Chapter 3 – Growing Pains

Henry Conway closed his eyes as the hot water hit his face. Every single bone in his body seemed to ache as he relaxed underneath the hot spray, but he smiled nonetheless.

Ever since Evan, Jace, Billy, Justin, Oliver, Nick, Logan, Travis, Andrew, Brandon, Peter, and Hector got bumped up to the Varsity level, Henry had gotten promoted from being one of the fourth-liners to being on the first line, playing as the starting left-side center. He didn't want to be cocky about it, but being promoted to a Junior Varsity first-line player at only the age of twelve made him feel like he was on fire – even though captains weren't named yet, he still felt pretty proud that he was declared good enough to play on first line after being a reserve player all last year.

Practice with the new team had gone exceptionally well, and they were gearing up to beat Varsity in the J.V. versus Varsity exhibition match at the end of the month. And he couldn't be more pleased with the selections, some of whom were students that came on scholarship to play hockey. The Hall twins, Percy and Jimmy, were the sons of OG Duck Jesse Hall, and Johnny Tyler, Russ Tyler's son, had inherited his father's knucklepuck. Koobler had also improved so much that he went from being benched most of the time to being promoted to second-line defense – he was no longer a grinder, but his nickname "the Grinder" remained. It seemed that nothing could get in their way. But they still had some weaknesses, namely, Lorenzo Mendoza, the twin brother of Valentina Mendoza, who was on the girls' team, as well as the son of the original Ducks' speedster Luis Mendoza; like their father, the Mendoza twins had trouble stopping and pumping the breaks, so it made sense why Lorenzo was on the third line.

Thinking back to that afternoon's practice, Henry knew they had a shot against Eden Hall. He was just determined to avoid the embarrassment that they faced last year in their first game against the Warriors, where they scored so much, but eventually, the Warriors caught up to them and ended up grinding their faces into the dirt, beating them badly.

He exited the shower, trying to keep the past in the past. He knew dwelling on last year's fiasco wasn't going to solve anything, and if he was going even to be considered being made captain of the J.V. Ducks, he needed to have a much more positive attitude; he wanted to prove to all the guys that even though he was the youngest out of everyone, he could lead them just as well as Teddi or Evan. Maybe part of it was because he didn't want to be in his sister's shadow, and he wanted to prove that he was just as good as she was – there had always been some part of him that had been jealous of his sister's skill level.

But when he walked out of the bathroom area to change into his day clothes so he could head to the mess hall for dinner, he saw the boys gathered around the roster sheet.

"Henry! Vargas posted the captains' list!" said Matty Maywood, Justin Maywood's cousin and their third-line defenseman.

"Well, who got posted?" Henry asked, his heart clenching with excitement as he anticipated seeing a "C" or an "A" next to his name.

"Well, not you," admitted Koobler. "Sorry, man, I know you were hoping to be the captain or an alternate, but I got named an alternate." Koob looked scared out of his wits at this – he obviously thought that Vargas had made the wrong choice selecting him; after all, Koob was still a nervous skater and was more so accustomed to throwing his weight around to protect the Ducks, but Henry also knew that Koobler had a lot of heart and the other guys respected him, and he would set a great example as an alternate; there was a reason Vargas picked Koobler: it was an example of somebody who'd been putting in much more hard work being given a chance to lead by example and display that with a lot of effort and time, you could crawl your way up from being on the bench to playing much more often on the ice, and Koob represented that fully. And maybe Koob being given a sense of authority would help him build more confidence.

"Same here," piped up Sam.

"Well, if I'm not an alternate or the captain, then who's the captain?" Henry demanded, but his gaze soon shifted to Gordy, who was staring at the roster sheet with his cheeks turning bright red. "You?"

"I guess," Gordy said nervously. "Though I don't know what Vargas is thinking making me the captain. I never led a team! What if I make a fool out of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself, Germaine. Do you not remember who your parents are?" asked Jimmy Hall, punching Gordy on the shoulder.

