Disclaimer - I do not own anything even remotely related to The Mighty Ducks. I only wish I had thought of them first…
Italics indicate character thought.
"So what are you going to do?" Beau took a long drink of her water and leaned back, looking at her friend.
Guy was sitting at the table, his head in his hands, dark circles under his eyes. After all of the knock down drag out games that they had played together, Beau had never seen him look so exhausted. He had had a tough first week of school with his high schoolers. They had sensed his young age and his sensitive nature and had given him and all of his training a run for their money. The worst incident had happened that Friday when his oldest freshman had thrown a desk at the wall in anger and cracked a window. He finally rested his chin on his folded hands and looked up at her mournfully.
"I have no idea." After saying it he shook his head a little. "That's not true." He looked up with some resolve. "I'm going to stick to my discipline plan and just stay positive and consistent."
"What about coaching hockey? Did you talk to the principal about staring a team?"
Guy nodded, walking to the refrigerator and getting a glass of juice. "He was pretty skeptical. He didn't seem to think there would be a lot of interest."
Beau waved off the reasoning. "You can create interest in anything, Guy. Especially the way you light up when you talk about hockey."
"Thanks." He smiled, scratching the stubble on his chin. "His other concern was that most of the kids at the school wouldn't have the equipment or the money to buy it." He sighed the sigh of a teacher working at a school with too few resources. "And there is no extra money in the athletics budget for something like that. Not with the football team doing so well."
Beau considered, doing math in her head. "So, I'll tell you what Guy. Talk to your principal tomorrow. Tell him you'll figure out the money and the interest if he'll help you get the practice space."
Guy squinted, steepling his fingers and looking at her through the slits. "And how am I figuring out the money?"
She grinned. "Give me a few days."
He stuck out his hand for a handshake. "I'll talk to Dr. Hodge if you'll call Charlie."
Beau glared at him, knowing they were getting ready to have the same conversation they had had almost every night that week. "Charlie doesn't want me to call him, Guy."
He dropped his hand to the table in frustration. "You don't know that. He doesn't know the real reason that you ended things. I'm sure if he did…"
Now it was Beau who dropped her head to the table. "I'm not sure I could deal with him telling me he didn't want to talk to me, Guy."
He smiled. "No one every said love was easy, Beau." He stuck out his hand again. "I talk to Principal Hodge and you call Charlie."
She closed her eyes, rolling her head and feeling the cool tile of the table against her cheek. She threw out her hand blindly, taking a deep breath, and sighed when Guy shook her arm. "Deal."
Guy had asked if she wanted him to be there when she called and at first it had been a relief to think of her friend sitting there, holding her hand for support. But then when she thought about it further, and the prospect of laying all of her faults out on the table, she decided it was something she had to do alone.
She was sitting on her bed, legs crossed and hands clammy. She held a pillow on her lap and kept finding herself squeezing the edges in anticipation. Over the past two hours, as she had tried to gear herself up for the call, she had been able to think of everything she wanted to say but what was dominating her mind now was what Charlie might say. Every possibility was terrifying.
Just do it. God, that sounds like a commercial. Pick up the phone you wuss and call him. Tell him you love him. Tell him you made the biggest mistake of your life. Tell him you think about him every day.
"Right. Like it's that easy." Her voice sounded foreign in her silent room. She shook her head, opening her cell phone in determination. "Screw it."
She arrowed her phonebook down to Charlie's name and thought briefly back to a time when she would perform that motion on a daily basis. Taking a deep breath she pushed 'send' and held the phone tentatively to her ear. It took what seemed like forever to connect and when it did and the ringing started…Beau thought her heart would pound out her chest.
"I'm sorry, but the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected." The tinny mechanical voice in her ear should have been a relief. But after building herself up, Beau was devastated.
Of course he had changed his number. He moved to another city. She was just surprised Guy hadn't known. But she knew someone who would.
Adam walked slowly from the bus to the building, breathing in the familiar scent of the Minnesota air. Several of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks had flown into town with their AHL brother team to play a game for charity against the NHL Nashville Predators and their brother team the AHL Milwaukee Admirals. It was nice to feel the cold against his skin after the weeks in the hot Anaheim summer and fall. He pulled his suit jacket closer around him and smiled when the wind whipped around his ears, tousling his blond hair.
"Adam." He recognized the voice and despite his better judgment, kept walking.
Beau frowned, jogging forward and raising her voice. "Banks!"
Adam finally stopped and turned, a little uncomfortable at the huge smile that easily spread across her face. Beau walked up to him, bundled up tightly in her black ¾ length pea coat and her brightly colored striped scarf. Before he could say anything she had him in a tight hug which he returned with one arm lightly around her shoulder. She finally backed away and looked him up down, still not noticing his cool reception.
