Chapter 3--First
Adam's POV
I had just driven up to my house when my dad rushed and opened the door. I'm assuming that the alumni informed him of the tryouts. I got out of my car, that I had gotten the previous year when my older brother bought his new one. My dad met me half way between the driveway and the house.
'Adam, I'm so proud of you! Do you know what this could do for your future in hockey? This means that scouts will come if they hear about this! I have a friend in a scouting program I'm going to call him tomorrow morning.' Dad says hugging me.
'Dad, don't call him, I just made the varsity team.I'm probably not even a starting position.' I pulled away from him and saw exactly what I was expecting, his face both pissed and ready for a guilt trip.
'What do you mean you don't want me to call him? Adam this could be your chance, don't blow it!' my dad says almost ready to blow up.
'Dad, take it easy, I still have next year, call him then, I'll still be on the varsity team.' I said walking away from him into the house.
'What happens if you don't get on? Scholarships are really difficult to get, especially in sports.'
I get into the house and I can already smell supper cooking. My dad follows me into the house even more pissed than he was outside. I guess because he's allowed showing his full amplitude of anger inside and he's not displaying it to the niebours.
'Adam, you're not thinking about your future! You don't have that much time left to consider what you want to do. I thought you wanted to be a professional hockey player!'
I turned around sharply to face him realizing that I was two inches taller than he is. 'Yea dad I wanted to be a hockey player when I was in the pee wee's, I'm still considering it, but in case you haven't noticed I'm a lot older than I was in the pee wee's, I have other interest's!'
After say that I wish that I could have said the same thing.but in a calmer manner, that set him off. So for the rest of the evening I heard lectures about how I'm wasting my time and my talent. After I was done being grilled I went back to my room. I was thinking about phoning Shannon.but I was way to tired and pissed.
Over the next few weeks everything was the same nothing much really happened. People switched in and out of classes, adjusting timetables. I had been having a lot of hockey practices, everyone on the varsity team was nice to me, but they weren't really nice to other people in the school. The varsity team had a habit of thinking that they owned school and treated the rest of the school like shit. I felt really helpless sometimes, I wanted them to stop but sometimes I can be real chicken shit. Some of the other guys on the team told me to just forget it; Rick would do it anyway. Luckily they didn't pick on Shannon, I would have drawn the line there, but she would have given them hell for doing anything to her.
I know longer ate with the other ducks anymore, I think that Charlie kind of resented me for it. But not talking to them isn't exactly my choice, they can't associate with the varsity team either, and that means me. But who are the ducks to actually follow rules? I didn't speak to the ducks when the varsity was around, or should I rephrase that, when Rick and his bodyguards are around. I still spoke with them in classes, and they were all nice to me, except Charlie he had this habit of either shutting me off completely or making bitchy remarks under his breath.
Both the Varsity and the JV team had games on the same day, one right after the other. Surprisingly I caught Shannon going to one.
I smacked Shannon in the back of the head. 'Hey, I'm surprised to see you here?'
'Yea well I want a ride home and Fulton said that he would drive if I would wait, and since I am with the homework I only happily agreed. Hey, um do you want to watch the game with me?'
'I would really like to but the varsity team has a special box they watch the game from.' Saying that killed me inside.
'Oh fine then, go to your damn special box, leave me to watch something I really have no interest in, I'll just.sit alone, all by myself.'
We walked in separate directions. I looked around hopefully to see if she was looking back to but she didn't.damn. I got to my seat and Rick and his girlfriend were already they're sitting with Cole and a cheerleader with brown hair I didn't know a level above Scooter, James and me.
'Ah Banksie, you finally made it. Here I want you to meet someone, Cathy this is Adam Banks, the one I was telling you about, and Banksie this is Cathy.' Rick said competing with the noise in the arena.
Cathy turned out to be the cheerleader that I didn't know. I knew exactly what Rick was doing; he was trying to set me up with her. She smiled at me, her smile was nice but she seemed like kind of a snob, she stretched out her hand for me to take it. I took her hand to shake it.
'Hey I've seen you around, you're a really good player.' Cathy said yelling.
