For Disclaimers see the beginning of the fic.
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Chapter Eight
One's Perspective
~o~o~o~o~o~
For someone use to skating with a team, the silence of the near empty arena felt unnatural as Charlie skated toward his coach. Coach Bombay was able to maneuver around him and keep the puck out of Charlie's reach. Charlie turned and watched as his coach did what must have been his famous triple deke. But instead of shooting the puck into the net, Coach stopped and turned back to Charlie.
True to his word, Coach Bombay was teaching Charlie how to do the triple deke. The move itself did not look complicated. As Charlie saw, it was a matter of trying to keep others from getting the puck.
"You're going to have to remember to focus your attention on your opponent," Coach told him still some feet away. Shooting the puck back to Charlie, the older man said, "Give it a try, but see if you can keep the puck from me."
Charlie nodded.
As he started to skate, Charlie moved the puck forward and focused on Coach Bombay. Charlie tried faking left, but he couldn't do it. Coach Bombay was able to get the puck easily from him by calculating his move.
"You were expecting my move."
"Yes I was," Coach Bombay admitted. "But that wasn't the only reason I was able to get the puck from you."
"Why?"
"Not only is it important that you fake other players with the deke, you have to skate faster too. You're not skating fast enough. You have to be faster than your opponent is, because if he is going the same speed you are, he can easily gain control of the puck."
Charlie went back to center ice with the puck. He started the same way he did last time, but instead he decided to fake right instead, but faster. This time, Charlie was able to fake out his coach, unless Coach was letting him score this time. Pushing that thought aside, Charlie focused on coming up on the net and sent the puck sailing into it.
"That was great, Charlie," Coach Bombay told him. Charlie was skating back up to him guiding the puck.
"Do you think I'll be able to try a triple deke in the next game?"
"You might," Coach Bombay told him. "But it's important you practice the move, you never know when you'll need to use it."
Now that Charlie was thinking of it, he wasn't so sure. Considering the handful of other leading scorers on the Ducks, the chances of him scoring a goal were almost nonexistent.
"Tell me, Charlie, does the team have a captain?"
Charlie was not expecting this question. "No, we don't. Not an official one anyway. I mean I know Jesse seems to act like one, because most would think he'd do it."
Coach nodded. "I understand. I was wondering."
"I mean I guess you can officially name Jesse as captain," Charlie told the older man.
"I haven't decided anything yet," Coach told him. "Jesse might not become captain."
Who else could it be?
"Than who?" Charlie had to admit his curiosity was getting the best of him. "You do have someone in mind, don't you?"
"Once I decide, I'll tell you along with the entire team. Listen, why don't you just practice on your own for a bit? I'll just watch and observe." Coach told Charlie
"Sure," Charlie agreed.
He felt a bit self-conscious now that Coach Bombay said he was only going to watch him.
Don't worry about it, Charlie told himself. Think about doing the triple deke.
Coach Bombay skated toward the bench to keep out of the way, but close enough to watch as Charlie practiced.
At center ice, Charlie began skating forward. He mentally counted as he skated - right, left, then right again. As he skated toward the goal to take his shot, Charlie sensed that someone was watching him.
The distraction caused Charlie to lose his focus. As he sent the puck in the direction of the goal, Charlie knew it wasn't going to go in. The puck hit the bottom side of the goal post with a loud clang. The puck landed on the ice a few feet outside the mesh netting.
Turning, Charlie faced Coach Bombay. But the older man wasn't looking at him. Facing the direction his coach was looking at, Charlie looked toward the exit way. Standing there in the exit way from rink stood Adam Banks. He had his hockey stick with him as well as a pair of skates over his shoulder.
"Hello, Adam," Coach greeted the other boy.
Now it's Adam? The thought hit Charlie before he could register it. He would have to think about that later. Whatever reason why Coach went from calling Banks by his last name to his first name, Charlie didn't know, but it really wasn't his concern, was it?
"Hi, Banks," Charlie greeted him.
"Hi," Banks shifted from one foot to another. "I wasn't sure if anyone would be here today."
Skating over toward where Banks was standing, Charlie stopped several feet from the door. The other boy stepped onto the ice, still wearing his sneakers.
"Wouldn't the Hawks' arena been a lot closer?" Charlie realized a moment too late he shouldn't have asked that.
