Chapter 3 "And Now?"
"Nice shot, Banks," Orion said when Adam got one past Julie. They'd been practicing for about half an hour, and Amy hadn't shown up yet. Adam was starting to worry about her. Lucky for him, that nervous energy actually improved his game. He was having a very good practice.
"She'll show up soon," Julie assured him as he circled around the net. "She's probably just running late."
Adam didn't answer her because at that exact moment, Amy appeared at the top of the stands. She pointed to her watch and shrugged apologetically, meaning that she had lost track of time. She took a seat and watched the practice. The team scrimmaged for another twenty minutes of so and then Orion have them a small break. Adam glided over to the boards where Amy was waiting for him. Charlie, Julie and some others were right behind him.
"So this is the famous Amy Morgan," Charlie said, shaking her hand. "Banks has told me a lot about you."
"Likewise," she returned. "And Scooter has told me a lot about you," she said to Julie.
"Scott? Really?" Julie seemed surprised that Amy knew him.
"Yes. I met him a few years ago. He was a sophomore when my brother was a senior. I write to him a lot now that he's away at college. He thinks about you a lot, and he writes about you even more." Julie blushed a little and smiled to herself.
Adam introduced Amy to the rest of the Ducks in turn. Luis Mendoza and Portman both tried to smooth talk her, but a cool look from Adam shut them up. Dwayne was a perfect gentleman, of course, and he and Amy got into a small conversation about horse riding.
"How's your bother?" Orion asked when he came over.
"Brian's great, Ted," she answered. "I'm surprised you remember him. You only met him a few times, right?"
"Oh, you don't forget a hockey player like your brother," Orion said. "Does he still play much at all?"
"Not as often as he'd like. He's started med school now, and he says his time just slips away from him." Amy glowed with pride when she talked about her brother.
Orion turned back to the Ducks. "Okay guys, and girls," he added, before Julie or Connie could give him a look, "it's time for your old friend, speed sprints." The team groaned and whined in response, but they line up obediently. Adam winked at Amy and lined up with the others. Orion blew his whistle to start them off and then turned back to Amy. "He could have gone all the way," he told her. "Your brother could have been one of the greats."
Amy nodded knowingly. "He thought about it for a long time. Ever since he was young, Brian wanted to be two things: a hockey player and a doctor. It was just a matter of choosing one over the other."
"Do you think he regrets it?" Orion asked, obviously thinking of his own choice to leave the pros.
"No he doesn't regret it. I think, for him, just knowing that he could have gone all the way was enough for him." Amy looked across the rink to where Adam was giving Goldberg a little bit of advice. "What about Adam?" she asked.
"What about Adam?" Orion echoed.
"Do you think he could go all the way?"
Orion didn't answer at once. "Talent wise, yes. But more and more over the past year or so, I've been getting the feeling that maybe hockey isn't what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Has he said anything about that to you by any chance?" Amy only shook her head, staring across the ice. "No matter," Orion continued quickly. "He may have just gotten so busy with school and everything…"
"Yeah, you're probably right," Amy agreed, willing herself not to worry.
Practice was over before long, and the Ducks filed out of the ice rink and eventually only Adam and Amy were left. They walked around the ice for a while in silence. Finally, Adam asked, "Did you ever skate?"
Amy had been in a bit of a daze, thinking about what Orion had said, and it took her second to register Adam's question. "No, not really," she answered. "Not for lack of trying. When I was little, I wanted to be a figure skater."
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"Oh, I just wasn't any good. Couldn't do the jumps, I guess." Amy stopped and looked out at the empty ice. "I just loved being on the ice. Probably because that meant I would be with my brother." Amy stared hard at the ice as if she could see her brother skating there. "How about you? Why'd you start playing hockey?"
"My older brother," Adam told her. "He played for the Hawks, too. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like him."
"And now?" Amy prompted.
"Now? Now I love to play. I love being a part of the Ducks. And I'm good at it. And…"His voice trailed unhappily off into the open air.
"But now it's different?" Amy offered. "Something's changed?"
