I was sitting under a tree on the lawn in front of the main building when I saw the Ducks all come out with somber expressions. Connie and Julie were crying and the rest of the team looked to be in shock. At the dorms they split into groups, the ringers heading into their rooms, the in staters leaving campus in the direction of home. It seemed strange to me that the entire junior varsity had been excused from class, and even more so that they looked so depressed. But it was none of my business, so I went back to my lunch and ignored them.
Later that day I was curled up on my bed listening my Duke Ellington when I heard a knock on the door. I sighed and rolled out of bed, turning off my stereo on the way by. I opened the door with a minor annoyance only to find a crying Julie on the other side.
"Julie, hey, what's wrong?" I opened my arms to her and she fell into them. I know it's wrong, that she was breaking down and I was grinning from ear to ear because she was in my arms.
I walked backward into my room and sat down on the edge of my bed as she continued to sob onto my chest. I rubbed her back gently, waiting for her to explain what was going on.
"Are you okay Gaffney?" I pried her off and looked at her tear streaked face
"Oh right, I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes with the bottom of her shirt. "I just came to uh, ask you if, to see if you'd um tell Banks that uh Hans died last night."
"Hans?"
"He was um a friend of the team. They sent a note from the office to tell all the Duck, but um Adam wasn't in any of his classes today, so none of us got to tell him."
"I'll let him know, if I see him before you do."
"Thanks, um could you let him know that we're having a street hockey game tomorrow, at the elementary school the original Ducks went to. At like noon, in honor of Hans and all."
"Will do."
"Thanks again, well, um I'm gonna go. Sorry about messing up your shirt and all."
"Quite alright, are you sure you're okay to be alone?" I was hoping she'd think about it and decide that she really need some support. The support of a seventeen year old goalie perhaps.
Julie forced a smile and headed to my door
"I'll be fine, I think I'm gonna call Connie or something. Well it was nice of you to listen, you're not to bad Scooter."
"No problem, if you need someone to talk to or something, you know where to find me."
"Yeah, bye Scooter."
Go a head say it 'You're a real jerk Scooter.' I am slime, I am scum, I am dirt. I mean I had a sweet girl sitting in my room bawling her eyes out and all I was thinking about was kissing her. How low is that? I mean that maybe the lowest thing I'd ever done. Lower then anything Riley had ever done. I was appalled at myself.
I was banging my head lightly on my desk when there was another knock on my door. I jumped up hoping it would be Julie having decided she really wanted to spend the rest of the day chatting with me. It wasn't, it was the other blonde Duck, well the other blonde Duck that wasn't Guy.
"Scooter Cole sent me to see if you'd help him study for his History test."
"Banksie come in for a minute, I need to talk to you." I ushered him in, trying to think of the best way to tell him
"Okay, what's up?" He looked at me quizzically
"I dunno how to say this, so I guess I'll just say it. Banks, Julie came by about an hour ago, Hans died last night."
"What?"
"Hans is dead, he died last night."
Want to see a fourteen year old boy cry like a baby? I didn't, but I got to. Banks started blubbering like a baby. Who was the Hans guy? You'd think he was the Pope the way everyone was acting.
"Oh my god." The boy actual crumbled to the floor burying his face in his knees. "Hans was the first person to accept me as a Duck. He was nice to me even before the rest of the team did. I remember going over to his store real late after my first Ducks game. I told him that the rest of the team hated me because I use to be a Hawk and he looked me in the eyes and told me I had the heart of a Duck."
"There's a street hockey game tomorrow at the elementary school, Julie said you're invited."
He nodded and ran his arm across his face mopping all his tears.
"I guess I gonna go find the team. Could you tell Riley, I won't be at practice tonight?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
After he left I threw myself onto my bed with a groan, this is what I get for liking the JV. Maybe life would've been easier if I showed more Warrior pride.
Later that day I was curled up on my bed listening my Duke Ellington when I heard a knock on the door. I sighed and rolled out of bed, turning off my stereo on the way by. I opened the door with a minor annoyance only to find a crying Julie on the other side.
"Julie, hey, what's wrong?" I opened my arms to her and she fell into them. I know it's wrong, that she was breaking down and I was grinning from ear to ear because she was in my arms.
I walked backward into my room and sat down on the edge of my bed as she continued to sob onto my chest. I rubbed her back gently, waiting for her to explain what was going on.
"Are you okay Gaffney?" I pried her off and looked at her tear streaked face
"Oh right, I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes with the bottom of her shirt. "I just came to uh, ask you if, to see if you'd um tell Banks that uh Hans died last night."
"Hans?"
"He was um a friend of the team. They sent a note from the office to tell all the Duck, but um Adam wasn't in any of his classes today, so none of us got to tell him."
"I'll let him know, if I see him before you do."
"Thanks, um could you let him know that we're having a street hockey game tomorrow, at the elementary school the original Ducks went to. At like noon, in honor of Hans and all."
"Will do."
"Thanks again, well, um I'm gonna go. Sorry about messing up your shirt and all."
"Quite alright, are you sure you're okay to be alone?" I was hoping she'd think about it and decide that she really need some support. The support of a seventeen year old goalie perhaps.
Julie forced a smile and headed to my door
"I'll be fine, I think I'm gonna call Connie or something. Well it was nice of you to listen, you're not to bad Scooter."
"No problem, if you need someone to talk to or something, you know where to find me."
"Yeah, bye Scooter."
Go a head say it 'You're a real jerk Scooter.' I am slime, I am scum, I am dirt. I mean I had a sweet girl sitting in my room bawling her eyes out and all I was thinking about was kissing her. How low is that? I mean that maybe the lowest thing I'd ever done. Lower then anything Riley had ever done. I was appalled at myself.
I was banging my head lightly on my desk when there was another knock on my door. I jumped up hoping it would be Julie having decided she really wanted to spend the rest of the day chatting with me. It wasn't, it was the other blonde Duck, well the other blonde Duck that wasn't Guy.
"Scooter Cole sent me to see if you'd help him study for his History test."
"Banksie come in for a minute, I need to talk to you." I ushered him in, trying to think of the best way to tell him
"Okay, what's up?" He looked at me quizzically
"I dunno how to say this, so I guess I'll just say it. Banks, Julie came by about an hour ago, Hans died last night."
"What?"
"Hans is dead, he died last night."
Want to see a fourteen year old boy cry like a baby? I didn't, but I got to. Banks started blubbering like a baby. Who was the Hans guy? You'd think he was the Pope the way everyone was acting.
"Oh my god." The boy actual crumbled to the floor burying his face in his knees. "Hans was the first person to accept me as a Duck. He was nice to me even before the rest of the team did. I remember going over to his store real late after my first Ducks game. I told him that the rest of the team hated me because I use to be a Hawk and he looked me in the eyes and told me I had the heart of a Duck."
"There's a street hockey game tomorrow at the elementary school, Julie said you're invited."
He nodded and ran his arm across his face mopping all his tears.
"I guess I gonna go find the team. Could you tell Riley, I won't be at practice tonight?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
After he left I threw myself onto my bed with a groan, this is what I get for liking the JV. Maybe life would've been easier if I showed more Warrior pride.