Part Six

Let the Pranks Begin

The JV team was sitting around their table, talking and being silly. It was Thursday, the day before their first game against the Blake Bears.

"Man, how can you eat that?" Russ asked Dwayne.

Having grown up in Texas and just because it was Dwayne, he loved to put hot sauce on nearly everything he ate. The latest was the cafeteria's beef tacos. Dwayne ignored Russ and took a hearty bite out of his taco.

Guy who was eating his jell-o, remarked, "Where's the Varsity team?"

The Ducks turned their heads to the Varsity table. No one save for Cole and two other members were there. Where was Varsity?

"There's Adam," said Connie noticing him.

Adam made his way over to where Cole was sitting. Why doesn't Riley just get Cole and the others himself? He wondered.

"Rick wants to talk to everyone about something," Adam told Cole.

"What about?" asked Alex Bard.

"I don't know, he just wants to talk to everyone."

They all got up and walked out of the cafeteria.

Kenny saw his opportunity to get back at Cole. "Dwayne, come with me."

Dwayne got up and walked with Ken to the Varsity table. "Kenny, what are y'all up to?"

"Give me your hot sauce."

Dwayne handed it over. He watched as Kenny took Cole's taco and put a good amount on it. "Ken…"

"Watch the door," was his friend's reply.

As Cowboy kept a look out, Kenny opened one of the two mild taco sauces on Cole's tray to make it look like it was already on it.

"Kenny! Cindy is comin' this way!"

The dark-haired cheerleader came walking up to them just as Kenny was finished putting the hot sauce in his pocket. "What are you two doing here?" she asked snobbishly.

"Waiting for me," Linda answered, walking up to them, tray in hand.

Cindy just gave her a dirty look and with a flip of her hair she walked away.

"Thanks." Dwayne said gratefully.

"Welcome." She looked over to where Dwayne and Ken's friends sat. She gave a small wave and with a small smile in that direction. Kenny looked back at his friends in time to see Charlie return the small wave. This is interesting, Kenny thought. He swore he had seen Linda, if that was her name, with a clipboard protesting the Warriors name the other day. Ken would have to talk to Charlie about it. Linda herself left them to sit with her friends.

Walking back over to the Ducks' table, Russ thumped Kenny on the back. "Man, this is gonna be good!"

"You okay, Cowboy?" inquired Fulton.

Dwayne glared at Kenny. "Y'all could've warned me! I nearly had a heart attack."

Ignoring the angry Texan, Ken asked Charlie out right, "What's going on with you and anti-jock girl?"

Luckily for Charlie, he did not have to answer Ken's query. He noticed something more interesting. "Guys, Cole is back."

All the Varsity players, except for Adam and two other players that had been with Cole came filing in from the other side of the cafeteria,. Bard and Labine were looking for the freshman. Adam had not been at the 'meeting' Varsity had. Now, the rest of Varsity headed for the lunch line. The only ones not going were Cole and Scooter.

They headed for their table. Reaching the table, they sat down. Without noticing the sauce on the taco, Cole took a gigantic bite.

Scooter was thinking the prank Varsity was going to pull tomorrow was not going to get Julie Gaffney interested in him. But then he noticed his friend's face suddenly had a surprised, painful expression on it. Cole grabbed his drink and chugged it down in what seemed like one huge gulp.

"What's wrong?" Scooter asked. What was up with Cole?

"The taco is hot as hell." Cole gasped.

Scooter's gaze went over to the JV table. They were watching him and Cole, but once they saw him looking at them, they quickly looked away.

Cole looked too. "Why those little-" He began to rise.

Luckily Rick and some of the others joined them at the table.

"What's going on?" asked Kabine.

"Cole got hot sauce put on his taco." Scooter easily guessed what happened.

Cole had started to move away from the table. He wanted to go beat the crap out of the freshman team. "You forgot to say JV did it."

Rick stepped in front of Cole. "Don't worry about it. They'll get what's coming to them soon enough," he said calmly.

Adam turned on his side to get comfortable. That did not help. Sighing, he turned on his back. The bed protested with his continuous movement. The teen had not gotten much sleep. And it was not because it was his first night sleeping in the dorms or his roommate. His mind was still on what happened the night before.

To say the first JV game had not gone well would be a gross understatement. Adam knew how good his friends could play, but last night, they were overconfident. Like they all had been in the Junior Goodwill Games. That was until Blake starting showing them that they could play.

Adam knew that Rick and the rest of Varsity got a kick out of the JV Warriors/Blake Bears tie. Adam felt bad for his friends for tying, but he could not go talk to them. He and the rest of Varsity had their own game to get ready for with Blake. But unlike with JV, Varsity won that game. Everyone had been in high spirits until they got to the locker room… Adam did not want to think about what happened there again.

Quietly getting up he glanced at the clock, 4:15 AM. If he was not going to sleep, he was not going to stay in here. No doubt he would wake Larson up with the noise. Quietly as he could, he changed into jeans and a blue Nike sweatshirt. Grabbing his skates, he debated whether to take his stick or not. Leaving it untouched, he headed for the door.

