Note: I have only seen the movies. As far as I know they never gave Adam's
older brother a name or age on the movie so I made something up for this
chapter. I also just chose a name for Adam's mother which I used in one of
the previous Chapters and had to go back and figure out what it was.
Also I want to thank every one who has been reviewing. I know I don't say much about them but I do read them and appreciate them. Special thanks to Nellie2, anne918, and crazy4nc128 for reviewing regularly. Sorry anne918 but I won't be getting Adam and Julie together I like the Scooter/Julie pairing myself. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
The out-of-state Ducks all had flights home late Tuesday night. Bombay drove them all to the air port and made sure each of them got on their respective flight home. The other Ducks, with the exception of Goldberg, whose family was going out to Philadelphia for the holiday, stayed in the dorms Tuesday night.
On Wednesday the students that were still in the dorms started leaving for the holidays. Adam said good-bye to his friends as they left. He was the last Duck to leave, having told his Mom to wait till the afternoon to pick him up. After the confrontation with his dad the Friday night before he really didn't even want to go home at all.
When he got home his dad was still at work. His older brother, Anthony, was home from college already and in the living room watching tv. Adam went in and sat down in one of the arm chairs in the living room not even bothering to take his suitcase up to his room yet. He figured he would deal with that a little later.
"Hey Adam," his brother said.
"Hi. How's college?" Adam asked.
"Going okay. Our hockey team just missed making the play-offs though. Mom told me about the Ducks making JV league play-offs. That is great. Are you going to be able to play."
"Yeah. I've been cleared to skate in our first play-off game Tuesday night."
"That's great."
"Wish Dad felt that way."
"Yeah, Mom told me about that too. I almost feel like its my fault," Anthony told him. " Ever since I told Dad I didn't want to play professional hockey he's been obsessed that you do. The only reason I'm even playing college hockey is to make Dad happy. I think he figures that if I'm still playing then maybe I'll still play professional hockey sometime."
"Yeah but I'm still playing hockey. Its not like I'm giving up the game."
"But you went back to JV. For Dad that is a set back. He doesn't like set backs. He never liked having you skating with the Ducks. He thought that it was holding you back. I think he tolerated it because of you getting to go to the Junior Goodwill Games. Dad skated for Eden Hall when he was in high school up until the car wreck, his senior year, that ended his chances of playing pro hockey. I went to Eden Hall. It was always intended that you go there too and then when you did you made varsity in your freshman year. Dad didn't get on varsity until his junior year and I was a sophomore. For Dad that meant everything to him. He called me the same night that he found out. Talked for hours about how proud he was of you."
"Coach Wilson wouldn't have let me play the rest of this season anyway. He wouldn't have even let me skate practices yet. I've been practicing with the Ducks for the last week and I'm playing in the play-off games. If you ask me I'm better off with the Ducks."
"But all Dad sees is that the Ducks are holding you back once again. I think he feels that the Ducks are taking away the last chance of his old dream being fulfilled even if it is vicariously."
The two brothers were quiet for awhile. Then Anthony spoke again.
"He's not being fair Adam and I admire you for sticking to what you know is right. The Ducks are the best thing that ever happened to you and you shouldn't quit just because Dad wants you too. If you could go back to varsity it would have been different but like you said the coach was determined to keep you sidelined. Sometimes I wish I hadn't told Dad that I didn't want to play professional hockey and then you wouldn't have had to deal with all of this."
"It's not your fault. I want to play professional hockey. If it doesn't happen I could live with that but I plan on giving it all I got. Even now."
"Give him time and I'm sure Dad will come around," Anthony told his brother. He remembered how mad his Dad had been with him when he had told him he wanted to be a lawyer not a hockey player. But at the time his Dad still had Adam to fulfill that dream.
Nothing else was said between the two boys as they heard their father's car pull up in the driveway. Both Anthony and Adam pretended that they were interested in the tv show. A couple of minutes later Philip Banks came in the front door of the house and came into the living room. Adam kept his eyes on the television even though he had no idea what he was watching.
"Welcome back Anthony," Philip Banks said as he walked into the living room and made his way over to his oldest son. Anthony stood up and gave his dad a hug. "How are classes going?"
