A/N: The words that Gunnar's Father says about America, is not what the authors think about America.
Chapter 29—Gunnar you are an Assistant Captain?
Gunnar's POV
Vith that Coach left the room, "I don't vant vou to go," I said.
"I don't want to go either, but Dad is right, we will have plenty of time to cuddle later and I think that I am going to stay at the house every night next week. Maybe we can sleep in the same room together," Adam said.
"That vould be nice," I said.
Ve quickly packed up Adam's books and I handed him my papers to give to the teachers on Monday.
"What's this for?" Adam asked.
"In case I don't see vou before Monday," I said.
"Oh right. I love you," Adam said.
"Me too," I said.
Ve kissed and then slowly broke apart, "I will see you Monday after practice," Adam said.
"Bye," I said.
I laid down and cried myself back to sleep, I don't know how long I vas asleep vhen I vas shaken awake by my father.
"GUNNAR GET UP, GET DRESSED. WE ARE LEAVING," Father said.
"Vhy, ve are not going back to ÍSLAND now are ve?" I asked.
"NO, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A HOCKEY GAME. DON'T YOU WANT TO GO?" Father said.
"Veah, I do, can I?" I asked.
"CAN I?" Father repeated back.
"I mean, may I?" I asked.
"YES, LUCKY FOR YOU DRAUPNIR TALKED THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AWAY ABOUT WANTING TO GO AND SEE YOUR TEAM. I FINALLY GAVE IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES AGO. THAT BUMBLING DRIVER IS DOWNSTAIRS WAITING FOR US," Father said.
"Vou mean the guy vhat Coach and Adam vere valking voo?" I asked.
"YES, GET UP AND GET DRESSED GUNNAR!" Father said and then he left the room.
I quickly picked up the clothes that I vore to the hotel from the hospital, vhen I came outside of my room, I said; "I am ready."
"SHOULD YOU NOT WEAR SOMETHING NICER THAN THOSE GOD-AWFUL SWEATS," Father said.
I rolled my eyes again before I said, "Father it's a game, not a business meeting." My father vas vearing a different suit than vhat he had on this morning.
"YOU MUST ALWAYS PRESENT YOUR BEST TO THE PUBLIC," Father said.
I rolled my eyes again, before I said; "Vhatever."
Vhen we got down to the limo I asked, "Vewis is vhere anyway ve can go to the boys dorm vefore going to the Ice Arena?"
"Yes, we can sir," Lewis said.
"Thank you," I said.
Vhen we got to Eden Hall Father noticed that ve vere driving right by the arena. I knew that the JV game vas going on, because the parking lot vas semi full. Father rolled down the window that separated the back of the limo from the front and said, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING YOU BUMBLING IDIOT?"
"I apologize sir, but young Gunnar," Lewis started to say and then I interrupted him.
"I asked vhe driver if ve could swing by my dorm. I need to pick up my school identification, so I van get into the game," I said.
"OH, I SEE," Father said.
"Here we are boys' dormitory," Lewis said.
"I vill be right back," I said.
"GUNNAR DO YOU NEED ME TO GO UP WITH YOU?" Father asked.
"No, I vill be fine," I said quickly.
"HMM, I WANTED TO SEE WHAT KIND OF SET UP THEY HAVE MY BOY IN. I NEED TO SEE WHAT I AM PAYING FOR," Father said.
"NO! I mean no, Adam vis kind of messy and I have no idea vhat kind of shape vhe room is in, vou can see it some other vime," I said.
"GOOD LIKE TOMORROW BEFORE THE SUPPER," Father said.
"Supper?" I asked.
"YES, REMEMBER YOUR HOST FAMILY INVITED ME TO JOIN THEM FOR SUPPER TOMORROW NIGHT, BEFORE I LEAVE FOR ÍSLAND ON MONDAY," Father said.
"Right, Okay I vill be back," I said as I got out of the car. I knew I vas in deep shit because of the vay the room was put together and I didn't know how I was going to tell Adam. I got upstairs and saw that my room vas pretty much the same as it vas before I left it, except the bed vas unmade, but that vas okay, ve vere going to have to separate the beds somehow anyway. I vasn't exactly sure how I was going to tell Adam. I quickly grabbed my identification and 20 dollars American, just in case.
"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?" Father said as I climbed back into the limo.
"It vook me a minute to find some money," I said.
"OH.' Father said and then turned to Lewis, "GO YOU BUMBLING IDIOT!"
"Yes sir," Lewis said.
We pulled up to the Ice Arena and I could already tell the fans were getting pumped up for the game against the Duluth East High Greyhounds.
"QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!" some of the fans said as they vere heading to the Arena.
I vas patiently vaiting our turn in line with Father and Draupnir. Vhen it vas our turn, I vas greeted with, "Hey Gunnar. How are you feeling? We missed you this week." from one of my musical classmates, Beth.
"Fine Beth and vourself?" I asked.
"Good, when are you coming back to school?" Beth asked.
"Hopefully next veek," I said.
