Notes: Yeah I write a certain person in here as a bit unkind. Well see a previous chapter because that's what I hinted at before. And if you were curious about why the ignored hated Adam so much you'll know now.
They Hate Me
The next day I sat in the lobby. The team had practice this morning, so I sat in the lobby reading Sports Illustrated. I sat in a quiet corner hoping no one would notice me. I had a good view of the lobby however. I was surprised to see Connie walk by. She should have been at practice with the others. She walked up to the front desk and started talking to the guy behind the desk. I was so busy watching her I didn't hear someone walk up from behind me.
"I thought you'd be at practice." The person said from behind me. I turned around and saw Bombay. I didn't know he was here. I thought he'd be in Minneapolis organizing the Junior Goodwill Games that were being held in Oslo Norway next year. But no. He was standing right behind me.
I pointed at my ankle. "I'm sort of excused."
He nodded. "Interesting. When you hurt your wrist you still went to practices."
"I'm not supposed to move around a lot while it heals."
He nodded again. "Seems Connie's skipping practice too." He pointed at Connie who was still talking to the guy at the front desk. She didn't notice that we were staring at her. I again wonder why she's not at practice. She turned around, saw us looking at her, and walked over.
"Hey Banks. Coach Bombay." She said. "What are you doing here?" She asked Bombay.
"The Goodwill Games sent me here as assistant coach."
"What?" I asked getting up and then realized that was a bad idea and sat back down. Was Bombay telling the truth? I wondered. Or do we call him coach Bombay again now?
"They thought Wilson could use the help. I coached everyone except Mikah Riley. You getting hurt proved it." He turned to Connie. "So why aren't you at practice?" I was interested in Connie's answer also.
"I was sick last night, so Coach Wilson told me to take it easy today. I came down here looking for Banks since he wasn't in his room.
Hmm do I really believe that? Call me skeptical but the last few years are still fresh in my mind.
Bombay nodded in acceptance. "Well I'll head to Nassau Coliseum for the end of practice. See you later." He said and walked away.
Connie took a seat next to me.
We didn't say anything to each other for a few minutes. I wasn't sure what to say to her. So I asked the one thing I'd been wondering the past couple of years. "Why do you hate me?"
See seemed caught off guard by that question. "I don't hate you."
"Bull." I think that surprised her more. "You might have stopped Josh from shooting me but that didn't mean you like me Connie."
She didn't say anything right away. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer me at all. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer me at all. She took a deep breath and finally answered me. "I didn't hate you. I guess I was so mad at the other Ducks for being mean to me that I would take it out on you. I thought I'd get back at them by being a part of Josh's plan. Destroying your laptop, cutting the nine off your jersey, dropping golf balls onto the ice, and pouring paint in your locker seemed harmless. No one would be hurt by those pranks. The night Josh almost shot you, we were talking about how far we can go with this plan. I swear I didn't know he had a gun. I wasn't going to let him shoot you. He became a bit crazy. I'm glad that I'm no longer dating him."
"Why did you choose me? I was nice to you and Josh. I tried to get the others to be nice to you. I wasn't expecting it. And I sure wasn't expecting Terry or Tina to be a part of it. It felt like my world had fallen apart so quickly. It took me some time to believe that Brandy loves me. Even after you were all kicked out of school it was tough. People didn't forget that I got a whole varsity football team and varsity cheerleading squad kicked out of school."
"Yeah well the football team sucked anyway." Connie said. I grinned at that. "Can't we put it aside? What's done is done. We can't change it. And I can't apologize forever."
"Okay." I said.
But I still don't trust her.
They Hate Me
The next day I sat in the lobby. The team had practice this morning, so I sat in the lobby reading Sports Illustrated. I sat in a quiet corner hoping no one would notice me. I had a good view of the lobby however. I was surprised to see Connie walk by. She should have been at practice with the others. She walked up to the front desk and started talking to the guy behind the desk. I was so busy watching her I didn't hear someone walk up from behind me.
"I thought you'd be at practice." The person said from behind me. I turned around and saw Bombay. I didn't know he was here. I thought he'd be in Minneapolis organizing the Junior Goodwill Games that were being held in Oslo Norway next year. But no. He was standing right behind me.
I pointed at my ankle. "I'm sort of excused."
He nodded. "Interesting. When you hurt your wrist you still went to practices."
"I'm not supposed to move around a lot while it heals."
He nodded again. "Seems Connie's skipping practice too." He pointed at Connie who was still talking to the guy at the front desk. She didn't notice that we were staring at her. I again wonder why she's not at practice. She turned around, saw us looking at her, and walked over.
"Hey Banks. Coach Bombay." She said. "What are you doing here?" She asked Bombay.
"The Goodwill Games sent me here as assistant coach."
"What?" I asked getting up and then realized that was a bad idea and sat back down. Was Bombay telling the truth? I wondered. Or do we call him coach Bombay again now?
"They thought Wilson could use the help. I coached everyone except Mikah Riley. You getting hurt proved it." He turned to Connie. "So why aren't you at practice?" I was interested in Connie's answer also.
"I was sick last night, so Coach Wilson told me to take it easy today. I came down here looking for Banks since he wasn't in his room.
Hmm do I really believe that? Call me skeptical but the last few years are still fresh in my mind.
Bombay nodded in acceptance. "Well I'll head to Nassau Coliseum for the end of practice. See you later." He said and walked away.
Connie took a seat next to me.
We didn't say anything to each other for a few minutes. I wasn't sure what to say to her. So I asked the one thing I'd been wondering the past couple of years. "Why do you hate me?"
See seemed caught off guard by that question. "I don't hate you."
"Bull." I think that surprised her more. "You might have stopped Josh from shooting me but that didn't mean you like me Connie."
She didn't say anything right away. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer me at all. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer me at all. She took a deep breath and finally answered me. "I didn't hate you. I guess I was so mad at the other Ducks for being mean to me that I would take it out on you. I thought I'd get back at them by being a part of Josh's plan. Destroying your laptop, cutting the nine off your jersey, dropping golf balls onto the ice, and pouring paint in your locker seemed harmless. No one would be hurt by those pranks. The night Josh almost shot you, we were talking about how far we can go with this plan. I swear I didn't know he had a gun. I wasn't going to let him shoot you. He became a bit crazy. I'm glad that I'm no longer dating him."
"Why did you choose me? I was nice to you and Josh. I tried to get the others to be nice to you. I wasn't expecting it. And I sure wasn't expecting Terry or Tina to be a part of it. It felt like my world had fallen apart so quickly. It took me some time to believe that Brandy loves me. Even after you were all kicked out of school it was tough. People didn't forget that I got a whole varsity football team and varsity cheerleading squad kicked out of school."
"Yeah well the football team sucked anyway." Connie said. I grinned at that. "Can't we put it aside? What's done is done. We can't change it. And I can't apologize forever."
"Okay." I said.
But I still don't trust her.