Note: Thanks to C-Chan, anne18, Banksiesbabe99,and crazy4nc128 for your
reviews of the last couple of chapters. I'm glad you all like my character
Alex and C-Chan I do plan on getting Charlie with someone I'm just not
saying who yet. Banksiesbabe99 I'm sorry you are so upset over Julie and
Scooter but they're staying together anyways, sorry. Anne918 I'm glad you
liked the idea of the joke Jess, Portman and Fulton are playing but you'll
have to wait till the next chapter to see Adam's reaction. Hope you all
enjoy this chapter.
Alex's POV:
I was so happy to see my two best friends on good terms again. I had somehow convinced Shane to come with me today to help Charlie, Adam, Bombay and Ms. Conway with moving things to their new house last night. I still wasn't sure how I did it. I had spent all night worrying that I had made a mistake. That instead of talking the two would end up fighting or Shane would get into a fight with one of the other Ducks. At first I thought my worries would come true. Adam did not look at all thrilled to have Shane in his new house and Shane had looked like he was wondering why he had ever agreed to come.
When the two had finally started talking I had tried to stay out of it however I had been ready to step in if the conversation had escalated into an argument. When Adam had finally hugged Shane I know I was beaming. I couldn't help it. I had been hoping for a reconciliation between the two of them for four years.
"Okay you two break it up," Charlie said from his spot in the doorway. "There's work to do." He and Fulton sat the boxes they had been carrying on the floor and started back out to the van for another box. I followed them leaving Shane and Adam alone in the living room.
Some of the other Ducks showed up a little bit later to help out. I ended up riding over to the Conway's apartment with Ms. Conway to help her finish packing things up there. Shane, Adam, Julie and Connie came with us. That left Guy, Fulton and Charlie to help Gordon out with unloading the van and getting things into the house. Once they had gotten the most recent load of boxes into the house they were planning on coming over and start moving the furniture.
While Adam, Shane, and Connie helped Ms. Conway start packing the stuff up in the kitchen while Julie and I headed to Charlie's old room to start taking apart the bed so that it could be moved to the house. Julie and I leaned the mattress and box spring against the wall and then I grabbed the screw driver and started taking part the frame. Julie and I worked in silence for awhile. Julie sat the first rail over on the side of the wall as I started taking the screws out of the second rail.
"Can I ask you a question?" Julie finally said breaking the silence. She was holding the head board for me.
"Yeah sure."
"Well, I was just wondering it there was a reason that I didn't get to play goalie more during try outs?"
"Why, do you feel as if we didn't give you a fair chance?" I asked her continuing with my work.
"Well, actually yes. All the other candidates for goalie got more or less the same amount of time to show what they could do. I feel like I got very little time compared to them."
"Okay next question, did you have fun during try outs?" I asked her.
"Yes, I did. I enjoyed playing offense and defense and learning how to shoot," Julie told me a smile coming to her face.
"Well, there is your reason. I wanted to show you that you could do something other than just be a goalie not that I have anything against someone who just wants to be a goalie. A team needs a good goalie and you're a great one but we already knew that. There was no need to put you in as a goalie because you didn't have anything to prove to us but I thought that maybe you'd like to prove something to yourself."
Julie just smiled and nodded. "So have you two made the final decisions yet?" she asked me. Scooter and I had finalized both lists yesterday and I knew that Scott was planning on posting it today so I figured there was no harm in telling her.
"Yes, and its getting posted today. You'll have to wait until you get back on campus though to check it out," I told her.
"Fair enough," Julie said. "And Alex, thanks."
"No problem," I told her as we went back to taking the bed apart.
When we got done with Charlie's bed we went into Ms. Conway's room to start taking that bed apart. We were almost done with it when Charlie stuck his head in the room. The guys must have come over to start moving furniture.
"Hey Fulton, Guy, come check this out. Girls do know how to use tools." Charlie called over his shoulder. Julie reached over and grabbed a pillow at him. Charlie ducked back around the corner though and the pillow ended up on the floor in the hallway.
I grabbed another pillow and waited for Charlie to stick his head back around the corner. As soon as he did I threw the pillow. He didn't have enough time to react and this time the pillow hit him right in the face.
"Okay, I deserved that," he admitted laughing. "We brought lunch over," Charlie told us.
"Great I'm starving," Julie said. She was still holding the foot board up from falling over. I took the last screw out and put the rail with the other one and then she and I moved the footboard over against the wall. Then we went into the kitchen where the others had gathered.
