I rushed back to my room. Thank god! Julie was still asleep. She bagan to stir as I made my way to my closet.

"Where'd you come from?" Julie asked sleepily. She sat up in her bed and was rubbing her eyes.

"Bathroom." I lied. "Nature called."

Julie started streching out. "So anyway, about Luc…" She laughed.

I turned around and threw my towel at her. "Julie!"

She stopped laughing and just stared at me.

"What Jules? Do I have something on my face?"

"Actually, on your neck. What is that?"

I put my hand up to cover my neck then scrambled to look for a mirror in my closet. I looked at my reflection. Oh no!

"Insect bite." I lied again. Now I had to think of a way to cover this up.

"Looks pretty nasty." Julie yawned.

"I'm going to take a bath now." I declared as I grabbed my towel, clothes and my shower bag.

After my shower, I dressed up and slapped a band-aid on my 'insect bite'. I walked back to my room slowly. I was thinking of last night, how good it felt to be alone with him again. I passed Julie along the hall.

"You have a visitor." She told me.

I couldn't make out who it was by her expression. I found myself rushing to the room. It won't be him, silly. He wouldn't risk that much. I slowed down as I neared the room.

"Guy." Oh. I felt disappointed.

"Wasn't who you were expecting, huh?" He smiled weakly at me. He was sitting on my bed.

I put my stuff back in the closet. "I just didn't think you'd come to see me after…well…um, after…"

"After you tore my heart out and stomped on it?" He finished.

Ouch. I didn't know how I was supposed to respond to that. "Guy, I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. Nothing else seemed appropriate.

"I was kidding. Well, sort of." He laughed. He got up from the bed and handed me a bunch of flowers he had hidden behind him. "I wanted to apologize about yesterday."

Now this was unexpected. "There's no need for this, really." I said as I took the flowers from him. "It's part of the game." I sat on Julie's bed, sniffing the flowers. "I deserved it anyhow." I laughed.

He sat down beside me. He put a hand on my face and turned my head to face him. "You didn't, Cons. I shouldn't have done that."

I couldn't look into his eyes. I hated the way they looked at me. They made me feel so uncomfortable.

He held my hand. "I love you, Connie. I should've talked it out with you, not take it out on you on the ice."

I tried not to squirm but deep inside I was squirming.

"Look, I know I've made mistakes too. Everytime we fight…I shouldn't have left last summer without apologizing for what I did." He squeezed my hand. "I want to start over. If you don't want a relationship right now, it's okay. Just take me back as a friend, that's all I ask."

I know I still had feelings for him. When you've been with someone for so long, it's just difficult to say you've fallen out of love with him in such a short time. Guy will always have a place in my heart. I just don't want to be in a relationship with him anymore.

"Friends." I told him then gave him a hug.

"Awww." I heard Julie gush. Guy and I turn to her. "Oh, am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all." Guy answered as he stood up. "See yah girls later."

*****

I was walking to the girls' room.

"Guy." I mutter under my breath.

He was walking down the hall. I assume he came from the girls' room. He gave me a hard bump as we passed each other. I looked back at him and saw him glaring at me.

Connie. I thought as I sprinted to their room. What did Guy do now?

I opened their door without knocking. "Connie, are you okay?" I saw Julie, she had a surprised look on her face, a look which turned into a jealous stare. I didn't care right now. "I saw Guy. Did he come here?"

"Yeah. What does it matter to you?" Julie snapped.

"I'm fine, Adam." Connie replied. "He came here to apologize. No need to worry." Connie looked at Julie who was now fuming and back at me. "I'll leave you two alone." She grabbed her school back and went on her way.

I took a hold of Julie's arm and turned her around. "Let me explain, Julie."

"Make it quick." She answered angrily.

"You saw what he did to her at practice. I was worried that he might've hurt her again." I began. "We don't know him that well, Jules. We don't know what he's capable of doing. His silent guy thing might be nothing more than a façade."

Julie took a minute to think about what I had said. She seemed to calm down.

"I guess." She remarked thoughtfully.

I put my arms around her and gave her a kiss. "I'm sorry if I made you jealous."

