New Friend

Coach called out at the end of practice, they were playing Norway in a week or so. He was hoping they were ready for it but only time would tell. Mac and O.C. were getting along better; Johnson was still his great self, greeting Maddie with hugs every time he saw her. She had known him since he was little, forgetting how she even met him.

Robbie stomped off the ice, numb feet and all. He collapsed on the change room bench in front of his gear. He slumped down, pulling off his jersey and the shoulder pads.

"Hey O.C., how are you're legs?" Mac yelled over.

"I'll let you know when I can feel them." He replied.

"You going to the bar?" Coxie asked.

"Yeah." Robbie smiled. "I'm bringing Maddie too."

"Alright."

Maddie stood outside the doors, waiting for Robbie. The coach walked up and began to talk to her.

"The teams going to Norway, I've noticed you've been around here a lot, did you want to come along and make sure the players get to where they need to be?" Herb asked.

"Me?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, you know, make sure they got everything and stuff."

"OH MY GOD!" She screeched.

"That's a yes." Herb smiled and walked away.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" She kept yelling and jumping.

The players heard her in the change room and ran out in their gear, some with all of it on. Robbie wandered out in his skates and pants, Mark in just his skates.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked.

She turned around to face them all, huge smile on her face. She realized they weren't ready to go.

"Guess where I'm going."

"To the bar?" Robbie asked.

"To Norway!" She yelled.

"Wow." Buzz remarked sarcastically.

"With you guys." She danced again.

"Really?" Robbie asked.

"You get to spend the rest of the season with little sister dearest." Maddie grabbed his hands and danced with him.

"Great." Mac mumbled.

"I'm going to go back and get changed." Jimmy stated and they all followed, minus her brother.

He stopped dancing and looked at her. He wanted to bring her but he wanted her to stay, he was confused.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Herb asked me if I wanted to like take care of you guys. Are you letting me go?" Maddie pleaded.

"Normally I would've said no but since you're twenty-one and you seem to keep me organized, I'm going to say yes."

"OH MY GOD!" She yelled.

"Quiet." He laughed.

XxxxxXxxxxX

He had been watching her from the other side of the room, analyzing her, taking in every detail before finally confronting her. It was no hockey player, just a regular who had taken the likes of Maddie and crushed on her. He approached her in the middle of a laugh and oh, the laugh drove him wild.

"Excuse me miss, can I have this dance?" The strange man asked.

Mac gave her an uneasy look and she took notice. Mark examined the man, looking him up and down before letting it go. Rizzo saw from across the room, he looked strange. Maddie accepted the dance and they headed out to the dance floor. She danced with him until he dragged her outside, mouth covered.

Mac sat, forgetting his uneasiness and big brother broodiness. He didn't take note of the missing Maddie. He was just looking around the bar and caught not a glimpse of her. He rushed over to the 'Boston' table; more and more Minnesotans joined the table each night, and slammed his fist on the table.

"Have you seen Maddie?" Mac asked furiously.

"I saw her with a guy-"

"That was like five minutes ago." Mac cut Rizzo off.

"How about you O.C.?" Coxie asked.

"No but I'll help you look for her."

Robbie rushed around the bar, peering into every crack while Jack ran outside. His eyes wandered around the sidewalk and eventually landed on Maddie. She was struggling to get away from the guy. He ran over to the guy and punched his face. Maddie watched him fall and dove for Jack.

"You okay?" He asked, her silent in his arms.

"JACK!"

Robbie had run out of the bar too, catching no sight of Maddie hiding behind Jack from the angle he was at.

"Mac." He replied.

"Did you find her?" Robbie asked, getting closer and closer.

"Robbie." She whispered and looked up at her brother. "Where were you, you're supposed to be my brother, the one who protects me."

"Well-"

"No way, you have never let me dance with anyone before, why him?" Maddie asked, backing away from Jack too.

"Madison." Robbie begged. "I thought that after today, you'd be okay with the world without me."

