A/N: Dedicated to Anne918 because she spent a whole lot of time reading and
reviewing every chapter after getting behind in them! I know that it a
difficult task because I have done that before and it is very tedious! Good
job at getting up to speed with us . . . me . . . the story . . . whatev,
on with the story!!
I honestly didn't know exactly where the dark room in the school was. Everyone in the school knew there was one; it's just that the location was a well kept secret between a select few. Supposedly, from Josie's instructions, it was in the basement by the science labs. I guess that made sense, seeing they would need a constant supply of chemicals; chemicals I can't even begin to name, even if I wanted to.
I finally found the door to the downstairs. It was right between the girl's washroom and the senior lab so I hadn't really noticed it before. I opened the door which creaked slightly and looked down. It was pitch black and the steps down were crumbling cement steps instead of the marble stairs that filled the rest of the school. I gingerly took a step down and considered going back.
I urged myself down the rest of the steps and looked around. It was mostly storage in here. I noticed brooms, tarnished trophies, old textbooks, desks, you name it they probably had it down there. I noticed a door in the back and saw a dusty sign reading 'It's Dark for a Reason'. I blinked nervously. Do I really want to hang out with Josie in dark tight space that probably resembled a dusty closet? Oh wait . . . yes!
I grabbed the door knob and turned it quickly opening it a crack only to have it slammed in my face again.
"Josie!" I yelled at the door.
"Adam! You idiot! This is a dark room! Light ruins developing pictures!"
Oops. Very smooth Adam. I guess I should try to comprehend the signs a little bit more. Light ruins pictures, so 'it's dark for a reason' makes sense. It meant knock before you enter. Stupid me.
The door opened wide suddenly making me jump back in surprise.
Josie smirked at me shaking her head. "Adam, always knock." She ran a hand through her newly chestnut hair scrunching it nervously.
I looked her up and down. "You're covered in dust."
She scoffed. "Yeah, I know. I was looking for this old textbook Dean Buckley suggested that I read. I couldn't find it though." She stepped out of the way of the door and moved to a place with drying pictures that were already developed. She began to brush off her shirt and hands and took them down from a clothes line like thing that hung around the room.
I bit my lip as I tip toed around the large marble island in the middle of the already cramped room. I was careful on where I situated myself as so I wasn't in her space, even though no matter how or where I moved I would be. "So is there anything you want me to do?" I asked quietly in the awkwardness of the moment.
In mid reach for a clip she looked at me and nodded; an essence of a smile dancing upon her crimson lips. "Uh . . . sure, come here, you can help me figure out my new project I'm working on."
I cautiously stood beside her and looked at the pictures spread across the countertop, my jaw dropping in surprise. "That. . ." I looked over at her and the pictures again. "That's the Ducks!"
Even in the dim of the room I could see a blush coloring her pale cheeks. "I took them at the game, and that one day I was arguing with my dad at the arena, and a couple other practices. It was before that whole. . ."She raised her eyebrows, racking her brain for a good word to explain our relationship within the last couple days, "thing last week."
I nodded. I looked back down at the pictures. She had captured each of the Ducks in their finest moments on the ice. Dwayne, with lasso in hand playing 'cowboy round-up' in mid yee-haw; the look of determination on Charlie's face as he raced toward Julie, preparing to score and lastly, Portman and Fulton pounding one of the Cougars into the boards with a look of glee on their faces. "Wow." I finally managed out.
"Oh!" She said bending over and grabbing her something out of her bag and holding it out in front of her. "I didn't know if you guys had anything to keep stuff in, so I kind of enlisted the art club to make this."
My fingers ran across the green and white book she held in her arms. The logo of our duck stood out vividly. "Ducks Fly Together." I whispered, reading the title in maroon writing. I looked up at her. "How did you know our saying? We only did the chant during the games. . ."
"Fulton. I asked him a lot of stuff. He doesn't know about this though." She stepped away from me and began to take some of the other pictures I hadn't noticed down. "I wanted to show you first."
I looked up from the book over at her. She had stopped and was looking at her feet nervously. "Me?" I squeaked.
She nodded. "It's no big deal though."
I began to flip the pages. Each one of us had a personalized page. Charlie of course was first, a big green letters written across the top was 'Captain Duck'. And below his picture was his number, 96, the rest of the page was blank for the team to fill out. I turned to the next page. Mine. Cake-eater was written across top. I smiled at my nickname. I had grown to like it over the years since Jesse had harshly given it to me. I eagerly searched through the pages blinking at each as they past. There were a few pages that were picture-less left for other original Ducks that didn't come to Eden Hall, one for Karp, Tammy and Tommy, the Hall brothers and lastly Peter, which was completely blank; not even his name was written across the top.
