Chapter 10: The Real Coach Vargas

Teddi awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee. Groaning, she rubbed at her stiff neck. She definitely regretted falling asleep in the hospital. But there was nowhere else she'd rather be. She'd stay at her grandfather's bedside until he woke up, and she didn't care if it jeopardized her entire high school career. She just wanted Gordon to be okay.

Still, the smell of coffee revitalized her, and she blinked her eyes open to see Ted Orion standing at her side, holding Starbucks trays filled with several to-go coffee cups, including what Teddi recognized as a venti iced pumpkin spice latte for her. Smiling in appreciation, she took the coffee from Ted and sipped it.

"How's he doing?" Ted asked.

"Hanging in there," Teddi whispered, her gaze turning to her father, who remained slumped over, his head resting on his arms, drool running down the side of his mouth as he kept holding Gordon's hand. "The doctors don't know when he'll wake, though."

She didn't like saying that. She hated that the results were so unpredictable. She just hoped that it wasn't Gordon's time to go yet because he'd promised her that they'd dance at her sweet sixteen when the time came. She didn't want to picture a life without him because she'd known him her whole life; he'd been the closest thing to a grandfather she'd ever known, and he often credited her as one of the people who'd saved his life after he succumbed back to alcoholism; she was part of the reason why he chose to get clean and stay clean. And she hated the thought that all of his efforts to get healthy again would be in vain.

"Nobody can ever be sure," Ted said gently, winding an arm around her and kissing her on the top of the head. "But that's not just why I stopped by. I wanna spend some time with you and get an early start."

"But I don't wanna leave him," Teddi protested, her eyes filling as Ted rubbed her arm gently.

"I understand. But staying in the hospital all day long won't do you any good. Gordon wouldn't want this for you. You need to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. Besides, there are a few things I wanna talk to you about anyway."

"What would that be? That I should cut Coach Vargas a break when he doesn't even give me one shot? Thanks. I already got that lecture," Teddi said sarcastically. "He split us apart. You know, you guys really left us with a real jerk."

Ted looked as though he'd been expecting her defensiveness; his lips were pursed, and his eyes conveyed a severeness that reminded Teddi he used to be an utterly hard-ass hockey coach who drilled her father until no tomorrow. Clearly, Gordon told Ted what Charlie had told him. It was like a game of telephone with those three because whenever Charlie had problems with his kids, it seemed that the two people he went to in order to bitch about it were Gordon and Ted.

"Let me guess? Grandpa and Dad told you, huh?"

"There's not much we don't talk about," Ted shrugged.

"You, Dad, and Grandpa gossip like old women," Teddi grumbled. "Why don't you all sit around drinking tea while you're at it? What's next? Are you gonna start a book club, too?"

"Yes." Ted allowed a hint of teasing into his voice before he shifted his tone to something sterner, almost scolding. "Vargas is not as bad of a guy as you think he is. And your father felt the same way about me when he started at Eden Hall; he was convinced that I didn't care about him and that I was trying to destroy the team. But I promise you, that's not Vargas's intention."

"You're just saying that because he's your buddy."

"No, it's more than that. I know him. Gordon does, too. You don't know the whole story. Now, come on, I'll give you a ride back to the house so you can shower and get changed. Let's go, kiddo."

Teddi sighed, shaking her head, but otherwise rose to her feet. But she didn't depart without leaning over to kiss Gordon's forehead and brush some of his dark blond hair back.

"Wake up soon, please," she whispered.

After showering at home and changing into her jeans and a T-shirt, Teddi entered Ted's van and watched Ted drive them toward Minnetonka Beach. But that was the last place she wanted to be right now. In fact, she'd protested it when Ted got on the highway and took the exit that would bring them to the preppy beach town, but Ted insisted that they drop by the school's ice rink, as he claimed it would all make sense once they got there. Still, Teddi didn't see how any of this added up as Ted parked in front of the ice rink, but she allowed Ted to grab her hand and lead her into the rink, guiding her up into the stands so that they could sit together. Momentarily, Teddi didn't notice that they weren't the only ones in the rink, and as she sat down, she noticed four people out on the ice together, holding hockey sticks and skating.

"That's it, Katie! Nice pass!" she heard someone saying, and she squinted her eyes to see Coach Vargas was out on the ice. His daughter, Katie, was skating, wearing ice skates, and holding a hockey stick as if she'd been holding it her entire life. Her long, reddish hair was tied back in a ponytail as she volleyed the puck back and forth to Finley Vargas . . . who was wearing a skirt and a blouse?

Teddi felt her jaw drop as she realized Finley Vargas wasn't a boy, but a girl. Finley looked feminine, so feminine, as she skated along the ice, looking for a weakness in her father's defense; her father had Spencer on his side of the ice, and it was apparent they were playing a two-on-two, boys versus girls hockey game together.

"That's it, Finley Joyce Vargas has the puck," Coach Vargas was saying, enthused, as if he were commentating a hockey game. "She fakes it once, twice, three times, wait . . . four times! She quadruple-dekes and shoots . . . she scores!"

"Yes!" Finley squealed out, kneeling on the ice, pumping her fist into the air, and wearing a wide grin. "What a game! What a shot! The Vargas girls remain undefeated!"