"But my mom and my dad were never captains to begin with! Those titles went to Charlie, Adam, or even Fulton Reed!" Gordy argued. He turned to Henry. "Do you wanna talk to Vargas about taking my captain slot? I'll trade you."

"No, Gordy," Henry said, swallowing the pill that it was, a bitter pill, but one that he knew he needed to accept; even if he wasn't named one of the captains, the least he could do was support the other captains if they were feeling uncertain of themselves. "Vargas chose you for a reason. He obviously wants to see how much further you can push yourself. If he sees how you do this year, then you'll be guaranteed a spot in Varsity next year."

Gordy nodded, though the color drained from his face even more when Jimmy Moreno, their second-line goalie, said, "But now that you, Samitar, and Koobler are the faces of the team, you're gonna be expected to do press work with Milton Ryerson."

"Fantastic!" Sam rolled his eyes. "As if him trashing us in the paper last year weren't bad enough! What kind of questions is he gonna make us answer?"

"We don't know," Anthony Herondale said. "Just don't let him twist your words. He's gonna do that thing where he takes what you say out of context."

Gordy groaned. "Yeah, no pressure at all! Thanks, Herondale!"

"Guys, come on, let's go to dinner. I wanna eat, I'm hungry," complained Johnny Tyler.

"I'm with you there, Tyler," Koob said, shoving his shirt over his head as they led the team out of the locker room. Together, they marched toward the shuttle, which would take them back to the boys' dorms before they headed toward the mess hall for dinner.

After dropping their bags off in their dorms, they headed off to dinner, but when they entered the mess hall, they saw the crowd of kids surrounding the bulletin board.

"Do you think they posted the roster for the play?" asked Henry, noticing a couple of girls walking away in tears, disappointed.

"I think so," said Evan, who watched as Sofi fought her way up to the front of the line to see if her name got posted to the roster. When Sofi turned around, a brilliant smile shone on her face as she raced up to Evan.

"You got it?" Evan asked, grinning widely.

"Yes! I got the role of Violette!"

Evan leaned in and kissed Sofi before picking her up and spinning her around just as Teddi walked over, looking paper-white.

"Well?" Logan asked, grabbing her hands.

"I . . . I actually got the part," Teddi stammered out, the color seeming to drain from her face further; she looked close to passing out, even as Logan grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"Way to go, sis!" Henry said.

Teddi nodded, though Henry thought that she looked like she'd be sick at the thought of needing to go up on that stage in December and sing several solos in front of the whole school. He knew Teddi was prone to stage fright; he remembered how, in her fourth-grade recital, she vomited down Lauren's back one minute into singing "Bah-Bah Black Sheep."

"Look, you're gonna have me and Grace up there with you," Sofi said. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Come on, let's get some food before dinner ends. Plus, we've got homework to do," said Logan, leading the way toward the lunch line. It looked like the dinner specials included meatloaf with mashed potatoes, roasted chicken with mac and cheese, pork chops with applesauce and cornbread, and the vegetable of the night was carrots. Henry went for the pork chops, but before he and the other J.V. boys could even think about eating their dinner, Milton Ryerson came strolling up to them with his editor, Maggie Halstead, and his photographer, Norman Lyons.

"Excuse me, boys," Milton said. "But as you know, the captain's positions for both J.V. and Varsity recently got posted, and with that comes traditions of doing press." He eyed Koob, Sam, and Gordy, who looked like they would rather get a root canal than interview with Milton Ryerson. "Now, now, it's just the standard interview. And you will also do press after Friday's first game of the season."

"Yes, we know. But can't we do it later? We're eating," Koobler complained.

"Nope." Milton popped the "p" on the word "nope." "Now, chop, chop! Let's get this on with, boys."

"You might as well get it over with," mumbled Shane Stevens.