I just smiled slightly and then sat in my seat. It was strange seeing the old team play in different jerseys. As I looked down on the ice I assumed that Luis, Guy and Averman saw me and started yelling and waving their arms at me, I wave back, happy that they saw me. Coach Orion saw them and then started yelling at them to continue circling around the rink. As I kept scanning the arena I just realized how big it actually is, the entire ceiling is covered championship banners, from years before. I kept scanning the arena and saw Shannon in perfect view. She was sitting in a row below me and about fifteen or twenty seats to the left. She was sitting alone, Cher and De or any of her other friends never came to something like this. I guess she felt me looking at her because she turned around and smiled and waved, then made her hand go in to the gun formation and put it to her head. I smiled and waved back. Then she waved me over, I had to decline, Rick was watching our "conversation" and put a hand on my shoulder to stop me from going. That really pissed me off, I could tell it pissed Shannon off too, she gave the death look to Rick. That is the scariest look known to man.
Charlie and some other guy from the Baron's team went for face off to signal the start of the game. Charlie checked the other guy to the ground and passed the puck to Russ and then Russ made the first goal for the "Warriors". I stood up to cheer with the rest of crowd, but was pushed back down by Cole and Rick. Apparently I had just committed a sin or something because "varsity never cheer for the JV team." Shannon just passed by our area and pulled me out of my seat before the rest of the team made a move. She was stealth that way.
'Thanks!'
'No problem, I could tell you weren't very happy sitting there, come on, they have a snack bar here!'
Shannon was still holding my arm just in case one of my team members came to bring me back.
'Ok fine with me.'
'Take off that f-ugly ass sweater! Adam I showed you better taste than that!'
The buzzer sounded and the Warrior's band began to play sounding that the JV team just scored another goal.
'Yea it is really ugly.'
'So why did you where it?' Shannon had a way of getting horribly offended with people if they demon straighted bad taste in front of her. I was wearing a bright red warrior's sweater.
'I don't really have an answer for that. Oh come on it's not that bad!'
Shannon looked at me very seriously, and I couldn't help but laugh. 'Adam, school issued clothing is always "that bad", school clothing is hideous.'
I just shook my head and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
Shannon's POV
Adam was one of the only people who I didn't mind physical contact from; it's just natural with him. The line up for the snack bar was obscene; mostly the snot nosed kids in grade nine. We were in the line for about fifteen minutes.
'Adam.I'm cold' I started to wrap my arms around his waist, I have issue's with creating my own body heat.
'You want my sweater?' Adam said smiling.
'I'll excuse that, because I know your joking. You give off an abundance of body heat.'
We finally got to the front of the line. I ordered a hot apple cider and a beaver tail, and Adam ordered a large coke and a large fry. We sat down at the top of the arena and just let our feet hang from the ledge.
'So will you get in trouble from your team if you sit with me? I took a sip from my cider and burnt my tongue.
'I don't know, I don't really care either, Rick was trying to set me up with this girl from the cheerleading team, that kind of creeped me out, and the majority of them are snobs.'
At hearing that Adam was going to be set up with some girl made me want to find this girl and destroy. I think I like Adam, well I don't think I like him, I know I do but I always tell myself that I don't like someone when I actually do so I don't hurt myself.
I faked laughter. 'What's her name?'
'Uh, Cathy'
'Cathy, like cheerleader Cathy?'
'Yea, why?'
'I hate her, she's in my english class because she failed the year before. She's a bloody moron.'
'Good to know.' Adam said nodding.
'You weren't interested in her were you?'
Adam looked shocked, 'no, I just don't like talking to.morons'
That relieved me, his response was lame but he did look genuinely shocked at the idea of him being interested in her.
'Lets sit somewhere else, my rump is cold.'
'Yea so is mine.' Adam said getting up, holding out his hand to help me get up.
We started walking down the steps towards my former seat, we sat down and I noticed I was still holding his hand.I wonder if he did to? I let go just in case he didn't want to hold my hand and he was just doing it just incase he thought I was phsyco and didn't let go in the first place so that he didn't make my insane rage flare up.
'Are you leaving after this game? Adam said loudly.
'Um.I don't know.. I.'
'Come and watch my game, I'll drive you home afterwards, then maybe we can do something after the game.if you want to.'
I think he just asked me on a date! At least I think he did.I've been mistaken by these same types of scenario's before.
I looked at Adam and smiled, 'Sure, sounds great.I just have to tell Fulton after the game.'
Damn another hockey game. I love hockey.no I don't like hockey, I forced myself to when I was little, because I wanted to play with Fulton, but I was only 5 years old and the thought of playing with my big brother was "cool".
