Portman's POV:
Fulton and I were in our dorms, lounging on our beds. We were pretty burnt out, and lacked the energy required to move. Fulton was reading an Edgar Allan Poe book (his favourite author) and I was trying to read Jurassic Park. I was supposed to write a book report on it for next week and I wasn't even halfway through, but I just couldn't concentrate. Instead I rolled over onto my side and stared at Fulton, who was completely absorbed in his book. I swear, when he's reading, the whole building could burn down and he wouldn't notice. I may not have many brains, but it doesn't take a lot of them to see that Fulton is real intelligent. He's the smartest person I know, in fact. Julie may get straight A's, but she's always studying and stuff. Fulton doesn't do that well in school, but that's only because he never studies or does homework and half the time he's ripped during class, or else he's skipping. Plus, I think that sometimes he blows tests on purpose.
The kid is definitely some sort of Math genius. He doesn't even have the class this semester and he can do my homework and explain stuff to me without even using the textbook, or my notes. He can fix anything, cars, TVs, stereos, and he just knows stuff. Like in English today, Romeo and Juliet? I mean, I know for a fact he hasn't even read the play, not since we were assigned it anyway. He lost his copy the day Ms. Kinney gave them out, and he hasn't asked to borrow mine.
I really wanted to talk to him about all this, but I wasn't sure how he'd take it. Fulton's a real quiet guy by nature, even around Adam and Charlie and the others, I'm the only one he really talks to much. Even around me he's real private, I mean he never talks about his family, or things that are bothering him. As a result I'm kinda afraid to ask him personal stuff, I don't want to scare him off. The thing is, I'm starting to like Fulton. I mean like. It's been going on for a while now. I thought, actually hoped it would go away, but it's only gotten stronger. He's...it's hard to explain how he is, but I've never felt this way about someone before. I guess that means I'm probably gay, doesn't it? Great, just great. I mean, it's alright for Adam and Charlie, but I'm a Bash Brother! What if Fulton discovers this and gets creeped out by me? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't, but what if he does? I couldn't stand to lose him.
My thoughts were interrupted by Julie, who burst in suddenly, looking scared and wild-eyed. "You guys have to come, quick! It's Varsity! They've surrounded Adam and Charlie, I don't know what they're..."
Fulton was already on his feet and moving toward the door, and I was right behind him. The three of us set off a dead run down the hall, with Julie in the lead.
I'd known Adam and Charlie liked each other for awhile now, since the Goodwill games, I guess. The way they hugged each other? Then after that I started noticing it all the time, like the way they were always together, and how they'd give each other these long looks when no one was watching. They were never overt, but you could hardly call them discreet, either.
I'm not sure how many of the Ducks know, definitely Fulton, Julie, Guy and Connie, since we spend the most time with them. The others, I don't know. Some of those guys, like Goldberg and Dwayne seem pretty oblivious, you know? None of us has ever said anything aloud, it's just kind of understood. So, three queers on the Ducks that I know of. That's gotta be some kind of record for a hockey team.
We reached a circle of four or five Varsity guys, all of who were gathered around Adam and Charlie, shoving them back and forth and yelling stuff like, "Faggot!" "Homo!" "That's fucking disgusting!" and "Let's kick their asses!" A real sensitive bunch, these guys. Fulton ran right through them, pushing them out of the way and exposing Adam and Charlie, who were huddled together, looking scared and angry. I marched up to them and pushed one guy in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded.
"None of your business," sneered Jason Beck, this creep who plays centre for Varsity.
"Actually, punk, it is our business," Julie said, stepping up beside me and crossing her arms. "You fuck with one Duck, you fuck with them all."
Adam and Charlie took this opportunity to get behind me and Julie. Beck tried to go after them but Fulton stepped in front of him, grabbed him by the shirt, and pushed him up against the lockers, which reverberated with a loud BANG in the empty hallway.
"If you ever touch either of them again, or call them names, or so much as look at them the wrong way, I will end you." He spoke quietly, but there was a fire in his eyes like I'd never seen.
Beck looked freaked, but all his friends were watching and here was this freshman kid pushing him around. He shoved Fulton in the chest and punched him hard in the mouth. Fulton's head snapped back and he staggered a bit, but then he just turned back to face Beck, wiped the blood from his lip and smiled dangerously.