"Fine. There is one class I'm a little bit concerned about but I have a meeting with the professor to review the stuff I missed on the last test. I should still be able to manage a B in the class if I do well on the final." He didn't add that he would be able to find more time to study now that the hockey season was over.
"I'm sure you will. And how did the team do?"
"We just missed the play-offs," Anthony admitted. "But Adam's team made their league's play-offs. I thought maybe we could go together and see the first game Tuesday night. I'd only have to miss one class Wednesday morning and its an easy class. Missing it won't be a problem."
"Well, there is always next year," Philip Banks said completely ignoring Anthony's entire comment about going to Adam's game. In fact he didn't even acknowledge Adam's presence in the room.
Adam couldn't take it. He got up and headed upstairs to his room not even bothering to grab his suitcase from where he had sat it when he had come in. Anthony watched as his brother disappear up the steps wanting to follow him but his Dad was already moving on to another topic.
"So how is Lisa," Philip Banks asked referring to Anthony's girlfriend at college. The two had been dating for the past year.
"She's fine. She went home to Boston to be with her mother over the holiday," Anthony told him. Lisa's parents were divorced and Lisa tried to split time with her parents evenly. As his father sat down in the chair that Adam had vacated Anthony sat back down in his chair still continuing his conversation with his Dad.
When his Mom came in and told them that dinner was done Anthony got up and picked up Adam's suitcase. "I'll go tell Adam," Anthony said to his mother as he headed upstairs.
Adam had the door to his room closed. Anthony knocked on the door but didn't get an answer. He reached out and tried the door knob. He found it unlocked. Anthony slowly pushed the door open.
He saw Adam laying face down on his bed. He had his arms covering his face but Anthony could still tell he was crying. Anthony put the suitcase down on the floor and then walked over to the bed and sat down on the bed next to his brother.
"Mom has dinner done," Anthony said.
"I'm not hungry," Adam told him.
"You want to talk?" Anthony asked.
"I just want to be alone," Adam told him.
"Okay. When you're ready to talk you know where to find me," Anthony said standing up and slowly leaving the room.
Anthony went downstairs and told his Mom that Adam wouldn't be joining them for dinner. That dinner at the Banks' was a quiet one.
Julie was nervous as she got ready to leave the plane when it landed in Maine. It was the first time she had been home since leaving for Eden Hall almost three months ago. It was the longest that she had been away from home and she was nervous that everything would have changed. That she had changed and no longer fit into things in Maine.
However, as soon as she walked through the gate of the airport her worries disappeared. Over in one corner of the terminal her family and her old friends were all gathered with a huge welcome home sign. Julie ran to them and was enveloped in hugs.
"I've really missed you," Alli, Julie's best friend since kindergarten, told her as they hugged each other.
"Me too," Julie replied. "I'm dating this really cool guy that I can't wait to tell you all about."
"That's great," Alli replied. "As long as its okay with you, our parents have agreed to let me spend the day and night at your house and then go home tomorrow afternoon before Thanksgiving dinner."
"That's great," Julie said and then some of her other friends got into the hug fest.
Somewhere along the line Julie's parents was able to get all of Julie's stuff and get the group loaded into the cars. 'It feels great to be home,' Julie thought as she watched the familiar scenery of her home town pass by outside the car windows.
The first thing that Russ noticed as he walked out of the LA airport with his parents and older brother was the relative warmth. He had definitely left the Minnesota winter behind he and he had to admit that he really didn't mind.
"So how is private school," his brother asked.
"Pretty cool actually. Its fun being away from home."
"And the weather?"
"Cold. Weather is definitely better here in L.A. Snowball fights are fun though," Russ told him.
"Well, we're glad you're back," his mother told him. "Even if it is only for a few days."
"And I'm trying to get time off of work to come out to one of your play-off games. Can't promise anything though," his Dad told him.
"That would be great," Russ said.
The Tyler family got into a cab and headed for their Los Angeles home.
It was about seven o'clock at night on Thanksgiving when the telephone rang at the Conway apartment. Charlie was doing the dishes while his mom put away the remains of there small Thanksgiving dinner.
