Notes: I am having the worst day. Therefore, I decided to screw up Adam's life real bad. Actually I wrote this chapter before I nudged (or goosed according to someone else in a chat room) a mailbox. I wrote it while being on duty. Such a boring thing to do especially when the other officer on duty doesn't show up. Tada! It's what you've all been waiting for. Something's may not make sense in this chapter. But I did say in chapter 9 that some hints were not what they may seem.
Spinning Out of Control
I found being at home to be boring after awhile. Not that I enjoyed school that much. The dean called a few days later saying I could come back Monday. He thinks he has the solution. Locks.
Sunday afternoon my dad asked me to straighten up his home office while he and mom went shopping for baby stuff. A few years after I was born, my parents gave away all my baby things figuring they weren't going to have another child. Now that my mother was, they had to buy a crib, car seat, bottles, play pen, and other things. I was so bored I willingly agreed.
While straightening up one of dad's drawers, I found a stack of Eden Hall newsletters. He's been getting them since Jeffrey went there. I have no idea why he still has the old ones.
After straightening his office up, I took all the newsletters up to my room. Martha made my favorite lunch. She said she was grateful for all of my help. After I finished eating, I went back up to my room.
I took the newest one and started thumbing through it. They were quarterly newsletters. This one had an article on the front page about the JV/Varsity exhibition game. There was even a blurb about my broken ribs. Elsewhere there was a list of the new Varsity players. I was the only JV player moved up of course, but people like Mikah and William Armstrong were given a special tryout. I was never sure why.
I leafed through some other newsletters. I found one from the spring quarter of the year before we started attending Eden Hall. There was a list of the JV team. But what caught my attention were the names.
They weren't the Ducks names.
It had twelve names and mine. They were:
William Armstrong
Adam Banks
Ian Brown
Steven Dreyer
Brendan Inez
Tommy Johanson
Brian McGill
Nate Moore
Fred Nickols
Mikah Riley
Daniel Stewart
Nelson Waits
Then at the bottom of the list was one name I hadn't expected. I felt sick when I saw it. Why didn't we know? We should have! Did she know? All those questions ran through my mind when I looked at the thirteenth name.
There in black ink was the name Josh Walker.
You know seeing Brian McGill's name there didn't even bother me. I wasn't surprised. I wasn't surprised to see my name there either. I was after all going there before we got the scholarships.
I had to tell the others. I hurried downstairs. "Martha can you drive me to Eden Hall?"
She looked up from her recipe book. "Sure Adam. But you know your parents will be home soon. They could take you."
"It's urgent. There's something my friends need to know."
"You know you could call them." She said. I could tell she was trying not to laugh.
I mentally hit myself in the forehead. I hurried to the phone and tried to call a few of the Ducks. No one answered. Then I remembered that they liked to play in the rink on weekends. I looked over at Martha hopefully. She already had the keys in her hand.
When I got to Eden Hall, I went straight into the rink.
I was right. Someone was playing. But it wasn't the Ducks, and it wasn't Varsity either. If I had to guess, I'd say they were the ignored. I slipped back out of view. I could hear them.
"Banks will be back Monday." I knew that voice. No oh no. I should have known. But why? I thought we were friends last year. Well that explained why he all of a sudden became nicer to me. Joey Hart I shouldn't have trusted you.
"So when are we going to do the next step?" Oh God I knew that voice. It couldn't be. No not her!
I must have said it aloud because Connie pointed in my direction. I started to back up quickly. I ran into someone. "You are a bit early for the party Adam." I turned around and I felt like my world shattered. I was looking at Tina and Terry. Tina had been the one to speak. McGill and Joey pulled me out onto the ice. This was my worst nightmare.
"Why?" I asked Tina.
"You and your friends kept my twin brother off JV."
"Twin?" I asked. I was confused.
"Yeah me." A guy said stepping forward.
I turned to look at Connie. "Josh should have been moved up to Varsity and so should I."
Terry spoke next. "You're the reason Jesse's dead."
My life fell apart in less then two minutes. I felt ill. I tried to run out but they blocked my way. I hope someone comes soon to save me.
I have no idea what they have planned for me. My arrival must have thrown them off. I didn't have ice skates on, so I couldn't move around that fast.
God please send someone here to help me.
God must have heard because I heard someone yell, "What's going on?" I turned around to see the rest of Varsity.
"Meet the ignored." Josh said with a satisfied look on his face.
"You were a part of this?" Keith asked Joey in disbelief.
I saw Mikah run out.
"You know as well as I do that I should have been named captain!"
No one stopped me as I moved to join Varsity.
"You are crazy Joey!" Keith said. "If you had a problem with it, you should have told me! We've been best friends since 7th grade."
"What the hell is going on here?!" A new voice yelled from behind me. It was Orion.
"Nothing Coach." Terry said.
"Well it sure looks like something Mr. Hall." Another voice said. That's when we all realized the Dean was there with a few teachers. I guess that's where Mikah had gone. "You on the ice come with me."
They were all led away. My body sagged. Keith caught me before I could sink to the floor. He helped me over to the bleachers. "You okay?" I shook my head wordlessly. "William go get the Ducks. I think they are playing in the outside basketball court." He hurried to do so.
