"Banks, I'm worried about you."

I groaned at this statement and I collapsed into one of the chairs in Orion's small office. You would think the coach of the regional champions of Minneapolis would have an office larger than a broom closet, especially if the school has more money than they know what to do with. But you know the school board. They're holding our scholarships against us and don't particularly like us, so what can we do.

"Adam!"

I jumped at the mention of my name and looked at Coach with wide eyes. The corners of his eyes crinkled from worry and his brow furrowed. "Huh?" I replied coming back to reality, my neck burned with embarrassment. Good job Adam, he's worried about you and now you're proving that you're crazy by spacing out on him during a lecture. Good plan.

He licked his lips and leaned on his desk in front of me. "Banks, do you know why I asked to talk to you alone?" He asked blinking calmly.

I shrugged. "My dad called and informed you I won an award?" I guessed; taking a shot in the dark with a smirk. Maybe if he thought I was joking about this he wouldn't worry about me.

"No." He replied dismissively. "I've noticed you're acting funny again on and off the ice."

I frowned. "Am I lagging behind?"

He shook his head. "You're working harder."

I widened my eyes. "You called me in here because you're worried that I'm working harder?" I looked around the room. "Is this some hidden camera show or something;" I replied skeptically, "Because my past coaches have been happy that I'm working harder."

Orion looked me in the eyes. "Banks, I've noticed from the past year I've known you, that you're the type of person, when you're upset you overwork yourself, and I know this because I'm the same way."

I avoided his eyes. Damn him. "I've just had a rough week." I brushed my damp hair off my forehead. "I needed to unwind and hockey is my outlet. Don't worry about me Coach, I'm fine."

"You're not 'just having a rough week'." He stated sternly. "Something happened. I can tell. Is it your parents? School?"

I suppressed an eye roll and looked him in the eyes. "I'll be fine. Just give me a little while ok?"

"Banks, I may be just your hockey coach to you, but I need you to realize that I'm here to do more than just perfect your wrist shot or show you guys how to properly play defense. I'm also here to listen and help. That's what coaches do." He replied in utmost seriousness. "And you need to know you can come to me whenever, alright?"

I sighed and nodded. "Sure. Can I go now?" I asked harshly shoving my hands into a pair of black leather gloves.

He nodded stiffly allowing me to get up and grab my hockey bag.

"But tomorrow I want you to come here and talk to me."

I spun around to stare him in the eyes. "But Coach! I'm fine!" I protested.

He ignored me as if I didn't say anything. "We would be talking now, however I have an appointment my wife and I have to get to. So I expect you here after practice tomorrow."

"Coach!" I yelped. "You can't make me! This is completely unfair!"

He shrugged. "I'll bench you."

I stared at him in complete shock and tried to understand what he was saying. "B-benched?" I stuttered and shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. "You can't bench me! You have no grounds to!"

His eyes stayed calm as he watched me. "I have reason to believe that you could injure yourself while playing."

"It's blackmail!" I yelled at him angrily. "It's basically come here or be benched! You're blackmailing me!"

His hand gripped the door knob and he opened it. "I'll see you tomorrow Adam."

My jaw dropped in shock. He couldn't force me to come here and talk about what's happened. That's private and he has no need to know about my life outside of hockey. I stalked out of the office with my hockey bag weighing me down.

And to think, I had to talk to Charlie now.

I was beginning to wish I were a mute.

I walked out of the arena to the bitter February air and tightened my grip on my coat. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't forget today's date. The twelfth; which meant I would alone on Valentine's Day; which reminded me that I still had to cancel those dinner reservations I had made a month in advance. I shook my head. Screw it. I would give them to Guy. He and Connie would enjoy them. Someone should use them.

"Banks!" I heard Charlie calling me from a distance behind me. "Banks stop!"

I stopped and turned around and watched him run out into the courtyard.

"You wanted to talk after practice." He panted, his heavy breaths forming large clouds in front of his face.

I nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to call a truce." I licked my lips and looked down at the shorter boy. "I don't want to fight with you anymore."

"That's like a tie." He replied.

I rubbed my face with my hands, the smell of leather filling my senses. "Charlie, this is not a game. This is our friendship we're talking about."

"Fine." He replied stubbornly. "Just don't bring your Hawk friends around here anymore."

I blinked in shock. "Charlie, you can't do that. This isn't your school."

His brown eyes locked on mine calmly, as if they were staring into the depths of my soul. "Well it definitely isn't his and he isn't welcomed here."

I glared at him angrily. "Charlie you're one of my best friends and all I want you to do is talk to him. Just talk to him, then you can make all judgments you want about him. But until then, he can come here whenever he wants."

