Charlie was busy programming his iPod when Fulton returned from practice
that afternoon.
"Hey, Fulton," he said almost too casually.
A man of few words, Fulton got right to his point. "Where the hell were you? Why weren't you at practice?"
Charlie shrugged in his desk chair. "I was just hanging here, downloading songs into my iPod."
Fulton felt his patience being stretched to its limits. "Can you tell me why you deemed this more important than going to practice?"
Charlie didn't look Fulton in the eye. "Why should I? As far as I'm concerned, we have no coach and no captain. It'd be a waste of my time." With that, Charlie plugged earphones into his laptop and put them on, presumably ending the conversation.
Fulton would have none of it, slapping the earphones off of Charlie's head. The frustration of having to deal with Charlie's immaturity had finally got to him. "Damnit Charlie, stop acting like a child! So you're not captain—deal with it! Things aren't always going to go your way!" Fulton took a moment to calm down. Charlie looked somewhat stunned.
Quietly, Fulton added, "I used to admire you, Charlie—look up to you. When you looked in our eyes before a game, I faithfully believed that we could do anything. But seeing you now makes me wonder if that same guy even exists anymore." Fulton abruptly grabbed his book bag and random pieces of clothing from the drawer they shared.
"Where are you going?" Charlie's feelings were visibly hurt, but he put on a face of defiance and his question was spoken with a tone of anger and antagonism.
"I can't stay here—I'm going to crash on Portman and Dwayne's floor." Charlie had never seen Fulton so livid.
Charlie wore a mask of nonchalance. "Fine, whatever."
On his way out, Fulton said over his shoulder, "Oh and I'd be at practice if I were you—Orion is taking over as of tomorrow and you know how he doesn't tolerate that crap." Charlie was left alone in his room as the door slammed shut.
The next day Charlie knocked softly on the doorway of Coach Orion's office. Orion smiled and waved Charlie in, concluding a conversation on the telephone. "I packed your lunch and it's in the refrigerator—turkey and avocado sandwich, chips and a bottle of water, just as you like it. Have a good day, Becky, and I'll be home after the Varsity practice. Love you."
Charlie smiled to himself, realizing that Coach Orion had been speaking to his young daughter. Orion was very protective of her, ever since she had been disabled in a car accident years ago. It used to surprise Charlie to see the tender side of his coach that came out whenever his daughter was around, but now it just made him smile.
"Hey Charlie." Orion gave him a conspiratorial grin. "I thought I'd be able to get away from you guys finally, but no such luck. How was practice yesterday?"
"Oh, it was great," Charlie said quickly and untruthfully. "But there was something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh yeah, you know you can talk to me about anything, Charlie. Shoot."
Charlie took a deep breath and lunged into what was bothering him. "I've been the captain for your team for two years now, and I'd say I've done a hell of a good job." Charlie looked over at Orion for agreement.
Orion nodded in response. "You've been everything I could have hoped for and more, Charlie."
Charlie continued. "I would have no problem handing the reins over to someone else, provided that the person could bring superior skills and abilities as a leader to the table than I do. And that's something I just don't see in Adam."
Orion leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want me to do, Charlie?"
"You know what I can do, and I'm just giving you the option of setting things right." Charlie looked over at Orion, trying to gauge what he was feeling.
Coach Orion's face was enigmatic. "Are you suggesting that I strip Adam of his Captain title and give it to you?"
Charlie had thought that he was being quite obvious, so Coach Orion's question surprised him. "Yes, I suppose that is what I am suggesting."
Coach Orion studied Charlie for a long, disconcerting moment. "Coach Wilson has been coaching hockey for over 30 years, and in his era, he has won over 15 state championships. This is a guy who knows what he is doing. I respect his decision and his reasons for naming Adam captain, and I'm not quite ready to overturn that decision just yet. And until Adam PROVES to me that he is not up to it, I don't think it's my right to change it. This is a different team now, Charlie. There are different expectations for a team that has won twelve championships in a row than the upstart junior varsity team you once were. These are not the same old Ducks anymore. You have at least 7 senior teammates who can't and won't buy into the spirit of what you believe in. And as hard to believe as it may seem, right now, Adam just makes the most sense. He's played Varsity hockey longer than anyone else on the team and knows how to handle the expectations and pressures of playing on this level. Adam has proven his skill on the ice and as much as those seniors won't admit it, he's the only one they respect right now."
Charlie looked unconvinced. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to put the team in Adam's hands."
"Give him a chance, Charlie—he might surprise you. I'll see you at practice today—3:30 sharp. Now get to class."