I noticed her glace over at me and the book. She looked down as she leaned against the countertop. "I'm sorry about his page. I couldn't write it."
I smiled. "It's ok. I'll get Connie to."
"No, it's not ok." She said persistently. "I have been treating you so unfairly. And I should be able to write his name because it's just a name right? It's not even the same guy. Fulton told me all about him; he sounds like the exact opposite to him and . . . and . . ."
I closed the book and quickly wrapped my arms around her. "Josie, it's ok. Really! I'm sure he won't mind." I whispered trying to soothe her fears the best I could, avoiding Peter's name because I'm almost certain it would upset her even more.
She shook her head pushing me away and reaching into her bag pulling out a green marker and grabbing the book. "No, he's one of the Ducks and he should be in here no matter the connection I have to his name." She quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve and opened to his page.
I blinked nervously. "Do you want to meet him?"
She turned to me startled. "What?"
"Do you want to meet my friend Peter Mark?" I asked again being clarifying the question. "I'm going into Minneapolis later tonight to have a hockey game with the whole team. I mean everyone. You could come, take pictures."
She immediately shook her head. "No, I don't think it would be a good idea."
"It's not like I'm asking you to meet my parents, just my friends. You already know Guy, Connie, Fulton and Portman and pretty much like them, you threatened Charlie and Averman and Luis has already hit on you. I'm sure they won't mind. We could 'unveil' the scrapbook you made of the Ducks."
"Seriously Adam, I don't think it would be a good thing. Every time we spend a lot of time together we end up fighting. Maybe we should keep our distance from each other for now." She said straightening the pictures she had just taken down.
I blinked amazed at her. "But that's because you think that I'm getting too close to you and that you're going to hurt me!" I couldn't help but get louder. "And the only time you do hurt me is when you push me away, so stop! Please!"
Josie shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Don't ask me that."
"Then come with us!" I said grabbing her hand. I checked my watch quickly. "It's at six and its four now. We can go out, buy you film or whatever you need, we'll grab our skates and I'll call the guys! Come on!"
She hesitated. "Adam. . ."
I shoved her pictures into her bag and picked it up dragging her along behind me whipping open the door and running through the dusty basement. "Let's get you into some warm clothes and you can meet the rest of the team. . ."
"Stop! Adam! Stop!" She yelped digging her heels into the ground stopping me before I could climb the stairs. "Too much; too fast!"
I blinked at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I have been ignoring you for the last couple days and now we have this re-bonding session going on!" She jerked her hand roughly from my grasp. "I mean if you really want to be my friend let's take it a little slower. Let's set up some ground rules."
I nodded. "Ground rules." I echoed.
"Rule one," She started taking a step back. "No forcing a person to do something they don't want to do."
I rolled my eyes. "But the rules take effect after I take you to Minneapolis to meet the Ducks."
"Adam. . ." She had a whiny tone in her voice that I couldn't help but giggle at.
"You took me out of state! I'm taking you to my meet my hockey team in state. You're coming and that's final." I surprised myself with how forcefully I said that without actually sounding stuck up and a rich cake- eater who got everything he asked for.
She sighed aggravated. "Fine. Rule two: No more of this I'm ok- you're ok hugging stuff. It only leads to fighting."
I licked my lips. "You were almost crying." I began walking up the stairs with her in tow.
"I was not!" She denied.
I rolled my eyes and stopped in the middle of the stairs. "You just want that rule because you're scared of me getting close to you. New Rule two: No pushing someone away without a real reason, which excludes anything to do with Peter or the feeling of one of us getting too close."
She opened her mouth to object but I quickly covered it with my hand.
"These rules are not going to be just for me. It's both of us. No go to your dorm, grab your skates, change into something warm and I'll meet you at my dorm in a half hour. If you aren't there, I'll show everyone that picture of us that you took at the arena, with you blowing a kiss to me. That isn't a threat; that is a promise, now go."
I took my hand off her mouth which was now hanging open in awe. She turned away from me and began quickly walking down the hall.
"Oh! And don't forget you camera!" I yelled after her, pleased with the reaction I had gotten from her.
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A/N: Another short chapter and I'm sorry! I really really really am! I promise I will get to the game ASAP! As I said before this is dedicated to Anne918! I hope the Dark room scene lived up to your expectations and I hope the game will too. (P.S.: Next Chapter, lots of Tammy. I honestly didn't like her all that much, but I won't like my biases ruin the story, meaning I won't turn her into Bitch-zilla ok just because I wasn't overly fond of her.) AS ALWAYS!
