Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Dinner that evening at the Banks household was quiet. Anthony was out with his friends. Philip Banks had come home from work in a bad mood which kept Angela from her normal small talk chatter. She knew her husband had no patience with it when he was in a bad mood.
It was actually Philip Banks who broke the silence.
"Steve McGill, wanted to know if we were still coming over for dinner tomorrow evening. I told him that of course we would be there."
"Are you sure that is such a good idea?" Angela asked quietly.
"Of course it is," Philip said. "Why wouldn't it be. Ronnie didn't take Adam out on purpose no matter what either of you want to think," he continued looking pointedly at his son. Adam glance down at his plate and moved his food around it. "Last night was an accident. Hockey is a rough sport. Things like that are going to happen from time to time. Its partly Adam's fault anyway."
"How can you say that?" Angela said shocked.
"He's the one who insisted on playing on that misfit team. If he hadn't been with the Ducks than none of this would've happened. Not to mention Adam needs to be more aggressive on the ice. If he's going to make it to the pros he needs toughen up."
"He's ten years old, Philip."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Philip Banks asked his wife staring at her from across the table. The fact that Adam was at the table had been forgotten by both of them.
"He's just a kid. Let him have fun doing something that he loves to do. There is plenty of time to worry about impressing people later when he's older. When he can make his own decision if hockey is what he wants to do with his life."
"What do you mean if? Adam is going to make pros and make us all proud," he said.
"Have you ever asked him about it? He might want to do something else with his life like Anthony."
"Adam loves hockey, don't you son?" Philip Banks asked finally remembering that Adam was at the table and looking over at him.
"Sure Dad," Adam said quietly not looking up from his plate.
"See," Philip said looking back at his wife. He was too absorbed in his own dreams to notice Adam's lack of enthusiasm.
Angela just dropped the subject. She knew she was never going to win the argument but she was afraid of the future. She knew that their younger son wasn't like his older brother. Anthony had figured out what he wanted to do this year at school and it wasn't hockey. He had told his dad that and ever since then Philip Banks had been twice as hard on Adam. Adam was his only shot left now at fulfilling his dreams, even if it was only vicariously. And Adam always wanted to make everyone around him happy. If that meant doing something that he really didn't want to do then so be it. He would do without any outward complaint. Angela Banks sometimes thought that her son didn't have the personality to play hockey but she could see the love he had for the sport every time he took the ice. She just hoped his father didn't take that love away from him.
"May I be excused please?" Adam asked looking to his mom for an answer.
"But you've hardly eaten anything," Angela said.
"I'm not really hungry," Adam told her.
"Okay," Angela said reluctantly. She watched her son until he had disappeared from the room. She and her husband finished their dinner in silence.
After leaving the dinner table Adam went up to his room and started doing some of his homework. He thought about calling Shane Larson. Shane lived only four houses down from him and the two had grown up together. They had talked about everything up until recently. Still, Adam couldn't bring himself to call Shane. Part of him was still wondering if Shane had been closer to him than McGill had would he have done the same thing.
There was no doubt in his mind that McGill had taken him out on purpose. It was one of Coach Reilly's tactics if he felt threatened by the opposing team, to find the other teams strongest player and gang up on that player. Adam had been involved in the tactic quite a few times although they had never outright taken anyone out of the game before. And it showed that Reilly had been worried about the Ducks beating him from the start of the game.
Shortly after Adam had gone to his room their was a knock on his door and when he called for the person to enter he was surprised to see Jesse, Connie and Guy walk in. Adam had been expecting his mother not his teammates.
The visit wasn't like the one from Charlie had been earlier in the day. After the preliminary greetings there was a moment of awkward silence. None of the kids really knew what to say. Adam was surprised when he finally asked the question that broke the silence.
"So what went on during the rest of the game?" Adam asked.
It was Jesse who started telling Adam about the rest of the game first. Before long though Guy and Connie were chiming in with things here and there with things that Jesse overlooked or forgot to mention.
At eight o'clock Angela Banks popped her head into the room and told the kids that it was getting late and if they wanted a ride home she would be happy to take them. Connie and Guy accepted the offer but Jesse declined. Jesse didn't want Adam or his mother to see where he lived. Jesse said a quick good-bye and quickly left the Banks' house before Mrs. Banks could insist on taking him home.
"Are you ready?" Angela Banks asked her son the following afternoon. Adam was sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Do I have to go," Adam asked. He had no desire to see Ronnie McGill. Unfortunately his parents had other plans. His Dad was insisting that they still go to the McGill's for dinner like they had planned. Of course the arrangement had been made before Adam started playing for the Ducks. Back when Adam considered Ronnie a friend
"Are you feeling okay, Adam," Angela asked walking over and sitting on the couch next to her son.
