Hey Kiddies hope you like what I got so far.

Pip-thanks for the mega reviews you rock! I'm not trying to make Portman sound like desperate really i'm going for determined to win the bet...more about the bet to come in next two chapters..a long with some big time game drama! YAY!

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Chapter 8

Progress Reports and The Practice To Change All Practices

The next day really seemed a blurr. Everyone was in a rush to get their progress reports and excited for the JV's first game the next day. Lunch whizzed by fastly as the Ducks sat together. Charlie was busy talking to Connie and Guy when he noticed them walk in.

"Guys look it's Fulton and Joe," he pointed to the door. Fulton and Joe walked smiling and laughing.

"Are they?" Connie perked up smiling.

"Yea they're together, at least I think," Julie shrugged as she sat down next to Connie. Adam sat next to her smirking slightly.

"Wow," was all Luis could say. Russ and Averman smirked slightly,

"Aww it's a Bash Brother Couple, " Averman laughed as they headed up to the table.

"Bite me Averman," Joe rolled her eyes laughing. She could barely stop smiling all day. It seemed weird but it felt good. She and Fulton had talked most of the night, getting to know eachother better.

"Where's Portman?" Fulton asked looking around a bit confused.

"If you must know he doesn't want to talk to either of you," Eric Riley came up behind them smirking slightly.

"Oh look what crawled up from under his rock," Goldberg laughed.

"Uh what did I do?" Fulton looked a bit confused. They saw in the corner of the lunch room Tyler and Portman were sitting with some of the other metal heads.

"How about taking your best friend's girl?" Cole came up next to Eric snickering. Joe looked to Fulton concerned then to the table Portman and Tyler were at.

"Thought I'd have to say he didn't lose out, shes not that great of a catch," Eric snickered as he winked over at Julie slyly.

"Why don't you two idiots butt out of my buisness, I don't believe we asked for your damn opinions," she hissed looking at them both.

"Whatever, lets leave these losers to their pit ofdispair," Eric rolled his eyes and motioned for Cole to follow him as he headed to thetable where his cousin sat.

"I'm begining to question his sexuality you know, he does have a lisp," Averman tried making a joke. But Joe was not there, she wasn't hearing it. She felt like crap right now. Maybe it was her fault, maybe she didn't make it clear enough to Portman. Joe sighed as she sat there deep in thought.

AT TYLER'S AND PORTMAN'S TABLE

"So how long are you going to avoid them?" Tyler asked looking to his friend.

"Long enough for me to cool down," he looked to his lunch," you know that it's a ploy right. Why Eric told us was trying to make us all get in to a fight. And I don't want that."

"I know dude, but it's kind of working. I mean we're all the way over here and you haven't said a word to Fulton all day," Tyler looked to see Fulton and Joe sitting down. Fulton had his arm around her, but Joe seemed to be somewhere else.

"Dude, it's just, I dunno. I'm fine, it was just a bet anyway you know," he shrugged getting up to throw away his lunch.

Joe got up from her table when she saw Portman get up, she quickly made her way across the lunchroom.

"Hey Portman," she called up as she came close to Dean. Dean turned around looking to her.

"Taylor," he nodded.

"Don't be pissed at Fulton," she looked to him concerned.

"I'm not," he put his hands in his pocket then looked at her.

"Good, cause I don't want me to break your friendship up you know. And I'm sorry that you know the stuff with me you just wasn't going to..." she started.

"I know Joe, it's no hard feelings really," he cut her off as he exited the lunch room.

"Well that went reasonably well," she rolled her eyes.

"Hey J, he's fine, he's not used to not winning at stuff," Tyler shrugged standing next to his sister. Joe arched a brow.

"Winning at stuff?" she looked sternly at her twin. Tyler went wide eyed.

"Uh...like I mean..uh I'm late for class, later!" Tyler quietly ran out of the lunch room dodging his sister.

"I'll find out you know!" she called after him rolling her eyes as she began to walk back to the Duck's table.She didn't even look twice when she went by the varsity table until she felt it. Someone smacked her ass, she stopped in her steps and turned around looking to Rick, Cole, Eric, and Scooter.

