"So, why did you come back last night all in a huff?" Charlie voiced in the morning on the way to the dining hall.
"My dad and I got into an argument over my place on the hockey team," Adam began. "He thought I was making a mistake by staying with you guys this year. He believes Varsity is better. Sound familiar?" Adam asked.
"But we beat Varsity last year," Charlie objected.
"It's the principle, he says." Adam just stared ahead, not seeing anything the crowds of students in the hallways.
"What about the principal?" Guy Germaine joined them.
Adam replied, " The principle in being on the reliable winning team."
"There's more isn't it?" Charlie asked as they continued into the dining hall, grabbing a tray for breakfast.
Turning around and looking for the rest of their group, he noticed Julie, Connie just entering the dining hall. Scanning, he saw Dwayne, Russ, and Ken already sitting down at a table. Charlie pointed in their direction. "C'mon. They're waiting."
Weaving through the tables, a walking mountain of food nearly toppled on top of them. "Goldberg, have you heard of moderation?" Connie scolded as she sat down at the table with an empty seat next to her. Guy scooted over next to her. Julie was on the other side. Adam and Charlie gamely sat down in the remaining empty seats. Adam found himself sandwiched between Goldberg and Julie.
Not looking up from the food he was inhaling, Goldberg answered a quick "no." The mountain started shrinking. When Adam began to fear Goldberg might actually go after his plate, Goldberg took a big swig of milk and gave a loud burp and looked at Charlie. "Hey Charlie, when are we going to the pond to play some hockey?"
"Maybe next weekend…can everybody come?" Charlie expected the affirmative answer and just gazed a bit.
"Yeah!"
"Sure."
"What time?"
Hoping they wouldn't notice or be particularly concerned, Julie took a breath. "I can't."
Even Averman stopped making wisecracks and corny jokes. Everybody looked at her with varying degrees of curiosity. Meeting Charlie's eyes she opened her mouth.
Ding Ding.
Wiping her shaking hands on her pant legs, Julie got up to go to class.
They all started in the direction of their classes. Charlie and Fulton headed toward history; Dwayne and Guy toward PE; Adam, Ken, and Connie to English; Julie, Portman and Averman toward French; Luis and Russ to math, and Goldberg dragged his feet a bit to biology.
Entering the classroom, Adam asked a quick question to Ken without looking at the guy; in doing so, he didn't notice the look exchanged between his friends. Finally looking at Ken, he asked his friend, "You have any idea what's on Julie's mind?"
"Maybe she's busy this weekend. Go ask her yourself," Ken suggested. "I don't think she'll mind."
Tapping Adam on the shoulder, Connie added, "Adam, have you really talked to her other than the game? Do you even notice she's a girl?"
A flush crept across Adam's cheekbones. "Uhh…Yeah."
"Good morning class." The teacher greeted her students. "I trust you had a nice weekend. If you would please open your books to page 74, we'll see…"
** **
Portman turned the pages of the French textbook. "Argh! Why did I choose French for my elective?" he groaned.
"Because you wanted to charm girls and avoid Home Ec," Averman snickered.
"It doesn't seem to have helped you. Mr. I'm-fluent-in-French." Scowling, Portman began muttering "merde." Julie once told him it would relieve any stress without smashing or bashing anything. Besides, supposedly not many people could recognize the term at this beginning level of French. The teacher gasped and stalked over to the trio and started to release an umbrage of French. Only one other person caught the some of the vocabulary—Julie. With each word, the gestured more. Portman had no clue exactly what she was saying, only the general idea. Shocked silence followed the diatribe.
Julie hesitantly apologized for Portman in slightly Canadian accented French. Her French was fluent enough for the apology and not too shocked at the Frenchwoman's angry lecture. In a smooth low tone full of remorse, Julie quickly prevented the possible detention from the teacher.
Mollified and calming down, the teacher continued teaching the class without any interruptions.
** **
LunchtimeDeciding to eat lunch outside, the group settled around a picnic table next to a tree. Putting down her tray, Julie found herself sitting net to Adam. They had 2 classes together, both in the afternoon, but rarely discussed their classes. The only topic they could talk about was hockey. Julie found Dwayne on her left already scarfing down his lunch. Fulton, Portman, and Russ were surrounding Goldberg and pilfering some of his lunch, trying to "help" him lose weight. Charlie joined his girlfriend somewhere else and Ken kept the lovebirds aka. Guy and Connie from Adam. Comfortable with the sounds of eating, Julie began to eat her own lunch. Adam glanced around and decided to kill two birds with one stone: unload some of his thoughts and start on knowing more about Julie. But how do I start? He thought around a mouthful of food. Swallowing, Adam started with what he thought as a safe topic. "Are you ready for practice?"
Once the words came out, he could've hit himself on his head. However, those thoughts were not on Julie's mind. Her thoughts ran along the lines of what's wrong with him? "I guess."
Her lunch now unnoticed, Julie waited for Adam to continue the conversation since it appeared he had something on his mind. I never knew he could… Catching her train of thought, Julie tried to recover from her shock by babbling to Adam, "What's on your mind Adam? Really. " She never meant that to come out.
Looking at his teammate with a mix of nervousness and some kind of certainty, Adam told her. "Julie, I need help. I need your help." His gaze was troubled and Julie gave in. Her heart wasn't particularly calm at the moment either.
He's only asking for help, probably on homework, she berated herself, but she couldn't help but feel something she didn't dare admit to herself. "Is it homework? Did you talk to anyone else? I'm flattered though. Sure. When?" she asked, hesitantly smiling.
Wow…she agreed. Adam thought and couldn't prevent the next thought—her smile is so pretty! The words came unbidden. "Can I meet you after practice at the library or something and eat dinner together?"
He couldn't believe how Julie's smie could get any brighter, but for whatever the reason, her agreement and cheerful expression lightened his own day and looking down at his tray, Adam decided to goto class a little early. "Walk with me?" Julie asked, getting up as the rest of the of the group prepared to go to their respective classes.
Smiling, Adam waited for Julie and the two left the lunch period talking and testing out a new part of their friendship. Ken looked at the two and though to himself, it's about time they really started to talk. Glad of the fact, he went off with the others to class.