✔️ 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐋 | ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ʙᴀɴᴋꜱ ¹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

❝ 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊'𝖘 𝖒𝖞 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒 ❞

     IN THE MORNING, the rink offers the scent of cold water and sweat, the sparkle of water on bright white ice, and the magic of skate marks in lines below us. We stood in the middle of the rink, feeling small. We were tied together with a rope, every single one of us fighting to be let go.

"This is more crowded than a truckload of goats," Dwayne said as we shuffled together. "And I love goats!"

"Somebody better watch their hands," Julie said, and told the guys behind her to shove it.

Lester seemed more angry than surprised. "Yeah!" he said. "Somebody licked me!"

I could understand everyone's anger: it was one thing for a coach to make his normal players get this up close and personal with each other, quite another for a coach to do it with some random kids that met not even 24 hours prior.

I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Oh, I smell something."

Beside me, Banks nodded and made a foolish attempt at covering his nose. "Oh my god."

"Goldberg!" The Ducks laughed.

"It wasn't me!"

"No, it was me!" Dean proclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. "That was one of my best ones yet!"

Bombay blew the whistle. "I don't know how to make this any clearer. You are a team. And to win this thing, you have to work as one." He skated in front of us, eager eyes all on him now. "Now as one, skate."

In a lousy attempt to start moving, everyone fell down. If I hadn't been wearing any gear, I would have been sliced right on the arm from Jesse's skate. Still, everyone didn't know what they were doing and didn't understand the point of the exercise.

"Everyone goes their own way, everyone falls down" He let out a sigh, breath fogging in front of him . "Now, get up and try it again."

It wasn't long until everyone started fighting again, each of us all wanting to be the leader.

"All right, all of you love to your right," Dean said. "Now!"

"Who made you boss?" Fulton groaned. "Everyone to the left!"

I didn't know how to make this all work out. How do you say guys let's get our heads out of our asses in front of your coach? I couldn't, so instead I just said followed with whatever direction was being shouted

"You guys can argue all you want" Bombay called out, "but I am not untying you until you move as one."

I jumped up from the ground, looking at whatever kids were actually paying attention. "Can we just get this over with?" I groaned.

Everyone was still there, looking as miserable as ever. No one really seemed to care until I asked again.

They stared back rigidly, maybe wondering if this could be a dream. I moved over slightly, and at the start of my movement, I accidentally knocked into Banks' place where she sun didn't shine. I threw my arm across my mouth and looked away, and when I opened my eyes again he was also looking away, probably trying to spare me the embarrassment.

Charlie didn't notice, and didnt did the rest of the team. This thought was only solidified when he said, "Let's just get this going!"

*

We showed Bombay that we could actually communicate as a team and that maybe we weren't as screwed as some of us had thought. I failed to mention that I thought we were bound to lose every game we played. Luckily, I was also never asked the question.

"Now you're learning!" he said, turning his whistle over in his hands. "Communication! That's it!"

He started clapping, thankful that we were finally getting the hang of it. "Good, together! Move together!" he said. "Charge!"

The game we played after was a gift from the heavens, and it left me with a feeling that we'd get along sooner rather than later.

After dinner, I began to wonder if we had hated each other too easily. Though it was true there was no one whom we could truly all get along with, there was still the constant need for a leader, a lot of us wanting the praise.

If it had ever meant anything—to me, anyways, maybe, or to Averman—we'd probably never be looked up to on the team as a leader. But if we grew up without making sure that we weren't considered at least once, we would know that we should have tried harder.

But I didn't mind it too much—there wasn't too much power and no one (other than maybe Charlie) had a god complex. And hopefully, if the season went the way we all hoped it would, we could get our ticket to colleges.