Summary: A tale of our favorite Ducks and where their lives take them, beginning Senior Year at Eden Hall. Focuses on Adam, Charlie, Julie, Dean, Connie, Guy…and more to come!
Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks and all its characters belong to Disney. I do not own any of it!
Flying Together
By Rebecca
Chapter 3: Damn Cat
Ever since they were on the JV team, Dean Portman had regretted his decision to join the Ducks at Eden Hall. They were seniors now, practically ruling the school, Dean himself was a two-time Varsity letterman in Hockey and Wrestling, and he was still depressed. It wasn't homesickness. He had loved Chicago, but one look at Portman could tell you that he was not a man that would be homesick. All in all, Dean was just fed up.
The 6'2'' jock hated high school, and couldn't wait to graduate. The macho-man had always been pretty edgy and entirely too bitter for someone so young. His teammates had long since gotten used to that, but lately it was much worse. Even Fulton Reed, his best friend and confidant was getting tired of his mood swings and piss-and-moan attitude.
The odd thing though, was that Dean really didn't mind the practices. He loved wrestling, he loved hockey, he even finally started liking his friends and tolerated his classes. But when all was said and done, one word could send him into a fit of self-pitty and spitefulness…Cat.
Julie the Cat, thorn in his side from day one. Of all the rivalries in the world, none could compare to that of Gaffney and Portman. He couldn't stand her. She was sassy, bossy, cocky, never cut him a break, judgmental, attitudinal…and utterly gorgeous. He couldn't stand it anymore. How could someone he hated so much, be so damn irresistible that his chest started pounding the minute she skated into that rink. She was usually covered in hockey gear for cryin' out loud! How can anyone be desirable, under 10 pounds of goalie pads and armor? But somehow Julie was.
Dean had never been good at channeling his anger. It was one characteristic that defined his role on the ice as a bash-brother, lethal enforcer. He and Fulton had coined the phrase Bash-brother in the goodwill games when they had met and it'd stuck ever since. But no amount of bashing could deflate or suppress his growing desire for Julie Gaffney. All the gushing, hormone crazy girls in the world, and the one girl he wanted was the one he couldn't even stand…and the one he couldn't have.
"Hey Portman! Duck!" someone called as he walked into the rink and dove out of the way of a flying puck.
"Averman! Whadya tryin' ta do kill me?"
"Relax Dean," someone else said as they skated over to him. It was Luis. They'd been running drills for almost two hours. Charlie and Adam had long since gone. "Not our fault that you're daydreaming. Probably recalling some Pg-13 memory of the latest Portman conquest? Who was it this time? Michelle Santori or Jesse Faziel?"
Dean chuckled, "Niether ya losers. All talk, no action…and both accounts. They bore me and have thus been exiled from the Dean Portman datebook."
"God Portman," Les Averman patted him on the back, "You're a giant gland."
"Nah, he just talks big," Luis added and pulled back before Portman could swing. "Watch it Luis, or Connie's gonna be short a boyfriend tonight."
Luis scoffed as he scooted over to the bench, "Go ahead and swing. She's busy …again. Studying."
Dean looked at Averman who just shrugged, "Second weekend in a row. They haven't really done much together lately."
Dean turned back to Luis, "Hey come on, don't sweat. Connie's one of those straight A freaks… Just like that dog of a roommate of hers," he muttered.
Les punched him on the shoulder and yelled, "Dean, when are you gonna lay off Julie?" Dean shot him a death glare which caused him to scoot back, but he persisted. After all, Dean hadn't laced up his skates yet. He wasn't an immediate threat anyway. "It's getting' kinda old. She's our teammate you know."
"She's your teammate, Averman. She's never extended the priveledge to me. We've only got a half a year left anyway. What's it to you?"
Luis skated over, relieved to not be talking about Connie and stepped in, "Well, maybe if you'd attempt to get along, the two of you wouldn't be at each other's throats so much."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Dear God!" he mocked, "By George I think he's got it! Why didn't I come see you before Luis? That's the answer…We'll just…get along."
"Whatever man," Les said skating off, "you're just scared of her."
Dean glared as they started drilling again, and then sighed as he headed to the lockers to suit up. Hockey was over for the semester anyway, but skating helped the Ducks get their minds off of other things. For Dean, all he needed to do was stop thinking about the Cat! Damn, it couldn't be that hard right?
* * *