Author's Note: Again, thanks for all of the reviews, I'm doing that thing, you know where I get caught up in one story. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 3: Becoming a Team

"I think somebody just licked me," Averman said as they all shifted tied up in a rope. Their first real practice.

"Somebody better watch their hands!" Julie said sharply. Connie stifled a laugh. Adam looked down, he hadn't meant to, his hand had actually slipped.

"As a team," Bombay smiled, "Move as one." They all looked at eachother and started to skate, falling down onto the ice. "Everybody goes their own way, everybody falls down." It went on that way for at least twenty minutes. People arguing about who was in charge, the new kids defying the old, until…

"Hey guys," Charlie piped up from the middle, "If we all just go forward, we'll get out of here a lot quicker." Everyone glanced at him.

"Coach's pet has an opinion?" Jesse Hall said. The others laughed.

"I'm just saying, I'm getting kind of hot and sweaty," Charlie pointed out. "Let's just all go straight so that we get out of this, remember when he tied Goldberg to the net?" The old team laughed. The new kids stopped. Who was this coach? And why did he like tying people up so much. Bombay watched the exchange amused.

"Should we just listen to him?" Luis whispered to Julie. She shrugged. She still wanted to know who groped her, so she was distracted. The team eventually agreed and started to skate forward.

"Hey," Julie said as she and Connie changed in a girls bathroom down the hall from the locker room. Connie looked at her. Every move this girl made reminded Julie of her older sister. It was intimidating. "Listen um, do we always have to flee to change?"

"You could change in there," Connie said, "They don't give us special treatment, if that's what you're asking." Julie nodded.

"Can you believe we have to go to school?" Julie sighed, "I mean, it's summer!" Connie looked at her.

"Yeah," She pulled her pants up, "It's crazy, I have to go." She walked out. Julie sighed, OK, so trying to be friends was not working out. At least she knew where she stood. Connie Moreau hated her. She pulled on a pair of white overalls. They were supposed to wear red white and blue all the time. It was kind of lame.

"So," Portman looked at Fulton, "You've got a hell of a shot."

"Yeah," Fulton shrugged, "It's just something I've always been able to do." Portman nodded.

"How much does this whole school thing blow?" He said. Fulton looked at him.

"Definitely blows," Fulton nodded. The looked at each other. "So you're from Chicago?"

"Yup," Portman nodded.

"You ever meet Michael Jordan?" He said.

"Yeah, I run into him all the time," Portman laughed. They stood up and walked out. "Ready for school Cat?"

"Yeah," Julie nodded. "Hey Fulton."

"So, let's go," Portman said.

"Oh, um," Julie sighed, "I'm waiting for Banks, he offered me a ride."

"Cake Eater?" Fulton said. She nodded. "Hm, really?"

"Yeah," She said confused. "I'll see you guys over there though."

"So are we friends now?" Jesse asked Charlie as they stood looking at the left over new guys in the locker room.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Charlie said, "We have to play with them all summer, and you didn't like Adam at first either."

"It's not that I don't like them," Jesse said, "I just don't get the point, I mean, my brother, Peter, Karp, the Duncans, we had to let them go to make room for these kids. It's annoying."

"I guess," Charlie nodded, "Peter was annoying." Jesse laughed. "It's weird without them right?"

"A little," Jesse nodded, "Especially Terry. He and Tommy'll take care of our D-5 stuff though, they're trying to put a new team together."

"Good for them," Charlie nodded. "Does Coach seem weird to you?"

"You'll have to be more specific," Jesse laughed, "He had that Dwayne kid chase us around with a lasso, so I'd say maybe."

"I don't know," Charlie said, "He seems distracted or something. I can't place it."

"He's probably just freaked out," Jesse shrugged, "I am. Chill out Captain, we're on a Wheaties box." Charlie laughed.

"Hey," Adam walked over, "Pete's picking me up to drive to the lake for 'school,'" He airquoted the word. "Either of you want a ride?"

"Nah," Charlie shook his head, "Step dad is driving me, he's trying to bond again."

"Fun," Jesse laughed, "Half hour in the car with Cake Eater senior? I'll stick with the bus thanks."

"Suit yourself," Adam shrugged and walked out. "Oh hi," He said, seeing Julie sitting on a bench outside.

"Hey," She smiled, "Um, you said you could give me a ride and,"

"Oh definitely," He nodded, "My brother'll be here in a few."

"Brother?" She said. He nodded.

"Yeah, Pete," He explained, "He's pretty cool. I mean, he can be a jerk, but mostly he's cool."

"Was he a Duck too?" She asked. Adam laughed.

"No, definitely not," Adam said, "He was a Hawk, like I was, before well, lots of stuff. You have brothers?"

"A brother," She sighed, "Sean, and a sister Caitlin, they're like perfect."

"Yeah, it's about the same with Pete," Adam mumbled.

"And it's like no matter what I do," Julie sighed, "They did it first."

"And better," Adam said. She nodded. "Pete was a Hawk, Pete was winner, no matter what."

"Sean's his team's top scorer, Caitlin never failed a vocab test," Julie rattled off. "How old is Pete?"

"He's eighteen," Adam said, "I am going to miss him when he goes to college."

"Caitlin's the same," Julie whispered, "I guess I'll miss her, although probably not."

"Hey twerp," Pete walked over, "And goalie?"

"Pete, this is Julie," Adam said.

"Nice to meet you," Pete nodded, "Come on, I have my own plans let's go."

"What are you doing?" Julie's father walked in to their hotel room, and saw her mother packing.

"Packing," She said and looked at him.

"Why?" He asked.

"Your son," She looked at him, he sighed, "Connor Sullivan's mother just called. It seems the boys took Julie's big opportunity as their opportunity to turn our house into Delta House for the summer."

"Caitlin let this happen?" He said.

"I'm going home," She said, "And I'll see you in California in two weeks, with Cait and Sean. Try to be supportive if Julie comes back in a bad mood again."

"But," He said, she looked at him. "Fine, what do I do if she cries?"

"What would you do if Caitlin cried?" She asked.

"That's ridiculous," He said, "I've only seen Caitlin cry once and that was at her graduation."

"You listen, and you reassure her," She kissed him, "You're a good man, and a good father, but when it comes to your girls you still have a lot to learn."

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