Sophomore Year Duck Style

"Coach you have to come to my birthday party! You've been to my birthday parties since I was ten! You even made it last year!" I whined into the phone talking to Coach Bombay. My Birthday was in a few days and I really wanted him to be there. He chuckled over the line.

"Su I got to go to your party last year because I had business to attend to in Minnesota."

"Well get some business over here now! It's in three days! I really want you there!" He sighed, I knew I was guilt tripping him but I hadn't seen him since last year. Besides it's not just a gift to me but to the Ducks as well.

"You know you want to see the Ducks Coach." I said smiling as he laughed.

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not promising you anything!" I jumped up and down happily.

"Thanks Coach you rock!" I hung up jumping up and down on my bed. Coach might come! The door opened and in walked Tracy. She raised an eyebrow at my behavior but just muttered.

"I don't even want to know." I rolled my eyes hopping down so I was lying on my bed. When I looked over to see her engrossed in a magazine I wiggled happily on the verge of squealing. If Coach comes the Ducks will freak out!

--

"Hey Coach!" I called out my hockey bag slung over my shoulder. Coach turned from where he stood on the ice and skated over to the railing.

"Yes Granger?" he asked and I smiled digging around for the slip of paper.

"Hold on one minute." He sighed as I finally pulled the paper out of my bag.

"This is for you and Jessica." I said handing him the invitation. He raised an eyebrow as I asked.

"Well aren't you going to open it?"

"I'm a little afraid to." I smacked him playfully as he laughed.

"All right! All right! I'll open it." He opened the envelope and read the paper smiling slightly.

"You're Birthday is Saturday?" I nodded.

"I would love it if you and Jessica came, you could go skating with us." He nodded.

"I'll talk to Jessica about it, and possibly we'll see you there." I nodded smiling.

"Thanks Coach." He nodded towards the doors.

"Not get out of here, you have homework to do and don't think I don't know about your slipping grade in science." I laughed and nodded.

"By Coach!" I hollered over my shoulder as he nodded.

--

I skated up my driveway Friday afternoon. School had gotten out but all of the Ducks had wanted to watch the Goonies together in the lounge area. Of course no one had actually watched it, more like talked while it played in the background.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" I called out to Adam as he skated up his driveway. He stopped and nodded.

"Yeah 10:00am bright and early at the skating rink for your party." I smiled, I had trained him well.

"Bye!" I called out as he waved. I went into my house quietly shutting the door behind me, the less my Mom hears me the better I'll be.

"Su is that you?" I flinched as her voice carried out from the living room! Dang her enhanced hearing!

"Uh…yeah Mom it is!" I swore under my breath quickly unlacing my skates.

"Why don't you come in here I've got something to show you!" I groaned.

"I can't I got to do homework, you know schoolwork comes first, then hockey!" I made a dash to the stairs but of course Mom had to emerge from the living room smiling giddily.

"Nonsense, you're a straight A student, you can take some time out of your busy schedule to see this with me." She grabbed my arm in a death trap as I sighed defeated. I allowed her to drag me into the living room onto the couch. She got up and came over with several papers that she had printed out from the internet. She placed it down in front of the coffee table and clasped her hands together.

I raised an eyebrow and looked down at the paper in interest. Interest quickly turned to disgust.

It was pictures of gowns for a debutante.

"Mom!" I said exasperated jumping up from my seat. She had been doing this all week, showing me tidbits of what being a debutante would be like, even though I told her I would make my decision after my Birthday, which is tomorrow. I started stalking out of the living room.

"Susie where are you going?" She called out trailing behind me. I rolled my eyes, how dare she use my childhood nickname.

"Like I said before, I have homework to do!" I stomped up the stairs to my room slamming the door shut behind me. I threw myself onto my queen size bed and sighed, snuggling into my pillow. Why in the world does she want me to be a debutante? I rolled onto my back staring up at my ceiling.

I looked around my spacious room; the walls were loitered with hockey posters for people such as Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. It didn't look like a room for a debutante; it looked more like a room for a hockey obsessed boy, like Adam. There were girlish touches I had to admit, like my girls clothing. Also I had tons of pictures of the Ducks spanning over the past five years.

Why couldn't my Mom just get it? I am not a girly girl. No matter what you do I'll always love being the tomboy. Isn't it not enough that I actually like wearing skirts and dresses and that I frequently do, but no she has to take it one step forward by making me a debutante!

"Ugh!" I screamed bashing my head against my soft pillow. I picked the pillow up and chucked it across the room, it made an audible thump against the wall. I shrugged, maybe I have anger issues. I sat up and walked to my desk where my computer sat. Might as well do some homework, I'll take out my aggression on the keyboard. I thought, smiling slightly as my fingers began pounding in rhythm.

--

I walked down the stairs, carrying my ice skates. It was my Birthday, I was officially 16! Go me! I was dressed casually in jeans with a t-shirt and hoodie to keep me warm on the ice. I put my skates at the front door and ventured into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday Su!" My parents called out as I walked in. I smiled as I received hugs and kisses from my parents.

"Hey, oh is that pancakes I smell? With chocolate chips?" I asked as Mom nodded leading me to the table.

"Only the very best for my Susie." I nodded, the fight from yesterday forgotten…for now. We all sat together eating until 9:30.

"We should head to the rink." I said standing up taking my dish to the sink. My parents followed suit and soon enough we were assembled into my Dad's Bentley Turbo RT. We rode in relative silence, just enjoying each others company.

