The next day, Connie and I arrived at the lunch table first and sat down as Guy joined us soon after, pulling his bagged lunch from his pale green back pack. He shifted nervously around in his seat until Connie stopped what she was doing to look at him. We were hoping that Fulton would be coming through before the rest of the team got there so we could invite him to sit with us without any objections from the others. That way he'd already be sitting with us and no one could say anything when they got there, they could either sit or sit somewhere else. Not that they had anywhere else to go for lunch. I looked around and found him in the line to get lunch. He was well ahead of Goldberg and Averman so that was a good sign, I thought as Guy fidgeted in his seat again.

"What if he like kicks my butt or something?.." He asked as Connie elbowed him to shut up before someone heard him.

"What if I kick your butt?" She asked threatenly. He grabbed his ribs where she hit him and rubbed them with his hand.

"I was joking.." He whined looking for Connie's sympathy. She just groaned looking at me and rolled her eyes, acting a little annoyed. I laughed slightly at the amusing display across the table from me before noticing Fulton walking our way. I stood, blocking his way of getting past me,

"Fulton, why don't you sit with us today. You know, get to know the team better.." I said as he looked down at me, the same cold stare he usually gave me. I have to admit, he did intimidate me a little but I wasn't backing down from this challenge.

"I guess..." He muttered more to himself than anyone else sitting his tray down across from me at the table and sitting down. He looked down the table as no one was there yet and he eyes landed on Guy. Guy swallowed hard as Fulton looked at him.

"Wow, lots of protein.." Guy gulped looking at Fulton's tray. He didn't have a clue what protein was or where you get it from but he figured that Fulton must be that big because he ate a lot or so he had read in a magazine once. Fulton looked at him with a weird look, considering he had pasta on his plate and nodded absently.

"Right.." Guy said looking at Connie.

"So, Fulton, how'd you like practice last night?" I asked as he really didn't say anything and just sat, looking up every once in while to survey his surroundings. It was almost as if he was waiting for someone to tell him to move or make fun of him. The other guys started to come over a few minutes later and really didn't say anything sitting down but they looked at Guy as if, what is going on? I told them to be cool and they just started about the team we would be playing next week and how we were going to get killed. I sighed looking at Fulton again. He looked at me, finishing up his lunch and got up to leave.

"Hey, where you going?" I asked really confused as he walked passed me and threw out his tray, heading out of the cafeteria. I turned back to the team who were all looking at me,

"What?" I asked in annoyance. They went back to their conversation as I contemplated my next move to get Fulton Reed to talk to me.

I kept seeing him in school the next couple of days. I'd turn the corner and there he'd be. I went to my locker, he was at his...I started to think he was following me as the last bell rang of the school day. He didn't even stop at his locker as he exited the building, I closed my locker quickly finding Tommy,

"Tell Mom, I went to do some extra practice..." I said as I ran after Fulton. I ran out the front door of the school and didn't see him at first. Then I saw him, crossing the street and heading through the woods at a clearing. I chased after him, almost losing him a few times in the thick brush and tripping over trees and branches more times than I could remember. By the time the woods cleared, I had a run in my stockings and my hair was filled with leaves. I stood up straight trying to re-adjust my clothing from my journey before making my way towards the house. Somehow I doubted I looked good as I made my way to the door of the only house back there. I sighed deeply before knocking on the door. It was an old house with worn wooden siding and looked like it could collapse at any minute. The windows were covered with dirt so to see in was impossible. How could anyone live here? I asked myself just as I heard a little yelling and then the door swing open n front of me. A middle-aged man in a t-shirt and faded pants answered the door with a beer in his hand,

"We ain't buying anything, so if you're selling..." He burped a little mid-sentence

"I'm not, sir. I'm actually here to see Fulton?" I cut him off a little, I have to admit as he glared down at me.

"What'd he do get you knocked up?" He asked. I was a little repulsed by his comment but continued anyway. I had come this far to find Fulton.

"No, I'm a friend of his from hockey..."

"Since when are they letting girls play hockey?" He laughed taking another drink of his beer and backing up from the door.

"Well, come in, his room's in the back..." He said looking at me suggestively as I walked past him into the old faded kitchen. The lights in the house were low and there had to be an inch of dust on the floor in hall. The entire house looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. I watched the older man until he disappeared into the kitchen, probably to grab another beer from the fridge. Moving quickly down the hall, I searched for the door he had said was Fulton's door and finally found it, it was the only door closed to the dusty hall. I knocked softly before the floor groaned in response to someone moving to open the door.

"What do you want?" He yelled opening it and staring down at me. I looked up shocked written on my face,

"I guess your family like to shout when they answer doors..." I said trying to laugh a little at the tense situation.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were my Dad.. What are you following me?" He asked low stepping out of his room and moving the door closed a bit.

"Yeah..." I said shyly, not denying that I wanted to get to know him better. "I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to come to the park with me and practice your skating?" I asked.

"Oh, umm...I don't know if it's going to work out for me...you know, hockey..." He said as I peered into his room for the first time. It was pretty much empty, a bed, a night table, a desk with some school books on it and a dresser with clothes hanging out of the drawers. The skates and gear Coach Bombay bought him sat in the corner covered with a blanket.

"Well, if you don't want to do that, then we can stay here and I can help you with science?" I asked beginning to walk into his room. He quickly stopped me,

"No, we'll go down to the park.." He said grabbing his skates and bag of gear. I smiled as I lead him out of the house.

"Where you going?" His father yelled as we opened the door.

"Out!" Fulton yelled before shutting the door and walking in front of me. He looked mad.

Fulton was harder to teach than I thought he would be, I thought moving over the ice with his hands firmly locked in mine.

"Just bend your knees.." I laughed trying to stand him up straight.

