Adam's POV
Tryouts were grueling, far worse then any practice with Orion or Captain Blood. When they were over I literally fall in a heap onto a bench in the locker room. Knocking over someone's backpack in the process. The owner wasn't too happy, in fact he hauled me to my feet by my shoulder pads. As soon as threats of bodily harm came into play, Charlie jumped to my defense.
"Look pal, I don't know who you are, but if you don't get your hands off of Banks right now, you're going to know me and my hockey stick very well." Now personally I don't find Conway in the teensiest bit intimidating, that could be because I know how cuddly he is though. That other guy however didn't know the softer side so he backed off.
"Thanks." I muttered.
"Thank me later." He whispered back and I blushed. I know guys don't normally blush but I do, I did it a lot then, I was only eighteen mind you. Not to mention very new at the whole relationship thing.
Anyway I digress. After we all got back into our street clothes, we herded into the hallway near the coaches office waiting for the list to be posted. We were all pinned in like cattle, the body heat was enormously high in the one area, and no one seemed to mind though. Least of all me, especially since the person pressed against my back was Charlie, his left hand resting casually on my hip. Everyone was so busy worrying about if they made the team, nobody noticed. The coach came out and tacked the roster to the to the wall, causing the swarm of hockey hopefuls to charge at the paper.
I wasn't to surprised at where I found my name on the list, next to the words first line center. That'd been my position since I was nine. I was nonetheless shocked at the location of Charlie's name, not first line, not second line, not even third line. He was on the taxi squad, which basically meant the only time Charlie would see any game time was if one of the other players is injured or couldn't make a game. I was appalled. What tryouts had that guy been watching because there was no way any of the other guys were half as good as Charlie.
I stood off to the side while he searched the posting for his name and winced when he found it. I gave him a sympathetic look and we stayed there in the corridor as the other players checked the list and left.
"I don't get it, you're so much better then ninety nine percent of those guys." I stating observing the disappointed frown on his handsome face. I hadn't seen him look so lost since he found out Bombay was leaving us with Orion.
"Thank you. Um, I'm gonna talk to the coach, why don't you go back to the dorm." He said it more as a statement then a request so I forced a smile and left him to his own devices.
Four hours later he still hadn't come back and I was starting to worry. It was well past sunset, eleven o'clock to be precise, he should've returned by then. I couldn't understand how a discussion about team positions with the coach, would take that long. And Charlie was never one to be out late to begin with. I made the silent decision that if he wasn't back in a half hour I was rallying the in state Ducks and we were going to scavenge the streets. I know I sound totally obsessive and I guess I was. I got sad feelings in the pit of my stomach if he wasn't with me for ten minutes; not knowing where he was for hours was killing me.
With five minutes left on his time limit the door opened and Charlie stumbled in the door. His walking wasn't very coordinated and his eyes looked faintly glazed. If I hadn't known better I would've thought he had been drinking, but Charlie didn't drink, nor was he old enough to buy alcohol.
"Where have you been?" I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Out, shouldn't you be sleeping? You are the big starter after all." Though it didn't quite sound as if was meant to with his drunken slur, it was almost comical.
"You are drunk aren't you?"
"No, I am extremely buzzed."
"Why? What did the coach say?"
"It went like 'Conway you're a great player, but you're a puck hog. Until you learn to control your domination of the puck I can't have you on the team. You could learn a lot from your roommate Banks.' Just another person that has to remind me I don't measure up."
It made sense to me though. I mean we had all grown use to Charlie's arrogance over the course for the years. I couldn't however grasp the second to last statement. "He didn't really say that to you did he?"
"Yeah he did." He pulled another beer from the bag that was in his hand and twisted the top off.
I was about to ask where he got the liquor from but he spoke again before I got the chance.
"But hell Banksie we both know you were the only one of us that had any real skill." Charlie's voice was so bitter but I was trying to let it go, he was obviously upset.
"Come on Charlie you know that's not true. Come on why don't you lie down? I understand you're stressed out."
"Understand? Fuck Banks you don't understand shit! You've got everything, brains, money, everything. All I ever had is hockey and now I don't even have that."