"Yippee," cheered Sam sarcastically, pushing himself away from the table as Gordy gestured for him and Koobler to follow him to the table Milton was sitting at with Teddi, Sofi, Katie, Spencer, Jace, and Billy.

Not only was she declared the lead in the school's winter play, but she was also the face of the girls' hockey team. Teddi thoroughly understood that this was part of the deal, representing one of the sports teams. She needed to talk with the press. However, with Milton Ryerson's reputation for publishing controversial gossip, Teddi did not want to talk to this guy again, especially not so soon before the first game of the season.

"Here we are, gentlemen," said Milton, smiling behind his spectacles.

"And ladies," added Katie sharply.

"Of course. Well, congratulations on being named captains." Milton turned to Jace. "So, Jace, let's start with you. How does it feel to be named captain of the Varsity Mighty Ducks?"

"I'm honored," Jace said. "But it's comforting having Banksy and Vargas as alternates. Vargas has the experience, and Banksy is one of the OGs."

"You sound almost uncertain."

"Well, part of me was expecting Evan Morrow to be named captain," admitted Jace. "I mean, he was the Ducks alternate captain. And he's been leading them for longer. And he's one of our best players."

"I see. Would your alternates concur with that?"

"Yes," said Spencer.

"Absolutely," said Billy, ever the loyal best friend.

"So, what you're saying is that even you do not have much confidence that Jace here could lead you guys?"

"I didn't say that at all," Spencer said.

"Okay, moving on." Milton turned to Gordy. "What about you, Gordy? Most fans know you were named after the original Minnesota Miracle Man, Gordon Bombay. And your mother and father are two of the OG Ducks. Do you think that gives you an edge in terms of leadership?"

"I don't know what makes you think that I think that," Gordy said. "Honestly? Who my parents are means nothing. Sure, they've taught me everything they know since I was five. But it's a matter of what Coach Vargas thinks. I have to trust his opinion. And he seems to think it's time I step out of my parents' shadow and prove myself."

"I see," Milton hummed, licking his lips. "What about you, Jaden? Do you think Coach Vargas has made an exemplary choice in Gordy?"

"I'd like to think so," Koob said.

"You don't seem to have much confidence there."

"Well, I wasn't expecting to be named an alternate. I thought that honor would go to Teddi's little brother Henry; sure, he's younger than the rest of us, but he's got a lot of heart, and he would've been a good choice."

"But he's still a little green," admitted Sam. "Yeah, he's on first-line, but I think Coach Vargas wants to see how he plays as a starter first; this is a chance for him to prove that he's got it, and he could potentially be promoted next year."

Milton nodded along, seeming to visualize how he was going to write all this and have it edited. Still, Teddi secretly hoped he wouldn't write it in a way that came across as a smear. However, given her history of dealing with the school newspaper last year, she had doubts that Milton would do anything less than trash her and her friends. As he turned to her, she felt her heart drop all the way down to her stomach.

"Okay, Teddi, congratulations on being cast as the lead in the winter musical."

"Thank you," Teddi said.

"What are your thoughts on Mrs. Connors and Mrs. Ryan choosing a show as feminist-forward as 9 to 5: The Musical?"

"I think it's fitting since we finally have a girls' hockey program, but there's still a lot of progress that can be made toward gender equality around here."

"Do you think you'd be able to handle both responsibilities leading two very different projects?"

"I'll try my best to." It was the best answer that she could give. She was still uncertain whether she'd actually be able to do this, given that she had homework, hockey practice, and the school play to think about.

"You don't sound confident that you can do this."

"She can do it," Sofi said fiercely.

"Are you saying that just because she is your best friend?" Milton inquired.

"I would say that even if she weren't like a sister to me. She led J.V. to victory last year. I know what she can do," Sofi argued.

"I see. And Teddi, what made you decide to make Sofi and Katie your alternates?"