"Quit laughing at me!" He yelled as I tried to control my laughter. He began to slip and grabbed my arm, pulling me down with him. We landed on the ice hard, me laying over him, and I was still laughing. He looked down at me, a mixture od annoyance and surprise on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked as I stopped laughing and sat up on the ice to look at him,

"Yeah, you're getting better..." I said brushing the ice residue off my legs before trying to stand. It was colder out here now that half my leg was hanging out from the rip in my stockings, I thought as I got up, helping him up once I was up.

"I'm sorry..." He said trying to balance himself against my petite frame.

"It's okay..." I said brushing off his jacket with one of my gloved hands. He always wore the same jacket for 4 years now...I thought as I looked up at him, his eyes staring back at me with worry I wasn't going to like him anymore. Was it possible it was the only jacket he owned? My mind cam back to the topic I had been thinking about before I looked into his eyes. He noticed me staring and looked down to make sure there was nothing on him,

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing..." I said gliding over to the bench at the side of the pond. He was slower getting there and sat down with a sigh of relief looking up at the stars. It was getting dark, I thought, but I really didn't care, this was the first thing I'd done that wasn't dictated by someone else in a long time. The evening sky was really beautiful, especially to a girl who hadn't had the time to look at it in a few years. I looked over at him with a smile playing on my lips,

"Fulton, What's the deal with your Dad?" I asked hoping he'd want to talk.

"I really don't want to get into it..." he said beginning to change out of his skates.

"I...I didn't mean to upset you..." I said trying to get him to stay just a little longer.

"Nah, I should be going anyway. It's getting late, Don't you have a curfew or something?" He asked getting up to leave.

"Hey, Fulton?" I said as he moved way. I grabbed his hand pulling his glove off, "If you need anything or you want to hang out again.. Call me..." I said writing my number on his hand before pulling the glove back on. He didn't say anything before walking away from me. He stopped and turned around,

"Hey, can I walk you home? You know it's getting dark, I wouldn't want you out by yourself..." He asked as I smiled more brightly this time,

"Yeah, I'd like that.." I said standing after changing out of my skates. He waited as I caught up.

"Where are we going?' He asked.

"Oh, I live down by Connie..." I said as we walked past all the local stores getting ready to close.

"Really, isn't that the rich neighborhood?" He asked. I laughed,

"Not really, My Dad's a doctor..." I said walking next to him. He sighed a little.

"Oh.." He said staring into the stores as we walk. I think he was trying to avoid eye contact with me. I laughed a little,

"Hey, Fulton. How come you never talked to me before?" I asked, curiosity winning out.

"Just had nothing to say.." He said quietly with a shrug.

"I would have talked to you..." I said softly, reassuring him. I thought I saw him smile but it faded as I looked at him in the moonlight.

"So you going with all of us tomorrow?" I asked. He looked at me clueless,

"What's tomorrow?" He asked.

"It's Saturday, the team usually tries to do something together. Last week we went to the movies...I think we're going to hang out at the diner and then go skating. It would be a good practice for you..." I said making it more appealing.

"Nah, I'm not really into that..." He said as we turned onto my street.

"Come on...It'll be fun..." I begged him a little, putting on my best pout face.

"Nah, I really can't..." He said leading me to my front door and stopping.

"Fulton, come on..." I whispered, leaning into him a little.

"Look, Tammy. I can't, alright." He said turning to walk away,

"Well, why not?" I asked a little depressed and confused.

"I...I can't afford it..." He said beginning to walk away again.

"Fulton!" I called as he turned. I walked out to him just beyond my gate. He was still in my walkway. "We're just gonna go for some sodas...We're not eating there...Come on, let me buy you a soda..." I said as he looked away,

"No...I don't want you paying for me..."He said not looking at me in shame.

"I'm not paying for you...I'm buying a soda to welcome a friend to the team..." I said with a smile. I looked back at me and smiled a little, the first one I saw from him.

"Okay, I guess..." He finally gave in, deep down he wanted to be included too.

"You're going to go?" I asked happy.

"Yes, I'll meet you there...What time?" He asked.

"1..." I said as he nodded.

"I'll be there.." He said before walking away, this time not turning around. I smiled widely, skipping up the walkway into the house with a light step. I opened the for to the warm house and closed it quietly, beginning to creep up the stairs.

"Where were you?" was the first question out of my mother's mouth the moment the door shut. I turned knowing I was in for it.

"The park..." I said as my Mother's face calmed.

"Skating?" she asked, I shook my head yes.

"Well, you shouldn't scare us like that.." She said touching her chest.

"I told Tommy.." I said low.

"Well, he just told us you went running off..." She said as I shook my head a little mad at my brother.

"Figures.." I said heading towards the stairs.

"Who was that, that walked you home?" My Mother asked. I stopped, turning on the bottom step, here we go...I thought in my mind.

"Fulton.." I said calmly.

"How old is he?"

"My age..." I was confused at the question.

"He looks like he's in high school.." My Mother said a little accusingly, "How do you know him?"

"Hockey...What is this the CIA?" I asked. Her face calmed again and she reached her hand out to me,

"Tammy, I just don't want a boy getting in the way of everything we've worked for...It's bad enough I have to deal with this hockey business..." She said low as Tommy walked passed me up the stairs with his headphones on.

"I know, Mom...It's not like that...I know.. No boyfriends.." I said as she smiled.

"I'm sorry, honey, about before...I just was worried about you." She said rubbing my arm.

"I'm fine.." I said heading to my room, the stairs creaking on my way.

"Okay, goodnight...Don't forget we have a 5am practice..." She called up the stairs as I shut my door.

"Yeah, I remember." I sighed flopping down on my bed and letting all the air leave me lungs.