"Don't get cocky there, little sis!" teased Spencer, retrieving the puck out of the net as he watched his father lift Finley off the ground, twirling her in a circle as he hugged her tightly.

"What, are you afraid you're gonna lose to a girl again?" taunted Katie, giggling.

Spencer mock-glared at his sister. "No, I'm not. Just remember who made Varsity!" He proudly punched his chest with his fist.

"Show-off!" Katie snorted.

"Sore loser!"

"Cheater!" Katie and Spencer dropped their sticks and began wrestling each other, and Vargas swooped in, breaking up the fight.

"Enough of that, you two!" Vargas scolded, but his tone was playful as he got in the middle of them, pushing them back.

Teddi gasped audibly, whispering, "Wait, Finley's a girl?" She almost couldn't believe it. But the evidence was there in front of her as she watched Finley skate around on the ice, looking so feminine despite her short haircut, which had been close-cropped to make her pass for a boy.

Ted nodded gently. "She wanted to masquerade as a boy so she could try out for the team. She knew the board would never allow her otherwise if she presented herself as female."

"But why?" Teddi asked, confused.

Ted sighed before explaining, "Katie wanted to join the hockey team a year ago. The deans and the board allowed her to join, but Hal had to fight for it because they were hesitant. During their first home game of the season, she got checked hard and hit the goalpost. She got such a bad concussion that she ended up comatose for a whole week. Hal tried to get the board to start a girls' hockey program so that she could still play, but they refused. They believe that colleges pay more attention to boys in hockey. So, Katie settled for cheerleading instead."

"And Vargas knew Finley wanted to disguise herself as a guy to be on the boys' team?"

Ted nodded. "He even got the documents forged to say she was a boy. Because her name is gender-neutral, it worked in their favor. But he was still scared to put her out there, so he put her on third-line to protect her."

Teddi watched as the Vargas family continued the two-on-two hockey game. Katie had control over the puck now and took her shot at the goalpost; the puck slipped right past Spencer and went sailing into the net, and she let out a loud whoop as she did a few figure skating maneuvers on the ice to celebrate, twirling around like a ballerina with the stick still in her hand.

It suddenly made a lot of sense hearing Ted explain it all, especially as she noticed Finley's natural talent on the ice as she fought her brother for the puck; the girl could hold her own and seemed even tougher than her brother. She couldn't help laughing lightly as she noticed Finley elbowing her older brother, knocking him down to the ice as she skated past him – it nearly reminded her of the times she would play with Sofi, Billy, Gordy, and Evan growing up, how she and Sofi would knock the boys around, and they'd go crashing to the ground. Charlie would jokingly call her "the next Velvet Hammer" – a nod to the Ducks' nickname for Connie Germaine when they'd been in Peewees together.

"This whole time, I thought he was just a washed-up, sexist pig who couldn't hack it," Teddi said, suddenly feeling horrible that she'd misjudged Coach Vargas, who clearly had been willing to do whatever it took to ensure his youngest daughter got a fair shot at playing hockey, even if it meant breaking a lot of rules to make it happen. She saw the pure love and warmth etched across his face as he chased his children around on the ice, stick in hand as he and Katie fought for the puck in a hypothetical faceoff.

"He can hack it, Teddi," Ted assured her. "And he chose to give Finley her fair shot, which was something Katie had been denied. I don't think he's regretted it for a single moment. I know he's proud of her."

"But why did he give up fighting for a girls' hockey program? I mean, he could've fought it harder. Couldn't he have sued for gender discrimination?"

"Private schools are different, Teddi. Many of them don't need to abide by Title IX because they're not funded by the government like a public or charter school. And the law is a very messy thing to deal with."

"But I still just wanna play hockey," Teddi said, turning her gaze toward Ted.

"Then you shouldn't give up. Speak up for yourself and fight for what you believe in. Make it so that other girls don't resort to what Finley ended up doing," Ted said firmly.

"But how? I mean, I tried everything that I could. And like you said, this is a private school; Title IX doesn't apply to here."

Ted seemed to ponder for a moment, his blue eyes thoughtful before he said, "I think I have an idea. But I'm going to need some help from Senator Germaine, and Adam and Julie Banks. And Alex Morrow. It looks like you've got quite the case you need to present to the board and the deans, Teddi."

"And do you really think I can make a difference around here?" Teddi asked, feeling tears press behind her eyes.

"Yes, I do," Ted said firmly. "After all, you are your father's daughter; you're just as strong and just as stubborn. And I know Gordon believes in you, too; so does your father. You have the support from so many powerful men in your life, Teddi. And every strong man has incredible women in their life pushing them to be their very best. So, be that woman, Theodora Conway. Be that woman." He winked, curling his hand into a tight fist and lifting it up, and Teddi responded by raising her own fist, slamming it against his, and exploding it. Because of Ted's words, Teddi knew she was going to go to the board and present her case and fight for girls to play hockey because she deserved nothing less than the best.

"Thanks, Ted," she whispered before grabbing him into a tight hug, and Ted hugged her back just as warmly, rubbing her hair as they continued listening to the commotion of the Vargas family's little hockey match down on the ice.

A/N: So I decided to post this chapter earlier, because I was really anticipating posting it since I wrote it. I think fans of D3 will appreciate the nod to the scene between Orion and his daughter.