Chapter Five:

And You Shall Be Smiten

Later that day practice seemed to drag on. Portman was chatting up with Ty on the bench, while Joe was somewhat quiet watching the team play intently.

"Kills you not to be on the ice doesn't it," Fulton asked looking at her. Joe snapped out of her gaze and looked to him smiling slightly.

"Yea, I live for this," she whispered.

"We all do," he nodded. He looked to her again starring at her beauty.

"How was the Olympics?" she looked to him, he snapped his gaze back to the ice.

"Good, we won, beat Iceland," he nodded.

"I know that, I mean playing on that rink?" she asked.

"Great, felt incredible.." he smiled. He watched her as she nodded staring at her wrist. She pulled up the wrist band she had on to reveal a long jagged scar on the backside.

"This is what kept me out of the Olympics," she traced the scar, "otherwise the Italy team would have actually been good." Fulton reached out patting Joe on the shoulder.

"Is that from surgery?" he asked.

"Yea three surgeries to actually reconstruct the tenants, I wasn't expected to fully have movement in my wrist or my hand, but I did." She nodded. The whistle blew and Orion called them in.

"Take a knee, hey bench warmers over here!" he called, motioning for them to take the ice. The four took the ice taking a knee.

"This year is going to be harder, we have more at stake," he nodded, "I invited two new players because the scholarships guidelines are getting more in depth. They have declared you all must have above a C average, if you hit a C average you will be benched and provided with tutors. They're expecting your academics to match your hockey and if you can not cut it, you will be asked to leave." Orion looked around. There were some groans and mumbles of obscenities.

"We will have practice tomorrow same time, until go to your dorms and study, I will not have the administration taking away any of my players this year," he nodded then blew his whistle for signal for them to go on their way.

In The Dorms…

Julie was helping Joe set up her side of the room. She admired all the medals that Joe was lining up on her bureau.

"Wow you must have been really good," Julie traced one of Joe's European Champion medals. Joe looked to Julie and nodded,

"I used to be the fastest in Italy." Joe sat on her bed taking off her shoes and slipping them under her bed.

"How long did you live in Italy?" Julie asked sitting in the chair next to Joe's bed.

"Six years, ever since my father got transferred," Joe nodded as she sat cross legged starring at Julie. Julie focused on a picture on the night stand next to Joe, it showed a younger Joe and Tyler with a man dressed in Navy whites and a beautiful woman with long red hair.

"You're family?" Julie asked as she touched the picture frame.

"That was taken right before we transferred; it's the last picture of the family together. Right before the…" Joe stopped realizing what she was going to say, she bit her lip.

"It was before what?" Julie looked to her with a concerned expression.

"It was before my mom died. She died the night before we were going to the Olympics. Everyone says I didn't play because of my wrist, but that's not really the truth, I sprained my own wrist in the car accident after I found out about my mom." Joe said, "I could of made it in to the end of the season, but I didn't want to play." Tears were coming down Joes' cheeks Julie sat next to Joe and put an arm around here.

"It's ok Joey, look I'm here for you I'm you're roomy that's what roomies are for, to be there for each other. And especially the Ducks, we are the most tight knit group you'll ever met." She reached up wiping a tear from Joe's eye. Joe smiled a bit.

"I know, just is weird playing again, I wasn't intending on playing, I was just intending surviving the rest of my high school career," Joe bit her lip.

"Well lucky for you then, I mean high school is when most of the greatest hockey players get their scholarships to choice colleges," Julie rubbed her shoulder. Joe just nodded. She stood up going to the rest room to wash her face. Just then there was a knock on the door. Julie went to get to see Portman, Tyler, and Reed at the door.

"Hey Cat Lady nice spread," Portman smirked as he pushed past her.

"Why Hello Portman, yes please do come in," she rolled her eyes.

"Where's my sister! Joe get your sorry butt out here," Tyler called pouncing on her bed.

"Wow that's a lot of medals," Fulton stared at all of Joe's medals.

"Yea my sister has the rep of a good player, the team captain. Blah, blah, blah. You see what I mean by mutant…"Tyler did a funny face and rolled his eyes.

"Mutant am I? Funny Ty Ty, at least I wasn't mutated from the most low flesh eating fungus on the planet," Joe said as she came out of the bathroom, "get off my bed I just made it." Portman stiffed a laugh and looked to Julie.

"So this is where the Cat Lady dwells, nice, didn't know you were so neat," he reached picking up one of Julie's perfumes and sniffing it.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't go through my stuff Portman!" she scowled grabbing it from him.

"So curious minds would like to know, why are you three invading the girls dormitory?" Joe arched a brow sitting on Tyler's legs on her bed.

"Ow… Joe you weigh a ton!" he groaned.

"No I don't, I weigh less than you!" she exclaimed. She smacked him on the chest.

"Ok save the sibling rivalry," Portman nodded, "we came to see if you ladies would enjoy some escorts out for the evening."

"Out where?" Julie asked.

"Eh pizza and a movie?" Tyler nodded smiling at Julie. Joe was staring at Fulton who was quiet she studied his expressions staring at his eyes. Wow, he's really cute…oh what am I thinking… Joe thought to herself.

"So you in Taylor?" Portman asked looking to Joe.

"Sure why not," Joe nodded standing up.

"Good," Portman had an evil smirk on his face.

"Meet us there in a half hour," Tyler nodded and with that the three boys exited the room.

"What's up with that?" Joe asked looking to Julie.

"Well I think Portman has either got an evil plan up his sleeves or he's got the hots for you," Julie shrugged. Joe looked at Julie and rolled her eyes.

"I don't date, I don't enjoy involving myself with the neanderthalic teenage race," she picked up her leather jacket and put it on.

"Although Fulton was being unusually quiet," Julie smiled at Joe, " and I noticed you were doing some starring at him too."

"Uh……darn it I've been caught," Joe laughed.

"Your secret is safe with me Joe, no worries," Julie nodded as she grabbed her jacket too.