"GUNNAR THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING!" Father said.
"Right there will be 3 of us," I said.
"HOW MUCH?" Father said.
"Well Gunnar is free because he has his student ID, for you two it will be ten dollars," Beth said.
"TEN DOLLARS TO GET IN THAT IS RIDICULOUS!" Father said.
"Father enough,' I said to him and then I turned to Beth, 'I am sorry Beth."
"Don't worry about it Gunnar," Beth said. Then she vas handed a 1,000 ISK Bill, Three 100 ISK coins, three 10 ISK coins and Two 1 ISK coins.
"Father honestly," I said.
"What the hell is this?" Beth asked.
"WHAT THAT IS 1,332 ISK!" Father said.
"We don't accept ISK, American Please," Beth said.
"THAT IS WORTH YOUR 10 DOLLARS IN AMERICAN!" Father said.
"Father enough, I got vou," I said as I pulled out my 20-dollar bill. Beth handed back Fathers money and accepted mine, she then grabbed my change.
"Thanks Gunnar and ten is your change. Have fun," Beth said.
"I vill Beth see vou," I said.
"Bye," Beth said.
"She was cute, Gunnar. You should ask her out," Draupnir said.
"She's a sophomore, vay too voung for me," I said.
"What's a sophomore?" Draupnir asked.
"I mean she is in the 11th vear, and I am in the 13th vear, too voung," I said.
"Oh," Draupnir said.
"GUNNAR THAT WAS EMBARRASSING!" Father said.
"It's okay vou can pay me back at the hotel," I said.
Ve grabbed a program on the vay into the rink that had listed all of the Ducks and Greyhounds Varsity on one side, JV on the other. The band vas getting varmed up. The Ducks vere on the ice varming up too; it was only a few minutes before each of the teams vent back into the locker room for last minute instruction, before hitting the ice for the national anthem and the game. I knew I had about 10 minutes to grab food from the concession stand, before the game started.
"I vill be right back," I said.
"GUNNAR, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Father said.
"Food, I'm hungry," I said.
I vas greeted by other students vhile vaiting in line to order food, vhich I got nachos with cheese and Jalapeño peppers and a hot dog with coke.
"DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH FOOD?" Father asked upon my return.
"I thought that vou vould like to try some," I said.
"I ÍSLENDINGA I DON'T EAT AMERÍSKUR JUNK FOOD. I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET YOU BACK TO ÍSLAND," Father said.
"Hopefully I von't be coming back," I said under my breath.
"WHAT WAS THAT GUNNAR?" Father said.
"Nothing," I said.
"Could I try some?" Draupnir asked.
"Vah, sure," I said.
After several minutes of silence and eating with Draupnir he said, "Those chips are good, what are they called again?"
"They are called nachos vith cheese and Jalapeño peppers," I said.
"Yeah, I think that I will skip the peppers next time," Draupnir said.
I started to unroll my hotdog when I heard, "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK" coming from the locker room then the band started to play the school song, The Mighty Ducks I started to sing along:
We are The Mighty Ducks
The Mighty Ducks
We are the best We will fight
Bring the victory tonight
No one can ever bring us down
We will fight, we will win
No one can ever stop us now
Cause we are the Mighty Ducks
The Mighty Ducks
We will fight
Bring the victory tonight
"GUNNAR WE ARE ÍSLENDINGAR WE DON'T SING!" Father yelled at me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Y-E-L-L EVERYBODY YELL,
EVERYBODY YELL
GO BIG RED ," yelled the Cheerleaders.
"GO BIG RED," yelled the people in the crowd.
"Y-E-L-L EVERYBODY YELL,
EVERYBODY YELL
GO BIG RED," yelled the Cheerleaders.
"GO BIG RED," yelled the people in the crowd.
"Y-E-L-L EVERYBODY YELL,
EVERYBODY YELL
GO BIG RED," yelled the Cheerleaders.
"GO BIG RED," yelled the people in the crowd.
"Y-E-L-L EVERYBODY YELL,
EVERYBODY YELL
GO BIG RED" yelled the Cheerleaders.
"GO BIG RED," yelled the people in the crowd.
"GO DUCKS!" yelled the cheerleaders.
"Those are some high kicks, I will bet you can get with any one of those girls," Draupnir said.
"MY SON IS NOT MARRYING AN AMERICAN," Father said. Again, I rolled my eyes at him, actually at both of them. They really had no idea vhat I vas planning to do. As soon as I turned eighteen, assuming that it vould be ever legal.
"Would you all please rise and remove your hats as the Eden Hall Choir presents our national anthem," said the freshman Jack Christian, who vook over for Josh Salisbury because he graduated last year.
I stood up as vell as Draupnir, I looked at my father vho had his arms across his chest, "Pabbi get up," I said.
"I WILL GET UP FOR ÍSLAND NATIONAL ANTHEM, NOT FOR THIS COUNTRY," Father said.
I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes at him again.