Lunch was Kentucky Fried Chicken. I could tell Guy and Connie was a little leery of Shane being around but they didn't say or do anything mean or rude. That was actually more than I even expected. I knew those to had no reason to trust Shane or like him. But he had changed since they knew him. We all had. I was just hoping that they would give him another chance. At the very least I wanted us to all be civil to each other. I was still hoping to get Shane to try out for the hockey team come next fall.
After lunch we started moving the furniture over to the house. I was helping Fulton to carry the footboard to one of the beds in when the other bash brother showed up. I couldn't remember what his name was. To be honest I always thought he was a goon. Not to mention a sexist pig. I had heard him refer to several girls at Eden Hall as babe quite a few times.
"Hi lovely," he said coming up behind me. "Want to catch a movie sometime?" he asked. I couldn't believe he had actually asked me out. Did he really think we had anything in common.
"I don't think so," I told him trying to be somewhat polite. What I really wanted to tell him was to get lost.
"Okay how about dinner?" He asked again.
"No thank-you," I told him. Didn't he really not get the idea that I didn't want to go out with him or was he just trying to annoy me.
"Oh come on, we'll have fun," he said smiling at me. What went through my head was 'we'll probably get arrested'.
"Portman, come help me with the arm chair," I heard Charlie call out.
"Oh alright," I heard Portman mutter as he finally went away. I let out a sigh of relief.
"You know he really likes you," Fulton told me as we made our way up the steps.
"Sorry, but he ain't my type. I think I'd rather date Riley," I said.
"That's a little cold isn't it."
"Not really. I could've have said I'd rather date Cole. At least if I went out with Portman, which isn't going to happen," I added quickly knowing Fulton was a good friend of Portman, "I could have some kind of a conversation. You hang out with Cole and you might as well talk to a brick. You have just as much chance of getting a answer back."
Fulton just laughed. We put the floorboard down against the wall in the bedroom and headed downstairs for the rest of the bed. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to avoid Portman. I wasn't to successful as he asked me out on a date four more times. I ended up leaving earlier than I had planned just to get away from him. Shane had driven us over so he left with me too after making plans to get together with Adam the following afternoon.
Charlie's POV:
Somehow we managed to get everything moved out of the apartment on Sunday. The house looked like a war zone though. I was glad I had school the next day and was going back to the dorms that night.
My mom ended up driving most of my friends back to the dorms right after we ate dinner. I decided to hang around and help Adam get his stuff together to come back to school (that was after we found the stuff in the mess). Coach Bombay said he would drive us over to the dorms as soon as we were ready.
"So how long do you think Portman's latest crush will last?" I asked Adam as we headed upstairs to his room. We had all noticed Portman trying vainly to get Alex to go out with him. Actually I think that was why she had left early. I had contained my urge to tell Portman I told you so all night. I just didn't want to get pounded. I could keep my mouth shut when it came to self preservation.
"Hopefully not long," Adam said bitterly. I actually hadn't expected that from him.
"Is something wrong?" I asked him as he started putting his school books in his backpack. He had packed the other stuff to take back to Eden Hall before we transferred it from Bombay's old apartment to here.
"I just think that Portman should leave Alex alone. She clearly doesn't want anything to do with him. They have nothing in common and he wouldn't treat her right anyway even if they did go out," Adam said. An idea was starting to come to me.
"You like her don't you," I said as I picked up his suitcase from where it was sitting against the wall.
"Of course I like her, she's my friend," Adam said trying to act innocent as he zipped up his backpack.
"I don't mean as a friend and you know it," I told him.
"So what if I do?" Adam asked me.
"Hey, no need to get defensive. I think you two would make a great couple. Why don't you ask her out."
"No," he said quickly.
"Why not? What do you have to lose?"
"A good friend," he told me picking up his backpack and slinging it over one shoulder and picking up the second bag he was taking with him. He headed out of the room without saying anything else.
I followed him downstairs and didn't say anything else on the subject. I was starting to get to know Adam's moods and this was definitely a drop it I don't want to talk about it mood.
"You ready?" Bombay asked as we came downstairs.
"Yeah," Adam said. The three of us headed out to Bombay's van and over to Eden Hall.
"Hey, Coach, can we stop by the academic building first. I want to see if I made the team or not," I asked him as he turned onto the Eden Hall Campus. Julie had told us that Alex said the list was posted already but she wouldn't tell us anything else.
"Sure," Coach Bombay said and headed toward the Academic building instead of the dorms. He parked the van along the curb outside the main entrance to the Academic building. I got out and went in by myself. I heard Connie and Guy before I saw them. In fact I heard them as soon as I opened the door of the building.
