As quietly as I could I closed the door to my dorm room, even though I had the urge to slam it to vent my frustration. From going from Fulton's friend's room, up the stairs and down the hall and into my dorm, my thoughts of why Will was there were brewing. It didn't make sense. Why would he be there? He knew Josie wouldn't give into him, even if he were the last guy on this entire planet, so why would he visit her now? Ok, so Josie and I . . . broke . . . up. That doesn't mean he can come rushing in and try and snatch her up!

"Banks! You were so right!"

I spun around and blinked as the lamp besides Averman's bed was turned on; it illuminated the room and bounced off the lenses of his glasses. A goofy, lopsided grin was smeared across his face with excitement as he sat up in bed; his eyes flickering. He was way too awake for eleven at night.

I swallowed nervously. "I was right about what?"

Averman let himself fall back onto his pillow and let out a long breath. "Everything. You, my friend, are brilliant."

I frowned and took off my coat and hung it up on the hook on the back of our door and walked over to my bed, slipping off my shoes. "Um. . . Thanks?" I scratched the back of my neck and looked over at Averman who was intently staring at our textured ceiling with the same goofy grin. "May I ask why I have been given this . . . honor?"

"The One."

I blinked and stared at him. "The one what?"

He looked over at me and sighed. "I found the One girl for me." He bit his lip nervously. "I know I've been on your case about there being no such thing, but I was wrong. There is a One for all of us. I don't know if Josie is for you, as this girl is for me but, I know that she and I, we, are meant to be."

I forged a smile for my roommate as he returned to staring at the ceiling. "That's great! Where did you first see her?"

"The dining hall." He replied with a smile. "Luis forced me to go with him and hang out with some girls he knew, and she was there, in that group."

I smiled. "Well I'm glad that Luis Mendoza's dating service worked out for one of the Ducks. What's her name?"

Averman shrugged. "Dunno."

The smile on my face fell and shattered to the floor in awe of my roommate. "You're dating a girl and you don't even know her name?!" I yelped at him.

He sat up and rolled his eyes. "How could I know her name, if I haven't talked to her?"

I shook my head. "Averman, you can't just decide that this is the girl for you if you haven't even spoken to her. For all you know she may be a hockey-hating, completely serious brain, and with a combination like that, you would drive each other crazy."

Averman shrugged and fell back onto his bed. "She isn't."

"And how do you know?"

A smile crept onto his lips. "I just know Banks. Its like this, I don't know the names of the stars in the sky right now, to know that they are beautiful. I don't know the exact amount of money in Bill Gates' bank account to know that he's filthy rich." He turned his head and looked over at me. "I may not know her now, but I know that she's the One."

I rubbing my face with my hands and stared at Averman. "Oh of all the things I've said, you listened to my 'the One' speech?" I groaned. "You could've listened to my 'get your projects done before the due date' speech, but no . . . just my luck too . . ." I grumbled to myself as I pulled off my shirt and tugged back the covers to my bed.

"You're a genius Banks." Averman sighed happily. "Who would have ever thought that I, Lester David Averman, would ever fall in love?"

I rolled my eyes and crawled into bed. "Averman, you don't have the right to talk about falling in love yet." I replied frustrated. "As soon as you learn her first name and something she is interested in, other than herself, you may. Until then, be quiet."

"Bank-sie . . . getting snippy . . . when Averman falls in loove . . ."

I glanced over at him and frowned. "I am not snippy."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yeah you are." He replied. "But, you know, in the Averman household, the famous saying was, 'when we aren't feeling sunny we . . ."

I groaned. "I don't want to talk about it."

He smiled and leaned against his headboard. "I believe the word is 'share'." He brought his thumb and index finger to his chin and began to stroke his non-existent beard. "So, Banks, share; what crawled up your butt and died?"

"Oh yes, I really want to 'share' with you now." I scowled jokingly at him.

"I thought you may." He replied with a grin. "Now, more sharing; less evading."

A click in our lock interrupted our conversation and a male teacher opened the door a crack. "Lights out boys. Its 11:30."

"Yeah." Averman replied turning the light off quickly and rustling his covers as if he were trying to sleep.

The door clicked closed and the lock turned, signaling that the teacher had left us. A rustling on the other side of the room filled the darkness. Suddenly a glaring light pierced my vision.

"Averman turn off the flashlight!"

Averman groaned and put the shining flashlight under his chin, casting shadows up his face like an eight year old telling a ghost story around a campfire. "So, are you going to tell me what made you so pissy?"

"No, I wasn't planning on it." I replied rolling over in my bed so my back was facing him.

"Fine." He scoffed. "Then you won't mind me practicing my beautiful singing voice." He cleared his throat. "This is the song that never ends!! Yes it goes on and on my friends!! Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends!!"