Adam slumped and sat down, leaning on the boards behind him and gave a tired sigh. Amy slid down and sat next to him. She knew now what Coach Orion had been talking about. She didn't press him anymore, but he talked freely.
"I don't know really. Maybe it's just not as fun as it used to be, more pressure. Scouts have been watching me lately at games. I even caught someone watching me at practice last week." His voice was strained and weighed down. "It's like being under a looking glass. One stupid mistake on the ice, one bad impression, and I could ruin my future. And my father. He has my whole hockey future mapped out. I know he means well, but… I'm so afraid of letting him down. Sometimes, it's just too much to handle. But I don't want to disappoint the Ducks, so I have to keep playing."
The air between them was still for a few moments. Amy didn't know what to say to make Adam feel better. Finally, she took his hand and asked, "Have you told any of your friends how you feel?" Adam shook his head in reply. "You should," Amy told him. "They're your best friends. They'll understand. Your father would too," she added.
Adam knew she was right, but still his mind shuddered at the idea of bringing up that particular conversation with Charlie or any of the Ducks. And his father- that was something different entirely. When his brother had quit playing hockey, Philip Banks went through a period of something like withdrawal and couldn't bring himself to forgive Nathan for a good couple of months. If Adam revealed that he didn't want to play hockey now, right at the most important time for his future career, his father might just die of frustration.
A few minutes of pure silence passed before Adam stood up, ready to leave. He gave his hand to Amy to help her up and they walked out of the ice rink without speaking. By the time they arrived at Amy's dorm, she had attempted to strike up a conversation three times, only to be stopped by the vacant look on Adam's face. She forgave him for his distraction, knowing what was occupying his thoughts. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said, unlocking her door. "I can see you have some serious thinking to do tonight."
"I'm sorry, Amy," Adam said. "I'm not being very good company, am I?"
"It's okay. I understand. Just call me sometime tomorrow after class. Maybe you'll have a clearer head then." She planted a quick kiss on Adam's cheek then disappeared behind the door.
"Nice shot, Banks," Orion said when Adam got one past Julie. They'd been practicing for about half an hour, and Amy hadn't shown up yet. Adam was starting to worry about her. Lucky for him, that nervous energy actually improved his game. He was having a very good practice.
"She'll show up soon," Julie assured him as he circled around the net. "She's probably just running late."
Adam didn't answer her because at that exact moment, Amy appeared at the top of the stands. She pointed to her watch and shrugged apologetically, meaning that she had lost track of time. She took a seat and watched the practice. The team scrimmaged for another twenty minutes of so and then Orion have them a small break. Adam glided over to the boards where Amy was waiting for him. Charlie, Julie and some others were right behind him.
"So this is the famous Amy Morgan," Charlie said, shaking her hand. "Banks has told me a lot about you."
"Likewise," she returned. "And Scooter has told me a lot about you," she said to Julie.
"Scott? Really?" Julie seemed surprised that Amy knew him.
"Yes. I met him a few years ago. He was a sophomore when my brother was a senior. I write to him a lot now that he's away at college. He thinks about you a lot, and he writes about you even more." Julie blushed a little and smiled to herself.
Adam introduced Amy to the rest of the Ducks in turn. Luis Mendoza and Portman both tried to smooth talk her, but a cool look from Adam shut them up. Dwayne was a perfect gentleman, of course, and he and Amy got into a small conversation about horse riding.
"How's your bother?" Orion asked when he came over.
"Brian's great, Ted," she answered. "I'm surprised you remember him. You only met him a few times, right?"
"Oh, you don't forget a hockey player like your brother," Orion said. "Does he still play much at all?"
"Not as often as he'd like. He's started med school now, and he says his time just slips away from him." Amy glowed with pride when she talked about her brother.
Orion turned back to the Ducks. "Okay guys, and girls," he added, before Julie or Connie could give him a look, "it's time for your old friend, speed sprints." The team groaned and whined in response, but they line up obediently. Adam winked at Amy and lined up with the others. Orion blew his whistle to start them off and then turned back to Amy. "He could have gone all the way," he told her. "Your brother could have been one of the greats."
