"Ducks I would like you all to meet Mallory Jones, Mallory why don't you tell us a little bit about you then we can all do the same"
"great more get to know ya games, I thought we stopped those in 3rd grade"
"that's enough Averman, go ahead Mallory" Bombay ordered.
Mallory opened her mouth to begin, but the voice that came out wasn't hers.
"well first off she goes by MJ, her favorite colors are pink and green, she started playing hockey when she was five because her best friend told her she couldn't, and she got taken out of her first game because she kicked the ref, she's extremely outspoken and has a bit of a temper"
"Portman , is there something I should know" Bombay questioned.
"oh yes there is , Dean Portman, he's been 6'3 since he was 15, his favorite colors are obviously black but also red, he started playing when he was five because his best friend said she thought it was cute, he got thrown out of his first game because she was thrown out and he didn't want her to be alone so he punched the other team's goalie, and the funniest thing about him is his middle name Auve.."
She was once again cut off this time by Portman's hand slamming across her mouth.
"OK that's enough, Coach could you just excuse us for one minute" Portman asked halfway out the door.
Bombay waved them off.
"Not that I don't love getting dragged around by you ,but whats the big idea"
"the big idea? THE BIG IDEA? I haven't heard from you in four years and your asking me what the big idea is, whats your big idea, you have been in Minnesota about a million times in the past four years for all your hockey promotion crap and you couldn't stop by to see one game, or get one burger, and then to top it all off you just ditched the Olympics you know what kind of strings had to be pulled to get into that I mean come on babe you're a chick"
"No shit Sherlock, I hadn't noticed the giant things attached to my chest."
"you know what I mean" he sighed frustrated and sat down against a tree
"yea well it's been nice getting bitched at but we have practice so lets go"
"yea, whatever" Dean muttered as he followed her back to the rink.
MJ had to be one of the most talented female hockey players that any of the ducks including Bombay had ever seen, but it wasn't her hockey skills that had Bombay taking notice.
"MJ, come to my office after you get changed" Bombay bellowed across the ice.
A little while later there was a knock on Bombay's door.
"come in"
"hey coach , whats up"
"MJ, I'm concerned about you"
"why, I thought I did pretty good today" she sat down confused.
"not about your game, about what happened between you and Portman today, I didn't know that you two had a past, I'd like to know about this past if you don't mind."
"well I guess that's fair enough, its not like we were a couple or anything, we were best friends growing up he lived next door to me, we played hockey together , went to school together , everything and now hes mad at me because I convinced him to leave four years ago and come here and he thinks that I don't care anymore because he never saw me visit, he just doesn't know" she explained.
"Portman never struck me as the type of person to get attached to people"
MJ chuckled slightly.
"you'd be surprised, Dean takes his relationships with people very seriously, he's very cautious of who he trusts, and once he does trust you he expects the same loyalty he gives you, he's an amazing friend , he comes off as some big goon I know but it's just because he's so protective of himself and the people close to him , and that why he's so angry he thinks I betrayed him."
"lovely another tricky relationship to deal with , I thought it was over when Connie got sent to boarding school"
"sorry Coach, but I can promise that it wont interfere with either of our games, we're too stubborn for that, it'll get fixed don't you worry" MJ smiled and got up to leave.
"make sure it gets resolved soon, because I think your wrong about it not interfering with your games, I can already tell it's going to , your different"
She nodded, she knew he was right.
"later coach" she closed the door behind her and walked to her new dorm room.
MJ walked into the bland room and sighed.
"I really love what they've done with the place, I gave up the Olympics for this oy vey"
"You could say that again"
MJ quickly spun around, "what, oh hey Charlie"
"hey , how goes it, unpacking I mean"
"just great, its strange unpacking I guess I got used to living out of a suitcase" she shrugged.
"yea but its gotta be nice to have a place to call home" he suggested.
"yea but its only gonna last for a year, then I'll be off doing God knows what again, but for the time being yea its nice, coulda lived with a happier welcome but you take what you can get" she replied.
"yea don't mind Portman he gets a little heated but he usually cools down in a day or two"
"ya know people keep telling me that, but I'm afraid this time may be different"
"It really irritates me when I'm pissed at you and you still know me better than anyone else in the world"
MJ looked up, and wasn't disappointed in who she saw.
"Charlie you think you could get lost for a while"
"you've got a real charm to ya Portman" Charlie laughed as he walked out the door.
"yea yea good bye" Portman said sarcastically as he closed the door.
"so what do you want" MJ asked cautiously.
"not sure, an explanation maybe" Portman replied.
"explanation for what? You made it pretty clear that your pissed at me, and your not going to listen to a thing I say until you cool off"
"damn it you have got to stop doing that" Portman cursed.
"doing what"
"knowing me so well, it really is getting to me"
"well excuse me, I just cant seem to ignore that many years of friendship"
"yea, c'mon lets go get some food, food always makes me happier, but I suppose you knew that too".
"well word on the street is that I am a genius" she scoffed