Charlie looked at me skeptically. "Ok, are you trying to make a deal with me?"

I stopped and blinked in shock. "Yes. . ." I replied trying to sound confident. "Yes, I am making a deal with you."

"So let's set some ground rules then." Charlie said crossing his arms. "I have one conversation and then he can't ever come back here unless it's a game?"

I shook my head. "No! That's completely unfair. You could bring up the topic of something I know you two would argue about and then you win!"

His raised an eyebrow. "I thought this wasn't a game Adam."

I rolled my eyes. "We'll hang out someplace, anywhere, tomorrow after practice and we hang out for about an hour."

Charlie sighed. "Fine. But I get to bring a Duck, seeing Larson has you."

I nodded. "Fine. But at least call him by his first name. He does have one you know."

"He doesn't know mine!" He objected.

"Yeah, he does Conway."

Charlie licked both of his lips. "Fine. I'll tell Fulton." He turned his back to me and began walking towards the bus stop.

I rolled my eyes. That's good Charlie, let's intimidate him with one of our enforcers. I sighed and began walking towards my dorm.

~*~

I flipped the page in my book, but I wasn't really reading. I was thinking, again, about her. I was tired of thinking about her, but I couldn't stand the idea of throwing away everything we had gone through.

The door creaked open and Averman stepped in with a smile on his face. "Banks, how you doing?"

I looked up from my book. "Have you ever been hit by a Mack truck?"

He frowned. "No."

"Well, if you ever are, you'll know how I'm doing." I replied and refocused on my book.

He licked his lips and sat down on his bed. "Welcome to Dumpsville; population—you." He mumbled under this breath and rummaged through his backpack and pulled out his math textbook and sat it on the foot of his bed.

I rolled my eyes. "Not funny." I grumbled and prepared to ignore Averman's angry yelps when he couldn't figure out how to properly graph a line.

"Ok, that many not have been my best material, but you need to poke fun at your situation or you're going to be sitting on your bed all alone until you graduate." Averman interjected before he focused on his homework.

I shrugged and buried my nose into my book. "I'm perfectly fine with that."

I heard him groan and roll off his bed. "Banks!! Why didn't you listen to me!" He yelped pathetically. "Love is just another form of suicide! I've told you that time and time again. . ."

I dropped my book onto my chest and looked over at him, lying on the hardwood floor with his arm covering his eyes feebly. "What made you so much like Scrooge towards love?"

Averman uncovered his eyes and frowned at me. "I am not like Scrooge!" He yelped. "I've just seen what happens when people say they fall in love."

I rolled my eyes. "Like what?"

"Like you!" Averman yelped pointing at me leaning up on his elbow. "Ok, remember how Charlie's mom was in love with Bombay and all that junk? She was heartbroken when they decided to stop and then she married Charlie's step-dad, and Charlie was heartbroken when his step-dad wasn't Bombay. Getting close to people only causes trouble." Averman shrugged and lowered his back onto the floor and looked up to our textured ceiling. "The only people you can trust are your family, blood."

I frowned. "What about the Ducks?"

Averman turned his head to look at me. "You guys are my brothers and Julie and Connie are my sisters. You're like my extended family. So basically you are blood."

I smirked. "But don't you want to have a family, one day, of your own?"

He nodded and looked up at the ceiling again. "Of course."

"Well you kind of need a girl to do that you know." I smirked.

"Of course I know that." He replied in an insulted tone. "I'm not that stupid."

I smirked. "Well don't you think you should do something about finding that girl?"

"To be totally honest Banks," Averman started, grabbing a hackie sack that was shoved under his bed and tossed it in the air and caught it a couple inches from his face. "I'm not thinking much past dinner."

I smirked. "Well that's productive." I reopened my book and tried to read, but I couldn't focus on it.

"Adam?"

"Uh huh." I answered not putting down my book. I had a feeling he was going to be serious because he barely ever called me Adam.

He paused for a minute. "Can you answer me something without being smart about it or using some metaphor?"

I laid my book on my chest again and looked down at him. "Sure. What is it?"

"How do you really feel?"

I blinked. That wasn't the type of question Averman would normally ask. I thought about it and bit my lip. "Hurt." I answered simply.

"How bad?"

I blinked and shrugged. "I know you said no metaphors and you wanted a straight answer and all that junk, but let me put it this way." I replied. "Nothing is more painful than knowing you hurt the person you care about most."

I heard Averman move on the floor and he quickly sat on the edge of his bed, staring at me. "Would you take it back if you could?" He stopped and frowned. "I mean, if you could would you live it over again?"