Charlie had been surprised the day before when he came home and found out that his step-dad was not around. Casey said he had gone to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. She didn't say it but Charlie knew that they had a fight over something. It wasn't really much of a surprise to him and he really didn't mind that his step-dad wasn't there. He had enjoyed sharing the holiday with just his mother. He didn't care for his step-dad and if it weren't for the fact that he wanted his mother to be happy he would have preferred it if his step-dad stayed away for good.
"Hello," Casey said picking up the phone on the wall. Charlie was wondering who would be calling on the hallway. His grandparents had called earlier in the day so he didn't think it would be them again.
Charlie continued doing the dishes as he watched his mom listen to whoever was on the other end of the line. From the look on her face he could tell that it wasn't good news.
"Hold on a second," Casey finally said. She covered the end of the receiver with her one hand and asked "Charlie have you heard from Adam at all tonight?"
"No. I haven't talked to Adam since yesterday morning at Eden Hall. Why?" Charlie told her. He was curious as to what was going on.
"I'll explain in a second," Casey told her son and the put the phone back up to her ear. "No he hasn't talked to Adam. Have you tried the other team members' houses and the Hall's?" Casey asked. She was quiet for a moment listening and then she asked "Do you want me to call anyone?" Charlie assumed the answer was no because the next thing he heard his mom say was, "Okay, well then call me if you find anything out or if you need me to do anything." She quickly said good-bye to the caller and then hung the phone up.
"That was Angela Banks," Casey began before Charlie even had a chance to ask anything. "Adam's disappeared. She said he went up to his room right after they had dinner and then when his brother went to talk to him about ten minutes ago he discovered that he wasn't there and his roller blades were gone. Angela got everyone's home phone off of Gordon and she and Anthony are calling everyone. She said Gordon is out looking for Adam."
"Can we go out and help look?" Charlie asked.
"Right now I think its best if we stay here. He may still show up here Charlie," Casey told her son. Charlie just nodded and went back to the dishes.
"Charlie.." Casey began but got no further as there was a knock on the door.
Immediately Charlie forgot about the dishes and darted past his mother to the door. He opened the door and found Adam standing there in the hallway. His roller blades were over his shoulder and Charlie could tell that he had been crying.
"He just ignored me Charlie. It was like I wasn't even there. I couldn't stay there," Adam said quietly. His voice was flat and lacked any kind of emotion. Charlie didn't know what to say but he did usher his friend inside and closed the door.
"Adam you have your mother worried sick. She is calling everyone looking for you," Casey said coming into the living room.
"I'm not going back," Adam said, once again tears were forming in his eyes. "If you try to make me I'll just leave again."
Casey had no idea what was going on but she could see that Adam was hurting. "I didn't say anything about you going back home," she told Adam giving him a hug. "However, I am going to call your mother and tell her where you are and that you're okay," Casey told him.
Adam pulled away from her and nodded as he wiped tears away. Casey left Adam and Charlie alone in the living room and went into the kitchen to call Angela Banks.
It took Casey a few tries to actually get through. She got busy signals the first two times she dialed the number. On the third try the she finally heard a ring. The phone was answered in the middle of the second ring.
"Hello," came the voice of Angela Banks from the other end of the phone line.
"Angela, It's Casey Conway. Adam just showed up here."
"Oh, thank God."
"Look, I'm not sure exactly what is going on but Adam is insistent that he doesn't want to go home. He told me he'll just run away again if he's made to and I think he's serious. If its okay with you he can stay here."
"Maybe that's for the best right now," Angela said with a sigh. She wanted her youngest son home with her but she also wanted him safe. For now the best way to keep him safe was to let him stay with the Conway's. "I'll send Anthony over with some things for him. Can I talk to him?"
"Yeah, sure. Let me go get him," Casey said setting the phone on the counter and going out to the living room where Charlie and Adam were quietly talking on the couch.
"Adam, your mom wants to talk to you," Casey said gesturing to the phone in the kitchen. Adam quietly got up and went into the kitchen to talk to his mom. Casey was about to ask her son something when the doorbell rang. Wondering who it could possibly be this time she went over and slowly opened the door only to find Gordon Bombay standing there.
"Can I come in and warm-up for a few minutes and then I'm going to go back out looking for Adam," Gordon said not yet knowing that Adam had already shown up at the Conway's.
