It was about two o'clock Friday afternoon when Anthony called Adam at the Conway's apartment. After getting up late Adam and Charlie had been watching movies all day. Adam told his brother that he would be over in a little while.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Charlie asked as Adam laced up his skates on the front steps of the apartment building outside.
"No. I'll be fine," Adam told him finishing up with the skates and standing up.
"Okay." Charlie said.
"See you later,"Adam said and headed across town to his neighborhood.
When Adam approached his house he found his Mom and brother waiting for him on the front porch. When she saw him coming, Angela Banks got up and walked down the steps of the porch to meet her son halfway.
"I'm sorry Mom," Adam told her as they hugged.
"I'm just glad you're okay," Angela told him she led him to the porch and they sat down on the steps. As Adam undid his skates his brother sat down on the steps behind him.
"Adam this can't go on like this," Angela started.
"So you want me to quit the Ducks too now," Adam immediately jumped in not letting his mother continue.
"Whoa!," Anthony said from his spot. "She never said that." Anthony and his mom had spent the morning discussing what was going on in their family so Anthony already knew what Angela was going to tell Adam.
"I'm sorry," Adam said. It seemed like he was saying those words a lot later. "I didn't come here to start arguing with you two too. I'm going to go talk to Coach Bombay later. I'll tell him I'm going to quit. Then maybe things can get back to normal in this house."
"Is that what you really want," Angela Banks asked her son softly. "Is that going to make you happy."
"No, but at least Dad won't be mad anymore."
"If its not what you want to do then don't do it," Angela told her son. "All I want is for you to be happy. Its your father who is wrong in this not you. I don't want you to do something you don't want to do just to keep the peace. You love hockey Adam. You love the playing for the Ducks. Don't let him take that away from you. I love you and will always be there for you no matter what. Your brother feels the same way. Maybe your Dad will come around and maybe he won't. But you're the one who has to live with your decision."
"I hate that Dad is so mad at me and I hate him for making me make a choice between him or the Ducks. Its not fair. And its not fair to you two. I've completely ruined this holiday."
"No, your Father did that. Not you."
"If I don't quit the Ducks every time I come home from Eden Hall will be like the last couple of days. I can't live like that."
"I talked to Coach Bombay this morning Adam. I know you want to stay on the Ducks and I want you to. I also realize that you being here with your father acting the way he is isn't good for you. Coach Bombay said that he has an extra room at his apartment that you could use when your not at Eden Hall until your Dad comes around and you would be welcome here any time you want to. This would still be your home - I don't want you to think I'm kicking you out, but I also realize that in order for you to be happy I have to let you go."
No one said anything when Angela finished speaking. Anthony didn't know what to say. He felt the same way his mom did. Adam was looking at the ground with tears running down his cheeks. Angela moved to kneel in front of him. She put her hand under Adam's chin and lifted his head so that he was looking at her. "Adam I want you to be completely honest with me. Do you want to stay on the team?"
"Yes I do. We've had our differences but they were there for me after I got injured. Charlie tried to get me back on the team after Wilson told me I couldn't come back to varsity this season so that I would be happy. And I was up until last Friday night. Right now I feel like I belong on the Ducks and whatever happens next season happens."
"Then I don't want you quitting. I'll go call Coach Bombay and tell him I'm bringing you over to get settled in. I love you Adam," she told him kissing his forehead as she stood up and headed into the house.
After their mom left Anthony moved down to set next to Adam. "You're doing the right thing, Adam," Anthony told him putting his arm around his brothers shoulders. "It might not feel like that right now but in the long run you'll see that it is." He hated that this was happening to his brother but he couldn't stop it. All he could do was be there for Adam and support him and support their mother. This wasn't going to be easy on her either.
"Do you think Dad will ever come around?" Adam asked.
"I don't know, Adam. I really don't know."

Twenty minutes after Guy had called him Charlie arrived down at the pond where the team used to practice, hockey gear in hand. He could see that the others had already arrived and were out on the ice. Fulton, Averman, Guy, Connie and Jesse had a makeshift game going - three on two, no goalies, and the goals were two soda cans on either end of the pond.
Charlie got his skates and stuff on quickly and stepped out on the ice. "So who's team am I on?" he asked.
"You can be on ours," Averman said quickly. "Fulton and Jessie are creaming us on their own anyways."
"No way. Charlie's on our team. Three on three," Jesse said.
"I was only joking," Averman said.