Beau was acutely aware of Adam's less than warm welcoming of her and she had a good idea why he was acting that way, but she forced herself to stay upbeat. She looked him up and down. "You look good, Banksie. That warm California air must be agreeing with you." She plastered a fake smile on her face, feeling a little sick deep down in her stomach.
He nodded noncommittally. "Yeah. It's been good so far." That was it. They had seen each other almost every day for two years and been a part of something very special together and that was all he had to say. He didn't ask how she was doing. He took his overnight bag off and put it on his other shoulder. "So I didn't think any of you guys were coming until later." He had sent tickets for the whole current Wolfpack team, as well as Guy. "What are you doing here, Beau?"
She looked at him, trying not to be hurt by his obvious tone of distain. "I'm here because I was in town early, Adam, and I wanted to see my friend."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's the only reason?"
Beau shoved her hands deep into her pockets. "That's the only reason, Banks. Geez."
He narrowed his eyes at her and finally shook his head. "You really broke, Charlie's heart, you know that, right? Do you even care?"
It hurt a lot to feel the accusation in his tone, but she appreciated his concern for his friend. She nodded, lowering her eyes. "I know." She was ready to atone, to tell Adam her reasons. "You have to understand, though. I did it because…"
Adam cut her off, his voice overly harsh. "I don't have to understand anything. We gave you our hearts and you just stomped on them. Do you even know how that feels?"
She looked up at him, confused. "We? Our hearts?" She thought about it and realization dawned when she thought back to things the other guys had shared with her about high school. "Is this about Julie, Adam?"
He looked at her, angry she realized. "It's about Julie, and you, and girls like you."
Her voice was soft, measured. "Girls like us." It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded. "Girls who just stomp on people's hearts."
She nodded as well. "I don't know about what happened with you and Julie, Adam…but I'm not her, and Charlie is not you. I loved him." She touched her heart. "I love him. And I made a mistake, but I want to make up for that." She reached out to put a hand on his arm but when he looked at her like she had the plague she pulled back. "I thought you and I were friends, Adam." She smiled sadly. "I guess this is why you haven't returned my emails." She laughed, sniffing a little. "I was sort of hoping that you had changed your email address and just had forgotten to tell me."
Adam was still upset, but she had taken the wind out of his sails. "You're right, Beau. You aren't Julie and Charlie is not me. He loved you more than I loved Julie. He thought you were the one."
Beau's heart stopped a little at that one. For one thing she had never heard Charlie say those words. The thing that really scared her though, was hearing Adam use the past tense. He thought you were the one. Adam was still talking and she tried to focus on what he was saying.
"He's my best friend, for nearly as long as I can remember, and you broke his heart."
She nodded, trying not to let her eyes fill with tears, but it felt like she was losing Charlie, and now Adam, all over again. "I know what I did, Adam. I've regretted it every day since. But…you and I can't still be friends despite that?" She smiled at him. "I'd hate to lose that."
Adam looked at her, raised his hands up helplessly, and then let them fall in a motion of defeat. "I've been friends with Charlie for a really long time, Beau."
She turned, preparing to walk away, profoundly hurt. "Yes you have, Adam. Keep in mind that by that thinking Bombay was your coach the longest so you couldn't really call Coach Neumann your coach…even though you supposedly looked up to him. I wonder how he'd feel about that."
She walked away and her truthful statement had him going back on the defensive. He called after her. "Don't be so high and mighty, Beau. I know you came here to ask me for his phone number or to talk to him for you. Guy said you would!"
She stopped, turning around. Her voice was so soft that it carried on the wind and Adam had to strain to hear her. "You're right. I did come here to ask you for Charlie's phone number, but before I even got here I realized that that would put you in a weird position, because I thought that you were a friend to both of us. When I realized that, I was just here to see you, Adam."
She walked away, hoping he couldn't see that she was crying and wondering what on earth she was supposed to do now.
Cc: I'm glad you guys are all enjoying Guy so much. I'm enjoying writing him. Thanks also for being so excited about my updates. Sorry about the delay in this one. On Friday I got this severe nosebleed (they aren't sure why) and it was so bad that I was choking and it was coming out of my tear ducts. How gross is that? Anyway, it put a delay in my writing!
BellaLou: I like all your questions and I'm glad I could clear things up for you about Jessie. I don't want to spill the beans yet on Charlie and Beau, but I will say that I don't think that Beau will cause a rift of Connie and Guy. Thanks as always!
duckfluff: Ah Peyton Manning. I love him to death. Glad you are enjoying!
B: Thanks! Yeah, I think Guy is the best choice for her. I get the impression he'd be a great friend.
antiIrony: Thanks as always. You're such a dedicated reviewer!
Katie: I'm flattered that this is one of your favorites! Thank you so much and I hope you keep enjoying it!
flyinghawk: Yes, sadly Charlie and Beau are no more. I refuse to reveal what their future will be, that way you have to keep reading! Thanks for keeping me on my toes with the grammar!