"Come in Gordon," Casey said opening the door all the way. "As for Adam he showed up here a few minutes ago. He's talking with his mom right now."
Gordon let out a sigh of relief at Casey's news. He had known the holiday break was not going to be easy on Adam but he had never dreamed he would have run away. When Angela Banks had called, hysterically telling him that Adam had disappeared the only thing he could think of was that they had to find him. It had been his suggestion to start calling on the team members to see if he had shown up there. As soon as he had hung up the phone he had headed out and had been searching for Adam ever since.
"What's going on?" Casey asked him. Gordon quietly told her about Mr. Banks visit to Eden Hall last night and what had taken place.
"That's awful," Casey said. She couldn't imagine a parent doing that to their child even though there had been a time when she hadn't wanted Charlie on the team either. That was right after Bombay had been force to take over coaching District 5. Even when he had shown up apologizing she still didn't want her son skating for Bombay but Charlie had wanted to do it so she went along with it. And then Bombay had started showing that he was going to take coaching seriously and everything had changed for the kids on the District 5 team. "What kind of parent could do that to a child?" she continued.
"I don't know," Gordon said honestly. "But I can't help but fell responsible."
"It's not your fault, Gordon."
"I wish I could believe that," Gordon told her. He quit talking when he saw Adam come into the room. He moved around Casey and headed across the room to Adam. "You had us all worried, Adam," Gordon said giving Adam a hug.
"I'm sorry," Adam told him. "But I couldn't stay there anymore. It was like I was stranger in my own home."
"Promise me something," Gordon said looking down at Adam. "Promise me that you won't disappear like that again. No matter what your dad does there are people that care about you Adam. You're not alone."
"I promise," Adam told his coach.
"Okay," Gordon said. "It's getting late, I better be going."
"I'll walk out with you," Casey said. "Charlie, why don't you pull the couch out and get it ready," Casey said grabbing her coat. The fold out couch was the only extra bed they had in the small apartment.
After his mom and Coach Bombay had left Charlie started taking the cushions off the couch and pulling it out with Adam's help. He then went and got some extra sheets and blankets and brought them out.
"I'll sleep out here and you can have my bed," Charlie said to Adam. It was the first thing he had said to Adam since he had showed up.
"That's not necessary. The couch is fine." Adam said grabbing the fitted sheet and starting to put it on.
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Adam said. There was silence again for awhile. "I don't know what I was thinking," Adam said breaking the silence. "Running off like that was a stupid thing to do."
"I don't think I'd be thinking to clearly either," Charlie told him.
The door to the apartment opened and Casey entered followed by Anthony Banks. Anthony walked over to Adam and handed him the Backpack of stuff he had brought over to Adam. After Adam took the backpack from him, Anthony gave his younger brother a quick hug.
"Don't you ever do something like that again," Anthony told him.
"I won't," Adam said as he returned the hug.
"Dad is going to the office for a few hours tomorrow afternoon and Mom would like you to come home during that time."
"Okay, just give me a call when he leaves," Adam told his brother.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Anthony said and just left.
Casey had already said good night to Charlie and went to her room leaving Adam and Charlie alone. Charlie ended up going to Charlie's room and talking for awhile. Adam told Charlie everything that had happened since he had come home the day before.
"I just couldn't take being a stranger in my own house anymore," Adam said as he got to what had taken place earlier this evening. "I didn't really plan on running away I had just grabbed my skates to go outside for a little while. I had planned on staying around the house but then as I came downstairs I heard my parents and brother in the livingroom talking and just had to get away. After skating around for awhile I knew I couldn't go back there. Not with my Dad acting the way he is and that's when I decided to come here. I don't think I can take this Charlie. Maybe I should just give into my Dad and quit playing for the Ducks."
What Charlie wanted to say was that Adam couldn't do that. That they needed him for the play-offs but he knew that was selfish. This whole thing just wasn't fair.
"We'd miss you Adam but we'd understand if you decided to do that."
"Ever since getting injured at that game at Sutton Academy my life has been a mess. It seems like whatever I do someone is going to wind up getting hurt and doing what I most want seems to be hurting the most people."
"You need to make yourself happy Adam. That's what is most important."
"I'm not even sure what that is anymore," Adam said.