I groaned frustrated and pulled a pillow over my head.

"Yes it goes on and on my friends! Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends!!" Every note sang was scratchy and off tune.

I tossed in my bed and covered my head. God damn Averman and his psychological warfare!

"Yes it goes- OW!!" He stopped for a few seconds and my pillow was thrown back at me. "That was completely uncalled for!" He shot back. "And just for that, I'm going to change the song. What do you like better, Spice Girls or Hanson?"

I shot out of bed and glared over at him. "You wouldn't dare!"

He narrowed his eyes as he shone the light in my eyes once again, making me squint uncontrollably in shock. "Because of my three little sisters, I know every word to Mmm-Bop, and I'm not afraid to use that knowledge to my advantage." He quickly stretched out on his bed and rested his rest on the wall. "Now you spill so I can sleep."

"How about we sleep and we can talk about this tomorrow?"

He cast his eyes at me threateningly. "If I have to sing Hanson, I'll murder you in your sleep."

I sighed and rested my chin in my hands. "You're evil."

"So I've been told." He replied quickly. "Remember, the quicker you spill, the quicker we can sleep."

I closed my eyes and opened them just as quickly realizing that I would fall asleep if I stayed that way. "I saw Josie with Will while I was sneaking into the building."

Averman frowned. "What do you mean with? Do mean with . . . or with?"

My brow furrowed. "What are you implying Averman?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Nothing. I'm not implying anything."

"She was kicking him out of her dorm room." I replied explaining myself, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "And I just don't like him around her."

"She's not your girlfriend anymore dude!"

I shot a glare at him furiously.

He nodded his head slowly. "Ok, I know it sucks. You've been broken up with and even though I've never been through it I know it sucks. But you have no say over who she does and doesn't see. You didn't have that power when you were going out with her and you don't have it now."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. But he's dangerous. I don't want him around her."

"Ok, you're also jealous. Maybe she really likes this guy. Maybe she's moving on." He replied in a calm voice. "And maybe you should too! I mean there must be hundreds of girls in this school who wants to date the preppy star player on the JV hockey team!"

I rolled my eyes. "One, Josie hates Will. She is not moving on and she is most definitely not moving on with him. You got that?" I hissed at him sternly getting a quick nod in response from him. "And two, I don't want another girl. I want Josie."

Averman rolled his eyes. "Ok, so you want Josie. What in the blue hell are you going to do to get her to like you again? Serenade her in front of the girl's dorm? Dedicate all your goals to her? Write her love notes?"

I shrugged. "If I have to."

"You're kidding."

I shook my head. "I'm getting her back."

"How are you going to pull that one off, oh great one?" He replied sarcastically.

I grinned and turned over in my bed. "I don't know. But I'm the genius. I'll come up with something."

~*~

The sound of sharp blades sliding over fresh ices filled my ears as I walked into the arena. It was like magic. I loved that sound.

Soft music coming from a cello filling the silence that took up the space between glides.

I walked out to the entrance and watched the lone skater, moving about the ice with grace and beauty. Every movement came from the heart and was in harmony with the music. I took a peaceful breath. This was the way the ice should be used.

I opened my eyes and watched the girl move from her starting position and gained speed along the edges of rink, and glided on a deep backwards outside edge with such confidence and ease. She stepped forward and took off, flying above the ice, like an angel, spinning in the air and landing gracefully backwards still on her feet.

Her shoulders were pushed back with such poise and perfection that it radiated off her. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She skated over to me and grabbed my hands and pulled me onto the ice, even though I protested. I was without my skates.

"Adam, I missed you."

I stared into her twinkling hazel eyes and pushed a lock of her chestnut hair that had fallen from her tight bun behind her ear. "I'm so sorry. I was an idiot."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I should've told you."

"Nothing." I replied with utmost certainty. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable to speak about. It's you're choice because it is your life and I respect that."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me to a tight embrace, my fingers intertwining with the white silky outfit that hugged her gentle curves, burying her face into my shoulder. "I missed you too much."

I squeezed her tightly. "No need to, I'm right here."

***

My eyes shot open and I looked around. The room was pitch black and the only noises were Averman's soft snores.

I would've given anything for that dream to be real.

I grabbed my watch off my night stand and pressed a button turning on the indigo on it. "12:30." I grumbled. I hadn't even gotten an hour of sleep yet. Since we had broken up, my sleep cycle had been screwed all to hell.

I leaned up on my elbow and looked around the room as my eyes readjusted to the darkness. I hated being like this. Not just the sleep thing, but the guilt thing too, and not having Josie around.

Had this been any normal weekend, Josie and I would have sat up for hours and fallen asleep in my room.

But it wasn't. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. We would've avoided each other all day like we had discussed and I would have picked her up from her dorm. She would have looked stunning, even though she would complain about having to wear a dress, and I would feel ridiculous in a suit.