"Which one of you creeps did that!" she exclaimed banging her hands on the table. They looked at her a bit suprised but Rick was the only one maintaining a cool look on his face.

"Well I just wanted a peice of the action, seeing as you must be hot stuff for even Duck members to be running a bet on you," Rick snickered as he stared at her. Joe stood upright clenching her fist looking at him as she crossed her arms.

"What do you mean by that Riley?" she scowled.

"What I mean Princess is your own teammates, and brother made a bet on your ass. To see if they can land you first. Looks like Portman lost and Reed won," he laughed standing up staring down at her. Joe stopped her eyes narrowing as she looked down.

"A bet huh," she grumbled. She looked to the other varsity members.

"He's right Taylor, I heard it to," Scooter answered reluctantly.

She turned tail walking to the Ducks table her eyes alive with fire.

"Which one of you knew about it," she demanded looking to them all. Everyone jumped slightly starring at her slightly confused to what was going on.

"About what?" Fulton looked confusedly at Joe as he reached to touch her arm. She jerked it back looking to him.

"Oh give me a break Reed," she rolled her eyes picking up her messenger bag, "I'm not a damned prize so you all know. So you can take your damned bet and shove it up your ass!"

"Joe what's wrong?" asked Julie looking concerned.

"I should of never agreed to be on your damned team in the first place," she scowled as she left storming out of the mess hall. The ducks still sat there looking confused. Fulton hung his head not saying anything. Charlie sighed as Banks looked to Charlie.

"I thought they were joking.." Charlie said.

"Apparently not," Adam looked to Julie.

"What's going on y'all?" Dwayne looked utterly lost.

"I think the Ducks are in for a long ride," Riley laughed saying loudly. As he walked by the team snickering.

"Hey Reed, good luck on getting your girl back," Cole laughed.

"Yea boys, before you know it, she won't want to play for you losers anymore, she'll be playing for us!" Eric snickered. With that the varisty team started to walk off down the hall. They were heading to meet Coach Wilson, who had called an emergency meeting.

"Umm Houston we have a problem.." Averman finally broke the silence.

HOMEROOM

SOPHMORE WING TWO

LAST NAMES M-T

3:00 PM

"Students as you receive your copies of your progress reports you are asked to please make sure they are signed by your legal gardens and returned to me within a week," Mrs Johnson their home room teacher explained as she handed out the progress reports. Joe sat in the front of the class by herself sighing as she got hers. She closed her eyes and opened it, then sighed with relief.

Dear Josephine Taylor,

We are excited to inform you that your current grades well have you on the track to high honor classes. Please keep up the good work. Also furthermore, we are interested in having a meeting with you, Coach Orion, Coach Wilson and I to discuss you academic and sports career here at Eden Hall. Please be at my officeFriday 10:00amsharp. Formal attire is required.

Advanced Chem: A-

Algebra II: A

English Lit II: A +

American History II: B+

Home Economics: A

Music Theory: A+

Gym: A+

Joe read and re read both her grades and the letter. She stared at the signature of Dean Buckley at the bottom, she smiled slightly as she stood up. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all she thought. She shrugged it off as the bell rang and she stood, walking past her brother, Fulton and Portman in a flash. She didn't look back as she rushed to the hallway to her room. She finally got in there and jumped for joy.

"YES!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa there Joe, what's the occasion?" asked Julie as she looked up. Joe turned to see her roommate, Charlie and Adam sitting there.

"Oh hey," she smiled as she put down her bag and sitting on her bed.

"You're in better spirits, do you want to discuss what happened at lunch now?" asked Charlie looking to her. Joe bit her lip a bit then looked at Charlie.

"Charlie did you know that Portman, Fulton and Taylor had a bet going on about me and Julie?" she asked. Charlie flinched a bit, he had hoped that in fact the whole bet thing had just kind of been a rumor.