"Then that's what you need to figure out," Charlie said. Adam just nodded silently. When Adam didn't say anything else Charlie brought up a different topic and the two talked till about midnight and then went to bed.
Also I want to thank every one who has been reviewing. I know I don't say much about them but I do read them and appreciate them. Special thanks to Nellie2, anne918, and crazy4nc128 for reviewing regularly. Sorry anne918 but I won't be getting Adam and Julie together I like the Scooter/Julie pairing myself. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
The out-of-state Ducks all had flights home late Tuesday night. Bombay drove them all to the air port and made sure each of them got on their respective flight home. The other Ducks, with the exception of Goldberg, whose family was going out to Philadelphia for the holiday, stayed in the dorms Tuesday night.
On Wednesday the students that were still in the dorms started leaving for the holidays. Adam said good-bye to his friends as they left. He was the last Duck to leave, having told his Mom to wait till the afternoon to pick him up. After the confrontation with his dad the Friday night before he really didn't even want to go home at all.
When he got home his dad was still at work. His older brother, Anthony, was home from college already and in the living room watching tv. Adam went in and sat down in one of the arm chairs in the living room not even bothering to take his suitcase up to his room yet. He figured he would deal with that a little later.
"Hey Adam," his brother said.
"Hi. How's college?" Adam asked.
"Going okay. Our hockey team just missed making the play-offs though. Mom told me about the Ducks making JV league play-offs. That is great. Are you going to be able to play."
"Yeah. I've been cleared to skate in our first play-off game Tuesday night."
"That's great."
"Wish Dad felt that way."
"Yeah, Mom told me about that too. I almost feel like its my fault," Anthony told him. " Ever since I told Dad I didn't want to play professional hockey he's been obsessed that you do. The only reason I'm even playing college hockey is to make Dad happy. I think he figures that if I'm still playing then maybe I'll still play professional hockey sometime."
"Yeah but I'm still playing hockey. Its not like I'm giving up the game."
"But you went back to JV. For Dad that is a set back. He doesn't like set backs. He never liked having you skating with the Ducks. He thought that it was holding you back. I think he tolerated it because of you getting to go to the Junior Goodwill Games. Dad skated for Eden Hall when he was in high school up until the car wreck, his senior year, that ended his chances of playing pro hockey. I went to Eden Hall. It was always intended that you go there too and then when you did you made varsity in your freshman year. Dad didn't get on varsity until his junior year and I was a sophomore. For Dad that meant everything to him. He called me the same night that he found out. Talked for hours about how proud he was of you."
"Coach Wilson wouldn't have let me play the rest of this season anyway. He wouldn't have even let me skate practices yet. I've been practicing with the Ducks for the last week and I'm playing in the play-off games. If you ask me I'm better off with the Ducks."
"But all Dad sees is that the Ducks are holding you back once again. I think he feels that the Ducks are taking away the last chance of his old dream being fulfilled even if it is vicariously."
The two brothers were quiet for awhile. Then Anthony spoke again.
"He's not being fair Adam and I admire you for sticking to what you know is right. The Ducks are the best thing that ever happened to you and you shouldn't quit just because Dad wants you too. If you could go back to varsity it would have been different but like you said the coach was determined to keep you sidelined. Sometimes I wish I hadn't told Dad that I didn't want to play professional hockey and then you wouldn't have had to deal with all of this."
"It's not your fault. I want to play professional hockey. If it doesn't happen I could live with that but I plan on giving it all I got. Even now."
"Give him time and I'm sure Dad will come around," Anthony told his brother. He remembered how mad his Dad had been with him when he had told him he wanted to be a lawyer not a hockey player. But at the time his Dad still had Adam to fulfill that dream.
Nothing else was said between the two boys as they heard their father's car pull up in the driveway. Both Anthony and Adam pretended that they were interested in the tv show. A couple of minutes later Philip Banks came in the front door of the house and came into the living room. Adam kept his eyes on the television even though he had no idea what he was watching.
"Welcome back Anthony," Philip Banks said as he walked into the living room and made his way over to his oldest son. Anthony stood up and gave his dad a hug. "How are classes going?"
"Fine. There is one class I'm a little bit concerned about but I have a meeting with the professor to review the stuff I missed on the last test. I should still be able to manage a B in the class if I do well on the final." He didn't add that he would be able to find more time to study now that the hockey season was over.