"Do it again," he said softly.
Everyone was frozen; the other Varsity kids had backed off, and were now lined up facing us. It was deadly quiet. Beck shook his head, half turned like he was about to walk away, then spun around and took another swing. This time Fulton ducked, and when Beck was thrown off-balance by the follow through, Fulton punched him hard in the stomach. All the air went out of him in a woosh and he doubled up, gasping for breath.
Fulton grabbed his shirt again and hauled him upright. "Like I said, don't come near them again." With that he let go of Beck, who promptly fell to his knees, then he turned, and walked away. After a minute, Julie, Charlie, Adam and I followed him.
We all went back to my dorm; Fulton and I sat down on his bed, Adam and Charlie on mine, and Julie took the chair at the desk, turned around so her arms draped over the back. For a while, no one said anything, then Adam broke the silence, when he said rather awkwardly, "So, um, just wanted to thank you guys for um.you know."
"What happened anyway?" I asked. "Did they hurt you?"
"Oh, no," Charlie said quickly. "I think they would have, though. It was stupid of us to be holding hands in the hall like that, but we didn't think anyone was around. Then they all came out of the weight room together and that guy Beck kept asking us if we were going out until I finally said yes and." His voice trailed off as he suddenly became very interested in his shoelaces. This was the closest we had ever come to addressing his and Charlie's relationship.
"Bunch of goddamned bigots," Julie muttered angrily. "If they try anything like that again, I'll. well, I probably wouldn't do much, but I'd sic Fulton on them."
Everybody laughed at that, except Fulton, who blushed slightly.
"Yeah, Fulton, that was great," Adam said. "I mean, I know you're a Bash Brother and everything, but that's on the ice. This was like, straight out of a movie or something."
"Yeah, like the Karate Kid," I grinned, giving Fulton a little shove.
He grinned back. "I like Star Wars better, can I be Han Solo?"
"Yeah, sure," replied Julie. "And Portman here can be Chewie."
"I guess that makes you Princess Leia?" I had noticed the way she was looking at Fulton. I couldn't blame her, I was probably looking at him the same way. He was amazing.
"I guess so," she said innocently.
"Who do I get to be?" Adam asked.
"How about an Ewok?" I suggested. "Or a jawa?" Adam punched me in the arm.
"Ow! You little jawas are stronger that you look!" I cried, blocking his next shot.
"I know!" Julie exclaimed. "You're C-3PO and Charlie is R2-D2!"
"Good one! I always thought they were a little light on their feet," I said, as both Adam and Charlie leapt on top of me. I just tucked one of them under each of my arms, and ignoring their kicks and cries of protest, got up and set them back on my bed.
"Yep, you're definitely Chewie, you big goon," Charlie muttered, but he was grinning.
"Seriously, though, you two. If any of those guys give you any trouble, just get Fulton or me. Preferably both of us. Not that you need anyone to protect you or anything, it's just that we're always in trouble anyways, so it's no big deal if we're caught fighting."
"Yeah," Fulton added. "I wouldn't mind getting suspended. I could use a vacation."
"We'll be more that happy to oblige if it happens again," said Charlie. "And you don't need to worry about insulting our manhood, Portman, we know we can't take those Varsity guys."
"I doubt we'll have to worry about them that much, though," Adam said thoughtfully. "My guess is, if they do anything, they'll go after Fulton directly."
"I'm counting on it," Fulton said, with a fierce little half-grin.
We all stared at him. We were still staring, in fact, when Connie and Guy walked in.
"Hey, have you guys seen..." Connie trailed off when she saw us all sitting quietly.
"What is this, a town council meeting? How come we weren't invited?" asked Guy.
Julie filled them in on the day's events as we headed down to the rink to warm up. I found myself watching Fulton all the time. Since the run-in with Varsity, my attraction for him had grown. He had been so tough and scary, in a sexy kind of way. It wasn't just me either. I noticed Charlie and Adam watching him with interest, and Julie watching him with more than just that. All in all, it had been a rather unusual, but most enjoyable day.
Oh, and we won the game, too.