REVIEW!!
~Toodles!
I honestly didn't know exactly where the dark room in the school was. Everyone in the school knew there was one; it's just that the location was a well kept secret between a select few. Supposedly, from Josie's instructions, it was in the basement by the science labs. I guess that made sense, seeing they would need a constant supply of chemicals; chemicals I can't even begin to name, even if I wanted to.
I finally found the door to the downstairs. It was right between the girl's washroom and the senior lab so I hadn't really noticed it before. I opened the door which creaked slightly and looked down. It was pitch black and the steps down were crumbling cement steps instead of the marble stairs that filled the rest of the school. I gingerly took a step down and considered going back.
I urged myself down the rest of the steps and looked around. It was mostly storage in here. I noticed brooms, tarnished trophies, old textbooks, desks, you name it they probably had it down there. I noticed a door in the back and saw a dusty sign reading 'It's Dark for a Reason'. I blinked nervously. Do I really want to hang out with Josie in dark tight space that probably resembled a dusty closet? Oh wait . . . yes!
I grabbed the door knob and turned it quickly opening it a crack only to have it slammed in my face again.
"Josie!" I yelled at the door.
"Adam! You idiot! This is a dark room! Light ruins developing pictures!"
Oops. Very smooth Adam. I guess I should try to comprehend the signs a little bit more. Light ruins pictures, so 'it's dark for a reason' makes sense. It meant knock before you enter. Stupid me.
The door opened wide suddenly making me jump back in surprise.
Josie smirked at me shaking her head. "Adam, always knock." She ran a hand through her newly chestnut hair scrunching it nervously.
I looked her up and down. "You're covered in dust."
She scoffed. "Yeah, I know. I was looking for this old textbook Dean Buckley suggested that I read. I couldn't find it though." She stepped out of the way of the door and moved to a place with drying pictures that were already developed. She began to brush off her shirt and hands and took them down from a clothes line like thing that hung around the room.
I bit my lip as I tip toed around the large marble island in the middle of the already cramped room. I was careful on where I situated myself as so I wasn't in her space, even though no matter how or where I moved I would be. "So is there anything you want me to do?" I asked quietly in the awkwardness of the moment.
In mid reach for a clip she looked at me and nodded; an essence of a smile dancing upon her crimson lips. "Uh . . . sure, come here, you can help me figure out my new project I'm working on."
I cautiously stood beside her and looked at the pictures spread across the countertop, my jaw dropping in surprise. "That. . ." I looked over at her and the pictures again. "That's the Ducks!"
Even in the dim of the room I could see a blush coloring her pale cheeks. "I took them at the game, and that one day I was arguing with my dad at the arena, and a couple other practices. It was before that whole. . ."She raised her eyebrows, racking her brain for a good word to explain our relationship within the last couple days, "thing last week."
I nodded. I looked back down at the pictures. She had captured each of the Ducks in their finest moments on the ice. Dwayne, with lasso in hand playing 'cowboy round-up' in mid yee-haw; the look of determination on Charlie's face as he raced toward Julie, preparing to score and lastly, Portman and Fulton pounding one of the Cougars into the boards with a look of glee on their faces. "Wow." I finally managed out.
"Oh!" She said bending over and grabbing her something out of her bag and holding it out in front of her. "I didn't know if you guys had anything to keep stuff in, so I kind of enlisted the art club to make this."
My fingers ran across the green and white book she held in her arms. The logo of our duck stood out vividly. "Ducks Fly Together." I whispered, reading the title in maroon writing. I looked up at her. "How did you know our saying? We only did the chant during the games. . ."
"Fulton. I asked him a lot of stuff. He doesn't know about this though." She stepped away from me and began to take some of the other pictures I hadn't noticed down. "I wanted to show you first."
I looked up from the book over at her. She had stopped and was looking at her feet nervously. "Me?" I squeaked.
She nodded. "It's no big deal though."
I began to flip the pages. Each one of us had a personalized page. Charlie of course was first, a big green letters written across the top was 'Captain Duck'. And below his picture was his number, 96, the rest of the page was blank for the team to fill out. I turned to the next page. Mine. Cake-eater was written across top. I smiled at my nickname. I had grown to like it over the years since Jesse had harshly given it to me. I eagerly searched through the pages blinking at each as they past. There were a few pages that were picture-less left for other original Ducks that didn't come to Eden Hall, one for Karp, Tammy and Tommy, the Hall brothers and lastly Peter, which was completely blank; not even his name was written across the top.