I smirked and looked over at him as he pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "In a heartbeat."

He swallowed and frowned. "Is there anything I could do?"

I shook my head. "Nothing but be you."

He grinned. "So does that mean. . ."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, play as many pranks as you want."

He smiled widely and grabbed his backpack. "Oh. . . okay. . ." He looked at the door and got up. "Uh. . . I have to go study math with Goldie now . . . so. . ." He inched towards the door.

I smirked as he reached for the doorknob. "You forgot your math textbook." I laughed and pointed at the end of his bed.

He glanced over at his bed and back at me. "Oh. . . it's ok. Goldberg has his. . ."

I smiled. "Have fun."

"Yeah whatever!" He yelped as he rushed out of the dorm room and slammed the door behind him.

I smirked and shook my head and looked over at my night stand where my cell phone sat. I grabbed it and flipped it open and dialed a number.

I bit my lip as it rang.

My stomach dropped as a machine picked up.

"Hey this is Ryan. A is for Academics, B is for Beer, for one of these reasons I'm not here! Just leave a message. Ow! Mom! I was just ki—"

A tone interrupted my chuckles.

"Hey Ryan, its Adam. Two things. One- you're a loser! And two- I've convinced Charlie to come hang out with us tomorrow after track and he's bringing along one of the Ducks. I hope you don't mind. Call me back tonight before eleven or tomorrow morning before classes ok? Later!"

I shook my head at Ryan's message. It figures he would get busted by his mom.

But now after telling Ry about Charlie tagging along with Fulton I was regretting it. Tomorrow definitely wasn't going to be fun.

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A/N: Hey Everyone! This chapter so did not want to be written. I sort of had an idea what I wanted to happen (it's mainly filler until next chapter) but I couldn't make it work. I'm not the happiest with it (but I know some of you people love my filler… (why is that?)) but I posted it anyways. I have a feeling that this chapter is as good as it could be. It was mainly set up, so bare with me ok?

Shout outs!

Beaner- Hey there! Poor Adam, yes yes… we all feel bad for the poor- *Adam covers Katie's mouth* Adam: "I'm taking this over, so she can't call me names! Oh, Katie is glad that you understand why she couldn't do a Josie POV. But She said that you will know what Josie's thinking, through Julie (her roommate!). She is very excited to see this bare knuckle boxing!" *turns to author* "Are you encouraging violence over a guy?" *author smiles innocently* Adam: "Katie! *frowns* Anyways. Everyone is glad your home, however right now you're doing homework so… Oh Guy, did you take any cookies with you? Katie baked cookies in food and nutrition class on Thursday, but *picks up cookie and throws it at a wall causing a dent*, they're kind of rock solid." Charlie: *from another room* "Whoa! Chinese throwing cookies!"  Adam: *shakes head* "Anyways Katie hopes you enjoy the chapter and we both hope to talk to you soon." *Adam allows author to have keyboard* LATER!

Rach- Hey! Katie greatness? I have a greatness? lmao! Sorry I had this moment where I thought of D3 where Orion goes, 'What do all great teams have in common?' And Averman says 'Great coaching!' And… wait… you've seen the movies. *laughs* I'm such a ditz! Anyways yeah, just reminded of that whole moment-y thing. By the way, didn't I send you Averman? How's he doing? ; ) Oh, well you see I'm a lover of tension in general and I like to mix it up. In all honesty I'm trying to tone it down a little because it is getting really tiring. So I'm going to lighten it up and add some comedy. Anyways, talk to you later!

SqUiDsLiLpYrO- Hey there! Oh you're definitely a wow. You read my fifty freaking chapter novel story (that is definitely a wow) and now my sequel and my song fic! There is no doubt about it. You're a wow. Oh, that's awesome! I have other people reading my story! *waves to other people who may be reading this chapter* Hey Guys! You kick ass! Watch the Ducks!! Oh definitely get him that for his b-day. I think that's an awesome idea. *waves some more* Hi from Canada!! Yeah poor Larson. He'll have an appearance next chapter I swear! Ohhh!! Don't try to burn rice! It was the first type of Chinese food that came into my head! Don't try and burn it! I do not want to be held accountable! DO NOT! Thanks for the review and Later!!

Emily- Hey there! Yeah totally poor Adam, but also poor Josie. She does have the right. Oh and don't worry about her switching schools. I doubt her father will have much to do with this story, however I'm not sure. He might make an appearance and Phil probably will too. Oh I have ideas for months. Months and months. However this chapter is mainly filler. I hope to read one of your stories that are in your head and I thanks for the review! Later!

Ok People that's it!

REVIEW

~Toodles!

Katie Girl!