Fulton and I were in our dorms, lounging on our beds. We were pretty burnt out, and lacked the energy required to move. Fulton was reading an Edgar Allan Poe book (his favourite author) and I was trying to read Jurassic Park. I was supposed to write a book report on it for next week and I wasn't even halfway through, but I just couldn't concentrate. Instead I rolled over onto my side and stared at Fulton, who was completely absorbed in his book. I swear, when he's reading, the whole building could burn down and he wouldn't notice. I may not have many brains, but it doesn't take a lot of them to see that Fulton is real intelligent. He's the smartest person I know, in fact. Julie may get straight A's, but she's always studying and stuff. Fulton doesn't do that well in school, but that's only because he never studies or does homework and half the time he's ripped during class, or else he's skipping. Plus, I think that sometimes he blows tests on purpose.
The kid is definitely some sort of Math genius. He doesn't even have the class this semester and he can do my homework and explain stuff to me without even using the textbook, or my notes. He can fix anything, cars, TVs, stereos, and he just knows stuff. Like in English today, Romeo and Juliet? I mean, I know for a fact he hasn't even read the play, not since we were assigned it anyway. He lost his copy the day Ms. Kinney gave them out, and he hasn't asked to borrow mine.
I really wanted to talk to him about all this, but I wasn't sure how he'd take it. Fulton's a real quiet guy by nature, even around Adam and Charlie and the others, I'm the only one he really talks to much. Even around me he's real private, I mean he never talks about his family, or things that are bothering him. As a result I'm kinda afraid to ask him personal stuff, I don't want to scare him off. The thing is, I'm starting to like Fulton. I mean like. It's been going on for a while now. I thought, actually hoped it would go away, but it's only gotten stronger. He's...it's hard to explain how he is, but I've never felt this way about someone before. I guess that means I'm probably gay, doesn't it? Great, just great. I mean, it's alright for Adam and Charlie, but I'm a Bash Brother! What if Fulton discovers this and gets creeped out by me? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't, but what if he does? I couldn't stand to lose him.
My thoughts were interrupted by Julie, who burst in suddenly, looking scared and wild-eyed. "You guys have to come, quick! It's Varsity! They've surrounded Adam and Charlie, I don't know what they're..."
Fulton was already on his feet and moving toward the door, and I was right behind him. The three of us set off a dead run down the hall, with Julie in the lead.
I'd known Adam and Charlie liked each other for awhile now, since the Goodwill games, I guess. The way they hugged each other? Then after that I started noticing it all the time, like the way they were always together, and how they'd give each other these long looks when no one was watching. They were never overt, but you could hardly call them discreet, either.
I'm not sure how many of the Ducks know, definitely Fulton, Julie, Guy and Connie, since we spend the most time with them. The others, I don't know. Some of those guys, like Goldberg and Dwayne seem pretty oblivious, you know? None of us has ever said anything aloud, it's just kind of understood. So, three queers on the Ducks that I know of. That's gotta be some kind of record for a hockey team.
We reached a circle of four or five Varsity guys, all of who were gathered around Adam and Charlie, shoving them back and forth and yelling stuff like, "Faggot!" "Homo!" "That's fucking disgusting!" and "Let's kick their asses!" A real sensitive bunch, these guys. Fulton ran right through them, pushing them out of the way and exposing Adam and Charlie, who were huddled together, looking scared and angry. I marched up to them and pushed one guy in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded.
"None of your business," sneered Jason Beck, this creep who plays centre for Varsity.
"Actually, punk, it is our business," Julie said, stepping up beside me and crossing her arms. "You fuck with one Duck, you fuck with them all."
Adam and Charlie took this opportunity to get behind me and Julie. Beck tried to go after them but Fulton stepped in front of him, grabbed him by the shirt, and pushed him up against the lockers, which reverberated with a loud BANG in the empty hallway.
"If you ever touch either of them again, or call them names, or so much as look at them the wrong way, I will end you." He spoke quietly, but there was a fire in his eyes like I'd never seen.
Beck looked freaked, but all his friends were watching and here was this freshman kid pushing him around. He shoved Fulton in the chest and punched him hard in the mouth. Fulton's head snapped back and he staggered a bit, but then he just turned back to face Beck, wiped the blood from his lip and smiled dangerously.
