Part Nine

No Other Way

Reaching the lake, Zack started to look around. Adam had not been at his house, so this had to be the place he was at.

The wind blew, making Zack wish he had brought a hat with him. He pulled the collar of his Hawks coat higher to cover lower part of his face. There was no snow on the ground, but it was still cold enough to keep the lake frozen. It was neat to see the water go from liquid and change to ice during winter. Looking at the trees in the distance, he saw a pair of legs dangling from the tree house. It really was not a tree house, but one big tree that someone had put boards down and nailed them together in the tree to make a floor. It even had a hole in the floor on the one side for someone to through. The ladder was attached to the hole.

Adam had found it more than a year ago.

Climbing the ladder to the top, Zack spied Adam sitting on the far edge of the floor looking out at the lake. "What are you up to?"

Without turning around Adam replied, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Hockey."

Zack sighed in frustration. Adam was not making this easy. Why did this have to happen? He wondered as he walked over. He sat next to his friend. "So are you going to play in the Ducks' game tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"You know if you play on the Ducks, the Hawks are gonna think your a traitor." The wind blew again. Adam shivered from the cold or was it because of what he had said?

Turning to face Zack for the first time since they had began talking, he asked quietly, "And what about you?"

Zack looked down at the lake. What could he say? He was a Hawk. Could he still be friends with Adam if he was a Duck? His own words came back to him. Traitor.

"I guess I have my answer than." The sad voice rang in his ears. He kept his gaze fixed on the lake. He heard Adam get up and go to the ladder. As well as heard him go down and start walking away.

"Adam." The footsteps on the hard cold ground stopped.

Zack's brown eyes met these of his friend. "Even with you on the team, you and the rest of the Ducks are gonna lose tomorrow." He did not know he had said that until it had come out of his mouth. But in all truthfulness he hoped that would happen. He did not want to have to face Adam in the championship game if the Ducks made it that far. Adam did not say a word. He turned around and walked away.

Why had he said anything, and yet nothing at all?

Scooter ran after Zack, who led him to the student parking lot.

Stopping abruptly, Zack turned around. Scooter nearly ran into him from behind.

"Where's your car?" the freshman demanded.

Scooter usually would not have put up with that, but he heard the urgency in Zack's tone. "Over there." Heading to his black Camero Z28.

Once on the road, Zack spat out directions to the lake. Scooter only knew some of the way.

"What's up with you?" Scooter asked. Worry was gnawing at him.

Zack did not want to say it, but he did not have a choice. "I think Adam is gonna try to kill himself." He could not bring himself to say if Adam had tried.

Somehow that did not surprise Scooter. But why had he not known?

What do you expect? You don't even know Adam, Scooter thought to himself. He knew that was the truth.

But instead he asked, "How do you know what he's going to do and where he is?"

"I just," Zack paused. "I remember how bad Adam dealt with changing sides last time."

"The last time? You mean when he was in the pee wees?"

Zack let out a breath. "Both of us were on the Hawks, but that was before Adam went on the Ducks."

Zack remembered the last time he had met up with Adam at the tree house. Adam had decided to be a Duck. He had pushed him to that, how could he have not?

Continuing on, he said, "And I think with everything that happened last night, and now this morning, I just don't think Adam could take it."

"And the pond is somewhere Adam usually goes to be on his own to think. I've seen him there over the years even after we weren't friends, so I don't think he's changed that much."

Scooter did not answer, what could he say? Everything Zack said was undoubtedly true.

Scooter's car jerked to a stop when they finally reached the lake. Both teens were out of the car when it went into park.

Zack made a beeline for the trees, Scooter at his heels. As they got closer, he could see the ladder then boards that made a floor in one of the bigger trees.

They climbed the ladder to the floor. Adam was sitting in the middle of the floor, with his knees drawn up, his chin rest on them. He had his arms wrapped around his legs. Nearby laid a pill bottle that was open with pills scattered around. Both boys took this in with a quick glance.

"Adam!" Zack rushed quickly to his roommate, grabbing him by his shoulders. Adam jerked out of Zack's hold and scooted backward a few feet.

Kneeling down next to Adam, Scooter spoke without touching him. "Adam." The teen turned to look at him. His eyes seemed bright, from crying, Scooter would guess. But what really worried him was whether or not Adam took any of the pills scattered about. That was the other reason his eyes could be bright.

"How many of the pills did you take?"

Slowly shaking his head in a negative matter, Adam did not answer.

Scooter wanted to grab the freshman and shake him. He did not.

Zack picked up the pill bottle. His eyes grew large. "Sleeping pills, over the counter."