"I didn't do it on purpose," I heard Guy saying as I headed back to where the student bulletin board.
"Yeah right. That's why you blocked all my shots and spent all of try outs making me look bad," Connie said back in a louder voice than Guy. I was starting to wonder if maybe I should just check the list later. As I walked around the corner I saw Guy and Connie standing face to face in front of the bulletin board.
"I wasn't trying to make you look bad I was just trying to play hockey," Guy told her.
"You could've fooled me. I ask you to come to try outs with me and you stab me in the back," Connie told him and then started walking toward me. She walked right by me as if she didn't see me.
I watched her disappear out the door and then turned and walked the rest of the distance to the bulletin board.
"What was that about?" I asked Guy.
"Take a look at the list," he said simply. I did and I noticed that I was on the team. I had made first line, right wing. I continued to look through the list. Ryan Lambert, a senior who played football in the fall, was first line center and team captain. Julie was the number one goalie with another freshman, Simon Malone as back up goalie. I saw that Averman had made it as well as Guy. I didn't see Connie's name though. I glanced over at the list of alternates and saw Connie and Russ both listed at alternates. I suddenly knew what the problem was.
"She's blaming me for her not making the team," Guy said. "She's being impossible. She asked me to try out for the team with her. She's the one who wanted to work together when we paired off. What was I suppose to do not try my best. If I knew it was going to come to this I never would have tried out," Guy told me.
"Don't worry," I told him. "She'll come around."
"Probably but you know what, I'm not sure I care anymore. I'm getting sick of her mood swings. Sometimes I think she picks fights with me just for the fun of it."
"You don't mean that," I told him. Guy and Connie had been an item for years. If they hadn't been I think Connie could've had her choice of guys to go out with.
"Yes, I do," Guy said. "I think maybe its time that we break up for good."
"Don't do anything hasty," I told him. "Let her cool off and give yourself time to cool off and then see how you both feel." Guy didn't answer me but he did nod. "You want a ride over to the dorms. Coach Bombay is outside waiting for me. We stopped by as we were bringing Adam and his stuff to the dorms."
"Yeah, thanks," Guy said as we started walking toward the front door. "Besides, I want to see how Adam likes the way his roommate decorated their room," Guy said finally smiling. I had completly forgot about Jesse's joke. This could get interested. Guy and I both headed outside and climbed into the back of the van. Coach Bombay and Adam congratulated both of us for making the team as we drove over to the dorms.
Alex's POV:
I was so happy to see my two best friends on good terms again. I had somehow convinced Shane to come with me today to help Charlie, Adam, Bombay and Ms. Conway with moving things to their new house last night. I still wasn't sure how I did it. I had spent all night worrying that I had made a mistake. That instead of talking the two would end up fighting or Shane would get into a fight with one of the other Ducks. At first I thought my worries would come true. Adam did not look at all thrilled to have Shane in his new house and Shane had looked like he was wondering why he had ever agreed to come.
When the two had finally started talking I had tried to stay out of it however I had been ready to step in if the conversation had escalated into an argument. When Adam had finally hugged Shane I know I was beaming. I couldn't help it. I had been hoping for a reconciliation between the two of them for four years.
"Okay you two break it up," Charlie said from his spot in the doorway. "There's work to do." He and Fulton sat the boxes they had been carrying on the floor and started back out to the van for another box. I followed them leaving Shane and Adam alone in the living room.
Some of the other Ducks showed up a little bit later to help out. I ended up riding over to the Conway's apartment with Ms. Conway to help her finish packing things up there. Shane, Adam, Julie and Connie came with us. That left Guy, Fulton and Charlie to help Gordon out with unloading the van and getting things into the house. Once they had gotten the most recent load of boxes into the house they were planning on coming over and start moving the furniture.
While Adam, Shane, and Connie helped Ms. Conway start packing the stuff up in the kitchen while Julie and I headed to Charlie's old room to start taking apart the bed so that it could be moved to the house. Julie and I leaned the mattress and box spring against the wall and then I grabbed the screw driver and started taking part the frame. Julie and I worked in silence for awhile. Julie sat the first rail over on the side of the wall as I started taking the screws out of the second rail.
"Can I ask you a question?" Julie finally said breaking the silence. She was holding the head board for me.
"Yeah sure."
"Well, I was just wondering it there was a reason that I didn't get to play goalie more during try outs?"
