((Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the ducks. Not the movies' characters or the actual NHL team. Just the non-movie characters are mine. Halo is a song by Bethany Joy Lenz.))

A full twenty-four hours had passed since the "incident" and Julie and Adam had barely seen each other since. It was very easy for both of them to sit in their respective rooms all day. The only time they had to see each other was at dinner, when Julie, Adam, T.J., Phillip and Adam's mom, Clarisse sat down around the table. Adam and Julie were on opposite ends, not looking up from their plates. T.J. looked back and forth between them and laughed periodically. Phillip and Clarisse were sharing polite conversation, which was a load of crap. Their marriage was on the rocks and had been for some time, they were only putting up with each other to look good for Julie. Most of the time, one if not both of them were absent from dinner.
"So kids, how was your day?" Clarisse asked in between sips of wine.
"Fine, you know the same." Adam mumbled and took a large bite of his steak. For the next two minutes the only sound was of forks hitting plates or someone having a drink. Clarisse put down her fork and looked around at each member individually.
"Alright, will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?" T.J. suppressed a laugh and tilted his head down. "T.J.? Julie? Adam?"
"Uh," Adam coughed. "What do you mean Mom?"
"I mean it's like somebody died in here. Why in the hell is everyone so damn quiet?"
"Oh that's nothing, Mrs. Banks, really. It's just uh we're really nervous about school and uh, I don't know, just need to relax." Julie answered with a stammer.
"Of course, I mean it is only four days away." T.J. added still smirking.
"Can I please be excused?" Adam said while getting up.
"Sure Adam. Why don't we all leave? Looks like you guys were finished anyway." She got up and walked to the study, taking her wine glass with her. Adam sprinted up the stairs, followed by Julie two minutes later. T.J. retreated to his cloud of smoke in the garage.

