Chapter 26-The Forming of the Three Eden Hall Amigos
February 11th, 2000
Charlie's POV
We did go to Blockbuster last Saturday night and ended up renting Three Amigos with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase. It was a pretty good movie. By Monday, the rumors were spreading around Eden Hall about the NHL scouts that were here visiting us. So much that by Tuesday afternoon; two of the three of us had an ex. I received a message from Mom saying to stop by after practice Monday night, we needed to have a family meeting, I had no idea what I would be walking into.
{Flashback Monday February 7th, 2000, 8:30pm)
"Hey, I am home," I said.
I saw both mom and Fred on the couch. Mom was in tears and Fred had a steel look to his face.
"Ok what is wrong, it looks like someone has died or something," I said.
"Something like that Charlie," Fred said.
"Are you splitting up?" I asked.
"No, Charlie why would you think of something like that?" Mom said.
"Well mom you are in tears, something bad had to have happened," I said.
"Sit down, Charlie;" Fred said.
"Ok," I said as I sat down on the chair across from the couch.
"So, I had a meeting with my District Manager today and because the bookstore that I manage has been underperforming last year, they decided not to renew the lease with the landlord at the mall and have decided to close the store effective May 1st," Fred said.
"You.. you're kidding me right?" I asked.
"No Charlie, I am going to lose my job," Fred said.
"What?" I asked.
"As of May, the 1st, I will be unemployed," Fred said.
"Isn't there another store that; they can move you too, so you don't have to lose your job, because mom can go wherever you go, right?" I asked.
"Charlie, it's not that simple," Mom said.
"But mom you can't afford all of the bills with Fred out of work," I said.
"I know, but we will figure out how to do this, we have some in savings and if anything, we will cash in my 401k to get us by. Hopefully, I will not be out of work for long," Fred said.
"What about nursing school, mom you were thinking about going back now, that I am grown and will be out of the house in September," I said.
"That will be put on the back burner for now and hopefully in a year I can go for that degree. I mean I have been waiting 16 years, what is another year?" Mom asked.
"Mom, I don't want you to wait," I said.
"Charlie, it's okay for me to wait," Mom said.
"But mom," I said.
"Charlie that is enough. I promise you that when we are back up on our feet, your mother will go to college," Fred said.
"No, I'm going to step up and take care of you. It's my turn now," I said.
"Charlie please don't drop out, you are so close to graduation," Mom said.
"I'm not talking about dropping out… I am talking about entering the NHL draft," I said.
The next day there was tension at the Duck table for lunch and that tension continued at the library after school.
"This is going to be great; can you imagine the three of us in the NHL," I said to Adam.
"Yeah, sure," Adam said.
"What's wrong you don't seem, excited?" I said.
"Who's excited?" Bella asked as she, Guy, Connie, Gunnar, and Julie all came up to the study table.
"It's about the scouts that visited us last Saturday," I said.
"Oh, so the rumors were true," Bella said.
"Yeah and I think that I am going to go for it," I said.
"Excuse me? What do you mean go for it?" Bella asked.
"Enter the NHL draft," I said.
"Oh, that's okay I guess, I mean we will be together in Wisconsin next year anyway, right Charlie?" Bella said.
"Well, I'm thinking that if I get drafted that I am going to sign with the team," I said.
"WHAT? WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME CHARLIE?" Bella screamed at me.
"Because Mom and Fred need the money. Besides Bella this is the NHL we are talking about, you know more than anything that I have always dreamed of playing in the NHL since I was a boy, and now it looks like those dreams are going to come true," I said.
"Wow Charlie that is great, I think that you should go for it, right Guy?" Connie said.
"Well actually the scouts spoke to me and Adam too and they wanted to recruit us to play. And I think that I am going to enter the draft as well," Guy said.
"Oh, that's great, but you would spend the year at Mankato getting bigger and stronger for you to compete on that level, right?" Connie said.
"Um… probably not likely, what's the point of wasting a year in college when I can get signed onto a team," Guy said.
"Guy, I thought that we were together in this," Connie said.
"We are and you can come with me and enroll in a college wherever I land," Guy said.
"But what about my hockey scholarship? Those girls are counting on me to come and play," Connie said.
