Another successful win clinched the Ducks' Number 1 position in their league. Adam watched Charlie make the last goal, securing their lead, and leaving them with a 6-2 win. Adam watched this all, from the shadows of the back of the arena. He told the others if he couldn't play hockey, he wanted nothing to do with it. That included not going to games. But Adam had snuck in the back where they couldn't see him, to watch the last few games.
He waited in the shadows, in a corner by the locker room, watching his old teammates file out. He counted, paying attention to who was left to come out. When it slowed down, he counted only two left.
"Guy, you coming out tonight?" Dwayne asked. From the sound of his voice, he sounded exceptionally close to door. Banks was right ... he could see Dwayne's shadow on the hallway floor.
Adam didn't hear Guy's response, but he moved closer to the door, so that once Dwayne was gone, he could get in before Guy left himself.
Dwayne trudged out of the locker room and for Banks' sake, did not look behind him as he walked in the opposite direction of which Banks stood in relation to the door.
"You going to celebrate with them?" Adam asked.
Guy almost dropped all his stuff when he heard the voice.
"Adam!"
"Hey," Adam smiled sheepishly.
Guy looked around quickly for a bench, dropped his stuff and took a seat, "Yea man, what's up. But no, I'm not going out with them."
Adam took a seat and folded his hands in his lap, "Why not?"
"I don't know ..." Guy looked down, "I haven't gone out with them for a while. I just ... I'm not up to it. I think I'm growing out of the ducks."
Adam nodded, he understood. He felt the same way. He only felt like he belonged when he was around Charlie, even then, he wasn't whole.
"What's up with you though? I haven't seen you in like two months," Guy asked. He knew that wasn't true, but it felt like two months.
Adam was about to correct him: Guy was in Adam's advanced English class, and they saw each other every day. But Adam knew what he meant. They hadn't talked other than a "hey" or "what's up" since Adam's injury.
"Umm, I'm good. Nothing's new really, other than all my newly found free time," Adam smiled.
Guy chuckled a bit too himself, "Were you at the game tonight?"
"Yea, you guys played great," Adam nodded to himself.
Silence came between the two boys.
"Um, Guy, can I ask you a favor?" Adam figured it was now or never.
"Sure, anything."
"I uhh, I need help," Adam started, "I want to play hockey."
"But Adam, I thought it was over for you. Your wrist," Guy trailed off.
"I wanna play lefty. I can do it, I know I can. I just," Adam looked down at his brace, "I just need someone to push me. To encourage me."
Guy was silent for a moment or two, and then looked up, "I'm not lefty. Maybe you should ask Char-" Guy cut himself off. He forgot. Charlie told him about him and Adam in confidence. Adam didn't know that Guy knew.
A look of heartbreak washed over Adam's face, but was gone quick. He stayed silent.
"Maybe you should ask Ryan, he's lefty."
Adam looked down and began to stand, "Yea, Ryan," Adam look rejected.
Guy felt like shit. Obviously, Adam came to Guy for Guy's help, not to be referred to someone else.
"What are you doing now?" Guy asked quickly, before Adam could disappear.
Adam turned around, hope written across his face, "Nothing."
"Maybe we could get a head start. You got your skates?"
"Not with me. I really shouldn't start now though. I mean, I've been skating for about a week now, I just, I have homework to do still."
"Well, we have a 9 am practice tomorrow. You wanna meet here at noon? We could get started then."
"Yea," Adam brightened, smiling, "That's perfect."
He waited in the shadows, in a corner by the locker room, watching his old teammates file out. He counted, paying attention to who was left to come out. When it slowed down, he counted only two left.
"Guy, you coming out tonight?" Dwayne asked. From the sound of his voice, he sounded exceptionally close to door. Banks was right ... he could see Dwayne's shadow on the hallway floor.
Adam didn't hear Guy's response, but he moved closer to the door, so that once Dwayne was gone, he could get in before Guy left himself.
Dwayne trudged out of the locker room and for Banks' sake, did not look behind him as he walked in the opposite direction of which Banks stood in relation to the door.
"You going to celebrate with them?" Adam asked.
Guy almost dropped all his stuff when he heard the voice.
"Adam!"
"Hey," Adam smiled sheepishly.
Guy looked around quickly for a bench, dropped his stuff and took a seat, "Yea man, what's up. But no, I'm not going out with them."
Adam took a seat and folded his hands in his lap, "Why not?"
"I don't know ..." Guy looked down, "I haven't gone out with them for a while. I just ... I'm not up to it. I think I'm growing out of the ducks."
Adam nodded, he understood. He felt the same way. He only felt like he belonged when he was around Charlie, even then, he wasn't whole.
"What's up with you though? I haven't seen you in like two months," Guy asked. He knew that wasn't true, but it felt like two months.
Adam was about to correct him: Guy was in Adam's advanced English class, and they saw each other every day. But Adam knew what he meant. They hadn't talked other than a "hey" or "what's up" since Adam's injury.
"Umm, I'm good. Nothing's new really, other than all my newly found free time," Adam smiled.
Guy chuckled a bit too himself, "Were you at the game tonight?"
"Yea, you guys played great," Adam nodded to himself.
Silence came between the two boys.
"Um, Guy, can I ask you a favor?" Adam figured it was now or never.
"Sure, anything."
"I uhh, I need help," Adam started, "I want to play hockey."
"But Adam, I thought it was over for you. Your wrist," Guy trailed off.
"I wanna play lefty. I can do it, I know I can. I just," Adam looked down at his brace, "I just need someone to push me. To encourage me."
Guy was silent for a moment or two, and then looked up, "I'm not lefty. Maybe you should ask Char-" Guy cut himself off. He forgot. Charlie told him about him and Adam in confidence. Adam didn't know that Guy knew.
A look of heartbreak washed over Adam's face, but was gone quick. He stayed silent.
"Maybe you should ask Ryan, he's lefty."
Adam looked down and began to stand, "Yea, Ryan," Adam look rejected.
Guy felt like shit. Obviously, Adam came to Guy for Guy's help, not to be referred to someone else.
"What are you doing now?" Guy asked quickly, before Adam could disappear.
Adam turned around, hope written across his face, "Nothing."
"Maybe we could get a head start. You got your skates?"
"Not with me. I really shouldn't start now though. I mean, I've been skating for about a week now, I just, I have homework to do still."
"Well, we have a 9 am practice tomorrow. You wanna meet here at noon? We could get started then."
"Yea," Adam brightened, smiling, "That's perfect."