"Not really," Adam told her. "I still have a bit of a headache," he said looking for a believable excuse that would get him out of going to the McGill's.
"Maybe we shouldn't go, Phil," Angela said looking up at her husband who had followed her into the livingroom.
"I'm not going to cancel," Phil said. "He'll be fine. You baby these kids too much."
"Phil," Angela began but Anthony, coming into the room behind his father stopped her by saying-
"Mom, Dad, why don't you two go to dinner and let us stay here this week. I'm sure the McGills will understand."
"I don't know," Angela said hesitantly.
"We'll be fine, Mom. I mean its not like we'll be alone. Martha will be around if we need her," Anthony said referring to the maid who lived with them. Unlike the other servants, Martha lived with the Banks. She had her own room on the first floor of the house and even though she had Sunday off she was always around the house. She very rarely went out. Both Anthony and Adam saw Martha as a friend not just a maid.
"You have a point. I guess it would be okay," Angela said giving in. "What do you think, Phil?"
"Fine," Phil said clearly not happy about it but not wanting to argue with his wife. "If it will make you happy but we really need to be going. We're already late."
"Okay," Angela said to him standing up. "Take it easy," she told Adam kissing his forehead.
"I will," Adam told her.
Anthony waited for his parents to leave the house and then sat down on the couch next to his brother.
"You don't really have a headache do you?" Anthony said.
"No," Adam admitted.
"You know, you are going to have to face Ronnie again. You go to school with him. You're going to have to face all of them."
"Yeah, but I don't want to do it today," Adam said and with that said got up and headed for his room leaving his brother sitting on the couch.
"Hello, Come in," Jennie McGill said as she answered the door when Philip and Angela Banks finally arrived at the McGill's house. "Where are the kids?" she asked as the McGill's maid took Angela and Phil's coats.
"Adam said he had a headache so we let the kids stay home," Angela told her as Phil disappeared into the living room with Steve McGill.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Jennie said. "But I'm glad you two could still make it."
"Mom," Ronnie, who had been hanging around said, "Since Adam isn't here can I go out with Shane and Jon after dinner then." He wasn't about to admit it but he was glad that Adam hadn't showed up. He really didn't feel like pretending he was still friends with Adam which was what he would have had to do in front of his parents.
"I don't see why not," Jennie said.
Jennie and Angela joined Phil and Steve in the living room until the McGill's cook came in and told them that dinner was ready.
Dinner that evening at the Banks household was quiet. Anthony was out with his friends. Philip Banks had come home from work in a bad mood which kept Angela from her normal small talk chatter. She knew her husband had no patience with it when he was in a bad mood.
It was actually Philip Banks who broke the silence.
"Steve McGill, wanted to know if we were still coming over for dinner tomorrow evening. I told him that of course we would be there."
"Are you sure that is such a good idea?" Angela asked quietly.
"Of course it is," Philip said. "Why wouldn't it be. Ronnie didn't take Adam out on purpose no matter what either of you want to think," he continued looking pointedly at his son. Adam glance down at his plate and moved his food around it. "Last night was an accident. Hockey is a rough sport. Things like that are going to happen from time to time. Its partly Adam's fault anyway."
"How can you say that?" Angela said shocked.
"He's the one who insisted on playing on that misfit team. If he hadn't been with the Ducks than none of this would've happened. Not to mention Adam needs to be more aggressive on the ice. If he's going to make it to the pros he needs toughen up."
"He's ten years old, Philip."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Philip Banks asked his wife staring at her from across the table. The fact that Adam was at the table had been forgotten by both of them.
"He's just a kid. Let him have fun doing something that he loves to do. There is plenty of time to worry about impressing people later when he's older. When he can make his own decision if hockey is what he wants to do with his life."
"What do you mean if? Adam is going to make pros and make us all proud," he said.
"Have you ever asked him about it? He might want to do something else with his life like Anthony."
"Adam loves hockey, don't you son?" Philip Banks asked finally remembering that Adam was at the table and looking over at him.
"Sure Dad," Adam said quietly not looking up from his plate.
"See," Philip said looking back at his wife. He was too absorbed in his own dreams to notice Adam's lack of enthusiasm.
Angela just dropped the subject. She knew she was never going to win the argument but she was afraid of the future. She knew that their younger son wasn't like his older brother. Anthony had figured out what he wanted to do this year at school and it wasn't hockey. He had told his dad that and ever since then Philip Banks had been twice as hard on Adam. Adam was his only shot left now at fulfilling his dreams, even if it was only vicariously. And Adam always wanted to make everyone around him happy. If that meant doing something that he really didn't want to do then so be it. He would do without any outward complaint. Angela Banks sometimes thought that her son didn't have the personality to play hockey but she could see the love he had for the sport every time he took the ice. She just hoped his father didn't take that love away from him.
