A/N: Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! You guys make my day, seriously. Here it is, another delicious chapter for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Mighty Ducks. Disney does, and lots of other people. So don't sue me or anything, okay?

Okay, so, I know I'm pretty lucky. I've got my health and a really good relationship with my mom, my brother and I are close, and I have some awesome friends. Seriously awesome, since they all chipped in to buy me my first car. I mean, sure, it's the most disgusting car ever, but it's a car, and it's mine. And, okay, I've never had a boyfriend, and the guy I've fallen for displays absolutely zero interest in me, but at least we're friends.

That's going to change by the end of the night. I'm going to snag me a hockey player boyfriend.

I've managed to get everyone agree to a night of dancing the night away at StepNOut, and I'm hard at work, primping. I have to look super hot if I'm going to turn Averman's head tonight. At the moment, I'm undecided as to what to wear. I pick up the phone and dial my reinforcements.

"Hello?"

"Luis, it's Maggie." His plane landed two hours ago, and I need his imput now. "What are you doing?"

He sounds distracted as he answers me. "In the middle of getting ready. What do you need?"

"Your help. I want to catch someone's attention, and I thought you could help me figure out which outfit I look hottest in."

He laughs. "Girl, you could wear a potato sack and you'd still turn heads."

I grin. "I'm so glad you're back. So, can you come over when you're done?"

"Um, yeah. Give me half an hour, I'll be there."

We say our goodbyes and hang up. I use the thirty minutes I have to do my hair and makeup. I put my hair in spiral curls, pulling it back behind my ears and securing it with a silver claw clip. I pull a tendril out and curl it again, pulling it out so it frames my face. On to makeup. Aveeno lotion and foundation. Now my eyes. I pick a purple eye crayon and color my lids, drawing it out a little bit past the outer corners of my eyes. I do the same with the silver eyeliner. I curl my lashes and swipe on a single coat of clear mascara. I brush some blusher on my cheeks and am slicking on a nude lip gloss on when I hear a knock on my door.

"It's open!"

I dab some pink gloss over the nude stuff as Luis walks in.

"I'm a hell of a birthday present, huh?"

I give an excited shout as I leap out of my desk chair and run to give my friend a hug. "You sure are," I say, wrapping my arms around him. I take his hand and pull him towards my closet. "Now help me, please?"

He looks at me, hard, then faces my closet. He goes through my clothes and thrusts a skirt and two pairs of jeans into my arms. "Go try these on," he says. We go through the same routine with the eighty-seven million tops he makes me try on before selecting which one looks best with my push-up bra. When we're done, I'm outfitted in my Silver "cute butt" jeans and a black and lavender corset that I had forgotten I own. I pull on a pair of strappy black sandals and a sparkly purple belt. Hoop earrings and my locket complete the outfit.

My locket. My hands fly to my neck and open the heart-shaped pendant, pulling down the tiny frame in the middle that holds a third picture. My mom. Charlie and me. My dad. The last thing I ever got from him, a birthday present before he left us and didn't come back. The only thing I never take off, even in the shower. I wonder, for a moment, where my father is. I wonder if he's happy, or if he misses us. If he misses me. I wonder if he realizes it's my birthday today.

Luis's voice shakes me out of my reverie. "You gonna let me have a look at you or what?" he asks.

I close my locket and turn around. "Sorry, Luis." I do a three-sixty in front of him. "So? How do I look?"

He gives me a long, appraising look. "Damn," he says, nodding appreciatively, "I should charge you for my services or something."

"Thanks, Luis." I hug him again.

"You owe me a dance, girl," he tells me as we walk downstairs. "Who are you trying to impress, anyway?"

I avoid the question with a "none of your business" glare. "I haven't even told Fulton yet," I reply. "What makes you think I'm gonna tell you?"

"Okay, okay."

The crowd in the living room, which is comprised of Charlie, Adam, Goldberg, Fulton, Dean, and Averman, falls silent as Luis and I walk in. The silence makes me nervous.

I clear my throat. "Guys? Say something."

Adam coughs. "Uh, happy birthday?"

"You already said that," I remind him. "How do I look?" I do a little twirl to show myself off.

Dean raises his hand. "You're staying in between me and Fulton all night, dude."

"Except when she's dancing with me," Averman interjects.

Adam nods. "Me, too."

Charlie stands up. "You're not going out of the house dressed like that."

Good grief, Charlie Brown. "Yeah, I am."

"I'll get Mom."

"Charlie!"

"Mom!"

My mother suddenly materializes next to me. "What?"

Charlie points at me. "Tell Maggie she has to change if she wants to come out with us."

Mom looks at me. "I think she looks fine. You might want to take a jacket with you, though," she says, addressing me. "It might cool down later on."

I give her a hug. "Thank you, Mom."