Charlie got into the game and immediately scored a goal for his team.

"That makes it six to one, our favor," Jesse said.
"See told you they were creaming us," Averman said.
"Hey guys," Charlie said as they went to the middle of the pond to start again. "I think we might be playing play offs without Adam."
"What?" Connie and Fulton said at the same time.
"You really think he'll quit?" Guy said.
"Well we ain't getting far in play-offs," was Averman's comment.
"You guys didn't see him last night. He's miserable. We all need to be supportive no matter what he decides though not act like we did when he got on varsity," Charlie said looking at Averman.
"Sorry," Averman said knowing Charlie was referring to his recent comment.
"Exactly what is going on, guys?" Jesse asked. Not going to Eden Hall he hadn't talked to any of his old friends in awhile before today. "All I know is that we got a call from his brother last night when they were looking for Adam and then his Mom called us back a little later and said he had showed up at your house Charlie."
The whole group was standing in the middle of the pond now, the game completely forgotten. Charlie quickly told Jesse about Mr. Banks visit to the dorm a week before with Guy and Connie adding comments here and there.
"Man, Adam just can't catch a break here lately. First you guys dump him, then he gets injured and now this. It's making me glad I didn't go to Eden Hall," Jesse said when they were done.
"I wonder what would have happened if you had been there though Jesse," Connie said. "Maybe you could have talked some sense into all of us at the beginning."
"Or it could have been me taking Adam out during your unofficial game against varsity," Jesse said. When Charlie looked at him Jesse said "yeah, Adam told me about that."
"I think that might have been one of the stupidest things I've ever done. Adam was playing fair, hard but fair. It was luck that none of us were hurt with that take down."
"I don't know, Charlie, you've done quite a few stupid things," Averman said.
"Thanks, Averman," Charlie said as the others laughed.
"We going to play or chat all afternoon?" asked Fulton.
"Let's play," Charlie said.
"Yeah, its six to four," Guy said purposely adding a few points to his team's score.
"Try again," Jesse said. "You guys only scored once."
"Can't blame me for trying," Guy said as he took his place center ice against Charlie. The group played until it was time for them to start heading back to their respective houses for dinner. Guy's team had earned a few more goal's but still got creamed that afternoon fourteen to four.
"You really think Adam's going to quit, Charlie," Guy asked. He, Charlie and Jesse were the last three still at the pond.
"I'm not sure but I think he may," Charlie said. "I don't think he wants to but I think he thinks it will make things better at his house. I do know that something needs to change there. When he showed up at my house last night he was determined that he wasn't going home."
"I couldn't imagine my Dad ever doing that," Jesse said. He started to say something else but got quiet as he saw Adam approaching the group.
"Hey, Adam," all three of them said at the same time.
"Hi," Adam said. Charlie slid over on the bench and made room for Adam. Charlie, Jesse, and Guy all had questions that they wanted to ask but they weren't sure if they should or not. It was Jesse who finally asked a question first.
"Did you talk to your Dad at all?" Jesse asked.
"No. He was at work while I was home." Adam told him.
"Are you going to quit the team?" Guy asked when Adam didn't volunteer any more information.
"Guy," Charlie and Jesse both said accusingly.
"It's okay," Adam said quickly. He knew Charlie was just as interested as Guy in whether or not he was staying with the team and he couldn't blame them. "No I'm not going to quit. I was going to but my mom actually talked me out of it. She knew I didn't want to. She also knew I couldn't stay at home with my Dad acting the way he is..."
"She kicked you out," Guy said interrupting Adam. When Jesse and Charlie gave him a look he immediately shut up.
"No, but she did talk to Coach Bombay. I'm going to spend the rest of the weekend with him and stay there when I'm not at Eden Hall until my Dad comes around," Adam told them. To himself he added 'If he ever does.'
"We're glad your staying with us," Charlie said trying to break the awkward silence that followed Adam announcement.
"Yeah," Guy said.
"Why don't the four of us go catch a movie or something tonight," Jesse said and received three nods from his friends.
"Let's go back to my house so you and Guy and call your parents and let them know and I guess you should call Coach Bombay Adam."
"Actually I think he might still be at your place. He and your Mom were talking when I left."
The four friends went back to Charlie's place. Bombay was indeed still talking with Casey so after Guy and Jesse called home the four of them headed to the mall to see a movie. Before long Adam actually found that he was enjoying himself and having fun for the first time in the past week. Maybe things would work out.