'Ok, well I have to get going soon so that I can change for the game.'
So.I'm going to be alone again, watching something I have no idea what's going on, you would think I would, I grew up with all sports all around me, but I just shut off when they came on, I have no clue what happens in sports.
'Are you nervous about playing?'
'Sort of, just because it's going to be different from practice, I'm still not familiar playing with them yet.'
One of Adam's teammates came down the stairs to get Adam. When he saw me he smiled and nodded.
'Banksie, we have to get going.' the mysterious hockey guy said.
'Yea, sure Scooter, I'll be right there. Oh by the way this is Shannon.'
'Hi' Scooter said holding out his hand.
'Hello' I took his hand to shake it.
'So.I've got to go now, where are you going to meet me?'
'Um, I don't know, I guess I'll meet you out side of the boy's change room.'
'Ok great, I'll see you later.'
Adam left and I was stuck waiting for the game to end. I don't know much about hockey but I don't think that people are supposed to break sticks on goal posts. Charlie just did. He's been really hot headed lately, I don't like being around him anymore, and he needs to cool down. I remember when he used to come over to my house and we would watch really old movies together. Fulton used to make fun of us, but it was fun. I think that later I'm going to talk to him, make sure everything is ok.
Adam's POV
I walked down the corridor to the varsity change room to get ready for the game. I can't believe I might be on a date with Shannon. I held her hand! I bet I have a stupid grin on my face, but I don't care, I'm happy now, I have something to look forward to after the game. Walking down the hallway to the boy's change room reminded me of a prison march. Scooter and I walked into the men's change room and everyone was almost done changing into their gear.
'Hey Banksie, who was that girl that stole you away?' Rick said with a smile I could have punched him in the face for.
'Uh she's just a friend.'
'Uh, she's just a friend? Come on Banksie, is that why you won't go for Cathy?'
'Actually that is the reason I won't go for Cathy, that and I have class.' For some reason I took particular pride in shutting down Rick.
Scooter I guess heard what I said, because when I got to my locker he smiled and shook his head, we both had a mutual dislike for Rick. I guess you could say that he was one of my only friends on the team. 'You're a good man Banksie' Scooter said slapping me on the back.
Adam's POV
I had just driven up to my house when my dad rushed and opened the door. I'm assuming that the alumni informed him of the tryouts. I got out of my car, that I had gotten the previous year when my older brother bought his new one. My dad met me half way between the driveway and the house.
'Adam, I'm so proud of you! Do you know what this could do for your future in hockey? This means that scouts will come if they hear about this! I have a friend in a scouting program I'm going to call him tomorrow morning.' Dad says hugging me.
'Dad, don't call him, I just made the varsity team.I'm probably not even a starting position.' I pulled away from him and saw exactly what I was expecting, his face both pissed and ready for a guilt trip.
'What do you mean you don't want me to call him? Adam this could be your chance, don't blow it!' my dad says almost ready to blow up.
'Dad, take it easy, I still have next year, call him then, I'll still be on the varsity team.' I said walking away from him into the house.
'What happens if you don't get on? Scholarships are really difficult to get, especially in sports.'
I get into the house and I can already smell supper cooking. My dad follows me into the house even more pissed than he was outside. I guess because he's allowed showing his full amplitude of anger inside and he's not displaying it to the niebours.
'Adam, you're not thinking about your future! You don't have that much time left to consider what you want to do. I thought you wanted to be a professional hockey player!'
I turned around sharply to face him realizing that I was two inches taller than he is. 'Yea dad I wanted to be a hockey player when I was in the pee wee's, I'm still considering it, but in case you haven't noticed I'm a lot older than I was in the pee wee's, I have other interest's!'
After say that I wish that I could have said the same thing.but in a calmer manner, that set him off. So for the rest of the evening I heard lectures about how I'm wasting my time and my talent. After I was done being grilled I went back to my room. I was thinking about phoning Shannon.but I was way to tired and pissed.
Over the next few weeks everything was the same nothing much really happened. People switched in and out of classes, adjusting timetables. I had been having a lot of hockey practices, everyone on the varsity team was nice to me, but they weren't really nice to other people in the school. The varsity team had a habit of thinking that they owned school and treated the rest of the school like shit. I felt really helpless sometimes, I wanted them to stop but sometimes I can be real chicken shit. Some of the other guys on the team told me to just forget it; Rick would do it anyway. Luckily they didn't pick on Shannon, I would have drawn the line there, but she would have given them hell for doing anything to her.