"I'm sure you will. And how did the team do?"
"We just missed the play-offs," Anthony admitted. "But Adam's team made their league's play-offs. I thought maybe we could go together and see the first game Tuesday night. I'd only have to miss one class Wednesday morning and its an easy class. Missing it won't be a problem."
"Well, there is always next year," Philip Banks said completely ignoring Anthony's entire comment about going to Adam's game. In fact he didn't even acknowledge Adam's presence in the room.
Adam couldn't take it. He got up and headed upstairs to his room not even bothering to grab his suitcase from where he had sat it when he had come in. Anthony watched as his brother disappear up the steps wanting to follow him but his Dad was already moving on to another topic.
"So how is Lisa," Philip Banks asked referring to Anthony's girlfriend at college. The two had been dating for the past year.
"She's fine. She went home to Boston to be with her mother over the holiday," Anthony told him. Lisa's parents were divorced and Lisa tried to split time with her parents evenly. As his father sat down in the chair that Adam had vacated Anthony sat back down in his chair still continuing his conversation with his Dad.
When his Mom came in and told them that dinner was done Anthony got up and picked up Adam's suitcase. "I'll go tell Adam," Anthony said to his mother as he headed upstairs.
Adam had the door to his room closed. Anthony knocked on the door but didn't get an answer. He reached out and tried the door knob. He found it unlocked. Anthony slowly pushed the door open.
He saw Adam laying face down on his bed. He had his arms covering his face but Anthony could still tell he was crying. Anthony put the suitcase down on the floor and then walked over to the bed and sat down on the bed next to his brother.
"Mom has dinner done," Anthony said.
"I'm not hungry," Adam told him.
"You want to talk?" Anthony asked.
"I just want to be alone," Adam told him.
"Okay. When you're ready to talk you know where to find me," Anthony said standing up and slowly leaving the room.
Anthony went downstairs and told his Mom that Adam wouldn't be joining them for dinner. That dinner at the Banks' was a quiet one.
Julie was nervous as she got ready to leave the plane when it landed in Maine. It was the first time she had been home since leaving for Eden Hall almost three months ago. It was the longest that she had been away from home and she was nervous that everything would have changed. That she had changed and no longer fit into things in Maine.
However, as soon as she walked through the gate of the airport her worries disappeared. Over in one corner of the terminal her family and her old friends were all gathered with a huge welcome home sign. Julie ran to them and was enveloped in hugs.
"I've really missed you," Alli, Julie's best friend since kindergarten, told her as they hugged each other.
"Me too," Julie replied. "I'm dating this really cool guy that I can't wait to tell you all about."
"That's great," Alli replied. "As long as its okay with you, our parents have agreed to let me spend the day and night at your house and then go home tomorrow afternoon before Thanksgiving dinner."
"That's great," Julie said and then some of her other friends got into the hug fest.
Somewhere along the line Julie's parents was able to get all of Julie's stuff and get the group loaded into the cars. 'It feels great to be home,' Julie thought as she watched the familiar scenery of her home town pass by outside the car windows.
The first thing that Russ noticed as he walked out of the LA airport with his parents and older brother was the relative warmth. He had definitely left the Minnesota winter behind he and he had to admit that he really didn't mind.
"So how is private school," his brother asked.
"Pretty cool actually. Its fun being away from home."
"And the weather?"
"Cold. Weather is definitely better here in L.A. Snowball fights are fun though," Russ told him.
"Well, we're glad you're back," his mother told him. "Even if it is only for a few days."
"And I'm trying to get time off of work to come out to one of your play-off games. Can't promise anything though," his Dad told him.
"That would be great," Russ said.
The Tyler family got into a cab and headed for their Los Angeles home.
It was about seven o'clock at night on Thanksgiving when the telephone rang at the Conway apartment. Charlie was doing the dishes while his mom put away the remains of there small Thanksgiving dinner.
Charlie had been surprised the day before when he came home and found out that his step-dad was not around. Casey said he had gone to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. She didn't say it but Charlie knew that they had a fight over something. It wasn't really much of a surprise to him and he really didn't mind that his step-dad wasn't there. He had enjoyed sharing the holiday with just his mother. He didn't care for his step-dad and if it weren't for the fact that he wanted his mother to be happy he would have preferred it if his step-dad stayed away for good.