"Finally."

Adam turned sharply, to see Zack glaring irately as well as tiredly at him. Not bothering to raise his head from the pillow, he barked, "Go on. And don't come back till at least noon." With that he pulled the sheet over his head.

So much for being quiet, he thought as he jogged to the rink.

Adam was relieved to see that the arena was empty. "Who do you think would be here at 4:30 in the morning?" his said to himself, his voice breaking through the eerie quietness. Lacing up his skates, he then stepped onto the ice.

Keeping his blue eyes fixed on the ice, Adam started around the ice to loosen his muscles. He went around the ice a few times. As he skated he had a lot on his mind.

Charlie had been different on the ice the night before too. And he still was surprised and somewhat disturbed that he broke his hockey stick in anger. Even with what had been happening this year, Charlie was not usually overly violent on the ice. And last Adam checked, there was no "I" in team.

Why had his friends iced the Varsity's clothes? Adam did not think they would do something like that without just cause. But what had Varsity done to them to do it?

Kenny had been part of the prank that much was certain. Which other Ducks were involved, Adam had no clue. He had found a five-dollar bill on the floor in front of his locker, the only thing that had not been covered in ice.

He heard someone else begin to skate. Glancing up, he saw the red and white jersey of JV. The person was skating toward him picking up speed as he went. Just when he was upon Adam he stopped, spraying ice on Adam's jean clad legs. It was Charlie.

"What are you doing here?" His eyes were as cold as the ice they were on.

"This," was all Adam said pointing down to his skates.

"Well, get off the ice. Orion wants us to practice at 5."

Orion is crazy. But Adam could not think that. Wilson is harder than Orion is. If they had lost yesterday, Adam would not doubt that the skating drills Coach Bombay had made them do after the Iceland game would be a piece of cake compared to what Wilson would have them do.

"Why did Varsity's clothes get iced with liquid nitrogen?" Adam asked, he was not going to worry about Wilson, Orion, or Bombay for that matter.

Charlie's angry face turned to a look of surprise. "With liquid nitrogen?"

Nodding, Adam asked, "What did Varsity do?" After he had thought about it last night, Adam knew Riley had to have done something to the Ducks for his friends to get even. He could tell Rick the Ducks would get even no matter what he tried. But the Varsity captain would not listen to anything he had to say.

Ignoring Adam's question for the second, Charlie started laughing. He was still mad at Varsity for what had happened last night, but he could not help but see the humor of Varsity's end of his friends' prank. He could just imagine what the Varsity locker room looked like. But one look at Adam's face stopped all mirth. "You put our-"

"Me?" Adam said incredulity. He was getting angry. What had Riley done? And Charlie thought I was part of it?

Charlie did not believe him for a moment. However the look on Adam's enraged and shocked face almost changed his mind. "You weren't part of it?"

"Gosh Charlie, I would like to know what I was part of." Adam snapped at his friend. He began skating backward. He had to do something.

He acts like I didn't know what I'm talking about. But looking at Adam's upset face, Charlie had his doubts. He doesn't look like he even knew what happened with the prank. Charlie knew that even when Adam was on the Ducks, he never took part in any of the pranks they did. "Varsity put our clothes and shoes in the shower. They left a message too. 'Freshman Stink.'"

"How original." Adam's voice was cynical. "Just as unique as ours. 'Varsity Sucks Ice.'"

Skating over to Adam, Charlie let out a breath and stopped skating, "Look, I'm sorry I bit your head off, alright?"

Adam stopped skating too. He knew very well that it was stupid to stay mad with Charlie or any of his friends. He was not exactly popular with Varsity. Charlie had a good reason to be mad, but Adam just wondered if Charlie knew him at all to even believe he could have been part of the prank for a second.

Seeing that Adam was not going to answer, Charlie put a gloved hand behind his head. While looking down at the ice he said, "Ok, I should have known better than to think you could have been part of that stupid prank. We'll just forget it."

"You can't speak for the entire team, Charlie."

Both boys turned to see the rest of JV just getting on the ice.

Wonderful. Adam did not want to have to deal with the rest of his friends too. That is if they still considered him a friend. "I wasn't part of the shower prank last night."

JV just stared him down. Adam almost felt like he was ten once again and he had just stepped into the Ducks' locker room for the first time. But unlike last time, Charlie did not say anything. Fulton was right; Charlie could not speak for the whole team.

Julie spoke, "Russ, Ken, and I iced the locker room. Varsity deserved it, though." The rest of the team, knowing about the prank, nodded.

Maybe Julie was just saying sorry in her own way. She had said Varsity and not you. "That isn't doubtful."

Orion came on the ice then. Seeing Adam he said, "You want to join us for practice, Banks?" It did not sound like an invitation. Shaking his head no, Adam headed off the ice.

As he untied his skates and put on his shoes, Adam listened as Orion told the team to begin with ten laps. His friends were going to be in for a long practice. But he was thankful that they did not hold the prank against him.

Once he was on his feet, Adam caught Charlie's eye and gave a short wave. He got a short nod in return. Everything was going to be alright with everyone.