"I will just stand," Draupnir said. I smiled at him and then I started to sing quietly:
"Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
"AMERICANS ARE IDIOTS, DO NOT EVEN MENTION GOD!" Father said. Again, I rolled my eyes at him.
"And now Ladies and Gentlemen your 1999-2000 Varsity Mighty Ducks Starting lineup; in Goal Julie "The Cat" Gaffney, the left-wing Connie, "The Velvet Hammer," Moreau. In center your Captain, Adam "Banksie" Bombay, On the right-wing Isabella "Ace" Banks-Bombay. On Defense are "The Bash Brothers," Dean Portman and Fulton Reed!" said Jack over the PA System.
"Your coach is right there are girls on the team," Draupnir said.
"GIRLS ON THE TEAM THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN ÍSLAND," Father said, again I rolled my eyes.
"QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! GO DUCKS!" The team started and the crowd including I and Draupnir quickly joined in. My Father rolled his eyes and then stared at his paper.
As vhe first period got under way, I unrolled my hot dog, fixed my ketchup on it and started to bite into it vhen I heard "GUNNAR," from my father.
"Vhat?" I asked in mid bite.
"WHY ARE YOU NUMBER 89 INSTEAD OF 9?" My father asked.
"Because number 9 was important to Jesse, so I gave it to him and chose another number," I said.
Truth be told I never liked the number 9, but it vas given to me by Coach Stansson, I had always been a higher number on my junior league clubs. Coach Stansson said that having number 9 vould guarantee me a shot at the Pros.
{Flashback April 13th, 1993}
I vas the youngest on team Iceland, with my best friend Olaf Sandersson about 7 months older than me. That vas the day that we got our jerseys for team Ísland. I knocked on the door to Coach's office.
"Yeah, come in," Coach Stansson said.
"Uh Coach vbout my jersey number," I said.
"What about it?" Coach Stansson said.
"Vell, I never had such a low number before, I don't feel vorthy of the number," I said.
I knew a simple fact from my older cousins the lower the number, the better the player. And I didn't think that I vas that great.
"Gunnar sit down," Coach Stansson said as he closed the door to his office, and I sat down.
"Why don't you feel worthy of the number nine?" Coach Stansson said.
"Because I don't feel vhat I am vhat great. I vhink vhere are guys vhat are on the veam like Tandrisson that deserve a lower number," I said.
"Yeah, probably but they don't have the heart that you do Gunnar. You want to play Hockey in the NHL one day, right? Like your ole coach?" Coach Stansson said.
"Veah, I suppose so," I said.
"Well with you being number 9 you will have more ice time and that will get the scouts to notice you. So that one day you can go to the NHL. It just about guarantees you in the pros," Coach Stansson said.
"It does?" I asked.
"Of course, you are going to have to work hard at it, to get noticed. Gunnar are you willing to work hard?" Coach Stansson asked.
"I understand, vill vou help me?" I asked.
"Yes, see you at 5:00 am for practice," Coach Stansson said.
"Thanks Coach," I said as I got up and valked out of his office.
Mother and Tóbías vere not very happy vith having to get up extra early to drive me to the rink from the next day until July 12th, the day that ve left for America and the Junior Goodwill Games. Mother vasn't especially happy that I had to miss church each Sunday to vork on my hockey skills. But that hard vork paid off, I vas the leading scorer at the Junior Goodwill Games only to be stopped by Julie. It also got me to Eden Hall and a scholarship to Minnesota.
{End of Flashback}
"What does all the A's mean next to each name?" Draupnir asked.
I looked down through the list and saw:
1999-2000 Eden Hall Varsity Mighty Ducks
00- Guy Germaine (A)
4- Les Averman (A)
6- Julie Gaffney (A) Starter
7- Dwayne Robertson (A)
9- Jessie Hall (A)
16- Ken Wu (A)
18- Connie Moreau (A) Starter
21- Dean Portman (A) Starter
22- Luis Mendoza (A)
25- Aaron Vandertuig
33- Gregory Goldberg (A)
39- Thomas Simmons
42- Jeremy Wofford
44- Fulton Reed (A) Starter
53- Caleb Erpelding
56- Russ Tyler (A)
61- Cody Hoegh
63- Isabella Banks-Bombay (A) Starter
73- Aaron Hadenfeldt
84- Paul Andrews
89- Gunnar Stahl (A)
96- Charlie Conway (A)
99- Adam Bombay (C) Starter
Captain: Adam Banks
Coaches: Ted Orion and Gordon Bombay
"All the A's mean Assistant Captains," I said.
"You're an Assistant Captain," Draupnir said.
"I know," I said.
"That's a lot of Assistant Captains," Draupnir said.
"All of the seniors," I said as I smiled.
"That is cool," Draupnir said.
"HMM AMERICA'S ARE IDIOTS!" Father said I rolled my eyes at him.
After the game vhich the Ducks von 7-5, I vas proud of my team, I vanted to go down to the locker room and vish them congratulations vhen I heard, "GUNNAR LET'S GO!" from my father, again I rolled my eyes at him. I could not vait until he vas gone.
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