"Hello," Casey said picking up the phone on the wall. Charlie was wondering who would be calling on the hallway. His grandparents had called earlier in the day so he didn't think it would be them again.
Charlie continued doing the dishes as he watched his mom listen to whoever was on the other end of the line. From the look on her face he could tell that it wasn't good news.
"Hold on a second," Casey finally said. She covered the end of the receiver with her one hand and asked "Charlie have you heard from Adam at all tonight?"
"No. I haven't talked to Adam since yesterday morning at Eden Hall. Why?" Charlie told her. He was curious as to what was going on.
"I'll explain in a second," Casey told her son and the put the phone back up to her ear. "No he hasn't talked to Adam. Have you tried the other team members' houses and the Hall's?" Casey asked. She was quiet for a moment listening and then she asked "Do you want me to call anyone?" Charlie assumed the answer was no because the next thing he heard his mom say was, "Okay, well then call me if you find anything out or if you need me to do anything." She quickly said good-bye to the caller and then hung the phone up.
"That was Angela Banks," Casey began before Charlie even had a chance to ask anything. "Adam's disappeared. She said he went up to his room right after they had dinner and then when his brother went to talk to him about ten minutes ago he discovered that he wasn't there and his roller blades were gone. Angela got everyone's home phone off of Gordon and she and Anthony are calling everyone. She said Gordon is out looking for Adam."
"Can we go out and help look?" Charlie asked.
"Right now I think its best if we stay here. He may still show up here Charlie," Casey told her son. Charlie just nodded and went back to the dishes.
"Charlie.." Casey began but got no further as there was a knock on the door.
Immediately Charlie forgot about the dishes and darted past his mother to the door. He opened the door and found Adam standing there in the hallway. His roller blades were over his shoulder and Charlie could tell that he had been crying.
"He just ignored me Charlie. It was like I wasn't even there. I couldn't stay there," Adam said quietly. His voice was flat and lacked any kind of emotion. Charlie didn't know what to say but he did usher his friend inside and closed the door.
"Adam you have your mother worried sick. She is calling everyone looking for you," Casey said coming into the living room.
"I'm not going back," Adam said, once again tears were forming in his eyes. "If you try to make me I'll just leave again."
Casey had no idea what was going on but she could see that Adam was hurting. "I didn't say anything about you going back home," she told Adam giving him a hug. "However, I am going to call your mother and tell her where you are and that you're okay," Casey told him.
Adam pulled away from her and nodded as he wiped tears away. Casey left Adam and Charlie alone in the living room and went into the kitchen to call Angela Banks.
It took Casey a few tries to actually get through. She got busy signals the first two times she dialed the number. On the third try the she finally heard a ring. The phone was answered in the middle of the second ring.
"Hello," came the voice of Angela Banks from the other end of the phone line.
"Angela, It's Casey Conway. Adam just showed up here."
"Oh, thank God."
"Look, I'm not sure exactly what is going on but Adam is insistent that he doesn't want to go home. He told me he'll just run away again if he's made to and I think he's serious. If its okay with you he can stay here."
"Maybe that's for the best right now," Angela said with a sigh. She wanted her youngest son home with her but she also wanted him safe. For now the best way to keep him safe was to let him stay with the Conway's. "I'll send Anthony over with some things for him. Can I talk to him?"
"Yeah, sure. Let me go get him," Casey said setting the phone on the counter and going out to the living room where Charlie and Adam were quietly talking on the couch.
"Adam, your mom wants to talk to you," Casey said gesturing to the phone in the kitchen. Adam quietly got up and went into the kitchen to talk to his mom. Casey was about to ask her son something when the doorbell rang. Wondering who it could possibly be this time she went over and slowly opened the door only to find Gordon Bombay standing there.
"Can I come in and warm-up for a few minutes and then I'm going to go back out looking for Adam," Gordon said not yet knowing that Adam had already shown up at the Conway's.
"Come in Gordon," Casey said opening the door all the way. "As for Adam he showed up here a few minutes ago. He's talking with his mom right now."