Banks stopped walking, but did not slip. His body tensed up, and Charlie saw that his face registered astonishment from the question. "I-"
"Charlie," Coach Bombay scolded him having overheard what he had said. "That was rude."
Coach came back onto the ice and skated over both of them. "You can stay and practice if you want to, Adam."
"Okay," he did not look convinced about staying.
"I'm sorry," Charlie told Banks. He was feeling sheepish. "I shouldn't have said anything. Well, you're here now, you may as well stay and practice, right?"
He got a nod for a reply.
Banks went over to the bench to put his coat where Charlie's was, as well as to change into his skates. Charlie skated half-heartedly to find out what would happen now that Banks was going to practice too. He did not know if Banks was just going end up practicing on his own, or what Coach was going to do with both of them there.
Charlie looked back at Banks as he took the ice after putting on his skates. He had to give Banks' shirt a double glance when he noticed the black jersey. But once Charlie got a good look at it, he realized it was not Banks' old Hawks' jersey, but a North Stars one.
Charlie felt shabby next to Banks, with his green turtleneck and North Stars jersey. The jeans had to be some well-known brand. Charlie knew that Banks would not know the meaning of a second-hand or a discount store with all the nice things he could afford. Charlie's own flannel shirt and Levis were bought at a discount store along with most of his clothes. Even if they weren't, his mom would never buy anything at regular price.
"I can just practice on the other side of the rink, since it looks like you're practicing with Charlie," Banks told Coach Bombay.
Coach appeared to be in thought before he spoke. But it was Charlie he addressed, not Banks. "Charlie, I was thinking, since you're still learning the triple deke, it might be easier to have Adam practice with you. I'll be able to see things better and give you pointers on how to improve."
He wanted to protest for split second, but Charlie didn't want to sound like he was complaining. It wasn't that he had anything against practicing with Banks. He had just hoped that Coach Bombay would want to keep practicing with him some more. Now because Banks showed up Coach wanted the newest Duck to go up against Charlie. "Sure, if you think that would be best."
Charlie could tell that Banks focused on playing his game, be it a practice or an actual game. This was hardly a game, but Charlie wondered if Banks saw it the same way. Maybe he saw this as yet another challenge. Charlie nearly laughed out right at that. He was hardly a challenge for Banks. He doubted he ever would be.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Banks' question snapped Charlie out of his thoughts.
His confused look told Charlie that he must have been staring at him a bit too long when he was thinking. So he decided to ask about his North Stars' jersey. "Who's number are you wearing?" Charlie asked.
"Seventeen."
"Basil McRae's," Charlie answered. Hoping to make his teammate a bit more at ease, he asked. "What do you think, are the black jerseys better than the old green ones?"
Banks shrugged. "Both of the jerseys are good, it really doesn't matter what I think, but they're still the North Stars despite the color change."
Charlie personally missed the green ones, but the black ones were cool too. But Banks had a point; it really did not matter did it? They still were the North Stars and that's what counted.
"I'll agree to that, though I liked the green ones personally," Coach Bombay spoke his opinion. "But enough on that, I'm going to go over to the bench and watch you both," he told them.
"What move were you practicing, a deke?" Banks wanted to know. He was some feet away from Charlie, who was at center ice again.
Before Charlie could answer Banks' question, Coach asked one of his own instead. "Do your opponents get a chance to know your moves beforehand?"
"No, of course not."
"Then you can't know the move Charlie is going to do."
Coach Bombay turned to skate to the bench so he missed the frown Banks shot at his back, but Charlie saw it. Charlie could now see that Coach wanted to be close enough to see how both Banks and he played, so that's why he went off the ice. Yet it was almost like Coach wasn't even there.
Charlie realized then that because Banks was unaware of the triple deke, at least Charlie assumed he was, Charlie just might actually fake him out. Even if Banks knew the move somehow, what if, what if Charlie could use the triple deke and score a goal?
Biting the side of his cheek to stop from smiling at the thought, Charlie knew it was a long shot.
Glancing over at Coach Bombay, he got an encouraging nod to start.
Charlie started skating with the puck toward the net. Banks didn't come try to take the puck right away; Charlie figured he was most likely waiting to see what type of move Charlie was going to try to use to score with.
They were about the same speed, and Charlie knew he had to start skating faster. As he started right, Banks come at him to try to take the puck away from him. But Charlie was able to fake to the left before the other boy could get the puck.
