Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks are not my own. I'm sure y'all are well aware.
– Chapter Nine –
"Well, now that we're all here…"
Popping a piece of gum into his mouth, Dylan ignored the accusatory look the dance teacher had leveled at him and calmly sauntered to his seat next to Maddie. She should be happy I even showed up, he thought rebelliously as he loudly popped a large bubble. Soccer season had started early and he was hard pressed to find time to even breathe, let alone show up to impromptu meetings held by crazy Ukrainian dance teachers.
Pursing her lips at the impertinent blond, Madame Baryshkev took a deep breath. That boy seemed to get more and more insolent with each passing year. Too bad he was actually somewhat good or she would've kicked his smug ass out of her studio the minute his teenage rebellion started kicking in. "After much discussion, the Arts board of Eden Hall has decided to approve a joint learning experience with the Lewis School."
Maddie wrinkled her nose. How the Hell was she supposed to know what the Lewis School was? She wasn't from Minnesota. Her sentiment was echoed by the four other out of state dancers.
"The Lewis School? I haven't heard of them." A boy from Seattle frowned.
"You wouldn't have, dear." The woman smiled at him indulgently. "The Lewis School is a very prestigious school for grades 1-8. It's considered one of the best schools in the state, if not the Midwest. Anyway, their arts program has attracted much attention and the eight of you have been chosen to take part in this venture."
Her smile faltering at the less than thrilled expressions on her dancers' faces, she hurried on. "You will each work individually with a Lewis student. They will also have been selectively chosen and will perform a routine you have prepared in a showcase in April. Any questions?"
Dylan immediately raised his hand. "Yeah, um…is this optional?"
"Wait. So let me get this straight. You're a mentor?"
The soccer player scowled as he bit into his eggroll. "Unfortunately."
"It shouldn't be too bad, Dyl." Maddie crossed the common room and patted his head comfortingly. "Maybe you'll like it."
"Easy for you to say, you actually have time to sleep." Dylan complained before turning to the bemused face of Goldberg. "That crazy bitch said if I wanted to be in the department next year, I better show up to the rehearsal! Can you believe this shit?"
"You're going to be a mentor?"The goalie repeated, looking incredulous.
Leaning back in her seat, Maddie's grin slid off of her face when she saw her roommate's stony visage.
The feisty Miss Moreau was currently sitting at a table, ignoring the various bruises that were starting to appear on her body. Her face a thundercloud, she was scribbling furiously at her homework and stonily avoiding all forms of human contact.
Averman shook his head. "She had another run-in with Allie while you and Dylan were at the meeting. She's been like that ever since."
"Did they fight again?" Dylan stopped mid-chew and peered at the redhead eagerly.
"Nah." Charlie said, coming up behind them. "Only words this time." Noticing the soccer player's suddenly disappointed face, he grinned. "Allie took a shit load of verbal abuse though."
Dylan smiled beatifically before gesturing to the various ointments that the other boy held in his hand. "The blue one is good for the bruising. The others are shit. They only help with sore muscles. The stuff in the red jar is pretty good for disinfecting cuts. Oh and the green tube is a miracle worker for getting swelling down quickly."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be pretty familiar with this stuff."
"He's been in quite a few fights." Maddie spoke up blandly although her annoyed eyes flashed at the slightly abashed looking blond. "You should go tend to Connie."
The captain nodded and moved towards his girlfriend. "Hey, I brought some stuff for your face and arms and legs and stomach…um, your body basically…it looks pretty bad. Like really really bad. You should let me…or not." He snapped his mouth shut upon seeing the glare that was suddenly directed at his person.
"Do you have a problem with the way I look?"
"No." He shook his head furiously. "Just that you're a little banged up-"
Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm just saying you look a bit crappy…ow! Banksie, what was that for?" Charlie scowled at his roommate while rubbing the back of his head where he had been hit. Rolling his eyes, Adam took the ointments from the other's hands and sat down next to the incensed girl.
"Hold still." He instructed, unscrewing the cap of a jar. "That bruise is going to be ugly if we don't put this on. And we don't want teachers asking questions now, do we?" He carefully applied the paste onto her cheek.
Connie glared at him mutinously although she obediently sat. "Don't patronize me, Banks."