"I don't really know, I heard something but I didn't think it was true," he said as he came over and sat next to Joe. She just nodded,

"I dunno, but I'm staying clear of those three for a bit, I know probably you all didn't have part of it. But I'm still not so keen on things right now. Right now I just want to be on the ice and have a good practice." She stood up grabbing her gear as she headed to the door her progress report still in hand.

"Ok, then lets go," Charlie said following her out. Julie and Adam were still a bit confused but didn't say much as they stayed behind. Joe could hear Julie asking Adam a million questions a minute about the bet.

THE ICE RINK

4:45 pm

"I trust you all already know, that some of you didn't make the grades so far," Orion started looking to the team who was sitting on the bench. He nodded as Coach Wilson entered the rink heading towards them.

"Coach Wilson has agreed to help us with tonight's practice, while I talk to some of you students," Coach Orion nodded, " Luis, Dean, and Tyler, I want you in my office in five minutes." He headed towards Wilson to talk to him a minute. There was whispering on the bench. But some already knew that those three hadn't made the grades. They weren't quite sure what was going on or the consiquences but they didn't htink much of it. Wilson blew his whistle and they were on the ice doing sprints.

Joe was enjoying the good work out, sometimes to get out frustration some good old excerise seemed to melt away frustration. They were runningpuck handling drills when Wilson called her over.

"Taylor, front and center," he blew his whistle, " Wu take her place." Kenny skated out taking her place in line from where he had been doing sprints on the side. Joe took off her helmet and skated to Wilson.

"Yes Coach," she breathed in deeply wipping some sweat from her forhead.

"I like your style Taylor, you're one of the best I've seen. With work you can be better," he nodded looking to her then motioned for her to follow him. She skated after him to the side. He leaned against it looking to her.

"Taylor, I already talked to Dean Buckley, the meeting we're having friday, is to see about placing you on Varsity. I've been scouting your practices and I'll be at your game tomorrow. To make sure I think you're varsity material. But if I am correct and your game holds out tomorrow, I'm going to open up the oppurtunity to you," he nodded looking to the rest of the team hard at work.

Charlie looked up watching Wilson talk to Joe.

"What is he saying over there?" he asked looking to Adam.

"Dunno," he shrugged out of breath as they kept running the drill.

Joe nodded slightly,

"Well thank you sir." She nodded. The oppurtunity to play on Varsity sounded tempting but she wasn't all too sure. She had heard horror stories from Adam about varsity. And well Rick Riley was on the team, and she didn't seem too keen on being on the team with that jerk. She shook it off and went back to practice.

The Locker Room

6:30pm

Fulton sat on the bench sighing, he watched as most of the people filed out. Joe hadn't spoken to him since earlier that day. He waited for Tyler and Dean to get done. When they finally walked in he arched a brow,

"Are you guys ok?"

"No," Dean slumped on the bench," It's just not my day or week."

"Ha, you're kidding me right, not mine either!" Tyler groaned.

"We're benched and being set up with tutors," Luis threw his pads in his locker. Fulton nodded,

"That sucks."

"Yup it does, lucky for you, you had a tutor," Portman snorted as he started to take off his gear.

"Yea, I guess," Fulton shrugged starting to leave. He stopped turning to his friend.

"Are you going to stay mad at me forever?" he asked looking at Portman. Dean turned looking to his friend.

"I'm not mad dude, I was at first but I'm not now. Not about that, I'm pissed about my grades," he grumbled. Fulton nodded,

"Ok, well umm, not to sound like too self righteous, you and Tyler need to talk to Julie and Joe, they're upset about the bet thing. And you put me in hot water." Fulton looked to his friend. Tyler nodded,

"No problems, we're going to take care of it."

"Yea Fulton, I'll help you win back Joe," Portman nodded, "I have more free times on my hand." Fulton turned to leave and stopped looking back to his friends,

"Hey Portman, just talk to her okay, no sonets from Kenny anymore. She hates them."

Portman laughed, " Man and all along I thought she liked them."

Finally in Bash brother world, there was going to be peace...well for a little bit anyway.