"Connie, if I am drafted, you won't need a stinking scholarship, I could pay for your tuition," Guy said.
"And what do I do? Become a baby producing NHL wife?" Connie said.
"Yeah," Guy said.
"NO THANK YOU! Guy what about my dreams?" Connie said.
"What about them?" Guy asked.
"I want to be able to teach, Guy and I want to do that here in Minnesota," Connie said.
"Connie you can teach anywhere," Guy said.
"NO GUY YOU DON'T GET IT! I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK!" Connie yelled.
"FINE!" Guy said. Connie took off in a huff for a smaller table across the library.
"What about you Adam?" Bella asked.
"Well, I can't enter the draft unless I get a grievance from the NHL and the majority of the owners, Because of the fact that I was born after the eligibility deadline for the NHL," Adam said.
"So, you won't be entering this year?" Bella asked.
"No, but all bets are off for next year, unless I get this grievance," Adam said.
"If you get the grievance then you would enter the draft?" Gunnar asked.
"Yeah and would sign with whatever team that would draft me," Adam said.
"But Minnesota you would give up a scholarship to Minnesota. Just like that," Gunnar said as he snapped his fingers.
"Yeah I would," Adam said as he tried to touch Gunnar's shoulders.
"NO DON'T TOUCH ME!" Gunnar yelled.
"What?" Adam asked.
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU YOU BACKSTABBER. HOW DARE YOU GO BEHIND MY BACK?" Gunnar yelled.
"I didn't go behind your back Gunnar," Adam said.
"WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE DORM TONIGHT, I AM SPLITTING THE BED APART THERE AIN'T NO WAY THAT I SLEEPING WITH YOU," Gunnar yelled.
"Gunnar," Adam whined.
"NO! WE NEED A BREAK!" Gunnar said. And with that Gunnar walked over and joined Connie at the table, she was sitting at. He slung his arm over her shoulder and comforted her in the Library, because she was crying so much. I could tell that Guy and Adam were jealous.
{End of Flashbacks}
There was a huge rift at the Duck table between the three of us and the two of them, until this afternoon at lunch, when Bella came up to me and said, "Charlie I think that we need a break too."
"What? Why? What Happened? I don't understand," I said.
"Because as much as I love my brother, I don't want you three to enter the draft. You could be like Coach Bombay and get hurt," Bella said.
"Okay Bella first of all Coach was nearly 30 when he went to the Waves," I said.
"Going up against guys nearly half of his age," Adam said.
"And second of all he was hit by defensemen on both sides next to the glass," Guy said.
"If he would have gotten free he would have never been hurt and you know that Bella," Adam said.
"I don't care, I don't want you to put our children through what I went through growing up," Bella said.
"Bella you know that I would not do that," I said.
"Yeah you say that now and then in 5 years I found out you are doing it anyway. Charlie money changes people and I don't want you to change," Bella said.
"But Bella," I said.
And then she slapped me, hard!
"Ow. What was that for?" I asked.
"For being a jerk!" Bella said and then she walked off to the smaller duck table that had Connie, Gunnar and surprisingly Julie at the table. I guess Julie wanted to show solidarity with her roommates.
That was it the three of us were alone now. Luckily, Guy came back with, "Well we are on our own Gentleman."
"Yep," Adam and I said together.
Adam's POV
I could not believe it, first Connie and Guy take a break, then Gunnar and I and then finally Charlie and Bella.
"You know we should be like the Three Musketeers or something," Charlie said that evening after practice.
"What makes you think that we should be together in this?" Guy asked.
"Because Guy our women…" Charlie started to say.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"I mean the people that we were seeing decided to dump us, we need to be looking out for each other," Charlie said.
"What do you think Adam?" Guy said.
"I guess whatever," I said.
"Oh, look there Bommy is depressed," Charlie said.
"Yeah well you would be too, if your boyfriend and your sister were against your dreams," I said.
"You mean ex, ex-boyfriend," Guy said.
I looked over at Gunnar's bed. He decided to separate our beds apart, needless to say I wanted to crawl over into his bed and make love to him.
"Ah who needs them. We have each other right?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah I guess," I said.
"Sure, we do to us The Three Musketeers," Charlie said.