"Whatever you say." He said amiably before picking up the green tube. Snatching it away from his hands, Connie suddenly stormed out of the common room, leaving a string of curses behind.
"You know, some German philosopher said that God's second mistake was creating women." Dylan muttered thickly through a mouth full of fried rice.
Maddie sneered at him. "That's because his first mistake was creating men." She snapped, before chasing after her roommate.
There was something else on Charlie's mind, however. "Hey, do you think I'll ever get laid?"
A book flew across the room and hit him square on the side of his head. "Ow! For the love of – Julie!"
The goalie didn't even look up from her homework. "Stuff it, Conway."
"Go away."
"But it's so nice and fluffy and white and prettyful!"
"So is cotton and what do you know? My sheets are made of cotton. So it amounts to the same thing, doesn't it?"
"Come on. Don't be a priss."
"I'm not being a priss. I'm being sane."
"I'll bring you chocolate! Lovely, oozy, shit brown globs of sugary goodness!"
"Carmen, get this idiot out of here!"
"She's not here. Maddie took her. Jules!"
Julie glared up at the bundled up apparition that was perched on her bed and annoying the living daylights out of her. "Averman…go away."
"Jules…" The redhead whined, pushing her unmoving body with his gloved hands. "Come on. Please?"
Closing her eyes, she counted to ten, only to be met with a pouting face once she opened them again. "Do I have to? It's cold and wet. I might get sick." She whined, unwilling to leave the comforts of her pretty, blue floral sheets.
Averman beamed. "Snow!" He crowed before dashing around her room, tossing her various articles of clothing. All of which did not match with each other. "I'll see you outside!"
The Maine native grumpily sat up, shivering slightly in the coldness of the winter morning. "I hate snow." She huffed, glaring at the offending whiteness that surrounded her window.
Regardless of the snow that stuck to his soles, his boots continued to cripwalk down the hallway into the common room. With a flourish, he spun and took a bow.
Rosy from the cold, Maddie grinned and clapped. "Very nice, dear."
Dylan smirked at her, shaking his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes. C-walking was his specialty.
Rolling her eyes, Carmen pushed past him and brushed the snow off of her black ski jacket. How she hated cold weather. At the sound of a triumphant exclamation, she turned to see Ken standing up from the now roaring fireplace. Thank goodness. She shivered slightly.
The snow had come in droves the night before, to the point where classes were cancelled. Whooping with glee, most of the student body had taken to organizing a massive snowball fight outside on the grounds. Unfortunately having been pulled outside by the woebegone face of her best friend, Carmen had had to stay outside until the storm had gotten too bad for comfort.
She gingerly moved her arms. She could practically hear herself defrost.
How had a girl that spent every summer in Puerto Rico end up going to school in the middle of Minnesota?
While the storm raged outside, the Ducks were in various states of languor around the common room. Well-fed, tired and deliriously warm from the flames emanating from the huge fireplace, none of them seemed to be in any state to move. And besides, they were armed with the knowledge that classes were cancelled for tomorrow as well.
Making her way through a box of chocolates, Julie lounged idly on the sofa as she listened to the murmur of the some of the boys playing poker at a nearby table. A cup of tea firmly by her side, Carmen was curled up in an armchair next to her, once again reading. Dwayne sat across from her in the other armchair, his fingers busily braiding strands of leather together to make Bagel a collar and leash. As charming as his master, Bagel had ingratiated himself to the kind-hearted cowboy and even now, had made himself comfortable in Dwayne's lap.
In a secluded corner of the room, Adam and Emily were hidden behind their sofa as they talked…or did something else. Not far from them, Guy and his girlfriend were openly kissing. They obviously had no worries about being seen. On a sofa nearby, Charlie was rubbing Connie's feet. Her bad mood seemingly lifted, she smiled at her boyfriend's jokes and talked with him quietly.
And sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace, Maddie and Dylan animatedly whispered to each other, obviously excited about something. The two then secretively looked around as if to see if anyone had heard what they were saying. It was quite endearing, actually.
"What do you think they talk about?" Fulton asked curiously, looking at the odd pair.
Goldberg snorted. "Who knows? I don't have any idea what goes on in those two's heads."