I know longer ate with the other ducks anymore, I think that Charlie kind of resented me for it. But not talking to them isn't exactly my choice, they can't associate with the varsity team either, and that means me. But who are the ducks to actually follow rules? I didn't speak to the ducks when the varsity was around, or should I rephrase that, when Rick and his bodyguards are around. I still spoke with them in classes, and they were all nice to me, except Charlie he had this habit of either shutting me off completely or making bitchy remarks under his breath.
Both the Varsity and the JV team had games on the same day, one right after the other. Surprisingly I caught Shannon going to one.
I smacked Shannon in the back of the head. 'Hey, I'm surprised to see you here?'
'Yea well I want a ride home and Fulton said that he would drive if I would wait, and since I am with the homework I only happily agreed. Hey, um do you want to watch the game with me?'
'I would really like to but the varsity team has a special box they watch the game from.' Saying that killed me inside.
'Oh fine then, go to your damn special box, leave me to watch something I really have no interest in, I'll just.sit alone, all by myself.'
We walked in separate directions. I looked around hopefully to see if she was looking back to but she didn't.damn. I got to my seat and Rick and his girlfriend were already they're sitting with Cole and a cheerleader with brown hair I didn't know a level above Scooter, James and me.
'Ah Banksie, you finally made it. Here I want you to meet someone, Cathy this is Adam Banks, the one I was telling you about, and Banksie this is Cathy.' Rick said competing with the noise in the arena.
Cathy turned out to be the cheerleader that I didn't know. I knew exactly what Rick was doing; he was trying to set me up with her. She smiled at me, her smile was nice but she seemed like kind of a snob, she stretched out her hand for me to take it. I took her hand to shake it.
'Hey I've seen you around, you're a really good player.' Cathy said yelling.
I just smiled slightly and then sat in my seat. It was strange seeing the old team play in different jerseys. As I looked down on the ice I assumed that Luis, Guy and Averman saw me and started yelling and waving their arms at me, I wave back, happy that they saw me. Coach Orion saw them and then started yelling at them to continue circling around the rink. As I kept scanning the arena I just realized how big it actually is, the entire ceiling is covered championship banners, from years before. I kept scanning the arena and saw Shannon in perfect view. She was sitting in a row below me and about fifteen or twenty seats to the left. She was sitting alone, Cher and De or any of her other friends never came to something like this. I guess she felt me looking at her because she turned around and smiled and waved, then made her hand go in to the gun formation and put it to her head. I smiled and waved back. Then she waved me over, I had to decline, Rick was watching our "conversation" and put a hand on my shoulder to stop me from going. That really pissed me off, I could tell it pissed Shannon off too, she gave the death look to Rick. That is the scariest look known to man.
Charlie and some other guy from the Baron's team went for face off to signal the start of the game. Charlie checked the other guy to the ground and passed the puck to Russ and then Russ made the first goal for the "Warriors". I stood up to cheer with the rest of crowd, but was pushed back down by Cole and Rick. Apparently I had just committed a sin or something because "varsity never cheer for the JV team." Shannon just passed by our area and pulled me out of my seat before the rest of the team made a move. She was stealth that way.
'Thanks!'
'No problem, I could tell you weren't very happy sitting there, come on, they have a snack bar here!'
Shannon was still holding my arm just in case one of my team members came to bring me back.
'Ok fine with me.'
'Take off that f-ugly ass sweater! Adam I showed you better taste than that!'
The buzzer sounded and the Warrior's band began to play sounding that the JV team just scored another goal.
'Yea it is really ugly.'
'So why did you where it?' Shannon had a way of getting horribly offended with people if they demon straighted bad taste in front of her. I was wearing a bright red warrior's sweater.
'I don't really have an answer for that. Oh come on it's not that bad!'
Shannon looked at me very seriously, and I couldn't help but laugh. 'Adam, school issued clothing is always "that bad", school clothing is hideous.'
I just shook my head and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
Shannon's POV
Adam was one of the only people who I didn't mind physical contact from; it's just natural with him. The line up for the snack bar was obscene; mostly the snot nosed kids in grade nine. We were in the line for about fifteen minutes.
'Adam.I'm cold' I started to wrap my arms around his waist, I have issue's with creating my own body heat.