"Why, do you feel as if we didn't give you a fair chance?" I asked her continuing with my work.
"Well, actually yes. All the other candidates for goalie got more or less the same amount of time to show what they could do. I feel like I got very little time compared to them."
"Okay next question, did you have fun during try outs?" I asked her.
"Yes, I did. I enjoyed playing offense and defense and learning how to shoot," Julie told me a smile coming to her face.
"Well, there is your reason. I wanted to show you that you could do something other than just be a goalie not that I have anything against someone who just wants to be a goalie. A team needs a good goalie and you're a great one but we already knew that. There was no need to put you in as a goalie because you didn't have anything to prove to us but I thought that maybe you'd like to prove something to yourself."
Julie just smiled and nodded. "So have you two made the final decisions yet?" she asked me. Scooter and I had finalized both lists yesterday and I knew that Scott was planning on posting it today so I figured there was no harm in telling her.
"Yes, and its getting posted today. You'll have to wait until you get back on campus though to check it out," I told her.
"Fair enough," Julie said. "And Alex, thanks."
"No problem," I told her as we went back to taking the bed apart.
When we got done with Charlie's bed we went into Ms. Conway's room to start taking that bed apart. We were almost done with it when Charlie stuck his head in the room. The guys must have come over to start moving furniture.
"Hey Fulton, Guy, come check this out. Girls do know how to use tools." Charlie called over his shoulder. Julie reached over and grabbed a pillow at him. Charlie ducked back around the corner though and the pillow ended up on the floor in the hallway.
I grabbed another pillow and waited for Charlie to stick his head back around the corner. As soon as he did I threw the pillow. He didn't have enough time to react and this time the pillow hit him right in the face.
"Okay, I deserved that," he admitted laughing. "We brought lunch over," Charlie told us.
"Great I'm starving," Julie said. She was still holding the foot board up from falling over. I took the last screw out and put the rail with the other one and then she and I moved the footboard over against the wall. Then we went into the kitchen where the others had gathered.
Lunch was Kentucky Fried Chicken. I could tell Guy and Connie was a little leery of Shane being around but they didn't say or do anything mean or rude. That was actually more than I even expected. I knew those to had no reason to trust Shane or like him. But he had changed since they knew him. We all had. I was just hoping that they would give him another chance. At the very least I wanted us to all be civil to each other. I was still hoping to get Shane to try out for the hockey team come next fall.
After lunch we started moving the furniture over to the house. I was helping Fulton to carry the footboard to one of the beds in when the other bash brother showed up. I couldn't remember what his name was. To be honest I always thought he was a goon. Not to mention a sexist pig. I had heard him refer to several girls at Eden Hall as babe quite a few times.
"Hi lovely," he said coming up behind me. "Want to catch a movie sometime?" he asked. I couldn't believe he had actually asked me out. Did he really think we had anything in common.
"I don't think so," I told him trying to be somewhat polite. What I really wanted to tell him was to get lost.
"Okay how about dinner?" He asked again.
"No thank-you," I told him. Didn't he really not get the idea that I didn't want to go out with him or was he just trying to annoy me.
"Oh come on, we'll have fun," he said smiling at me. What went through my head was 'we'll probably get arrested'.
"Portman, come help me with the arm chair," I heard Charlie call out.
"Oh alright," I heard Portman mutter as he finally went away. I let out a sigh of relief.
"You know he really likes you," Fulton told me as we made our way up the steps.
"Sorry, but he ain't my type. I think I'd rather date Riley," I said.
"That's a little cold isn't it."
"Not really. I could've have said I'd rather date Cole. At least if I went out with Portman, which isn't going to happen," I added quickly knowing Fulton was a good friend of Portman, "I could have some kind of a conversation. You hang out with Cole and you might as well talk to a brick. You have just as much chance of getting a answer back."
Fulton just laughed. We put the floorboard down against the wall in the bedroom and headed downstairs for the rest of the bed. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to avoid Portman. I wasn't to successful as he asked me out on a date four more times. I ended up leaving earlier than I had planned just to get away from him. Shane had driven us over so he left with me too after making plans to get together with Adam the following afternoon.
Charlie's POV:
Somehow we managed to get everything moved out of the apartment on Sunday. The house looked like a war zone though. I was glad I had school the next day and was going back to the dorms that night.
My mom ended up driving most of my friends back to the dorms right after we ate dinner. I decided to hang around and help Adam get his stuff together to come back to school (that was after we found the stuff in the mess). Coach Bombay said he would drive us over to the dorms as soon as we were ready.