But Banks must have started to figure out what Charlie was trying to do, because as Charlie faked right again, Banks almost was able to take the puck away from him. Charlie just barely kept it.
He saw the goal ahead.
"Charlie, stop."
Charlie slowed down and stopped and turned to his coach in surprise.
But Coach Bombay did not speak to Charlie he turned to Banks instead."What do you think he's doing wrong, Adam?"
"I haven't seen the triple deke done often," Banks admitted. "Though I could remember you both talking about it yesterday. It wasn't just that, though. I saw that Charlie was doing a triple deke, so by the time he tried to fake me out a third time, I almost got the puck away from him."
What? So he figured it out?
Banks glanced his way. "It's not easy to learn new move, but I'm sure you'll get this, Charlie."
"Yeah, easy for you say," Charlie mumbled more to himself.
The other boy looked at him again, whether or not he heard him, he did not say.
Charlie almost felt bad for saying what he had, but he was frustrated with himself. He knew that he wasn't going to master the triple deke in a day.
Coach come back onto the ice and skated over to them. "Why don't you both just skate for a bit, or just play for some fun? Charlie, I can tell you can use a break from practicing.I need to make a phone call that shouldn't take too long."
Both of the boys nodded to their coach in agreement.
As they skated, curiously getting the best of him, Charlie asked. "Banks, why did you come here and a Sunday of all days?"
"My name's Adam, you know."
"What?" Charlie glanced at him with slight surprise, not expecting this.
"My first name is Adam," he repeated.
Of course most everyone just calls him by his last name. Then Jesse ends up calling him Cake-Eater whenever it suits him.
"I knew that," Charlie told him. Awkwardly he tried again. "So, Adam, why are you here?"
"To practice."
"Geez, don't you do anything other than hockey?" Charlie would later regret what he said. "I mean like go places or hang out with friends?"
Whatever it was he said must have shut down something in Adam because he replied, "I use to." Looking at his watch he went on, "I have to be getting home it's getting late, and my mom's going expecting me home for dinner."
Charlie did not understand the first part of Adam's cryptic reply. All he could say was, "Okay. I'll see you at practice on Tuesday."
"Sure."
Skating off the ice to the bench, Adam changed back into his sneakers and put on his coat. On his feet again, he faced Charlie and said, "Bye."
"Bye," Charlie told the other boy as he left.
Charlie started to skate; the movement of it would help clear his head.
Why did Adam feel like he had to leave so abruptly? Was it something Charlie had said? Thanking back on it, Charlie thought on the conversation they had just moments before Adam had left.
I had said if hockey was the only thing he did. No, if he hung out friends. He said he use to. In past tense, not present.
Charlie stopped skating. How thoughtless was he? He had meant his question half-jokingly, so how did it turn out so wrong? He groaned in frustrated anger at himself.
Of course, Adam had meant his old friends on the Hawks. That had to be it, what else could he have meant? The Ducks definitely weren't his friends.
"Charlie, were did Adam go?" Charlie turned when he heard the question. He found Coach Bombay standing just inside of the rink.
"He had to go home," he told the older man, not wanting to admit he said something he shouldn't have.
"Speaking of, I should be taking you home soon, so you might want to get your things and change back into your shoes."
"Got it."
Once Charlie had his things and was back in his worn sneakers, they walked out to Coach's black Corvette.
"Just Win?" Charlie raised an eyebrow as he eyed the back license plate.
"An old phase. I'll explain it some other time, Charlie. Get in."
As they were driving from arena toward the apartment where Charlie and his mom lived, the-eleven-year-old remembered something he wanted to ask his coach. He had forgotten that he had wanted to ask why Ba- er, Adam had been placed on the Ducks to start with. "Coach, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," he answered not taking his eyes off the road.
"Why was Adam put on the Ducks? I mean why did he have to leave the Hawks in the first place?"
Charlie knew that Adam wouldn't have left the Hawks to begin with unless he had to.
Coach Bombay waited only a few seconds before answering. "If I explain this, would you not mention it to the rest of the team? It's not a big deal, it's just I don't think it's something that should be spread around."
Charlie nodded. "I won't say anything."
"I found out the district lines got redrawn between the Hawks and Ducks boundaries. Unfortunately for Adam, it meant he wasn't a Hawk, but a Duck."
