"I'm not playing on that team. I told you this would happen." I said once
we finally got out of there. He just shrugged. I yelled at him the whole
way to the car him just nodding every now and then. I got in my car and
started it up. I drove not really going anywhere. I finally pulled off in a
parking lot and looked over at him. He just looked at me.
Smiling he said, "That was quite a lecture you gave him. Not to mention the bloody nose he got." I gave halfhearted laugh. "What's going on with Adam? That wasn't you in there. You never lose your temper, not even at some loudmouth."
"I don't know. It's just, frustrating. All Charlie's done is tried to be nice to me and I like him."
"Don't you dare try to tell me this is about Charlie, Something else is going on and you're not telling." Nick said cutting me off.
"I played hockey today," I started not wanting to cry in front of Nick, I took a deep breath and continued "I've never been at a tryout or a game with out looking up in the stands and seeing my Dad. But he wasn't there today Nick. I know he's gone but I just freaked out it was like I suddenly couldn't breathe. And I guess Jesse was just the last straw."
"Hey at least you took it out on him this time and not me." He joked trying to lighten the mood. I smiled weekly at him and nodded. "Why don't I take you home?"
"Alright." We switched places and I let him drive. We sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally said, "Listen I don't know what to say to make you fell better. So why don't you try to call Jason." He said handing me his cell phone. I dialed Jason's cell number and let it ring.
"Hello?" I heard Jason's long time off again on again girlfriend say.
"Hey Caitlin, is my brother around. I need to talk to him."
"Oh hi Adam! Yeah your brother's right here." I heard the phone be passed over.
"Hey shrimpo. What's up?"
"Well I went to school, yelled at Nick, had lunch, Embarrassed myself with a girl, went to hockey tryouts, made varsity, had brawl in the locker room, went on a drive with nick, actually had a nervous break down, and total blew off Gordon. You?"
"Okay wait a minute. Lets take this one thing at a time. You got in a fight?"
"Yeah."
"Who and why?"
"Well it Jesse Hall. You know the duck. He was harassing me and Charlie and before I knew it he punched me, I threw him in to a locker and gave him a bloody nose."
"I'm not sure weather to be proud or concerned. Adam you never fight with people what's really going on?"
"Dear god. What's with you people are you and Nick cops or something? How can you always know when I lie? Anyway," I went on to explain to Jason what I'd told Nick.
"Okay so you got upset about Dad, and went and hit some guy because he annoyed you."
"Well he technically hit me first."
"Whatever. Listen, I'm not sure exactly what to say. But I know you should play hockey. It's been your dream for years why change it now. And the whole Jesse thing, listen don't take out bad feelings about Dad on him. Just ignore him, he'll eventually ignore you." Jason kept taking the whole drive home. He rambled on trying to make some point and make me feel better. It's kind of nice to know your older brother will sit for a whole half hour and listen to your problems and try to solve them.
"You going to be okay?" Nick asked. We pulled up in front of the apartment; he turned off the car and looked over at me.
"Yea I'll be fine. Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" I asked as we got out. He took his backpack out of the trunk.
"I'll be fine to." He came over and actually gave me a little hug, "I'll see ya Tommrow. Hopefully the second day of school will be better. Call me!" He said walking off towards his house.
I walked in the room and it fell completely silent. They were obviously talking about practice. I sighed but just walked past Charlie and Gordon silently.
"Wait Adam," I turned back to Gordon, "I think we need to talk about this."
"Fine talk." I said even thought I was not in the mood to talk to him. I like Gordon sure, but I don't trust him. I hardly know him.
"Charlie told me what happened in the locker room."
"Great, I guess that means you don't need me any longer, I'm sure Charlie can fill you in on all the detail. I'll be in my room."
"Adam," he said in a warning tone.
"Don't you Adam me. Who the hell are you giving me the warning tone. I didn't do anything. Your precious little duck attacked me. Give them a warning."
"I'm sorry." Gordon said running his hand through his hair. "Look let's start over. Will you come in here sit down and talk to us for a few minutes?"
I walked back into the room and sat down on the couch across from Charlie and Gordon.
"Look what happened today never should have. Look I know I don't know you very well. But I don't exactly understand what happened. You don't seem like the type to fight with Jesse, even if he deserved it. So I wanted to hear your side."
"It's not me. I just didn't have a very good day. Starting school was weird and stuff." I said. I wasn't exactly comfortable spilling my heart and soul out to Gordon, epically not in front of Charlie. "But I talked it over with Jason and I guess I'm going to give hockey and the team a chance. I may very well regret that but I've been playing hockey long before I meet any of you. And I'm going to keep playing hockey. This isn't going to stop me not know I've got too much to prove. You don't have anything to worry about. I'm not going to let Jesse get to me anymore."
Gordon looked at me a little surprised and finally nodded, "I guess we don't have anything to talk over. You can do whatever want."
I smile and got up, headed towards the kitchen Charlie following me. "Hey thanks for sticking up for me. Jesse actually apologized after you left."
"Well thanks for being nice to me. Even thought your friends gave you crap for it." We each grabbed food and went our separate ways. He went to the TV, I went to the kitchen table and pulled out all my homework. I worked on it till around five when Casey came in.
"Hey Adam,"
"Hey Casey. How was your day?" I asked getting up to help her with the grocery bags in her arms.
"It was alright. Thank you so much Adam. If only I could train the other two to be as nice as you." She said sending a look over to Charlie and Gordon both on the couch feet on the table. "Now how was your first day at school?"
"It was okay I guess. The classes are going to be hard but I think I'll be able to keep up." I said putting the cereal into the cupboard.
