas?" Portman said feeling his stomach growling. All thoughts about Banks and hockey had escaped his mind.
"Yeah" Fulton said "We gotta go get Kenny though" he said feeling guilty that he hadn't been hanging out with the little Bash Brother lately.
"Have fun, I'll be going now" Averman said a little disappointed, he knew he wouldn't be invited on this trip with the Bashes.
"Aren't you coming?" Portman boomed slapping him on the shoulder.
"Oh am I invited?" Averman asked surprised. He pushed his glasses back up his nose.
"Duh yeah you are" Fulton replied wondering why Averman was so surprised that they'd invite him out with them.
"Um okay then I'll go" Averman replied trying not to let his excitement show too much.
"Dude whatever, come on lets get K-Man" Portman took off down the hall swinging his hockey bag around as he went.
Fulton playfully punched Averman and took off down the hall after Portman.
Man hanging with the Bashes is gonna be a painful experience Averman thought wincing from the punch. He didn't have a very strong pain threshold.
Allie was just taking the squad through the last of the stretches for the practice when Dean Buckley showed up.
"Miss Taylor?" he called.
"Yes Dean?" Allie replied standing up. He never came to the cheerleading practices. Something big had to be going on.
"Are you almost finished? I'd like to see you in my office when you've changed" he said.
"Oh, um. Sure" Allie replied looking just as confused as the rest of the squad were.
"Good. That is all" he said walking back through the door he came from.
"I think we're done" Allie said to the other girls absent-mindedly. Why does the Dean want to see me? Surely I'm not in any trouble she thought as she walked to the locker rooms to shower and change.
"Wonder what the Dean wants" Hayley asked towel drying her hair.
"I have no idea, might be something to do with the team" Allie replied not really believing it. If it had been about the team then Dean Buckley would have just talked to all of them right there at practice and not have asked Allie to see him in his office.
"Good luck" Hayley called as Allie picked up her gym bag and walked out of the locker room.