"Hey, it's your birthday, right? You guys be careful." She eyes the guys. "You keep an eye on my baby, huh?"

"Mom" I protest. "I'm sixteen now."

"Right." She hugs me again, before pushing me towards the door. "You call me at midnight if you think you'll be out past one."

I nod my head in agreement and wave goodbye as we all walk out the door.

StepNOut is not as crowded at I had anticipated, and it doesn't take much time before we spot the rest of the Ducks sitting at a table at the edge of the dance floor. I receive hugs and a second round of "happy birthdays" from everyone before Luis drags me out on the dance floor for the dance I owe him.

It takes me a second before I find my beat, but I do, and then it's me and Luis shimmying in time to the music. He puts a hand on my hip to guide me, pulling me forward as he steps backwards. I lean into him for a second before snapping back, pulling him with me. We dance for the rest of the song, and the two after that, and then a slower song comes on.

I pull away from Luis. "I need a break," I pant. I haven't moved like that in a while, and it took more out of me than I thought it would. I make my way over to our table, where Charlie and Averman look like they're doing some serious conferencing. They shut up as I approach. I sit down next to Averman and ask where everyone else is, then nod when I see them dancing. I ask who's going to buy me a soda.

Charlie stands up. "I'll go get it."

Another slow song comes on as this one ends, and Averman asks me if I want to dance with him.

Duh. I want to dance with him, make out with him, cuddle on the couch and watch movies with him. "Sure," I say, instead of telling him all of that. I take his hand as he leads me out on the floor. My hands go around his neck as his come around my waist.

I've never been this close to him before, and oh, my God, I can feel his heartbeat. I lay my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. I inhale, breathing in his cologne and aftershave and "boy smell." I'm not certain, but he may just be the best smelling guy I've ever met. Averman, I am so into you. I open my mouth and come so close to saying that aloud before I realize what I'm doing. I close my mouth.

"What?"

I shake my head. "Nothing."

He looks at me. "No, you were going to say something. You said, 'Hey, Averman,' and then you shut up. You can't leave me hanging like that."

"It's my birthday," I retort. "I can do whatever I want, right?"

He grants me another one of his terrific smiles. "I guess you can." His face gets serious all of a sudden. "Um, so, Charlie and I were talking earlier, and he said" He hesitates, looking away from me.

No. No, no, no, no, no. My brother loves me and he wants me to be happy. There's no way he would embarrass me like that, I'm almost positive, but there's only one way to find out. "Charlie said what?"

"Do you really like me?"

I can feel my face get hot as I look at the floor, at the speakers in the corner, at the bar, anywhere but his face. I am humiliated. I wriggle out of his arms and turn away from him, tearing across the dance floor. I can't believe Charlie would betray me like that, but one look from him confirms it.

He tries to stop me as I walk past. "Maggs, I'm sorry. I was just trying to help"

"I'm going to find Fulton, and I'm going to ask him for a ride home," I interrupt, close to tears. "And I don't think I'll want to talk to you for a while."

"Maggie, I'm sorry"

I hold my hand up, cutting him off. I catch Dean's eye, and he nudges Fulton. In a matter of seconds, they're beside me, asking what's wrong, and do I want them to kick some ass for me? I promise to tell them everything in exchange for a ride. They say goodbye to Charlie and the rest of the Ducks, and then we're headed home.

We ride in silence for a few minutes, then Fulton speaks. "So."

I look at him out of the corner of my eyes, staring at the houses we pass. "Yeah."

He reaches out to touch my arm. "Maggie, come on."

This is the only real secret I've ever kept from Fulton. Even when Charlie and I weren't getting along, Fulton was always there for me, like a surrogate big brother. He's the only person I've ever considered to be my best friend, and I feel like I owe him an explanation, so I take a deep breath before confessing.

"It's Averman," I say, letting the air out of my lungs.

Dean, who has no idea what's going on and is only along for the ride, looks at me. "What about Averman?"

I turn to face them both. "I like him. A lot. He's the one I write all those stupid little songs about. And Charlie knew and he told him tonight and it's just embarrassing, okay?" I reach out and hit Fulton. "I told you he wouldn't feel the same way," I grumble.

He grabs my arm. "You don't hit me."

We pull into my driveway as I pull my arm away, so I can ignore him. I unbuckle my seat belt and tumble out of the car. "Thanks for the ride," I call over my shoulder. "Bye, Dean!" I yell, waving over my head as I walk up to my door.

I head up to my room, walking softly so as not to wake my mom, who's asleep on the sofa. I know I shouldn't be mad at Fulton, and I'm not, really. I'm mad at Charlie, and Fulton's just...there. I shouldn't use him as a punching bag, and I feel bad about it. I think about calling his cell to apologize, then change my mind. Right now, all I want to do is crawl in bed and pull the covers up over my head and make everything disappear. I turn out the lights and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.