Amy nodded knowingly. "He thought about it for a long time. Ever since he was young, Brian wanted to be two things: a hockey player and a doctor. It was just a matter of choosing one over the other."
"Do you think he regrets it?" Orion asked, obviously thinking of his own choice to leave the pros.
"No he doesn't regret it. I think, for him, just knowing that he could have gone all the way was enough for him." Amy looked across the rink to where Adam was giving Goldberg a little bit of advice. "What about Adam?" she asked.
"What about Adam?" Orion echoed.
"Do you think he could go all the way?"
Orion didn't answer at once. "Talent wise, yes. But more and more over the past year or so, I've been getting the feeling that maybe hockey isn't what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Has he said anything about that to you by any chance?" Amy only shook her head, staring across the ice. "No matter," Orion continued quickly. "He may have just gotten so busy with school and everything…"
"Yeah, you're probably right," Amy agreed, willing herself not to worry.
Practice was over before long, and the Ducks filed out of the ice rink and eventually only Adam and Amy were left. They walked around the ice for a while in silence. Finally, Adam asked, "Did you ever skate?"
Amy had been in a bit of a daze, thinking about what Orion had said, and it took her second to register Adam's question. "No, not really," she answered. "Not for lack of trying. When I was little, I wanted to be a figure skater."
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"Oh, I just wasn't any good. Couldn't do the jumps, I guess." Amy stopped and looked out at the empty ice. "I just loved being on the ice. Probably because that meant I would be with my brother." Amy stared hard at the ice as if she could see her brother skating there. "How about you? Why'd you start playing hockey?"
"My older brother," Adam told her. "He played for the Hawks, too. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like him."
"And now?" Amy prompted.
"Now? Now I love to play. I love being a part of the Ducks. And I'm good at it. And…"His voice trailed unhappily off into the open air.
"But now it's different?" Amy offered. "Something's changed?"
Adam slumped and sat down, leaning on the boards behind him and gave a tired sigh. Amy slid down and sat next to him. She knew now what Coach Orion had been talking about. She didn't press him anymore, but he talked freely.
"I don't know really. Maybe it's just not as fun as it used to be, more pressure. Scouts have been watching me lately at games. I even caught someone watching me at practice last week." His voice was strained and weighed down. "It's like being under a looking glass. One stupid mistake on the ice, one bad impression, and I could ruin my future. And my father. He has my whole hockey future mapped out. I know he means well, but… I'm so afraid of letting him down. Sometimes, it's just too much to handle. But I don't want to disappoint the Ducks, so I have to keep playing."
The air between them was still for a few moments. Amy didn't know what to say to make Adam feel better. Finally, she took his hand and asked, "Have you told any of your friends how you feel?" Adam shook his head in reply. "You should," Amy told him. "They're your best friends. They'll understand. Your father would too," she added.
Adam knew she was right, but still his mind shuddered at the idea of bringing up that particular conversation with Charlie or any of the Ducks. And his father- that was something different entirely. When his brother had quit playing hockey, Philip Banks went through a period of something like withdrawal and couldn't bring himself to forgive Nathan for a good couple of months. If Adam revealed that he didn't want to play hockey now, right at the most important time for his future career, his father might just die of frustration.
A few minutes of pure silence passed before Adam stood up, ready to leave. He gave his hand to Amy to help her up and they walked out of the ice rink without speaking. By the time they arrived at Amy's dorm, she had attempted to strike up a conversation three times, only to be stopped by the vacant look on Adam's face. She forgave him for his distraction, knowing what was occupying his thoughts. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said, unlocking her door. "I can see you have some serious thinking to do tonight."
"I'm sorry, Amy," Adam said. "I'm not being very good company, am I?"
"It's okay. I understand. Just call me sometime tomorrow after class. Maybe you'll have a clearer head then." She planted a quick kiss on Adam's cheek then disappeared behind the door.