"Well, making Sofi the alternate was actually Katie's idea," Teddi revealed. "I wanted Katie to be my alternate because she's been fighting for a girls' hockey team since before we got into Minnetonka Prep, and she has real Duck spirit no one can deny. And I agreed to her decision to make Sofi the second alternate. Sofi embraced the true meaning of being a Duck when she left the District Five Ducks to stick with us when we were known as the 'Don't Bothers,' not at all caring if it cost her reputation. Not to mention, she is one of our best forward players and my right wing. I wouldn't trust anyone else to lead with me."

"Talent doesn't always equal leadership, though. Are you sure Sofi has it?"

"Yes, she does," Teddi said, grabbing Sofi's hand underneath the table and squeezing it.

The questions soon shifted to their dating lives since the boys' teams had a very strong female following, as most of the boys had gotten through the growing pains of puberty and were now so grown into their bodies that they were making the majority of the female population drool. Sofi and Teddi declared they were still attached to their boyfriends, Logan and Evan, while Katie claimed she was still single. Gordy, Jace, Sam, Koobler, Billy, and Spencer also declared that they were still single.

"No girls have caught your eyes yet?"

"Just waiting for the right one," Spencer said, flashing a brilliant white smile.

"Well, Spencer, girls will be lining up and hoping you'll take them to homecoming this year," commented Milton. "Now, onto the coaching . . ."

A series of questions came about the coaches. Billy, Spencer, and Jace discussed how Coach Chase pushed them far harder. Koob, Sam, and Gordy spoke of their support for Coach Vargas. And Teddi, Sofi, and Katie assured that Connie Germaine was the best choice for the girls' hockey team coach, as she'd been an original Duck and had helped coach the girls from the time they were in the Don't Bothers.

"Well, thank you very much, everyone. And good luck in this new hockey season. Conway, Hanson-Bhatt, good luck with the school play! Quack, quack, quack!"

"Quack, indeed, Milton," said Spencer, rising from his seat and leading his fellow Varsity captains to the Varsity table.

The next night after hockey practice, Teddi, Sofi, and Grace went to play practice after grabbing a quick bite in the mess hall. Although it was just the initial table read with the rest of the leads, Teddi still felt her nerves wrack. After all, she'd left in a panic attack the last time she stood on stage. Now, it was for real. She was actually the lead in the school play, which had been everything she'd wanted and dreaded for weeks, ever since it was announced that the school was doing 9 to 5, a show that was guaranteed to generate a buzz around the school due to it being a feminist show.

Still, looking at the drama teacher, Mr. Connors, the assistant director, Mr. Dale, and the music teacher, Mrs. Ryan, she knew they selected her for a reason. Mrs. Ryan had told her from the start of the semester that she had a beautiful voice and asked her if auditioning for the musical would interest her. Getting that kind of validation from a teacher gave her the courage to want to try out for the school play in the first place. Still, her mouth felt dryer than sand as she went through the lines with her fellow castmates.

However, she felt her nerves easing significantly when they reached Grace's big moment, the monologue about a "rooster to a hen." She actually had to bite back her laughter when Grace got fired up – she was the perfect Doralee, from her natural Southern accent to her very full bra to her bright blonde curls. She wouldn't need a wig at all.

"'Oh, come off it, Doralee!'" Sofi snapped, reading from the script. "'Everyone here knows you and Mr. Hart are having an affair!'"

"'An affair? Who's been saying that?'" Grace demanded.

"'Who's been saying it? He has!'"

"'What? You told everyone here I was sleeping with you? Well, that explains why everyone's been treating me like some dime-store floozy! They all think I'm bangin' the boss!'"

At that, Teddi laughed so hard she thought she'd pee her pants. She'd watched the movie for reference; when her dad and Gordon had heard about the school's winter production being 9 to 5, they insisted she watch the original film as part of family movie night with Casey and Henry. And Teddi was convinced she'd never not laugh at Dolly Parton's Doralee.