'You want my sweater?' Adam said smiling.
'I'll excuse that, because I know your joking. You give off an abundance of body heat.'
We finally got to the front of the line. I ordered a hot apple cider and a beaver tail, and Adam ordered a large coke and a large fry. We sat down at the top of the arena and just let our feet hang from the ledge.
'So will you get in trouble from your team if you sit with me? I took a sip from my cider and burnt my tongue.
'I don't know, I don't really care either, Rick was trying to set me up with this girl from the cheerleading team, that kind of creeped me out, and the majority of them are snobs.'
At hearing that Adam was going to be set up with some girl made me want to find this girl and destroy. I think I like Adam, well I don't think I like him, I know I do but I always tell myself that I don't like someone when I actually do so I don't hurt myself.
I faked laughter. 'What's her name?'
'Uh, Cathy'
'Cathy, like cheerleader Cathy?'
'Yea, why?'
'I hate her, she's in my english class because she failed the year before. She's a bloody moron.'
'Good to know.' Adam said nodding.
'You weren't interested in her were you?'
Adam looked shocked, 'no, I just don't like talking to.morons'
That relieved me, his response was lame but he did look genuinely shocked at the idea of him being interested in her.
'Lets sit somewhere else, my rump is cold.'
'Yea so is mine.' Adam said getting up, holding out his hand to help me get up.
We started walking down the steps towards my former seat, we sat down and I noticed I was still holding his hand.I wonder if he did to? I let go just in case he didn't want to hold my hand and he was just doing it just incase he thought I was phsyco and didn't let go in the first place so that he didn't make my insane rage flare up.
'Are you leaving after this game? Adam said loudly.
'Um.I don't know.. I.'
'Come and watch my game, I'll drive you home afterwards, then maybe we can do something after the game.if you want to.'
I think he just asked me on a date! At least I think he did.I've been mistaken by these same types of scenario's before.
I looked at Adam and smiled, 'Sure, sounds great.I just have to tell Fulton after the game.'
Damn another hockey game. I love hockey.no I don't like hockey, I forced myself to when I was little, because I wanted to play with Fulton, but I was only 5 years old and the thought of playing with my big brother was "cool".
'Ok, well I have to get going soon so that I can change for the game.'
So.I'm going to be alone again, watching something I have no idea what's going on, you would think I would, I grew up with all sports all around me, but I just shut off when they came on, I have no clue what happens in sports.
'Are you nervous about playing?'
'Sort of, just because it's going to be different from practice, I'm still not familiar playing with them yet.'
One of Adam's teammates came down the stairs to get Adam. When he saw me he smiled and nodded.
'Banksie, we have to get going.' the mysterious hockey guy said.
'Yea, sure Scooter, I'll be right there. Oh by the way this is Shannon.'
'Hi' Scooter said holding out his hand.
'Hello' I took his hand to shake it.
'So.I've got to go now, where are you going to meet me?'
'Um, I don't know, I guess I'll meet you out side of the boy's change room.'
'Ok great, I'll see you later.'
Adam left and I was stuck waiting for the game to end. I don't know much about hockey but I don't think that people are supposed to break sticks on goal posts. Charlie just did. He's been really hot headed lately, I don't like being around him anymore, and he needs to cool down. I remember when he used to come over to my house and we would watch really old movies together. Fulton used to make fun of us, but it was fun. I think that later I'm going to talk to him, make sure everything is ok.
Adam's POV
I walked down the corridor to the varsity change room to get ready for the game. I can't believe I might be on a date with Shannon. I held her hand! I bet I have a stupid grin on my face, but I don't care, I'm happy now, I have something to look forward to after the game. Walking down the hallway to the boy's change room reminded me of a prison march. Scooter and I walked into the men's change room and everyone was almost done changing into their gear.
'Hey Banksie, who was that girl that stole you away?' Rick said with a smile I could have punched him in the face for.
'Uh she's just a friend.'
'Uh, she's just a friend? Come on Banksie, is that why you won't go for Cathy?'
'Actually that is the reason I won't go for Cathy, that and I have class.' For some reason I took particular pride in shutting down Rick.
Scooter I guess heard what I said, because when I got to my locker he smiled and shook his head, we both had a mutual dislike for Rick. I guess you could say that he was one of my only friends on the team. 'You're a good man Banksie' Scooter said slapping me on the back.