"Do it again," he said softly.
Everyone was frozen; the other Varsity kids had backed off, and were now lined up facing us. It was deadly quiet. Beck shook his head, half turned like he was about to walk away, then spun around and took another swing. This time Fulton ducked, and when Beck was thrown off-balance by the follow through, Fulton punched him hard in the stomach. All the air went out of him in a woosh and he doubled up, gasping for breath.
Fulton grabbed his shirt again and hauled him upright. "Like I said, don't come near them again." With that he let go of Beck, who promptly fell to his knees, then he turned, and walked away. After a minute, Julie, Charlie, Adam and I followed him.
We all went back to my dorm; Fulton and I sat down on his bed, Adam and Charlie on mine, and Julie took the chair at the desk, turned around so her arms draped over the back. For a while, no one said anything, then Adam broke the silence, when he said rather awkwardly, "So, um, just wanted to thank you guys for um.you know."
"What happened anyway?" I asked. "Did they hurt you?"
"Oh, no," Charlie said quickly. "I think they would have, though. It was stupid of us to be holding hands in the hall like that, but we didn't think anyone was around. Then they all came out of the weight room together and that guy Beck kept asking us if we were going out until I finally said yes and." His voice trailed off as he suddenly became very interested in his shoelaces. This was the closest we had ever come to addressing his and Charlie's relationship.
"Bunch of goddamned bigots," Julie muttered angrily. "If they try anything like that again, I'll. well, I probably wouldn't do much, but I'd sic Fulton on them."
Everybody laughed at that, except Fulton, who blushed slightly.
"Yeah, Fulton, that was great," Adam said. "I mean, I know you're a Bash Brother and everything, but that's on the ice. This was like, straight out of a movie or something."
"Yeah, like the Karate Kid," I grinned, giving Fulton a little shove.
He grinned back. "I like Star Wars better, can I be Han Solo?"
"Yeah, sure," replied Julie. "And Portman here can be Chewie."
"I guess that makes you Princess Leia?" I had noticed the way she was looking at Fulton. I couldn't blame her, I was probably looking at him the same way. He was amazing.
"I guess so," she said innocently.
"Who do I get to be?" Adam asked.
"How about an Ewok?" I suggested. "Or a jawa?" Adam punched me in the arm.
"Ow! You little jawas are stronger that you look!" I cried, blocking his next shot.
"I know!" Julie exclaimed. "You're C-3PO and Charlie is R2-D2!"
"Good one! I always thought they were a little light on their feet," I said, as both Adam and Charlie leapt on top of me. I just tucked one of them under each of my arms, and ignoring their kicks and cries of protest, got up and set them back on my bed.
"Yep, you're definitely Chewie, you big goon," Charlie muttered, but he was grinning.
"Seriously, though, you two. If any of those guys give you any trouble, just get Fulton or me. Preferably both of us. Not that you need anyone to protect you or anything, it's just that we're always in trouble anyways, so it's no big deal if we're caught fighting."
"Yeah," Fulton added. "I wouldn't mind getting suspended. I could use a vacation."
"We'll be more that happy to oblige if it happens again," said Charlie. "And you don't need to worry about insulting our manhood, Portman, we know we can't take those Varsity guys."
"I doubt we'll have to worry about them that much, though," Adam said thoughtfully. "My guess is, if they do anything, they'll go after Fulton directly."
"I'm counting on it," Fulton said, with a fierce little half-grin.
We all stared at him. We were still staring, in fact, when Connie and Guy walked in.
"Hey, have you guys seen..." Connie trailed off when she saw us all sitting quietly.
"What is this, a town council meeting? How come we weren't invited?" asked Guy.
Julie filled them in on the day's events as we headed down to the rink to warm up. I found myself watching Fulton all the time. Since the run-in with Varsity, my attraction for him had grown. He had been so tough and scary, in a sexy kind of way. It wasn't just me either. I noticed Charlie and Adam watching him with interest, and Julie watching him with more than just that. All in all, it had been a rather unusual, but most enjoyable day.
Oh, and we won the game, too.