"Here we are." Dad announced as I looked happily out the back window. Every year my Dad rented the rink out for me on my Birthday. This rink had a special place in my heart; it was where we beat the Hawks five years ago. I jumped out of the car grabbing my skates and hockey stick.

"Let's go check it out." Dad said wrapping an arm around my shoulder. We walked in and were hit by a blast of cold air, how I love that feeling! We headed over to where a long table stood covered by a blue table cloth, a sign in front of it read.

Reserved for Birthday Party of

Su Granger.

"Cool." I nodded just as the front doors opened and in walked Adam with Charlie and Guy trailing behind.

"Happy Birthday Su!" They called out at the same time as I waved them over.

"Thanks, here why don't you guys rest your things here?" I suggested as they placed gifts down on the table. Adam walked around the table to give me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled before turning away. Soon enough the rest of the Ducks were here.

"Let's go skating." I suggested.

"Yeah!" They all yelled out as we quickly headed to the bleachers. We changed into our skates and took to the ice.

"Hey what's that?" Dwayne called out as we all turned. Right at the far wall of the rink it was covered in a velvet sheet, a rope hanging down from it.

"Let's go check it out." Russ suggested and we all skated over to it. Attached to the rope was a letter. I picked it up to see that it was addressed to me! I opened it and started reading.

Dear Su,

I hope this is enough of a gift for you, tell me what you think of it.

P.S. Out of state Ducks don't feel bad you're getting something to.

I read to everyone who looked around confused.

"Well you read the letter woman, pull the dang string!" Portman yelled as everyone laughed.

"Ok." I murmured lightly pulling down on the string. Nothing happened.

"Harder!" Everyone yelled, I rolled my eyes and yanked hard on it and the velvet fell right off…onto us. We all fell to the ice from the weight.

"Whoa." I muttered wobbly standing up to rub my head.

"That was unexpected." Charlie muttered as we all looked up. My mouth flew open in shock. For what was tacked to the wall were all of the originals Ducks jerseys. Charlie's was in the middle with mine on the right and Adam's on the left. Connie was next to me, then Averman and Guy; on the other side it went Fulton and then Goldberg.

"Wow." I said in a whisper.

"They retired our jerseys." Adam said.

"Like the gift?" A familiar voice called out. We all turned to see a smiling Coach Bombay standing there in skates on the ice holding six wrapped gifts.

"Coach Bombay!" We all yelled skating over to him. We enveloped him in a huge Duck hug nearly knocking the poor guy over.

"I missed you guys too. Happy Birthday Su." I nodded smiling. We all looked at his gifts.

"These are for you guys." He said handing them out among the out of state Ducks who took no time in ripping them open to reveal…original Duck jerseys!

"No way!" Russ said as he stared down at his, it said Tyler and 56 on the back.

"You got us Duck jerseys." Kenny said astonished.

"Ducks!" A voice called out and we all turned to see Coach Orion standing in the bleachers, Jessica next to him in her wheelchair. I waved over to him.

"Hey Coach want to play a game of hockey?" It was on.

--

Everyone munched happily on their pizza; we had played a fierce game of hockey resulting in my team winning. I was the Birthday girl after all. I was at the head of the table, with Adam on my side and Jessica on the other. She was chatting on about school as I listened. Coach Bombay and Coach Orion were talking strategy at the other end of the table.

"All right gift time!" Mom called out as I smiled.

"Ok, who wants to give me their gifts first?" All the Ducks plus Jessica raised their hands. I laughed and let everyone hand their gifts over to me. In the end I got a hand drawn card from Jessica, a notebook from Julie, a hockey poster from Charlie, an exempt pass from Coach Orion, a gift card to Goldberg's parents deli, a joke book from Averman, a bandana as a joint gift from the Bash Brothers, a 100 Ways to Kiss your Partner book from Luis, a lasso from Dwayne, a skating book from Kenny, a CD from Russ, a hat from Guy, and a shirt from Connie.

"Thanks guys these are awesome." I said smiling as I placed Connie's shirt down, folding it neatly.

"Well I haven't given you your gift yet." Adam said smiling shyly as I laughed.

"True, do you plan on giving it?" he laughed and nodded handing over a small long silver box. I smiled down at it before opening it. I opened it to reveal a silver necklace with a diamond hanging from it. I beamed at Adam.

"Adam it's…it's…"

"Beautiful?" He asked finishing my sentence for me as I nodded blankly.

"Thank you." I whispered staring longingly at it. I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his lips as the Ducks whistled. I placed the box down.

"There's one more gift." Mom said handing over a small square box.

"It's from the both of us." She said wrapping her arms around Dad. I nodded smiling.

"I bet I know what it is." I said smiling thinking of the diamond earrings I had been eying lately. I opened the box and my eyes went as wide as saucers, it was car keys.

"You didn't?" I asked looking up at them as they wore matching grins.

"Oh yes we did." Dad said happily.

"Don't you want to go and check it out?" I bounded from the table with all the Ducks behind me to the parking lot. Sitting there right in front of the rink, bright and new was a Jaguar XK8 1997. I shrieked loudly as all the Ducks crowed around it.

"Thank you, thank you!" I yelled hugging Mom and Dad as they laughed.

"Anything for you Susie!"

This had to be the best Birthday ever! Of course all too soon everything would come crashing down.

(Please R and R! I do not own the Mighty Ducks!)