"It's okay." She replied. "I'm sorry too."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave kissed me intimately.

I told the truth. Not all of it, but I still did.

*****

I just came out of the room when my brother called out to me. He asked me to come in his room. I came in and he closed the door behind me.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked.

I looked at him, confused. "Okay about what?"

Rick cleared his throat. He seemed uncertain as to how to begin. "Being a reserve." He put his hand on my shoulder. "You're a tremendous player, Luc, far better than me. It's just that we have a full roster. Coach Wilson already had his sights set on Banks. He didn't expect you'd be open this season. You know how they'd planned to keep you on JV to retain the division title."

I laughed at him. "Rick, it's okay. I have no problem with the decision."

"If it weren't for those Ducks coming in…" He railed.

I looked him straight in the eye. "Is that why you've been harassing them? Lay off them. It's not their fault they got in here in the first place."

"Look, it doesn't matter. Dad says he'll find a way to get them out." He said.

"It's just hockey for god's sake!" I told him. "I can't believe this! You're taking away from them the opportunity to get better education than they do at public schools just because I lost a spot in a hockey team!"

"It's not just about hockey, Luc."

"Then what else is it about?" I challeged him to answer. He couldn't give me one. I shook my head. "I'm out of here."

I walked out of the dorm building and made my way to the cafeteria. I was still upset about what Rick told me. I looked up and saw a familiar figure walking a few feet in front of me.

"Hey Connie! Wait up!" I called out. She stopped and turned around. All the anger I was feeling disappeared as I ran up to her.

"Hi Lucas." She said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Yeah." I confirmed. "Where are you headed?"

"The cafe." She was looking around worriedly.

"What a coincidence! I'm headed that way too." I laughed. "Walk you there." God, just being around this girl is intoxicating.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Hey, we're just going to walk together. Is there anything wrong with that?" I asked. I was a bit hurt by the response.

"Warrior. Riley." She pointed at me then pointed to herself. "Duck. I'd have to say there is something wrong."

I winced the moment she said I was a Riley. My brother really built up a bad reputation with the Ducks. It was now being extended to me as well. It sucked.

"Boy." I pointed to myself. "Girl." I pointed to her. I gave her one of my trademark smiles. I could sense all her apprehensions fade. Never fails. "I find absolutely nothing wrong about it." I smile again.

"Okay. But we can't walk in together." She declared.

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. "That's fine with me."

We didn't talk much as we walked. Just a few questions and answers between us. It's all good. Just being near her. I couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, she looked like she'd rather be somewhere else.

"Is there something botheri--" I hit the lockers with a thud. Someone shoved me into them. "What the hell!" I roared.

"What do we have here?" It was the lone bash brother.

"A Warrior making trouble again." Another guy answered. I assumed he was Charlie, the captain Duck. He was wearing their jersey and had a C on it.

"Charlie, not now." Connie pleaded. She was holding on to his arm. He shook her off.

"At least now we have a name to go with this one. Riley." Charlie sneered.

"Look, man, I don't want any trouble." I stated. I stayed pinned to the locker 'cause the bash brother was holding me against it. I know I can take them alone. I was bigger than them, most probably stronger. But I had no intention of doing it in front of Connie and of course all the people who had stopped what they were doing and tuned in to the action.

"What is going on here?" I heard Dean Buckley exclaim. "Everyone move. Don't crowd the hallways." He came up to us.

The bash brother took his arm off my chest and inched away from me. Charlie stepped away as well. Dean Buckley put his arms on his waist and was eyeing us suspiciously.

"Anyone care to explain?" He asked.

The two guys looked down. Can't stand up for what you did. Connie was alternating looking down at the floor and up at me. I spoke up, "Just a misunderstanding, Dean."

It looked like he was debating whether or not to believe me. He let it slip anyway. This guy's scared of my dad. "Move along then." He walked away.

Charlie put his arm around Connie and began leading her away. The bash brother glared at me for the last time and went to join the other Ducks.

Connie looked back at me. I can see her mouth a few words. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I mouth back.

Now I understand what she meant.

Warrior.

Duck.