At least it made sense why Coach told everyone that Adam was coming on the team. He understood why Coach said what he had over a week ago when the Ducks were in detention too; about Adam suppose to be on the team for the entire year.
"Do you think Reilly knew about the change but didn't do anything about it?" Charlie asked as soon as the question came to mind.
"No, he didn't know."
Charlie wasn't sure what to say. Now Adam's comment about use to having friends made better sense even more. However, if the friends he had on the Hawks didn't want him around because he was on the wrong team, then they weren't really his friends were they?
They seem like jerks anyways.
The Ducks had given Adam a hard time about joining the team. It was not like Adam had wanted to be on the team to begin with, Charlie could tell that. Everyone else, save for Fulton weren't making things any easier for him. At least they weren't as bad as they had been.
They came up to his apartment a minute later. Coach parked the car, and turned to Charlie. "You did really well today."
"Thanks, Coach," Charlie grinned. "I still need to practice the triple deke a bunch more times."
"You'll get it, Charlie. Just keep practicing."
"Why don't you stay for dinner?" The question was impulsive, Charlie knew that, but he didn't care.
"I don't know, Charlie-"
"Come on," he appealed. A thought came to Charlie, and he smiled. He went on, "I'm guessing here, but when was the last time you had anything that wasn't out of the freezer? At least what you'll be having would be home cooked," he offered.
Coach Bombay laughed before answering. "I should be insulted, Charlie, but I'm not. You don't have to tempt me with food to stay. I just don't want to surprise your mom like you did before."
Charlie lost a little of his cheer, but he his smile returned only a second later. "She's working for another hour, but why don't we surprise her anyways? She won't mind, I promise."
~o~o~o~
Charlie knew he told Coach Bombay that he had a ton of homework to do. That was not a complete lie. He just wasn't doing it at the moment.
He thought of the following his mom and his coach on their date, but scrapped the idea. Even though he was pretty sure he could keep out of sight, Charlie did not want to take the chance. If there was a possibility that someone Charlie knew was at the festival as well, and they saw him, they could tell Mom.
He grinned. His mom and Coach were out on a date right now, which was incredible.
Inhaling the frigid January night air, Charlie let the lungful back out seconds later. He had been indoors most of the day, and he wanted to get a bit of fresh air. Charlie figured a walk around the block would also get him off of cloud nine because Coach and Mom were on a date. Finally.
If things go well with Coach and Mom tonight, would they do something for Valentine's Day when it comes up on a couple of weeks?
Charlie could not answer that, but he could hope they would.
"Hey, Charlie!"
He looked over across the street to see Jesse waving at him to gain his attention. Terry was next to him.
As the Hall brothers crossed the street to join him, Charlie told them, "Hey, guys. I wasn't expecting to see anyone while I was out here."
"We were just walking Tammy and Tommy to one of the bus stops. They hung out with us today," Terry answered.
Jesse laughed, before answering, "Yeah, right. You mean you and Tammy hung out most of the day, while I hung out with Tommy."
Terry's cheeks might have turned redder, but that could have been from the cold. Charlie could not really tell.
"We have test tomorrow, Jesse, we were studying for that. You and Tommy could have easily joined us, instead you played video games."
"I don't mind hanging out with Tommy. However, I don't want play games with him for hours on end, even though it was fun," Jesse smiled as he answered. Turning to his friend, Jesse asked, "What did you do all day, Charlie?"
Charlie decided to keep the fact that his mom and coach were out on a date to himself. Everyone on the team knew that Coach liked his mom. Heck, it wasn't like he kept that fact unknown himself. Since this was an actual date between Coach and his Mom, he didn't want to say anything about it, because it was more special that way.
"Coach showed me some techniques I could use to play better."
Why he did not admit he was learning Coach's triple deke, Charlie was not sure.
"Good, hope it helps," Terry told him.
"Yeah, it especially helped when I was learning everything today, and Adam-" Charlie stopped as soon as he saw the twins' expressions turn from inquisitive to bewilderment.
"Banks?"
The one and the same, Charlie nearly retorted back at Jesse. He did not want to get into another argument because of Jesse's distrust of Adam. Instead he only nodded.
"Whatever for?"
Charlie sighed. "It wasn't like I asked him come along for the day, Jesse. He showed up. Coach wasn't about to ask him to leave."