"Two." Adam voice was so quiet that Zack and Scooter had trouble hearing the word.

"Count them." Scooter said sharply to Zack. If Adam just took two, than there should not be any danger. But they did not know if Adam was telling the truth or not.

"Can't do it…"

Zack stopped counting and jumped up then slammed into Adam, causing both of them to hit the floor.

"Are you crazy?"

Before Adam could say anything or defend himself, Scooter grabbed Zack. Holding him back for a moment, Scooter did not want Zack to attack Adam again. He earned a few choice words from the younger teen, but he did not let that bother him. Scooter's own nerves were frayed and there was no doubt that if Zack had not just lunged at Adam he may have himself.

Adam sat up, making the black eye that Charlie gave him visible. Scooter had forgotten about that. He was getting furious. Not only with Charlie and the Ducks, but at Varsity and himself. They all had part in this. Not that Adam did not have blame in it too. He should have known better.

"I want you to count the pills," Scooter told Zack as he released him.

Zack started counting, his mind still reeling. He had been the one to tell Scooter that Adam may try to commit suicide. He had just snapped when Adam had started talking.

"There's 28 tablets in a 30 tablet container." Zack reported. Adam had told them the truth.

"How many is safe to take?"

"'Twelve to adult – take two.'" Zack read.

Scooter turned back to Adam. "How long ago did you take these?"

Adam shook his head. "Not sure. I think a few minutes before you guys came. I couldn't take them…"

"Can you get down the ladder on your own?" Scooter ignored the last part of Adam's statement. He was not sure how he was able to remain so calm, he felt anything but calm. He was very relieved Adam could not take more pills. But if Adam took them some time back, how long until they took affect?

Adam knew the drug was starting to kick in. But he nodded anyway. He was not that tired yet. At least he did not think so. He wondered if not sleeping last night may have effect on the sleeping pills.

They all managed to get back onto the ground. Scooter had the remaining pills in his pocket. It was a quiet ride back to school. By the time they got back to Eden Hall, Adam was fast asleep, the sleeping pills taking full effect.

As they were half dragging and half carrying Adam to the freshmen dorms, they heard footsteps in the distance.

Scooter swore under his breath. Looking around he spied Mindy and was that…the Latin kid at the far end of the building near the trees? What was his name? Mendoza, yes that was it. Rick was going to love this when he finds out…not that he going to find out by me.

They were in their own little world. All cuddly and cozy. It did nothing to help remind him of his lack of a love life. He had to have feelings for a girl that would rather dance on his grave before going out with him.

"Isn't that-" Zack too had noticed them.

"Keep moving." Scooter whispered to him. "We don't have to time to got caught with our burden."

They managed to get Adam in the dorm room and set him down on his bed. Zack grabbed a blanket and throw it over his sleep-drugged roommate. He let out a breath. "We did it."

Scooter did not have time to respond. A knock on the still open door alerted the two teens they were not alone.

It was the JV coach. Orion's face was impassive as his eyes took in the two teens and the sleeping one on the bed.

He did not tell them that he had just caught them as they entered Banks' room. Something told Orion all was not right, but unless someone would tell him if there was a problem, he was not going to push anything. The JV team had taught him that this morning, namely their ex-captain.

"Yeah?" Zack never actually met the JV or Varsity coaches. He felt his body tense with panic. Had Orion seen us?

"I want Banks' Duck jersey."

Orion could see both boys wondering why in the world he wanted Adam's jersey.

"Ah…I can't," Zack cleared his throat, "give you his stuff without him knowing about it."

"Maybe one of you can tell me what is going on?" he looked pointedly at Vanderbilt. So much for not prying.

Staring right back at him, Scooter simply said, "Don't think Banks got any sleep last night." As if that explained why Adam had not woke up from Orion's knock.

Scooter knew what he had to do. Knowing that when Adam woke up, he would probably want to kill him. But it did not seem like he was going to be getting off from Varsity anytime soon.

Zack watched in bewilderment as Scooter walked over to Adam's closet and got his Duck jersey.

Scooter looked over the jersey in his hands. Adam was definitely going to kill him. Even though the Ducks were not speaking to him, Adam at least had the jersey that told he once had been a Duck. Scooter was going to be ripping the poor kid's heart out by giving away the one thing that he had loved about the game.

"Here." Scooter threw the jersey at Orion. He stalked passed a stunned Zack and Orion and went out of the room. Once he was at the doors in front of the dorms, he pushed the door so hard it hit against the wall. Walking back to his car and pulling it out of the space, Scooter just drove. Where he was he going, he had no clue. Just so he could get as far away from this hellish nightmare he was in.