"Well that's great." We talked for a while longer. I spent the next hour helping her with dinner before I settled in to my room. I finished all of my homework around eight and headed to bed. It was hard pounding the heck out of a loudmouth.
Smiling he said, "That was quite a lecture you gave him. Not to mention the bloody nose he got." I gave halfhearted laugh. "What's going on with Adam? That wasn't you in there. You never lose your temper, not even at some loudmouth."
"I don't know. It's just, frustrating. All Charlie's done is tried to be nice to me and I like him."
"Don't you dare try to tell me this is about Charlie, Something else is going on and you're not telling." Nick said cutting me off.
"I played hockey today," I started not wanting to cry in front of Nick, I took a deep breath and continued "I've never been at a tryout or a game with out looking up in the stands and seeing my Dad. But he wasn't there today Nick. I know he's gone but I just freaked out it was like I suddenly couldn't breathe. And I guess Jesse was just the last straw."
"Hey at least you took it out on him this time and not me." He joked trying to lighten the mood. I smiled weekly at him and nodded. "Why don't I take you home?"
"Alright." We switched places and I let him drive. We sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally said, "Listen I don't know what to say to make you fell better. So why don't you try to call Jason." He said handing me his cell phone. I dialed Jason's cell number and let it ring.
"Hello?" I heard Jason's long time off again on again girlfriend say.
"Hey Caitlin, is my brother around. I need to talk to him."
"Oh hi Adam! Yeah your brother's right here." I heard the phone be passed over.
"Hey shrimpo. What's up?"
"Well I went to school, yelled at Nick, had lunch, Embarrassed myself with a girl, went to hockey tryouts, made varsity, had brawl in the locker room, went on a drive with nick, actually had a nervous break down, and total blew off Gordon. You?"
"Okay wait a minute. Lets take this one thing at a time. You got in a fight?"
"Yeah."
"Who and why?"
"Well it Jesse Hall. You know the duck. He was harassing me and Charlie and before I knew it he punched me, I threw him in to a locker and gave him a bloody nose."
"I'm not sure weather to be proud or concerned. Adam you never fight with people what's really going on?"
"Dear god. What's with you people are you and Nick cops or something? How can you always know when I lie? Anyway," I went on to explain to Jason what I'd told Nick.
"Okay so you got upset about Dad, and went and hit some guy because he annoyed you."
"Well he technically hit me first."
"Whatever. Listen, I'm not sure exactly what to say. But I know you should play hockey. It's been your dream for years why change it now. And the whole Jesse thing, listen don't take out bad feelings about Dad on him. Just ignore him, he'll eventually ignore you." Jason kept taking the whole drive home. He rambled on trying to make some point and make me feel better. It's kind of nice to know your older brother will sit for a whole half hour and listen to your problems and try to solve them.
"You going to be okay?" Nick asked. We pulled up in front of the apartment; he turned off the car and looked over at me.
"Yea I'll be fine. Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" I asked as we got out. He took his backpack out of the trunk.
"I'll be fine to." He came over and actually gave me a little hug, "I'll see ya Tommrow. Hopefully the second day of school will be better. Call me!" He said walking off towards his house.
I walked in the room and it fell completely silent. They were obviously talking about practice. I sighed but just walked past Charlie and Gordon silently.
"Wait Adam," I turned back to Gordon, "I think we need to talk about this."
"Fine talk." I said even thought I was not in the mood to talk to him. I like Gordon sure, but I don't trust him. I hardly know him.
"Charlie told me what happened in the locker room."
"Great, I guess that means you don't need me any longer, I'm sure Charlie can fill you in on all the detail. I'll be in my room."
"Adam," he said in a warning tone.
"Don't you Adam me. Who the hell are you giving me the warning tone. I didn't do anything. Your precious little duck attacked me. Give them a warning."
"I'm sorry." Gordon said running his hand through his hair. "Look let's start over. Will you come in here sit down and talk to us for a few minutes?"
I walked back into the room and sat down on the couch across from Charlie and Gordon.
"Look what happened today never should have. Look I know I don't know you very well. But I don't exactly understand what happened. You don't seem like the type to fight with Jesse, even if he deserved it. So I wanted to hear your side."
"It's not me. I just didn't have a very good day. Starting school was weird and stuff." I said. I wasn't exactly comfortable spilling my heart and soul out to Gordon, epically not in front of Charlie. "But I talked it over with Jason and I guess I'm going to give hockey and the team a chance. I may very well regret that but I've been playing hockey long before I meet any of you. And I'm going to keep playing hockey. This isn't going to stop me not know I've got too much to prove. You don't have anything to worry about. I'm not going to let Jesse get to me anymore."
Gordon looked at me a little surprised and finally nodded, "I guess we don't have anything to talk over. You can do whatever want."
I smile and got up, headed towards the kitchen Charlie following me. "Hey thanks for sticking up for me. Jesse actually apologized after you left."
"Well thanks for being nice to me. Even thought your friends gave you crap for it." We each grabbed food and went our separate ways. He went to the TV, I went to the kitchen table and pulled out all my homework. I worked on it till around five when Casey came in.
"Hey Adam,"
"Hey Casey. How was your day?" I asked getting up to help her with the grocery bags in her arms.
"It was alright. Thank you so much Adam. If only I could train the other two to be as nice as you." She said sending a look over to Charlie and Gordon both on the couch feet on the table. "Now how was your first day at school?"
"It was okay I guess. The classes are going to be hard but I think I'll be able to keep up." I said putting the cereal into the cupboard.
"Well that's great." We talked for a while longer. I spent the next hour helping her with dinner before I settled in to my room. I finished all of my homework around eight and headed to bed. It was hard pounding the heck out of a loudmouth.