I didn't really want to see the Ducks reaction to all of this. But I also didn't feel like moving. I guess I had no choice.
Spinning Out of Control
I found being at home to be boring after awhile. Not that I enjoyed school that much. The dean called a few days later saying I could come back Monday. He thinks he has the solution. Locks.
Sunday afternoon my dad asked me to straighten up his home office while he and mom went shopping for baby stuff. A few years after I was born, my parents gave away all my baby things figuring they weren't going to have another child. Now that my mother was, they had to buy a crib, car seat, bottles, play pen, and other things. I was so bored I willingly agreed.
While straightening up one of dad's drawers, I found a stack of Eden Hall newsletters. He's been getting them since Jeffrey went there. I have no idea why he still has the old ones.
After straightening his office up, I took all the newsletters up to my room. Martha made my favorite lunch. She said she was grateful for all of my help. After I finished eating, I went back up to my room.
I took the newest one and started thumbing through it. They were quarterly newsletters. This one had an article on the front page about the JV/Varsity exhibition game. There was even a blurb about my broken ribs. Elsewhere there was a list of the new Varsity players. I was the only JV player moved up of course, but people like Mikah and William Armstrong were given a special tryout. I was never sure why.
I leafed through some other newsletters. I found one from the spring quarter of the year before we started attending Eden Hall. There was a list of the JV team. But what caught my attention were the names.
They weren't the Ducks names.
It had twelve names and mine. They were:
William Armstrong
Adam Banks
Ian Brown
Steven Dreyer
Brendan Inez
Tommy Johanson
Brian McGill
Nate Moore
Fred Nickols
Mikah Riley
Daniel Stewart
Nelson Waits
Then at the bottom of the list was one name I hadn't expected. I felt sick when I saw it. Why didn't we know? We should have! Did she know? All those questions ran through my mind when I looked at the thirteenth name.
There in black ink was the name Josh Walker.
You know seeing Brian McGill's name there didn't even bother me. I wasn't surprised. I wasn't surprised to see my name there either. I was after all going there before we got the scholarships.
I had to tell the others. I hurried downstairs. "Martha can you drive me to Eden Hall?"
She looked up from her recipe book. "Sure Adam. But you know your parents will be home soon. They could take you."
"It's urgent. There's something my friends need to know."
"You know you could call them." She said. I could tell she was trying not to laugh.
I mentally hit myself in the forehead. I hurried to the phone and tried to call a few of the Ducks. No one answered. Then I remembered that they liked to play in the rink on weekends. I looked over at Martha hopefully. She already had the keys in her hand.
When I got to Eden Hall, I went straight into the rink.
I was right. Someone was playing. But it wasn't the Ducks, and it wasn't Varsity either. If I had to guess, I'd say they were the ignored. I slipped back out of view. I could hear them.
"Banks will be back Monday." I knew that voice. No oh no. I should have known. But why? I thought we were friends last year. Well that explained why he all of a sudden became nicer to me. Joey Hart I shouldn't have trusted you.
"So when are we going to do the next step?" Oh God I knew that voice. It couldn't be. No not her!
I must have said it aloud because Connie pointed in my direction. I started to back up quickly. I ran into someone. "You are a bit early for the party Adam." I turned around and I felt like my world shattered. I was looking at Tina and Terry. Tina had been the one to speak. McGill and Joey pulled me out onto the ice. This was my worst nightmare.
"Why?" I asked Tina.
"You and your friends kept my twin brother off JV."
"Twin?" I asked. I was confused.
"Yeah me." A guy said stepping forward.
I turned to look at Connie. "Josh should have been moved up to Varsity and so should I."
Terry spoke next. "You're the reason Jesse's dead."
My life fell apart in less then two minutes. I felt ill. I tried to run out but they blocked my way. I hope someone comes soon to save me.
I have no idea what they have planned for me. My arrival must have thrown them off. I didn't have ice skates on, so I couldn't move around that fast.
God please send someone here to help me.
God must have heard because I heard someone yell, "What's going on?" I turned around to see the rest of Varsity.
"Meet the ignored." Josh said with a satisfied look on his face.
"You were a part of this?" Keith asked Joey in disbelief.
I saw Mikah run out.
"You know as well as I do that I should have been named captain!"
No one stopped me as I moved to join Varsity.
"You are crazy Joey!" Keith said. "If you had a problem with it, you should have told me! We've been best friends since 7th grade."
"What the hell is going on here?!" A new voice yelled from behind me. It was Orion.
"Nothing Coach." Terry said.
"Well it sure looks like something Mr. Hall." Another voice said. That's when we all realized the Dean was there with a few teachers. I guess that's where Mikah had gone. "You on the ice come with me."
They were all led away. My body sagged. Keith caught me before I could sink to the floor. He helped me over to the bleachers. "You okay?" I shook my head wordlessly. "William go get the Ducks. I think they are playing in the outside basketball court." He hurried to do so.
I didn't really want to see the Ducks reaction to all of this. But I also didn't feel like moving. I guess I had no choice.