"Hey, Fulton," he said almost too casually.
A man of few words, Fulton got right to his point. "Where the hell were you? Why weren't you at practice?"
Charlie shrugged in his desk chair. "I was just hanging here, downloading songs into my iPod."
Fulton felt his patience being stretched to its limits. "Can you tell me why you deemed this more important than going to practice?"
Charlie didn't look Fulton in the eye. "Why should I? As far as I'm concerned, we have no coach and no captain. It'd be a waste of my time." With that, Charlie plugged earphones into his laptop and put them on, presumably ending the conversation.
Fulton would have none of it, slapping the earphones off of Charlie's head. The frustration of having to deal with Charlie's immaturity had finally got to him. "Damnit Charlie, stop acting like a child! So you're not captain—deal with it! Things aren't always going to go your way!" Fulton took a moment to calm down. Charlie looked somewhat stunned.
Quietly, Fulton added, "I used to admire you, Charlie—look up to you. When you looked in our eyes before a game, I faithfully believed that we could do anything. But seeing you now makes me wonder if that same guy even exists anymore." Fulton abruptly grabbed his book bag and random pieces of clothing from the drawer they shared.
"Where are you going?" Charlie's feelings were visibly hurt, but he put on a face of defiance and his question was spoken with a tone of anger and antagonism.
"I can't stay here—I'm going to crash on Portman and Dwayne's floor." Charlie had never seen Fulton so livid.
Charlie wore a mask of nonchalance. "Fine, whatever."
On his way out, Fulton said over his shoulder, "Oh and I'd be at practice if I were you—Orion is taking over as of tomorrow and you know how he doesn't tolerate that crap." Charlie was left alone in his room as the door slammed shut.
The next day Charlie knocked softly on the doorway of Coach Orion's office. Orion smiled and waved Charlie in, concluding a conversation on the telephone. "I packed your lunch and it's in the refrigerator—turkey and avocado sandwich, chips and a bottle of water, just as you like it. Have a good day, Becky, and I'll be home after the Varsity practice. Love you."
Charlie smiled to himself, realizing that Coach Orion had been speaking to his young daughter. Orion was very protective of her, ever since she had been disabled in a car accident years ago. It used to surprise Charlie to see the tender side of his coach that came out whenever his daughter was around, but now it just made him smile.
"Hey Charlie." Orion gave him a conspiratorial grin. "I thought I'd be able to get away from you guys finally, but no such luck. How was practice yesterday?"
"Oh, it was great," Charlie said quickly and untruthfully. "But there was something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh yeah, you know you can talk to me about anything, Charlie. Shoot."
Charlie took a deep breath and lunged into what was bothering him. "I've been the captain for your team for two years now, and I'd say I've done a hell of a good job." Charlie looked over at Orion for agreement.
Orion nodded in response. "You've been everything I could have hoped for and more, Charlie."
Charlie continued. "I would have no problem handing the reins over to someone else, provided that the person could bring superior skills and abilities as a leader to the table than I do. And that's something I just don't see in Adam."
Orion leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want me to do, Charlie?"
"You know what I can do, and I'm just giving you the option of setting things right." Charlie looked over at Orion, trying to gauge what he was feeling.
Coach Orion's face was enigmatic. "Are you suggesting that I strip Adam of his Captain title and give it to you?"
Charlie had thought that he was being quite obvious, so Coach Orion's question surprised him. "Yes, I suppose that is what I am suggesting."
Coach Orion studied Charlie for a long, disconcerting moment. "Coach Wilson has been coaching hockey for over 30 years, and in his era, he has won over 15 state championships. This is a guy who knows what he is doing. I respect his decision and his reasons for naming Adam captain, and I'm not quite ready to overturn that decision just yet. And until Adam PROVES to me that he is not up to it, I don't think it's my right to change it. This is a different team now, Charlie. There are different expectations for a team that has won twelve championships in a row than the upstart junior varsity team you once were. These are not the same old Ducks anymore. You have at least 7 senior teammates who can't and won't buy into the spirit of what you believe in. And as hard to believe as it may seem, right now, Adam just makes the most sense. He's played Varsity hockey longer than anyone else on the team and knows how to handle the expectations and pressures of playing on this level. Adam has proven his skill on the ice and as much as those seniors won't admit it, he's the only one they respect right now."
Charlie looked unconvinced. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to put the team in Adam's hands."
"Give him a chance, Charlie—he might surprise you. I'll see you at practice today—3:30 sharp. Now get to class."