"Coach wouldn't," his friend agreed, "Once a Hawk, always a Hawk."
"Jesse," Charlie warned him sharply.
"Well, Coach might have changed, and everything," Jesse admitted.
"Charlie," Terry stated. "You know there's a reason why Tammy and Tommy stay away from Banks most of the time."
"Most of the Ducks aren't really talking to him, Terry. That is unless they've got to. But surely yesterday's time at the Met changed that?"
"But haven't you noticed that Tammy stays away from Banks as much as possible not to add she keeps on giving him the evil eye anytime he happens to look her way?"
"Not really. Terry, you're the only one of us that really has his eyes on Tammy most of the time." That earned Charlie an embarrassed scowl for the one in question.
"There's a good reason for it," Jesse spoke up after being silent the last few minutes.
Charlie looked at both of his friends skeptically.
Terry spoke up again. "Did you know Tammy and Tommy live in Edina? The outskirts anyways," Terry added.
"So?"
"You know as well as I do, Charlie," Jesse spoke up again, "That a lot of the Hawks live there, including Banks."
"Yeah, and Adam isn't a Hawk, Jesse," Charlie sighed once again. "Where are you going with this?"
He hoped the brothers, or Jesse at least, would not go in circles forever and end up keeping him out here all night.
"But he was on the team when Tammy and Tommy became Ducks, right?" Terry asked cutting off anything his older brother would have said.
"He was," Charlie agreed. They all knew that.
"I don't know what Tommy told Jesse," Terry told his brother. "So, I want to tell Charlie what happened."
At Charlie's questioning look, Terry started to explain. "Tammy and Tommy had only started to practice skating at our arena a month or so before they become Ducks for a reason.
"On a Saturday some months ago, Tammy and Tommy went to their usual arena to practice. You've seen it, Charlie. When we played the Hawks months ago. Well, there's another arena, next to it, right? But smaller, that's the one Tammy and Tommy practice at. Anyways, they were there early one day to practice, but it turns out that Banks and couple of his friends showed up not long afterward."
"Don't forget Banks was on his own before his friends showed up," Jesse added.
"Right, Banks showed up earlier, and started to skate around or something. He ended up skating into Tommy."
"On purpose," Jesse cut in.
Charlie glanced at Jesse for the interruptions, but looked back and Terry and asked, "So what happened?"
He wondered what Tammy and Tommy would say about that day if Charlie asked them. Even if he did, should Charlie even ask the other person involved? Charlie had no idea what story he would hear from Adam himself.
"The two of his friends showed up when that happened and told them to get off the ice they were going to use it practice some hockey drills. They also said to Tammy and Tommy that figure skating was for sissies."
Even Charlie could not stop the disbelief from showing on his face.
If what Terry said really happened, Charlie could understand why Tammy didn't like Adam. But Charlie never paid much mind to it, nor did he pay much mind whether if Tommy even was rude to Adam either.
But if this happened, it would make sense.
But what if Fulton had been right, before, what if it shouldn't matter? Coach doesn't care who Adam was before, and whatever he did before Adam doesn't seem like he is doing anything like it now.
"What if Adam isn't like that now?" Charlie asked the Hall siblings.
They looked at him like he had not heard anything they had said. But Charlie had heard every word of the conversation.
"There's no reasoning with you," Jesse snapped, then mumbled something Charlie didn't catch.
Before Charlie could even say anything, be it to defend himself, or try to talk to Jesse, he turned without another word and walked away. Jesse never turned around or stopped.
"What was that all about?"
"That was Jesse leaving before he said anything he shouldn't. He'd never say so, but our parents have been fighting for some time lately."
"What are you saying?" Charlie asked in concern.
"They have been fighting a lot for the past several months."
"Is everything at home going okay? I mean your dad hasn't-"
"What? No!" Terry's voice rose. He gave Charlie a frown. "Dad's just been working a lot of overtime. Plus, what extra time he has, you know he comes to our games."
Charlie knew that it was hard at Jesse and Terry's place, with both of their parents working and still struggling. But he did not realize that things were so bad that their parents were fighting.
"I don't know want to say, Terry."
There was nothing he could say. There was nothing he could do for his friends either. What could he say in this type of a satiation? It was one that he had very little memory in.
Thanks for reading and please review. Thanks, Jenn.