Julie was lying on her bed, head dangling over the edge. She got up when Adam appeared in her doorway.
"Hey." She said and then pulled her hair into a ponytail.
"Hey. This came today." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Our schedules from school."
"I figured we'd have to stop avoiding each other sooner or later. I just didn't think you would come up with such a lame excuse."
"We weren't avoiding each other…much." Julie laughed and Adam smiled. "Okay so we were. Or at least I was, and I don't really know why."
"Oh so the whole us making out thing is totally cool and needs no explanation for you?" Julie asked with her eyebrows raised.
"Well I was cool with it." He said with a smirk. "But obviously I knew we would have to talk, and I guess I was kind of avoiding that."
"Why?" Adam sighed and put his hands in his pockets.
"Because I figured you would think it was a mistake."
"A mistake?"
"Well yeah. Or that I took advantage of you or something. And I want you to know that I would never do that to you. I don't want to let anything in the way of us being friends or with the team."
"How would you be taking advantage of me?"
"Well you just got out of a relationship, and you living here and the team and I dunno. It was messed up of me to just kiss you like that when you had broken up with your boyfriend the night before."
"Adam, stop. If anything I took advantage of you. Because if memory serves, I'm the one who kissed you, I'm the one who's been coming on to you, even before Dean and I broke up." Adam came over and sat next to her on the bed. "I don't want you to feel guilty about a kiss…or about liking me."
"Was I that obvious?"
"No, of course not." Julie burst into giggles. "Actually yeah, sorry. How long, Banksie?"
"Try forever." He said with a grin.
"Then why didn't you just ask me out?"
"Believe it or not but you're pretty intimidating. And besides, if I was obvious about liking you, then you were completely blatant about being into Dean."
"But why hide it for this long? And hey, you dated a few girls since Dean and I got together."
"I just hid it because I didn't understand it. And those girls were just girls."
"Oh and what am I? A guy?"
"No, you're Julie." Julie smiled.
"So how about we try that kiss again."
"What about--" Adam was cutoff when Julie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He brought his hands up and cradled her face, and she put her hands on his shoulders, feeling his tenseness ease in his muscles.
It is very hard to explain a kiss, but this one seemed perfect, to both of them. Adam was the one who finally broke the kiss, but didn't necessarily pull away from Julie. He gently tucked strands of hair behind her ear while she stared into his eyes.
"What are we doing, Julie?" He asked her, barely a whisper. She smiled meekly.
"I don't know." She answered in the same tone.
"There's no way we can turn back from this now."
"I know that. And I wouldn't want to anyway." Adam looked happily surprised. "I think I've always had feelings for you Adam, I just put them at the back of my mind and forgot them for a while."
"And what about…"
"I still have feelings for him too and I know that hurts for you to hear. I'm sorry. I really can't help what I feel." Adam nodded he knew exactly what that felt like.
"So what do we do about this? First of all the team doesn't even know about you and Dean breaking up, so how do you think they'd take us being together?" Julie sighed and stood up.
"Maybe we just keep it unofficial, and don't tell them."
"Unofficial?"
"Okay, as cold as this may sound, just hear me out." Adam nodded. Julie sat down on the window seat and looked into the glimmering water of the pool. "Yes, I just got out of a relationship, one that I'm not sure I even wanted to end. If the two of us got into a relationship right now, you would be a rebound for me, and I don't want that. I'm living in a different place away from my home, going to a brand new school and I bet you everything will start to change once we get to Eden Hall. I'm going to have so much on my mind that a relationship probably wouldn't work now anyway, with you or anyone else." She said reading his mind. "And that's an issue inside itself."
"School?"
"It's high school. You are a cute, smart, rich, jock. How much do you want to bet some cheerleader is going to be all over you the minute we get there?" They both laughed. "I know this may sound disappointing. But for right now," She sat back down next to him and took his hands in hers. "You're one the best friends I have. I don't want to ever loose that."
"So we're friends."
"That happen to make out sometimes, yes." Adam smiled and kissed Julie lightly.
"And what if Dean comes back?"
"I deal with it then."
"You realize if he finds out he's going to kill me, and I'd like to live to graduate high school, at least."
"I'll tell him eventually, I'll make him understand. Besides, need another reason to tell no one? Well okay, one person."
"Let me guess, Connie."
"You can tell Charlie, as long as he says nothing."
"If I decide to tell him. And if one of does start dating someone, we take a little break and just act like normal friends."
"Agreed. Shake on it?" She held out her hand.
"Well, I was kind of hoping we could do something else to seal the deal." Julie smiled.
"Oh really, like what?" Adam smiled back then kissed her again.
…
Julie followed Connie's eleven year-old sister in the direction of the room they shared.
"She's been like this all day. Don't say I didn't warn you." She turned around and went to the kitchen. Julie opened the door and exposed the cluttered bedroom. There was barely space to walk between the two twin-size beds, and the light blue carpet was almost completely covered with clothes. Connie was laying in bed, huddled under the covers, only the top of her head showing.
"Taylor I told you not to bother me. Leave the cookies and get the hell out."
"It's not Taylor, Con. It's Julie." Julie made her way through the sea of clothes and sat at the edge of bed. Connie pulled the blanket from her face. It was bright red and puffy, her eyes swollen from crying. Her hair was a complete disaster, falling out from the ponytail it must've once been in. "I got worried when you refused to come to the phone. Obviously I was right to be…what's wrong?" Connie's eyes welled up with tears again.
"It's over, Julie."
"You and Guy?" Connie nodded sadly and the tears rolled over her pink cheeks. "But you guys never stay broken up, you break up then get back together three days later."
"That's exactly it! It's been six days now. It's over." She choked out between sobs. Julie scooted herself over then embraced Connie, who continued to cry.
"You don't know that for sure do you?" Connie pulled away and nodded again.
"He doesn't love me anymore. And it's all my fault. I'm so stupid, not to see that the love of my life is right there in front of me."
"It's not your fault, Connie." Julie lied.
"I know you're just saying that to make me feel better, but I know you're lying. I was so horrible to him. And now he won't forgive me."
"As much as you're hurting right now, so is he. He still loves you just like you love him."
"But you didn't hear what he said to me. He was so angry, I've never seen him so mad. And it was all because of what I did." Once she stopped her whole body shook with sobs.
"I'm sorry, Connie." Julie said, completely forgetting why she had wanted to talk to Connie in the first place.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. It's always been 'Connie and Guy'. Since we were nine years old."
"I know."
"And it's not even like I can avoid him. I'm going to have to see him everyday at school and practice. I don't think I can do it." Julie remained speechless. Once Connie had finally stopped crying, she pulled her hair into a bun at the crown of her head, and wiped the dry tears off her face.
"You okay?" Julie asked her.
"I hate him." Oh, here we go, Julie thought. Connie revenge plot, scene one.
"You don't mean that." Connie sighed then looked at the cork board at the wall behind her. There were pictures of the original Ducks, the Junior Good Will Games, one from the scholarship induction just a few days before and many others of her family. There was also a whole section of pictures of just her and Guy. But there was one that stood out the most because it was by far the biggest one. It was from a few months ago. Her and Guy were sitting on the bar at the reservoir, kissing.
"No of course I don't. But if I don't hate him then all I can think about is how much I love him. I need to be able to laugh about this, because if not I'll cry. And I don't want him or the team to see me that weak. It's easier to hate him right now." Julie nodded and Connie forced a smile. "I look like a mess don't I?"
"Just a little." Julie said with a warm smile.
"So why did you call me anyway?" Julie was hit was the memory of early that day.
"Oh, it's not important."
"Is it good news?"
"Uh, maybe, sort of, I don't know."
"Well then tell me, I need to hear some good news."
"Um, it's kind of hard to explain." Julie said, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Wait a minute. This wouldn't have anything to do with you and a certain roommate of yours, would it?"
"Umm, well yes."
"Did you two finally make out?" Julie just stared at Connie. The face that was just so sad lit up with surprise. "Oh my god, you did. I can totally see it, too. It's written all over your face!"
"What?" Julie said, self-consciously touching her cheek.
"So…how was it?"
"Connie!"
"What? Word on the street is that Adam Banks is the most amazing kisser. Sadly I wouldn't know." Julie smiled but didn't answer. "So are you two going to go out? Or just hang out or what?"
"We don't really know yet. I guess we'll have to wait and see."
…

7/21/06
Let me start by saying that I hated the way the last chapter turned out. I definitely rushed it and the chapter was just boring. This is the last summer chapter, finally! Even I didn't except 6 chapters before school, but I kept getting writers block and just posted what I had. Next chapter starts school! Plenty of drama where that comes from. I know a few people were surprised about Julie's uhh well to be blunt, her sluttiness. That she had to kiss people to judge it all. But I like to believe she only looks so innocent.
Guy and Connie will very sadly stay broken up for quite some time, maybe even till the end of the movie. I haven't written that far yet, but we'll see.
And all of you waiting for an update on Duck Pedigree, its about half-way done so it should be up sometime this weekend.
Please review
The reviews are basically the only thing keeping me writing.