And we would go to this little Italian restaurant my mother had discovered years ago, whose prices were astronomical, but the food was worth it. The funny thing is that we would probably get into the parking lot, and realize that it was silly to pretend to be adults and end up going to some burger joint around the corner looking completely overdressed and end up laughing about it later.

But that wouldn't happen.

Connie and Guy would be getting our dinner reservations and end up going to that burger joint around the corner.

I would end up in my room, alone, finishing up an absolutely gigantic Spanish assignment that wasn't due for another two weeks at least and then try and catch the end of a hockey game on TV, before going to bed.

I live a pitiful existence, I decided.

But what would Josie do?

A smile crept across my face. She always did say that the best time to develop pictures was on a holiday; the dark room is almost always vacant.

I closed my eyes knowing exactly where I was going to finish up that Spanish assignment.

~

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A/N: Oh, the beginning so wrote itself! I was so proud! And then I got stuck. Yeah, it happens so, whatever. Anyways, my little introduction to my subplot (Yes, Averman has a crush!).Anyways, I'm going to rush through my Shout outs, because I'm so excited to hear your reviews!

Shout outs!!

Banks'-gurl-99: Hey there!! Oh, don't worry; everything will be explained next chapter. Yes, I leave things hanging for incentive for you to keep reading. What fun is it if everything gets tied up in a pretty bow after every chapter? The 'beatings' you speak of. Are you talking about what happened in 'Don't Speak', if you read it? Ok, I'll explain, Banks isn't going to tell anyone about it even though the Ducks know because a) he loves his dad, even if he is a jerk and b) he's got the notion in his head that his dad has changed. I'm not sure how much Phil Banks is going to be in his story (he had a bigger role in Don't Speak for sure) but I'm pretty sure that I'll have an appearance or two of him. Ok, I can't wait to hear from you again! Later!

OreoLine00: I'm not sure why I called Will, Will. I'm sorry. But it was just a name that was picked out of the air that sounded a little preppy. It has nothing to do with Prince William, (who I don't mind looking at myself. Boy did Harry and him get some good genes or what!)Or any other Will. It was complete luck of the draw. Yay, I'm glad you like them as friends and you'll see what Josie was doing! Just wait! Ok. Later!

Emily: Yet another person loving the new friendship between ex-Hawk and the Ducks. How cool is that! I was celebrating the fact that I didn't have writer's block at the beginning of this chapter. As soon as I stopped and actually began focusing I got it again. Gah! It's evil! I can't wait for your next review! Later!

Rach: Omigod! You're so perceptive! I so planned the different Adam! Normally Adam is quiet and reserved, but with Ryan, he's outgoing and a little cocky (ex: 'Because you knew I was the shit!'). Oh, I have tons of stories and I'm constantly remising with my friends! Like my friend once said, 'Remember the time you were in the talent show and both of the Katies decided to join a group of guys and play the YMCA and when you got on stage you realized that the other Katie didn't show up and Mike pulled off his tear-away pants and revealed a pair of leather chaps?' Oh yes, actually happened and it was terribly embarrassing. Ok, Averman doesn't have a girl, but a huge crush! But you know this already! You guessed it! Have you been reading my mind lately? Oh! And Will, you'll see what he was up to in chapters to come ok? You do make me laugh! I love writing author's notes back to you! You rock! I can't wait to hear from you! Later!

SqUiDsLiLpYrO- Hey there! Wow! Another greatness chapter! Oh, and I thought I would say hi to all the 'other people' who might be reading this! By the way, you all rock! My reviewers and readers rock and that's super cool! *wipes brow* Thank God. I can sleep soundly knowing you'll never do that. Oh and for future reference, alcohol and gasoline are extremely flammable so throwing them on a fire to put it out, won't help. Yes more Larson and more Averman. I promise! Later!

Beaner- Hey there! Oh yeah, I'll forgive you for taking a little while to review! As long as I get it eventually. Oh and I promise to work on my patience too. OK, a) The point is to hate Will so there's nothing wrong with that and b) the point is to like Ryan so that's good that you do. Oh I know I hate them sooo much! I will probably never ever write a teen pregnancy story. In Don't Speak I wrote an 'assumed' pregnancy, so I'm no hypocrite either! And I don't think Guy would ever just walk out on any girl who was pregnant. Actually I don't think any of the Ducks have the characteristics to do that. It just seems really out of character when they are written that way. Oh and our telepathic powers really scare me. I'm terrified. Oh and I'm the same way with my friend Katie in my science class. Like someone asked how to calculate the distance traveled on a speed-time graph in physics and we both said area in complete sync. It was scary. I'll talk to you later on AIM. Byes!

OK everyone that's it!

Review!

~Toodles

KatieGurl!