Disclaimer: We don't own the Ducks and probably never will because they belong to Disney. However, Emaliar Malfoy does own Bella, Ollie, Seraphina, Dr. Montgomery, and Patrick "Paddy" Ridley. Bobcatwriter owns Baby Hans, Paddy's family, The Lebrie Family, Reese, Gunnar's family, Pastor Richards, a few of the other students and teachers from Eden Hall.
A/N: This is the sequel to the other Mighty Ducks story's: "The Way Things Are," "The Way Things Were," "The Way Things Should Be" and "The Way Things Could Be." We recommend you read those four first. However, this can also be read as a stand-alone story. Please read and review.
Chapter 10—Fighting For A Spot
August 23rd, 1999
3:08 pm
Bella's POV
The school day was on a short schedule; we had 42-minute classes, when it was normally 50-minute classes. We were in our last class of the day, music. I just took it as a filler in, since I knew that I wasn't going to be graduating early and heading to Wisconsin to get a head start on my freshman year there. I knew that if I were able to go to Wisconsin early, I would so have to redshirt which meant playing hockey only in practice.
I was in music with Guy, Connie, Julie, Russ, Linda, and Surprisingly Gunnar. I didn't think that he could sing, just like Adam. I could sing a little not that I was going to be a pop star like Brittany Spears.
"Welcome to Music class, why don't we start off with some introductions, tell us your name, the class you are in and one thing that interests you about music. We will start in the back riser on the left" Ms. Delaney said.
There were about fifty kids in the class together, Gunnar was sitting next to me and was just before me. Gunnar's response was "My name is Gunnar Stahl. I am a senior and from Ísland. I guess I wanted to learn more about music in Ameríku."
Then it was my turn I said, "My name is Bella Banks-Bombay. I am a senior and I honestly took this class as a filler in. I have a slight interest in music, but I don't think that I am a very good singer."
"Well, this year we are doing something special, something Eden Hall does every four years, a musical and this year's Musical will be the musical Grease and we will be performing this musical the third weekend in April on the 13th, 14th, and 15th. We will be spending the first couple of weeks learning a couple of the songs that the group will be singing together. Then we will be diving into auditions for the roles, there will be a speaking and a singing audition," Ms. Delaney said.
The rest of the class was warming our vocal chords and starting to learn the songs, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and Grease. I was upset that the bell rang indicating the end of classes for the day. "So, Gunnar," I said.
"Ja," Gunnar said.
"Are you going to be going to the library to do homework?" I asked.
"Yah, I don't have a choice with Adam at practice. Vhy?" Gunnar asked.
"Nothing, I was just curious," I said.
Adam's POV
Goldberg, Jesse, and I walked out of US Constitutional Law that I had with all people my mother. I could not believe it; I was promised that I was not going to have her in my classes and here she is my teacher. This was going to be a bummer of a year. I had wondered during class if Bella had her earlier. Both Bella and Gunnar had the class during sixth period while I was in French.
"Man, I can't believe it, Ms. MacKay is our teacher, again!" Goldberg said.
"I know right?" Jesse asked.
"IT'S MRS. BOMBAY, AKA MY ADOPTIVE MOTHER," I yelled.
"Banksie, I.. I… I," Goldberg started to say.
"YOU KNOW WHAT FORGET IT, I WILL SEE YOU ON THE ICE," I yelled and then took off in a breakneck speed for the Arena. When I got there everything came back.
{Flashback August 26th, 1996}
"Hey, you guys, look. He posted our positions," Connie said.
Fulton, Russ, Averman and I followed Connie up to the bulletin board. Fulton raised his arms, "I don't believe this. I play left side not right," Fulton said.
"Third line! Man, that's a major diss," Russ said.
"We are not even posted," I said.
"What?" Bella said as she scrambled up to us.
"Yeah, you are. Adam Banks, third line, center. Bella Banks, third line, right wing. Varsity?" Connie asked.
"I made varsity?" I said stunned.
"We made varsity?" Bella said just as equally stunned.
The next day
"Well, well, well," Riley drawled while grabbing Bella's wrists.
"Let go of me," Bella said.
"No, I don't have to listen to you. I am the captain, and I could have you thrown off, if you don't do exactly what I say," Riley drawled, while squeezing her wrists.
"Leave me alone," Bella said trying to squirm more
"Never, your ours now, pretty thing. Same thing with your brother," Scooter said.
A couple of weeks later
"Come on Banks," Riley yelled at me on the Ice.
"I am trying," I said.
"No, you know better than that. Do better!" Riley yelled.
(Outside the Minnesota Club)
"That was awesome, Rick you are a genius," Cole said laughing.
"What happened," Bella asked.
"Well right now, you little friends are getting a cake with the cheque," Rick said.
Mine and Bella's face's dropped.