Somehow, she found it easy to get caught up in the fun of the table read and not worry so much about what was to come later. But there was also that part of her that felt a lot like the character she would play on stage: Judy was in a position where she had no choice but to stand on her own two feet and take care of herself. She'd been in this position months ago when forming the first-ever girls' hockey team because she knew nobody would listen to her if she didn't fight for what she wanted. She would've given up if it hadn't been for Gordon, Ted, and Connie. But she also felt that grandmother would be so proud to see her play Judy; her grandmother had raised her dad as a single mother for years and had struggled to have many people take her seriously because she didn't have a college degree.

Listening to Grace read Doralee's words off the page gave her some courage. But at the same time, she couldn't help but second-guess this, especially since Grace and Bessie had talked her into doing this. Hell, everyone on the hockey team talked her into it. Even Connie had insisted she do it.

"I know your mother would be so proud if you did this. This play is based on one of her favorite movies. It represents everything you fought for last year. This is your chance to show everyone in this school the woman that you are becoming."

But somehow, that thought brought her an extra dose of anxiety. Knowing her mother wouldn't be there to see her in the show caused her eyes to heat up; the thought alone was enough to make her cry as she listened to Grace saying the lines.

"'I've put up with your grabbing me and chasin' me around the desk 'cause I need this job, but this is the last straw! I've got a gun out there in my purse, and up until now, I've been forgiving and forgetting because that's the way I was brought up. But I swear, if you say one more word about me, I'll get that gun of mine, and I'll change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!'"

While everyone else laughed at how perfectly Grace delivered it, somehow, that final line was the thing that triggered the tears to jump to her eyes. She jumped up and walked out, fighting to contain her sobs as the pent-up anxiety she'd felt since last night when she learned she got the part built up even more. Last night, she could hardly eat dinner, let alone sleep. And she could hardly focus in practice, either; she'd taken several checks to the boards by Luna Lee and Hazel Grey, the third-line defense. As a result, Connie ended up putting her on the bench several times due to her focus not at all being there; even Connie knew that wasn't how she usually played.

She ventured into the bathroom, feeling breathless as the tears stung on her cheeks. Leaning over the sink, she glanced up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was paler than the ice in the rink, and her eyes were turning red as her tears mixed with the mascara she'd put on, the black streaking down her white face, painting it in stark black lines as she gripped the base of the sink.

She knew she was going to fall into another anxiety attack soon. It was becoming much harder to breathe as the pent-up sobs burst from her chest, and she buried her face into her hands, gasping as she heard the bathroom door open. She soon felt arms wrapping around her and tugging her closely.

"It's okay," Sofi whispered, rubbing Teddi's back gently. "Come on, take a deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth, it's okay. You're okay."

"No . . . No, I can't!"

"Yes, you can. Come on, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You're gonna take some deep breaths, you're gonna dry your eyes, and you're gonna go back in there, and we'll finish this reading, and then we can go back to the dorm and get some homework done."

Teddi nodded, sucking in some deep breaths until her panting calmed down. When she finally caught her breath, Sofi handed her a paper towel to dry her eyes.

"What was it this time?"

"I don't know. It wasn't one thing; it was multiple things," Teddi admitted, wiping her tears away. "At first, I was okay. Next thing you know, I'm thinking about how my mom's not here."

"You know she's watching down on you. She's looking out for you. And you know that she'd want you to do this," Sofi said seriously. "Okay?" She cupped Teddi's face into her hands, rubbing her thumbs over her friend's cheeks.

Teddi sighed.

"Do you feel that this is too much?" Sofi asked. "You know you can always step down and give it to Hailey; she's your understudy for a reason."

"But if I back out now, I would never get to do this again. If I have to give it up, I would be crushed."

"But if it's causing you so much anxiety, then it's not even worth it. Think it over. There's still time between now and December. You don't have to make any decisions right now."

Teddi sighed. Sofi had always been the wisest one out of all her friends. But in this case, Teddi was doubting her roommate's advice. She just hoped that Sofi turned out to be right.