I had everything yeah right, I had parents that didn't bother with me, a boyfriend that got drunk and came home and was yelling at me for no reason and a freaking scar on my wrist to go along with it all. Oh yes I had everything.
"I didn't ask for the money Charlie and as for the brains, you know how my dad wants me to be the best at everything, I don't exactly have a choice. You know I'd give it all up if I could. We can finish this conversation in the morning please go to bed." I put hand on his shoulder only to be rewarded with a violent shove into the closet door. The knob dug deep into my lower back and I knew that was going to leave a nasty bruise. I stood there be wildered and wide eyed as Charlie pushed past me and proceeded to pass out on his bed. As soon as I was certain he was asleep I crumbled to the floor and cried. The pain was bad but the fact that Charlie had caused it was worse. His biting words were like needles to my heart.
The next morning when I got up he was already awake sitting in his desk chair. I guess he didn't have a hang over. I didn't speak a word to him as I grabbed my shower bag and a towel and took off to the bathroom. When I got back I still said nothing to him, only went straight to my bureau and yanked out some clothes.
"Oh my God, Adam did I do that?" As I expected a lovely black and blue had formed in the perfect shape of the face of the doorknob, as I stood there in just my towel Charlie got a good look at his handy work.
"Yeah you did. I hope you're proud it's a pretty color." My voice was dripping with sarcasm like honey from a beehive.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. I swear Adam it was an accident. That looks pretty nasty, are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, it's just a bruise, and it'll heal." I could tell my tone was curt but in all actuality I think I shouldn't have even spoke to him at all.
"Adam, honestly I don't know what go into me last night. It must have been the beer. You gotta believe me, I never meant to hurt you."
I know what you're thinking, 'He got drunk, insulted you and pushed you around. Then whined about how sorry he is typical abusive behavior. If you bought into it Banksie boy you're a fool.' All right, so I am officially the world's biggest fool because I bought it hook line and sinker. I mean he sounded so sincere and I loved him so much, I thought it couldn't cause any harm to take his word for it. After all Charlie wouldn't hurt a fly.
Tryouts were grueling, far worse then any practice with Orion or Captain Blood. When they were over I literally fall in a heap onto a bench in the locker room. Knocking over someone's backpack in the process. The owner wasn't too happy, in fact he hauled me to my feet by my shoulder pads. As soon as threats of bodily harm came into play, Charlie jumped to my defense.
"Look pal, I don't know who you are, but if you don't get your hands off of Banks right now, you're going to know me and my hockey stick very well." Now personally I don't find Conway in the teensiest bit intimidating, that could be because I know how cuddly he is though. That other guy however didn't know the softer side so he backed off.
"Thanks." I muttered.
"Thank me later." He whispered back and I blushed. I know guys don't normally blush but I do, I did it a lot then, I was only eighteen mind you. Not to mention very new at the whole relationship thing.
Anyway I digress. After we all got back into our street clothes, we herded into the hallway near the coaches office waiting for the list to be posted. We were all pinned in like cattle, the body heat was enormously high in the one area, and no one seemed to mind though. Least of all me, especially since the person pressed against my back was Charlie, his left hand resting casually on my hip. Everyone was so busy worrying about if they made the team, nobody noticed. The coach came out and tacked the roster to the to the wall, causing the swarm of hockey hopefuls to charge at the paper.
I wasn't to surprised at where I found my name on the list, next to the words first line center. That'd been my position since I was nine. I was nonetheless shocked at the location of Charlie's name, not first line, not second line, not even third line. He was on the taxi squad, which basically meant the only time Charlie would see any game time was if one of the other players is injured or couldn't make a game. I was appalled. What tryouts had that guy been watching because there was no way any of the other guys were half as good as Charlie.
I stood off to the side while he searched the posting for his name and winced when he found it. I gave him a sympathetic look and we stayed there in the corridor as the other players checked the list and left.
"I don't get it, you're so much better then ninety nine percent of those guys." I stating observing the disappointed frown on his handsome face. I hadn't seen him look so lost since he found out Bombay was leaving us with Orion.