"The world can't handle her." Jack muttered jokingly and then chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Maddie glared at him.

"Never mind." He grinned.

"O.C." Mac laughed, he heard it.

"Guys are pigs." Maddie stated and began to walk away.

Robbie held his laughter back until Maddie disappeared into the bar. Mac burst into fits of laughter, joined soon by O.C. and the two just howled with laughter until tears almost appeared. Robbie looked up into the sky, thinking about Maddie and what she said.

"Hey." Jack broke the silence. "Don't let the girl get you down, she's just mad that it was me and not you that saved her. Plus stuff happens, just be thankful nothing did happen."

"Yeah, thanks." Robbie replied and the two boys headed back to the bar.

XxxxxXxxxxX

She watched them tie Norway. She watched them head for the change room but then watched them get sent back onto the ice. She watched them gather around Herb. Then she watched as she left the arena, heading to the dorms they were staying in.

XxxxxXxxxxX

Craig Patrick blocked the way. "Hold up, hold up, Better get back on the ice, let's go."

"What for?" Some of the players whined.

"You'll find out soon enough, let's go, back on the ice." Craig replied.

"What for?" More whining.

"We'll find out in a minute won't we."

"Come on, let's see what he wants, get a picture or something, what's going on?" More of the players questioned.

"You guys don't want to work during the game? No problem, we'll work now. Goal line. That one." Herb demanded as he stood on the centerline, against the boards.

Craig blew the whistle and the Herbies begun.

"Hustle." He yelled at the two goalies. "You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone. Again!"

Another whistle.

"You think you can come in here and play the Norwegian national team and tie them then go to the Olympics and win, you got another thing coming. Again!"

Third Whistle.

"You better think about something else, each and every one of you, when you pull on that jersey, your represent yourself and your teammates and the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back. Get that through your head. Again!"

They headed down the ice for the fourth time.

"Win, lose or tie, your going to play like champions! Again!"

Fifth whistle.

"Kick it in the ass Verchota, you want to go home early? Keep it going Suter. All the way to line and all the way back, it's not that difficult. Again!"

Number six was killer.

"Again!"

Seven.

"Again!"

Eight.

"Herb." Doc called out.

"What?"

"The rink manager wants to clean the ice and then go home." Doc explained.

"Tell him to leave me the keys, I'll lock up, Again!" No whistle. "Again!"

Nine.

"You keep playing this way you won't beat anybody who's even good let alone great. You want to make this team; you better start playing at a level that's going to force me to keep you here. Again!"

Hesitation, the lights flicked off.

"Think we're getting out of here?" Verchota whispered and they all headed towards the exit.

"Hey, where you going, back on the line. Again, send them."

Ten.

"Again!"

Eleven

"Again!"

Twelve.

"How about it Silky? You going to be the first one to quit on me? How about you O.C. you ready to go down? Oh, I think I got my money on you, Verchota. Course you got a hot date in about an hour but you're not looking too good for that right about now. Send them." Herb yelled, no whistle. "Again!"

Lucky thirteen.

"Doc, I mean this is madness right?" Coach Patrick questioned as the players started gagging.

"This cannot be a team of common men because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon. Again!" Herb yelled.

"Herb!" Doc stopped it. "This has gone on long enough."

"Everybody on that line."

"Somebody's going to get hurt." Doc argued.

Now everyone was coughing and wheezing, ready to fall over and never get up again.

"Everybody get on that line. Hey! Again!" No whistle. "Again!"

"Herb." Craig voiced.

"Come on Craig. Blow the whistle. Again."

Craig hesitated. He held the whistle up to his lips.

"Mike Eruzione, Winthrop Massachusetts." Rizzo yelled with the strength he had left.

"Who do you play for?" Herb Questioned.

"I play for the…" He snorted, caught his breath. "United States of America."

Her looked at him and smiled to himself. It was the right answer, the one he'd been looking for since day one.

"That's all, gentlemen." He replied and walked off the ice with a huge smile only he knew he wore.