"May I be excused please?" Adam asked looking to his mom for an answer.
"But you've hardly eaten anything," Angela said.
"I'm not really hungry," Adam told her.
"Okay," Angela said reluctantly. She watched her son until he had disappeared from the room. She and her husband finished their dinner in silence.
After leaving the dinner table Adam went up to his room and started doing some of his homework. He thought about calling Shane Larson. Shane lived only four houses down from him and the two had grown up together. They had talked about everything up until recently. Still, Adam couldn't bring himself to call Shane. Part of him was still wondering if Shane had been closer to him than McGill had would he have done the same thing.
There was no doubt in his mind that McGill had taken him out on purpose. It was one of Coach Reilly's tactics if he felt threatened by the opposing team, to find the other teams strongest player and gang up on that player. Adam had been involved in the tactic quite a few times although they had never outright taken anyone out of the game before. And it showed that Reilly had been worried about the Ducks beating him from the start of the game.
Shortly after Adam had gone to his room their was a knock on his door and when he called for the person to enter he was surprised to see Jesse, Connie and Guy walk in. Adam had been expecting his mother not his teammates.
The visit wasn't like the one from Charlie had been earlier in the day. After the preliminary greetings there was a moment of awkward silence. None of the kids really knew what to say. Adam was surprised when he finally asked the question that broke the silence.
"So what went on during the rest of the game?" Adam asked.
It was Jesse who started telling Adam about the rest of the game first. Before long though Guy and Connie were chiming in with things here and there with things that Jesse overlooked or forgot to mention.
At eight o'clock Angela Banks popped her head into the room and told the kids that it was getting late and if they wanted a ride home she would be happy to take them. Connie and Guy accepted the offer but Jesse declined. Jesse didn't want Adam or his mother to see where he lived. Jesse said a quick good-bye and quickly left the Banks' house before Mrs. Banks could insist on taking him home.
"Are you ready?" Angela Banks asked her son the following afternoon. Adam was sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Do I have to go," Adam asked. He had no desire to see Ronnie McGill. Unfortunately his parents had other plans. His Dad was insisting that they still go to the McGill's for dinner like they had planned. Of course the arrangement had been made before Adam started playing for the Ducks. Back when Adam considered Ronnie a friend
"Are you feeling okay, Adam," Angela asked walking over and sitting on the couch next to her son.
"Not really," Adam told her. "I still have a bit of a headache," he said looking for a believable excuse that would get him out of going to the McGill's.
"Maybe we shouldn't go, Phil," Angela said looking up at her husband who had followed her into the livingroom.
"I'm not going to cancel," Phil said. "He'll be fine. You baby these kids too much."
"Phil," Angela began but Anthony, coming into the room behind his father stopped her by saying-
"Mom, Dad, why don't you two go to dinner and let us stay here this week. I'm sure the McGills will understand."
"I don't know," Angela said hesitantly.
"We'll be fine, Mom. I mean its not like we'll be alone. Martha will be around if we need her," Anthony said referring to the maid who lived with them. Unlike the other servants, Martha lived with the Banks. She had her own room on the first floor of the house and even though she had Sunday off she was always around the house. She very rarely went out. Both Anthony and Adam saw Martha as a friend not just a maid.
"You have a point. I guess it would be okay," Angela said giving in. "What do you think, Phil?"
"Fine," Phil said clearly not happy about it but not wanting to argue with his wife. "If it will make you happy but we really need to be going. We're already late."
"Okay," Angela said to him standing up. "Take it easy," she told Adam kissing his forehead.
"I will," Adam told her.
Anthony waited for his parents to leave the house and then sat down on the couch next to his brother.
"You don't really have a headache do you?" Anthony said.
"No," Adam admitted.
"You know, you are going to have to face Ronnie again. You go to school with him. You're going to have to face all of them."
"Yeah, but I don't want to do it today," Adam said and with that said got up and headed for his room leaving his brother sitting on the couch.
"Hello, Come in," Jennie McGill said as she answered the door when Philip and Angela Banks finally arrived at the McGill's house. "Where are the kids?" she asked as the McGill's maid took Angela and Phil's coats.
"Adam said he had a headache so we let the kids stay home," Angela told her as Phil disappeared into the living room with Steve McGill.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Jennie said. "But I'm glad you two could still make it."
"Mom," Ronnie, who had been hanging around said, "Since Adam isn't here can I go out with Shane and Jon after dinner then." He wasn't about to admit it but he was glad that Adam hadn't showed up. He really didn't feel like pretending he was still friends with Adam which was what he would have had to do in front of his parents.
"I don't see why not," Jennie said.
Jennie and Angela joined Phil and Steve in the living room until the McGill's cook came in and told them that dinner was ready.