(TED ORION POV) "Not you." I said to Adam when he went to skate off. "Come
with me." He nodded following me to the office. Coach Bombay was sitting in
the office. Funny I hadn't seen him all practice. He was leaning back
reading something on the computer. Looking up he smiled.
"What's going on?"
"Hall and Banks here had another run in. I wanted to talk to him about it. Alone if you don't mind."
"Not at all Coach." He said standing up. Gordon grabbed Orion's arm as he walked past and pulled him into the hallway, "Listen, I know something is going on with Adam but I cant seem get him to talk. Be nice Ted." He said patting him on the back.
I walked back into the office. Adam had taken a seat and was bouncing his leg. I walked over and took a seat across form him.
"So?" He said uncomfortably.
"So. I wanted to see if everything was okay."
"Yeah. Everything is fine." He said with a small nod standing up to leave.
"Adam," he turned to face me, "Look I know your going through a rough time. Switching schools isn't easy when you have your family supporting you. But you, your switching schools, and getting use to living with people you've never met. And I know Hall is not making this any easier for you. I just wanted to let you know my door is always open." He looked at me far a minute and sat back down.
"Jesse just pisses me off so much." He said looking down at his hands.
"He never should have said that. And I will be talking to him about that. You two don't have to get along but we are a team. And no one has the right to say crap about you or your Father. Not on my ice. He was a hell of a man."
"You knew my Father?" Adam said looking up at me surprised.
"Yeah, I knew your Dad. We went to school together, stayed in touch through the years. You remind of him." He looked up at me again with a half smile. "Your quieter, and according to your GPA a better student. But you do have his eyes."
"I miss them." Adam said quietly wiping away the tears that had collected in the corners of his eyes. "Mom mostly. She was a stay at home Mom, well at least before I left for school. Dad worked a lot. And he pushed so hard and we fought constantly. But ya know he was there for me. I bet he never knew I just to make him proud of me. It's weird to think about him, he use to be, like my super hero." He said a smile playing at his lips.
"Did I really suck out there today?"
"For you, well yes Adam you had an off day. Happens to everyone." I said carefully.
"I can't play like I use to. And half the time I just freak out." He said slightly kicking my desk.
"What do you mean freak out?" I said slightly concerned.
"It's like my heart starts racing, I can't concentrate, I sweat, and I just can't face it. Like I gotta get out there. I use to be such a cocky player, but know every time I take the ice I think I'm going to fail. I'm going to let everyone down."
"Why didn't you tell anyone about that Adam? Now I'm no doctor but it sounds to me like your having panic attacks. I got them when my daughter was first injured. It's a sign of being depressed or at least under a lot of stress. You should see a doctor."
The young man sighed and shrugged at me. "I guess it can't hurt anything. Look I don't want to talk about this anymore and you said we were having a team meeting in fifteen its been nearly twenty." I nod at him and he got up. He paused for a moment lingering at the doorway, "Thanks Coach." He whispered and walked out. I stood up and stretched. Following after him I walked into the locker room and had a nice little chat with the team. (Charlie Pov) Dinner was fairly quiet. Mom kept trying but Adam was silent boy and I didn't have much to say.
Gordon finally cleared his throat and I looked up at him, "Well Adam, Coach Orion told me he thinks you've been having panic attacks." Whoa, I thought looking over at Adam. Mom just looked over at Gordon confused.
"He told you that." Adam said standing up slightly.
"Well yes Adam. I am your guardian I need to know these things. Why didn't you tell me or Casey that something was going on with you?"
"Maybe he was going to come to us in his own time Gordon. You said yourself this is just going to take time." Mom said trying to smooth things over, "Now Adam please sit down so we can actually talk about this." Adam sat but I think it was only because he likes my Mom.
"Now Adam I understand you being mad. In fact you have every right to be. But you have to realize that Coach Orion told Gordon because he's worried about you. We all are. Just looks at you sweetheart. You don't eat, your not sleeping well. The point is you need to tell us when your having problems. So could you please try to tell us about it?"
Adam looked over at me for a second and sighed. "I'm just having problems playing hockey. I get freaked out and," Adam went on to tell us everything. I suddenly felt a little bad. I had noticed before that he would suddenly freeze on the ice looking upset and lost. But I'd brushed it off in fact mocked it with Jesse and the rest of the guys.
"Look I told. So now can I head back, I got homework to do."
"Of course. And Adam I am sorry." Gordon said. Adam nodded at him and left the table. We sat in silence for the most part.
After dinner I did the dishes. Even thought it was technically Adams night. After wards I headed back to my room. Stopping in front of his door I wondered weather or not to knock. I finally knocked softly opening the door.
"Hey." He said looking up at me.
"Hey, Can I come in." He nodded and I closed the door. He was sitting at his desk, so I took the chair he turned towards me. "Are okay man?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure, because all that stuff you said earlier kinda freaked me out and. I guess I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I made fun of you when I was with the guys."
He smiled at me, "Your so weird Charlie. Why are you apologizing for something I didn't even know about?"