Gordon let out a sigh of relief at Casey's news. He had known the holiday break was not going to be easy on Adam but he had never dreamed he would have run away. When Angela Banks had called, hysterically telling him that Adam had disappeared the only thing he could think of was that they had to find him. It had been his suggestion to start calling on the team members to see if he had shown up there. As soon as he had hung up the phone he had headed out and had been searching for Adam ever since.
"What's going on?" Casey asked him. Gordon quietly told her about Mr. Banks visit to Eden Hall last night and what had taken place.
"That's awful," Casey said. She couldn't imagine a parent doing that to their child even though there had been a time when she hadn't wanted Charlie on the team either. That was right after Bombay had been force to take over coaching District 5. Even when he had shown up apologizing she still didn't want her son skating for Bombay but Charlie had wanted to do it so she went along with it. And then Bombay had started showing that he was going to take coaching seriously and everything had changed for the kids on the District 5 team. "What kind of parent could do that to a child?" she continued.
"I don't know," Gordon said honestly. "But I can't help but fell responsible."
"It's not your fault, Gordon."
"I wish I could believe that," Gordon told her. He quit talking when he saw Adam come into the room. He moved around Casey and headed across the room to Adam. "You had us all worried, Adam," Gordon said giving Adam a hug.
"I'm sorry," Adam told him. "But I couldn't stay there anymore. It was like I was stranger in my own home."
"Promise me something," Gordon said looking down at Adam. "Promise me that you won't disappear like that again. No matter what your dad does there are people that care about you Adam. You're not alone."
"I promise," Adam told his coach.
"Okay," Gordon said. "It's getting late, I better be going."
"I'll walk out with you," Casey said. "Charlie, why don't you pull the couch out and get it ready," Casey said grabbing her coat. The fold out couch was the only extra bed they had in the small apartment.
After his mom and Coach Bombay had left Charlie started taking the cushions off the couch and pulling it out with Adam's help. He then went and got some extra sheets and blankets and brought them out.
"I'll sleep out here and you can have my bed," Charlie said to Adam. It was the first thing he had said to Adam since he had showed up.
"That's not necessary. The couch is fine." Adam said grabbing the fitted sheet and starting to put it on.
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Adam said. There was silence again for awhile. "I don't know what I was thinking," Adam said breaking the silence. "Running off like that was a stupid thing to do."
"I don't think I'd be thinking to clearly either," Charlie told him.
The door to the apartment opened and Casey entered followed by Anthony Banks. Anthony walked over to Adam and handed him the Backpack of stuff he had brought over to Adam. After Adam took the backpack from him, Anthony gave his younger brother a quick hug.
"Don't you ever do something like that again," Anthony told him.
"I won't," Adam said as he returned the hug.
"Dad is going to the office for a few hours tomorrow afternoon and Mom would like you to come home during that time."
"Okay, just give me a call when he leaves," Adam told his brother.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Anthony said and just left.
Casey had already said good night to Charlie and went to her room leaving Adam and Charlie alone. Charlie ended up going to Charlie's room and talking for awhile. Adam told Charlie everything that had happened since he had come home the day before.
"I just couldn't take being a stranger in my own house anymore," Adam said as he got to what had taken place earlier this evening. "I didn't really plan on running away I had just grabbed my skates to go outside for a little while. I had planned on staying around the house but then as I came downstairs I heard my parents and brother in the livingroom talking and just had to get away. After skating around for awhile I knew I couldn't go back there. Not with my Dad acting the way he is and that's when I decided to come here. I don't think I can take this Charlie. Maybe I should just give into my Dad and quit playing for the Ducks."
What Charlie wanted to say was that Adam couldn't do that. That they needed him for the play-offs but he knew that was selfish. This whole thing just wasn't fair.
"We'd miss you Adam but we'd understand if you decided to do that."
"Ever since getting injured at that game at Sutton Academy my life has been a mess. It seems like whatever I do someone is going to wind up getting hurt and doing what I most want seems to be hurting the most people."
"You need to make yourself happy Adam. That's what is most important."
"I'm not even sure what that is anymore," Adam said.
"Then that's what you need to figure out," Charlie said. Adam just nodded silently. When Adam didn't say anything else Charlie brought up a different topic and the two talked till about midnight and then went to bed.