"So how long do you think Portman's latest crush will last?" I asked Adam as we headed upstairs to his room. We had all noticed Portman trying vainly to get Alex to go out with him. Actually I think that was why she had left early. I had contained my urge to tell Portman I told you so all night. I just didn't want to get pounded. I could keep my mouth shut when it came to self preservation.
"Hopefully not long," Adam said bitterly. I actually hadn't expected that from him.
"Is something wrong?" I asked him as he started putting his school books in his backpack. He had packed the other stuff to take back to Eden Hall before we transferred it from Bombay's old apartment to here.
"I just think that Portman should leave Alex alone. She clearly doesn't want anything to do with him. They have nothing in common and he wouldn't treat her right anyway even if they did go out," Adam said. An idea was starting to come to me.
"You like her don't you," I said as I picked up his suitcase from where it was sitting against the wall.
"Of course I like her, she's my friend," Adam said trying to act innocent as he zipped up his backpack.
"I don't mean as a friend and you know it," I told him.
"So what if I do?" Adam asked me.
"Hey, no need to get defensive. I think you two would make a great couple. Why don't you ask her out."
"No," he said quickly.
"Why not? What do you have to lose?"
"A good friend," he told me picking up his backpack and slinging it over one shoulder and picking up the second bag he was taking with him. He headed out of the room without saying anything else.
I followed him downstairs and didn't say anything else on the subject. I was starting to get to know Adam's moods and this was definitely a drop it I don't want to talk about it mood.
"You ready?" Bombay asked as we came downstairs.
"Yeah," Adam said. The three of us headed out to Bombay's van and over to Eden Hall.
"Hey, Coach, can we stop by the academic building first. I want to see if I made the team or not," I asked him as he turned onto the Eden Hall Campus. Julie had told us that Alex said the list was posted already but she wouldn't tell us anything else.
"Sure," Coach Bombay said and headed toward the Academic building instead of the dorms. He parked the van along the curb outside the main entrance to the Academic building. I got out and went in by myself. I heard Connie and Guy before I saw them. In fact I heard them as soon as I opened the door of the building.
"I didn't do it on purpose," I heard Guy saying as I headed back to where the student bulletin board.
"Yeah right. That's why you blocked all my shots and spent all of try outs making me look bad," Connie said back in a louder voice than Guy. I was starting to wonder if maybe I should just check the list later. As I walked around the corner I saw Guy and Connie standing face to face in front of the bulletin board.
"I wasn't trying to make you look bad I was just trying to play hockey," Guy told her.
"You could've fooled me. I ask you to come to try outs with me and you stab me in the back," Connie told him and then started walking toward me. She walked right by me as if she didn't see me.
I watched her disappear out the door and then turned and walked the rest of the distance to the bulletin board.
"What was that about?" I asked Guy.
"Take a look at the list," he said simply. I did and I noticed that I was on the team. I had made first line, right wing. I continued to look through the list. Ryan Lambert, a senior who played football in the fall, was first line center and team captain. Julie was the number one goalie with another freshman, Simon Malone as back up goalie. I saw that Averman had made it as well as Guy. I didn't see Connie's name though. I glanced over at the list of alternates and saw Connie and Russ both listed at alternates. I suddenly knew what the problem was.
"She's blaming me for her not making the team," Guy said. "She's being impossible. She asked me to try out for the team with her. She's the one who wanted to work together when we paired off. What was I suppose to do not try my best. If I knew it was going to come to this I never would have tried out," Guy told me.
"Don't worry," I told him. "She'll come around."
"Probably but you know what, I'm not sure I care anymore. I'm getting sick of her mood swings. Sometimes I think she picks fights with me just for the fun of it."
"You don't mean that," I told him. Guy and Connie had been an item for years. If they hadn't been I think Connie could've had her choice of guys to go out with.
"Yes, I do," Guy said. "I think maybe its time that we break up for good."
"Don't do anything hasty," I told him. "Let her cool off and give yourself time to cool off and then see how you both feel." Guy didn't answer me but he did nod. "You want a ride over to the dorms. Coach Bombay is outside waiting for me. We stopped by as we were bringing Adam and his stuff to the dorms."
"Yeah, thanks," Guy said as we started walking toward the front door. "Besides, I want to see how Adam likes the way his roommate decorated their room," Guy said finally smiling. I had completly forgot about Jesse's joke. This could get interested. Guy and I both headed outside and climbed into the back of the van. Coach Bombay and Adam congratulated both of us for making the team as we drove over to the dorms.