I noticed her glace over at me and the book. She looked down as she leaned against the countertop. "I'm sorry about his page. I couldn't write it."
I smiled. "It's ok. I'll get Connie to."
"No, it's not ok." She said persistently. "I have been treating you so unfairly. And I should be able to write his name because it's just a name right? It's not even the same guy. Fulton told me all about him; he sounds like the exact opposite to him and . . . and . . ."
I closed the book and quickly wrapped my arms around her. "Josie, it's ok. Really! I'm sure he won't mind." I whispered trying to soothe her fears the best I could, avoiding Peter's name because I'm almost certain it would upset her even more.
She shook her head pushing me away and reaching into her bag pulling out a green marker and grabbing the book. "No, he's one of the Ducks and he should be in here no matter the connection I have to his name." She quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve and opened to his page.
I blinked nervously. "Do you want to meet him?"
She turned to me startled. "What?"
"Do you want to meet my friend Peter Mark?" I asked again being clarifying the question. "I'm going into Minneapolis later tonight to have a hockey game with the whole team. I mean everyone. You could come, take pictures."
She immediately shook her head. "No, I don't think it would be a good idea."
"It's not like I'm asking you to meet my parents, just my friends. You already know Guy, Connie, Fulton and Portman and pretty much like them, you threatened Charlie and Averman and Luis has already hit on you. I'm sure they won't mind. We could 'unveil' the scrapbook you made of the Ducks."
"Seriously Adam, I don't think it would be a good thing. Every time we spend a lot of time together we end up fighting. Maybe we should keep our distance from each other for now." She said straightening the pictures she had just taken down.
I blinked amazed at her. "But that's because you think that I'm getting too close to you and that you're going to hurt me!" I couldn't help but get louder. "And the only time you do hurt me is when you push me away, so stop! Please!"
Josie shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Don't ask me that."
"Then come with us!" I said grabbing her hand. I checked my watch quickly. "It's at six and its four now. We can go out, buy you film or whatever you need, we'll grab our skates and I'll call the guys! Come on!"
She hesitated. "Adam. . ."
I shoved her pictures into her bag and picked it up dragging her along behind me whipping open the door and running through the dusty basement. "Let's get you into some warm clothes and you can meet the rest of the team. . ."
"Stop! Adam! Stop!" She yelped digging her heels into the ground stopping me before I could climb the stairs. "Too much; too fast!"
I blinked at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I have been ignoring you for the last couple days and now we have this re-bonding session going on!" She jerked her hand roughly from my grasp. "I mean if you really want to be my friend let's take it a little slower. Let's set up some ground rules."
I nodded. "Ground rules." I echoed.
"Rule one," She started taking a step back. "No forcing a person to do something they don't want to do."
I rolled my eyes. "But the rules take effect after I take you to Minneapolis to meet the Ducks."
"Adam. . ." She had a whiny tone in her voice that I couldn't help but giggle at.
"You took me out of state! I'm taking you to my meet my hockey team in state. You're coming and that's final." I surprised myself with how forcefully I said that without actually sounding stuck up and a rich cake- eater who got everything he asked for.
She sighed aggravated. "Fine. Rule two: No more of this I'm ok- you're ok hugging stuff. It only leads to fighting."
I licked my lips. "You were almost crying." I began walking up the stairs with her in tow.
"I was not!" She denied.
I rolled my eyes and stopped in the middle of the stairs. "You just want that rule because you're scared of me getting close to you. New Rule two: No pushing someone away without a real reason, which excludes anything to do with Peter or the feeling of one of us getting too close."
She opened her mouth to object but I quickly covered it with my hand.
"These rules are not going to be just for me. It's both of us. No go to your dorm, grab your skates, change into something warm and I'll meet you at my dorm in a half hour. If you aren't there, I'll show everyone that picture of us that you took at the arena, with you blowing a kiss to me. That isn't a threat; that is a promise, now go."
I took my hand off her mouth which was now hanging open in awe. She turned away from me and began quickly walking down the hall.
"Oh! And don't forget you camera!" I yelled after her, pleased with the reaction I had gotten from her.
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A/N: Another short chapter and I'm sorry! I really really really am! I promise I will get to the game ASAP! As I said before this is dedicated to Anne918! I hope the Dark room scene lived up to your expectations and I hope the game will too. (P.S.: Next Chapter, lots of Tammy. I honestly didn't like her all that much, but I won't like my biases ruin the story, meaning I won't turn her into Bitch-zilla ok just because I wasn't overly fond of her.) AS ALWAYS!
REVIEW!!
~Toodles!