"Thank you. Um, I'm gonna talk to the coach, why don't you go back to the dorm." He said it more as a statement then a request so I forced a smile and left him to his own devices.
Four hours later he still hadn't come back and I was starting to worry. It was well past sunset, eleven o'clock to be precise, he should've returned by then. I couldn't understand how a discussion about team positions with the coach, would take that long. And Charlie was never one to be out late to begin with. I made the silent decision that if he wasn't back in a half hour I was rallying the in state Ducks and we were going to scavenge the streets. I know I sound totally obsessive and I guess I was. I got sad feelings in the pit of my stomach if he wasn't with me for ten minutes; not knowing where he was for hours was killing me.
With five minutes left on his time limit the door opened and Charlie stumbled in the door. His walking wasn't very coordinated and his eyes looked faintly glazed. If I hadn't known better I would've thought he had been drinking, but Charlie didn't drink, nor was he old enough to buy alcohol.
"Where have you been?" I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Out, shouldn't you be sleeping? You are the big starter after all." Though it didn't quite sound as if was meant to with his drunken slur, it was almost comical.
"You are drunk aren't you?"
"No, I am extremely buzzed."
"Why? What did the coach say?"
"It went like 'Conway you're a great player, but you're a puck hog. Until you learn to control your domination of the puck I can't have you on the team. You could learn a lot from your roommate Banks.' Just another person that has to remind me I don't measure up."
It made sense to me though. I mean we had all grown use to Charlie's arrogance over the course for the years. I couldn't however grasp the second to last statement. "He didn't really say that to you did he?"
"Yeah he did." He pulled another beer from the bag that was in his hand and twisted the top off.
I was about to ask where he got the liquor from but he spoke again before I got the chance.
"But hell Banksie we both know you were the only one of us that had any real skill." Charlie's voice was so bitter but I was trying to let it go, he was obviously upset.
"Come on Charlie you know that's not true. Come on why don't you lie down? I understand you're stressed out."
"Understand? Fuck Banks you don't understand shit! You've got everything, brains, money, everything. All I ever had is hockey and now I don't even have that."
I had everything yeah right, I had parents that didn't bother with me, a boyfriend that got drunk and came home and was yelling at me for no reason and a freaking scar on my wrist to go along with it all. Oh yes I had everything.
"I didn't ask for the money Charlie and as for the brains, you know how my dad wants me to be the best at everything, I don't exactly have a choice. You know I'd give it all up if I could. We can finish this conversation in the morning please go to bed." I put hand on his shoulder only to be rewarded with a violent shove into the closet door. The knob dug deep into my lower back and I knew that was going to leave a nasty bruise. I stood there be wildered and wide eyed as Charlie pushed past me and proceeded to pass out on his bed. As soon as I was certain he was asleep I crumbled to the floor and cried. The pain was bad but the fact that Charlie had caused it was worse. His biting words were like needles to my heart.
The next morning when I got up he was already awake sitting in his desk chair. I guess he didn't have a hang over. I didn't speak a word to him as I grabbed my shower bag and a towel and took off to the bathroom. When I got back I still said nothing to him, only went straight to my bureau and yanked out some clothes.
"Oh my God, Adam did I do that?" As I expected a lovely black and blue had formed in the perfect shape of the face of the doorknob, as I stood there in just my towel Charlie got a good look at his handy work.
"Yeah you did. I hope you're proud it's a pretty color." My voice was dripping with sarcasm like honey from a beehive.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. I swear Adam it was an accident. That looks pretty nasty, are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, it's just a bruise, and it'll heal." I could tell my tone was curt but in all actuality I think I shouldn't have even spoke to him at all.
"Adam, honestly I don't know what go into me last night. It must have been the beer. You gotta believe me, I never meant to hurt you."
I know what you're thinking, 'He got drunk, insulted you and pushed you around. Then whined about how sorry he is typical abusive behavior. If you bought into it Banksie boy you're a fool.' All right, so I am officially the world's biggest fool because I bought it hook line and sinker. I mean he sounded so sincere and I loved him so much, I thought it couldn't cause any harm to take his word for it. After all Charlie wouldn't hurt a fly.