"Does anyone?" Portman then grinned, showing his cards. "I win."
"Not quite. Straight flush." Throwing his own cards down, Ken absently raked in his chips. "From what I've observed, Dylan's probably sharing gossip and Maddie's probably comparing his facts with hers. Then they're going to idolize each other a little before falling asleep."
"So…"
Maddie looked at the grinning blond suspiciously. "What?"
"Today was nice, wasn't it?" Rolling onto his stomach, Dylan propped his head up before smirking at her knowingly.
"Yeah."
"Winter's such a lovely season, isn't it? Perfect for lovebirds. All of that cold weather and snow…just makes you want to cuddle with someone, doesn't it?"
Maddie snorted. "What are you on?"
Frowning, the soccer player decided to hell with it. "I saw you! I saw you make out with Logan Spelling today!"
"What?" The girl turned to face him with wide eyes. "How? We were hidden!"
He impatiently waved her concerns aside. "Oh, don't worry, no one else did. I was actually looking for you which was why I was able to find you. Nice touch going into the Academic Building, no one was in school. Anyway," His eyes sparkled pure silver in the firelight. "I always knew you liked them tall, dark and handsome. How was it? Who kissed who? Do you like him? Is there a chance for a second smooch in the future? Can I be godfather to your kids?"
"It was good. He kissed me. I like him well enough, I guess. And to tell you the truth, that was our second smooch. And I'm not getting pregnant any time soon."
Disregarding the last statement, Dylan immediately sat up, looking scandalized. "What? And you didn't tell me? He didn't tell me? You kept secrets from me?" He hissed, taking care to keep his voice down. Logan Spelling was a fellow soccer player and the whole team knew that Maddie was Dylan's baby girl. His!
She smiled at him engagingly. "It didn't seem important. We just made out at a party last year. It was while you were getting it on with Tricia Manning – still can't believe you did that, by the way – he was being a complete sweetheart and let's face it, he's extremely easy on the eyes. It wasn't supposed to be a repeat thing. I was really surprised when he pulled me aside today." The girl wrinkled her nose at the memory of the dark-haired, blue eyed boy tugging her into the building. "Maybe he thinks I'm easy."
"No. He probably has a major crush on you. I'm not surprised." Indignation forgotten, the blond boy looked at her adoringly, his feet absently waving in the air. "You're the best. And Logan's awesome. You guys would make the most darling couple. Besides me and Rivera, of course."
"Don't hold your breath for it." Maddie mumbled sleepily, her eyes drooping shut. "You and Carmen would have the prettiest babies."
"Way to state the obvious, Maggot."
"This is so dumb!"
Luis lifted an eyebrow as he saw the Chicago native throw his cards down on the table in a huff. "And so you're taking it out on the cards?"
"Whatever." Portman scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's find something else to do. Poker blows."
"Blackjack?" Ken gathered the cards and looked at his friend inquiringly. He quickly nodded when he saw the other boy's less than happy facial expression. "Or not."
Goldberg stretched out on the sofa, absently scratching his large belly. "Guys, I'm feeling rather…mellow. Let's just sit…and sleep."
"Or we could talk." Luis suddenly leaned forward, his dark eyes alert. "That's mellow enough, right?"
Groaning, Averman pushed his glasses up with one finger and glared at the Hispanic boy. "Who is she?"
"What makes you think that I want to talk about a girl?"
"Because it's always about a girl. You're too thick to think about anything else." Fulton rolled his eyes as he put his feet up on a nearby chair. "Who is it?"
"Tricia Manning."
Unfortunately, Portman had been taking a drink of water at the time and ended up snarfing all over himself when he heard the name. Hastily patting the burly hockey player on the back, Russ goggled at the Miami native. "The redhead? The one who's obsessed with your roommate?"
"But Dylan doesn't like her. There's a difference." He raised a finger to his temple knowingly to his temple.
"There's also a difference between normal and clinically insane." Ken looked appalled, to say the least. "Mendoza, what the hell? Of all the girls that Eden Hall has to offer…why her?"
He shrugged in typical, blasé Luis fashion. "I've never been with a redhead."
Snickering, Averman raised a hand to his heart. "I'm hurt. I mean nothing to you then? You could have at least sent me some chocolates to soften the blow."