"You can't do that!" Bella yelled.
"Yeah, I can, how was I to know how much prime rib Goldberg would eat?" Riley asked.
"I am going to go back in there and help them, maybe I can work out a deal with the manager of the club," I said.
"Me too, I am going with you," Bella said.
"No, you're not. You are going to get your asses in my car, and we are going back to school," Riley said as he had his hands on Bella. Cole had my arms pinned behind my back, and he was squeezing my wrist that I hurt in the Jr. Goodwill Games hard.
"OW YOUR HURTING ME!" Bella screamed.
"Gag her, we need to shut her up," said Anderson.
"You're going to keep your mouth shut right, because the last thing I need is Buckley coming down on my ass and getting me expelled," Cole said.
"And if I don't?" I asked.
"Well, this," Cole said as he pushed me up against the wall and held me there with my feet dangling off the floor about a foot, his massive hands around my throat cutting off my oxygen.
"I can't breathe," I said.
"Good maybe that will teach you, cake eater!" Cole said and then he left my room.
"I am not any worse of a cake eater than you are, you pathetic loser," I said.
Ring, ring, ring, ring
"Hello?" I said sleepy.
"Banks, get your ass up and your sisters. We are meeting the ducks at dawn," Riley said.
"What for?" I asked.
"Don't ask questions Banks, JUST DO IT!" Riley yelled and then hung up the phone.
"I didn't know, Charlie. I swear," I said.
"Yeah right, preppy," Charlie spat
"Charlie, I promise we had no idea," Bella said.
"Say whatever you want rich girl," Charlie said and then he skated away.
Bella had tears rolling down her eyes, "Why won't he believe us?" she asked.
"I don't know," I said.
"Did you hear about the ducks?" I asked Bella.
"No what?" Bella asked.
"Their scholarships are up for review by the board if the board withdraws them. They are gone," I said.
"NO, I can't lose my friends," Bella said.
"I know," I said.
"So, what is going to happen?" Bella asked.
"Well, I guess Coach is going to present something, I don't know what," I said.
"I knew we should have gone to Coach Orion and told him what has been happening," Bella said.
"I want to go back to JV. I am not happy on Varsity," I said.
"Me too, I am so sick of doing Cole's homework, he should be doing it. Not me," Bella said.
"Listen," Charlie started. "You guys had an unfair advantage last time. You had some of us, the Banks twins."
"You can keep Banksie, he never had the heart of a warrior anyway," Riley drawled, "Ace, however," he said grabbing her wrist and pulling her over. "Well, we're keeping her. We won her fair and square."
The rest of the Ducks and I were ready to explode.
"I am not a prize to be won!" Bella yelled.
{End of Flashbacks}
"Hey you, okay?" Jesse asked me when he skated up to me.
"Yeah, fine," I said.
"Well come on, we have a lot to prove together," Jesse said.
August 23rd, 1999
20:30
Bellevue, Nebraska
Paddy's POV
I had been settling in Nebraska for the last few days, I had been assigned to go to Bellevue West High School. A public school, go figure. Dad was settling in as commander of Offutt Air Force Base, just twelve miles south of Omaha. I guess mom and dad called it Omaha because it was the closest city to this place. I went out for cross country and tried out for the ROTC Drill team today, not my idea that was dad's. I also spent the last few days thinking about what to do about Bella. I missed her but wasn't sure that I wanted to go on with our relationship. She wasn't exactly truthful about how Charlie had proposed to her last year. I don't know how far it had gotten or if there was an engagement, but I had the feeling that there might have been one. I don't know, how could I be truthful in my thoughts and feelings when she lied to me.
"Knock, knock," My mother said.
"Yeah," I said.
"Hey Paddy. How are you doing?" My mother asked.
"Fine," I said.
"Paddy I know you are upset over having to leave Bella," My mother said.
"Yeah so?" I asked.
"So, that doesn't mean that you can't lose what you have going for her. You said you two were going to write every day. You haven't written her a letter yet," My mother said.
"She hasn't written to me either," I said.
"Maybe because she doesn't know where to send the letter to, have you thought of that?" My mother asked.
"No," I said.
"So, man up and write that letter. I guarantee it will change your life," Mom said.
I groaned before I got up off my bed and said, "okay."
"Good boy," Mom said as she threaded her fingers through my curls. Dad was at me again to get a haircut. It's a battle we fight every day. I honestly could not wait until May 27th. That was the day that I was going to graduate from school. My mother has been trying to get me to commit to a party and honestly, I didn't want to. As soon as graduation was over, I was making the trip up to Minneapolis. Bella and I are going to start our lives together. Granted we might be starting out in Bella's parents' house, but it was only going to be temporary.
I exhaled as I pulled a sheet of paper out of my notebook and wrote:
August 23rd, 1999
Dearest Bella.
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