"Uh Charlie didn't like the Musketeers have swords and knew how to sword fight?" Guy asked.
"Yeah. On top of that they had a mentor to help teach them how to fight, neither one lost a girl" I said.
Charlie and Guy looked at me funny.
"What? I read the novel," I said.
"Ok so we won't be the three musketeers," Charlie said.
"What about The Three Amigos?" Guy asked.
"The Three Amigos? I don't know," Charlie said.
"I would go for it," I said.
"The Three Amigos, I like it," Charlie said.
"To us The Three Amigos, looking for money and two women and a guy," Guy said holding his Mountain dew out to the Charlie and I.
"To The THREE AMIGOS!" Charlie and I said bringing out drinks to Guy's and we clanged our bottles together. Then we took a drink.
"So, who should be which Amigo?" Guy asked.
"I have no idea," I said.
"Well Guy you're the shortest and you play right wing," Charlie said.
"So?" Guy asked.
"I am telling you you should be Ned Needleminder," Charlie said.
"I think it was Ned Nederlander," I said.
"Right, what he said," Charlie said pointing at me.
"Ok so who is Dusty Bottoms and Lucky Day?" Guy asked.
"I will forfeit the Lucky Day to you, Captain," Charlie said.
"Gee thanks uh Charlie," I said dryly.
February 12th, 2000
The next day I went down to Coach Orion's office early before practice to speak to him. "Hey Coach," I said.
"Adam, what's up?" Coach Orion said.
"Well, I was wondering if you would be up to a little change in the line up?" I said.
"How little?" Coach Orion said.
"Switching Gunnar and Charlie around in the line up," I said.
"Why?" Coach Orion said.
"Because we are on a break, I can't trust him to give me the puck when I am open," I said.
"Yeah I noticed that," Coach Orion said.
"Please Coach, I think it would be helpful if I stayed as far away from Gunnar as I could possibly manage," I said.
"Yeah I suppose," Coach Orion said.
"Great thanks Coach," I said and then I left his office, I ran into Charlie and Guy heading for the locker room.
"Well?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah it's a go," I said.
We decided that the three of us wanted to room together after we nicknamed ourselves The Three Amigos, Which wasn't hard to decide that it was convincing Dwayne and Luis to switch rooms with Charlie and I.
"I don't get it, why do we need to move out?" Dwayne asked.
"Because it's for team unity and spirit," Charlie said.
"So how do we do this, draw straws. Shortest straw gets Gunnar?" Luis said.
"Charlie I thought everything was cool with us," Jesse said.
"It is Jesse I just want to support Adam and Guy. Since the three of us are in the same boat together," I said.
"Right," Jesse said.
"I don't have straws, but I do have a deck of cards, the lowest card gets Gunnar," Guy said.
"It's been shuffled and cut, right?' Dwayne asked.
"Yes Dwayne," Guy said.
"You first Luis," Charlie said.
"9 of Spades," Luis said.
"Alright Dwayne, your turn," Charlie said.
"8 of Hearts," Dwayne said.
"Yes, Jesse, you want to help me move my stuff in?" Luis said.
"No, because I think that this is stupid," Jesse said.
It was Guy and I helping move Dwayne across to my old room and then we carried my stuff back over to my new room. Charlie, Jesse, and Luis were helping with the Luis/Charlie flip flop. We took the drawers out of each other's desks and dressers because all of the desks and dressers were the same. By the end of the night Charlie, Dwayne, Luis, and I were all switched around. I was now sleeping on the top bunk with Charlie under me and Guy was across from us. Which, I didn't mind climbing up to get to my new bed. Expect for when I was making it.
"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Gunnar screamed at me as I was grabbing my clothes from the closet and taking them across the hall so Dwayne could move his clothes into my old closet.
"Adam and I are switching rooms," Dwayne said.
"WHAT THE FUCK FOR?" Gunnar screamed.
"WELL, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED A BREAK SO WE ARE GETTING ONE. I AM NO LONGER YOUR ROOMMATE," I yelled.
"FINE, JUST LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE!" Gunnar screamed.
I threw the framed picture of us that he got me for Christmas at his head, it missed and hit the wall breaking the frame in two.
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