Already half asleep, Goldberg grinned sleepily. "Luis, you never learn, do you? Leave the girls in that crowd alone. They're way high maintenance."
"But Banksie's going out with Emily! And I kind of…sort of…maybe went out with Mindy…"
"Mindy was an idiot. And you treated her as such. That kind-of-sort-of-maybe relationship doesn't cut it with those girls." Fulton reflected, looking towards the flickering flames in the fireplace. "Look at Adam. Parker runs his life."
Portman snorted and idly flicked a pen towards Julie who caught it in midair. Scowling at her fast reflexes, he turned back to the conversation. "Banks is a doormat. His middle name should be Welcome."
"Easy on the Banks bashing. He's not here to defend himself." Averman leaned back in his chair. "Although he has gotten better in recent years."
"Yeah, instead of no spine, now he has half of one?" Portman scoffed. He nonetheless quieted under Fulton's warning glare.
The other Bash Brother quickly changed the subject. He really didn't understand the occasional bouts of Banks-hate that Portman would indulge in. They were all on the same team, weren't they? "Man, if she wasn't a girl, I would've mutilated that Allie character. Although Connie was holding up pretty well. I told you teaching her how to fight would come in handy."
Averman raised an eyebrow. "Connie has a split lip and a dozen other bruises. You call that learning how to fight?"
"Hey, Allie was no slouch, either!" Portman said defensively, obviously feeling his skills as a personal trainer were in jeopardy. He and Fulton had taught Connie and Julie the basics of throwing a punch during the Junior Goodwill Games. They figured it was best for the girls to know how to defend themselves as they couldn't be around all the time.
Coach Bombay hadn't seemed to understand the reasoning behind that. When he found out, the Bash Brothers had been sentenced to fifty extra laps.
"Whatever." Averman shrugged, shifting a little in happiness of the warmth that surrounded him. "It's Charlie's problem now. Now there's a couple you never saw coming."
"Indeed." Russ nodded sagely. "I always thought Charlie and Adam would look most darling together." Then noticing the looks of disgust he was receiving, he quickly changed the subject. "So, Luis…you have your sights set on the redhead?"
He shrugged. "I guess. If I get the energy or determination."
"Who wants to hit the ice with me tomorrow?"
"If that's your version of a pickup line, it really needs work, Banks." Goldberg drawled insolently from his sofa. He then raised an eyebrow at the other's appearance. "My, my. It looks like the Virgin Mary has been freshly deflowered by Jezebel herself."
Emily looked at him witheringly while a red-faced Adam furiously tried to flatten his tousled hair. "You're neither cute nor funny, Goldberg."
"Neither are you – like, oh my god! Hey, Goldie, you guys finally have something in common!" Russ slapped the other boy's hand gleefully as the little group exploded into quiet snickers.
"Em, I'll see you tomorrow. Sorry about…them." Kissing her obediently on the cheek, Adam hurriedly gave her a push to the door. Turning back around, he sighed at the broad grins that were being flashed at him. "Was that really necessary?"
Ken quickly hid his smile and looked up at him. "No…what was that about tomorrow?"
Adam took a seat next to him. "We haven't really been on the ice since the season ended-"
"Which was two weeks ago." Averman interrupted, looking pained.
"-It would be good for us, you know…to stay in shape? Well, it's not like you guys have a choice. It was Charlie's idea."
Luis looked slightly confused. "Since when do we actually listen to him?"
"Maddie…are you okay?"
"No, I'm trying to die. Excuse me."
Connie paused while gathering her hockey gear and turned speculatively towards her roommate, who was engaged in a rather violent fit of coughing. Dropping her sweatshirt, she strode over to Maddie's bed and felt her forehead.
"You're burning up! You probably got sick playing in the snow yesterday!"
Somehow, Maddie managed to look indignant while blowing her nose in the most unladylike manner possible. "Of course I didn't. I don't get sick. Hey, where're you going? I thought hockey season was over."
"Don't change the subject. We were just going to have a short practice. But maybe I shouldn't go seeing as how you're quite definitely sick." Connie pushed her back down on the bed.
"Who's sick?"
Connie turned to see Julie at the door, hockey bag in hand. "Our resident Upper East Side socialite."