"Because, I like you Adam. And I want for us to be friends." He gave me a funny look so I added, "What I'm weird you said it yourself!" He laughed and threw a pillow off his bed at me. "Now who is this Ashley you were talking about earlier?"
"What's going on?"
"Hall and Banks here had another run in. I wanted to talk to him about it. Alone if you don't mind."
"Not at all Coach." He said standing up. Gordon grabbed Orion's arm as he walked past and pulled him into the hallway, "Listen, I know something is going on with Adam but I cant seem get him to talk. Be nice Ted." He said patting him on the back.
I walked back into the office. Adam had taken a seat and was bouncing his leg. I walked over and took a seat across form him.
"So?" He said uncomfortably.
"So. I wanted to see if everything was okay."
"Yeah. Everything is fine." He said with a small nod standing up to leave.
"Adam," he turned to face me, "Look I know your going through a rough time. Switching schools isn't easy when you have your family supporting you. But you, your switching schools, and getting use to living with people you've never met. And I know Hall is not making this any easier for you. I just wanted to let you know my door is always open." He looked at me far a minute and sat back down.
"Jesse just pisses me off so much." He said looking down at his hands.
"He never should have said that. And I will be talking to him about that. You two don't have to get along but we are a team. And no one has the right to say crap about you or your Father. Not on my ice. He was a hell of a man."
"You knew my Father?" Adam said looking up at me surprised.
"Yeah, I knew your Dad. We went to school together, stayed in touch through the years. You remind of him." He looked up at me again with a half smile. "Your quieter, and according to your GPA a better student. But you do have his eyes."
"I miss them." Adam said quietly wiping away the tears that had collected in the corners of his eyes. "Mom mostly. She was a stay at home Mom, well at least before I left for school. Dad worked a lot. And he pushed so hard and we fought constantly. But ya know he was there for me. I bet he never knew I just to make him proud of me. It's weird to think about him, he use to be, like my super hero." He said a smile playing at his lips.
"Did I really suck out there today?"
"For you, well yes Adam you had an off day. Happens to everyone." I said carefully.
"I can't play like I use to. And half the time I just freak out." He said slightly kicking my desk.
"What do you mean freak out?" I said slightly concerned.
"It's like my heart starts racing, I can't concentrate, I sweat, and I just can't face it. Like I gotta get out there. I use to be such a cocky player, but know every time I take the ice I think I'm going to fail. I'm going to let everyone down."
"Why didn't you tell anyone about that Adam? Now I'm no doctor but it sounds to me like your having panic attacks. I got them when my daughter was first injured. It's a sign of being depressed or at least under a lot of stress. You should see a doctor."
The young man sighed and shrugged at me. "I guess it can't hurt anything. Look I don't want to talk about this anymore and you said we were having a team meeting in fifteen its been nearly twenty." I nod at him and he got up. He paused for a moment lingering at the doorway, "Thanks Coach." He whispered and walked out. I stood up and stretched. Following after him I walked into the locker room and had a nice little chat with the team. (Charlie Pov) Dinner was fairly quiet. Mom kept trying but Adam was silent boy and I didn't have much to say.
Gordon finally cleared his throat and I looked up at him, "Well Adam, Coach Orion told me he thinks you've been having panic attacks." Whoa, I thought looking over at Adam. Mom just looked over at Gordon confused.
"He told you that." Adam said standing up slightly.
"Well yes Adam. I am your guardian I need to know these things. Why didn't you tell me or Casey that something was going on with you?"
"Maybe he was going to come to us in his own time Gordon. You said yourself this is just going to take time." Mom said trying to smooth things over, "Now Adam please sit down so we can actually talk about this." Adam sat but I think it was only because he likes my Mom.
"Now Adam I understand you being mad. In fact you have every right to be. But you have to realize that Coach Orion told Gordon because he's worried about you. We all are. Just looks at you sweetheart. You don't eat, your not sleeping well. The point is you need to tell us when your having problems. So could you please try to tell us about it?"
Adam looked over at me for a second and sighed. "I'm just having problems playing hockey. I get freaked out and," Adam went on to tell us everything. I suddenly felt a little bad. I had noticed before that he would suddenly freeze on the ice looking upset and lost. But I'd brushed it off in fact mocked it with Jesse and the rest of the guys.
"Look I told. So now can I head back, I got homework to do."
"Of course. And Adam I am sorry." Gordon said. Adam nodded at him and left the table. We sat in silence for the most part.
After dinner I did the dishes. Even thought it was technically Adams night. After wards I headed back to my room. Stopping in front of his door I wondered weather or not to knock. I finally knocked softly opening the door.
"Hey." He said looking up at me.
"Hey, Can I come in." He nodded and I closed the door. He was sitting at his desk, so I took the chair he turned towards me. "Are okay man?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure, because all that stuff you said earlier kinda freaked me out and. I guess I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I made fun of you when I was with the guys."
He smiled at me, "Your so weird Charlie. Why are you apologizing for something I didn't even know about?"
"Because, I like you Adam. And I want for us to be friends." He gave me a funny look so I added, "What I'm weird you said it yourself!" He laughed and threw a pillow off his bed at me. "Now who is this Ashley you were talking about earlier?"