"I am not sick!" Maddie wailed before she immediately doubled over in a fit of coughs.
"Who's coughing? I heard it all the way from the bathrooms." Carmen appeared in the doorway next to Julie. She then looked at the comatose figure in the bed. "Well, don't you look like Hell warmed over."
"Shut up, Car." Maddie buried her head under her pillow miserably.
"Listen, Jules, go without me. I think I might be held up." Connie opened a bag of tea and smiled at her friend, resolutely ignoring her roommate's groans of protest. "Will you sit still?"
"Just go, Cons. I'm fine."
"Actually, you sound like shit. And you look even worse."
Maddie flipped the pillow off her head and glared at Charlie mutinously. "What is this? An open house?"
Unfazed, he leaned over to kiss Connie. "I take it all that fun in the snow has done some wrong for our dear Madison?"
"I'm not sick! Not sick, not sick, not si-" She howled before another fit of coughs entered her system.
"Keep on throwing a fit and you'll be wishing you hadn't. Hysterics and a fever isn't the best combination." Carmen murmured dryly as she absently fixed Guy's collar who had just wandered in.
"Who has a fever?" Guy asked, obediently standing still.
"Maddie." Four voices answered him in unison.
"AAARGH! ALL OF YOU SUCK!"
His hair a mess and only wearing a ratty pair of pajama bottoms, Dylan Howard trudged down the hallway towards Room 201. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and slumped inside, ignoring Connie's raised eyebrow at his disheveled state.
Obviously in a right foul mood, he nudged the lump of white silk that was his best friend. "Move over. I'm cold."
There was an equally bad tempered grunt from under the comforter. "Go away."
"Oh shut up. Move." He accentuated the command with a kick to the bed. Grudgingly, Maddie shifted over so he could slip in.
Connie stirred some lemon juice into a cup of tea. "So I take it you're sick too?" She was answered with a bitter sniffle. "Here." She handed him the cup and then tried to stifle a smile at the sight of the two bed-ridden teenagers, balefully glaring up at her amidst their sniffles and coughs. They really were adorable.
"I'm really not sick!" It might have sounded more convincing if Maddie's voice hadn't cracked and there wasn't a coughing fit at the end.
Dylan snuggled into her pillow. "I thought you didn't get sick."
"I don't!"
"You sound sick. All nasally and shit."
"Well, your hair looks awful."
"Children, children." Connie admonished, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Stretching, she turned around at the sound of a knock. "Hey, how was practice?"
"Good." Adam answered, walking into the room. "Charlie's waiting for you in the common room. He wants to take you out for lunch."
"Oh…" She hesitated, looking over at her two patients.
"Don't worry, that's why I'm here. You're off nurse duty." Adam grinned as he pushed her out the door. "Have fun." He then turned to the less than happy faces of the bedridden and winced. "Hi?"
After staring at him in rather disgusted disbelief for a second, Dylan resolutely closed his eyes and turned over. "I ask for a naked slave girl to serve my every need and I get you. This is why I stopped going to church."
"You got kicked out of church. And stop moving or get your own bed." The Maddie-sized lump of white silk growled from under the covers.
"I brought soup." Holding back a smile, Adam held up the large container as a peace offering.
An interested brown eye peeked out from under the comforter. "Pull up a chair."
Looking up from his book at the sound of a whimper, Adam quickly walked over to Maddie's bed. In the throes of a fitful sleep, she was shivering and coughing as he gently woke her up.
She gasped as she willed her heartbeat to calm down. "Okay…I…might be…sick."
"Here, drink some water." Adam handed her a glass, careful not to wake a fitfully sleeping Dylan. After she drank a sip or two, he carefully eased her back down and brushed her hair away from her face. She was burning with fever and he felt fear clutch his heart. Maddie's eyes were glassy, unfocused and filled with pain. It was the same look that Angie had worn a couple years ago when she was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis. "Do you want anything else?"
Maddie's eyes filled with tears. "I want my daddy."
He reached out and took her hand. "I'll see what I can do."
Carmen practically stalked down the hallway, shoving past a giggling group of sophomore girls. Turning swiftly at the corner, she opened the door to room 201 and was immediately greeted by an exhausted Connie. "How is she?"
"She's sleeping right now. We had Dylan move to my bed, so they could get some extra room. Adam told me that she was almost delirious before and Dylan's practically in the same condition." Connie said, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "I'm getting really worried, Car."
Slipping her coat off, Carmen took a seat next to her best friend. She had received Connie's frantic phone call ten minutes ago. Apparently, the two's condition had continued to deteriorate with each passing hour. She looked up when Julie came in with a teapot of hot water. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself." Julie smiled at her before she bent down to check on Dylan. "He's just as bad as Maddie, I think. What are we going to do?"
"You are going to bed." Carmen said firmly, taking in the other's tired face. "You too, Cons. My bed's open, I'll babysit for awhile."
Connie gave her a weary smile. "Alright. I'll be back in a couple hours."
Maddie slowly opened her eyes. She felt so lethargic and achy. Shifting slightly, her gaze landed on Carmen, who was reading next to her. The blonde beauty immediately put away her book and leaned forward. "Hey."
"Car, I feel gross."
"Here, have some water."
"Maddie?" Dylan turned his head to look at them. "Rivera. Hi." He then wearily reached out for a glass of water by his side. "Man, I feel like shit." He croaked before sinking back down into his pillows.
Carmen frowned slightly as she looked at the soccer player. He must have been in a lot of pain if he wasn't going to make a lewd comment to her. Her worry intensified as she looked at Maddie struggling to hold her glass steady so she could drink. Doing it for her, she carefully eased Maddie back down into the bed. The girl looked up at her with half-closed eyes. "Where's Connie?"
"She went to sleep."
"Carmen?"
"I'm right here."
"I miss my daddy." Carmen was about to answer when she was distracted by a thump on the other side of the room. Turning swiftly, she saw Dylan passed out on the floor, Connie's sheets twisted around his legs and the glass of water overturned by his side.
"Alright, that's it. Both of you are going to the hospital." Carmen's gorgeous eyes went wide as she turned to her best friend, only to find that the girl had gone limp as well.
"Oh, fuck me."
Emergency rooms were awful. And they smelled weird.
Charlie ran his fingers through his hair as he sat in the waiting room of Northern Minneapolis Hospital. Maddie and Dylan had been rushed to the hospital that night and typical to hospital policy, the rest of them had no idea what was going on.
He had received Connie's frantic phone call a couple hours ago and grabbing his roommate, the two of them had accompanied the girls to the hospital. Unfortunately, once the two patients had disappeared behind the double doors, they were left completely out of the loop. Charlie sighed before his gaze landed on something else.
An Asian man had stepped into the waiting room. Tall and distinguished looking with salt and pepper hair, he exuded calm and a sense of benevolence. He reminded Charlie of the Pope.
"Dr. Kim?" He turned to see Carmen step forward towards the man. "H-how-"
"Hello, Carmen." Maddie's father gave her a warm hug. "You're looking well."
"How did you-" Carmen stopped, her face a mask of confusion. "They called you an hour ago! You live in New York!"
"I called him earlier today." They all turned to see Adam speak up. He turned slightly red. "What? She wanted her daddy." He said defensively.
Dr. Kim smiled at him. "She usually does. I truly appreciate the gesture, young man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go speak to my daughter's physician." With a final nod to them, he strode down the hallway.
Charlie turned to stare at his roommate. "She wanted her daddy." He repeated dryly.
Adam scowled. "You try saying no to her. It's impossible." He then looked over at the double doors. "I tried calling Dylan's parents as well. No one picked up."
"They're in Shanghai." Connie came over to sit with them. "On a business trip. They won't be back for another couple days."
"Well, that explains it." Adam muttered, accepting the cup of coffee Julie handed to him. "Thanks."
"No problem." Julie tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "So that's Maddie's dad? She never told us that he was a doctor."
"He's a neurosurgeon." Carmen put down her cup on the table. "One of the top neurosurgeons in the country actually. The guy's a pioneer in his field. Absolute genius."
"Good to know." Charlie paused. "What's a neurosurgeon?"
Only about five more chapters left! And is being a poohead and won't let me upload documents when I want!
And a new chapter of Masculine Perfection is almost finished!
Love and kisses, Donuthole
