Banksie// Adam Banks

Chapter 12

I woke up early. Today was our big game against Iceland. I was excited, I felt like we were ready. I didn't get back to the room till kinda late, Julie went to bed early so I didn't get to tell her about what happened.

I was washing my face when I heard Julie yawn. I could hear her bed as she moved around. Sometimes she confuses me. I mean everyday she wakes up the exact same, she yawns, stretches her arms, then her hands, then her elbows, and so on so forth. I'm a very organized person but not as organized as her.

"Goodmorning!" she said, I could hear her bone crack as she did her back stretch. "Sooo how'd your date go??" 

"It was not a date, Julie, for the last time." I said placing down the towel that was in my hand.

"Whatever." She said, I heard her get up and walk towards the bathroom. She leaned her shoulder on the door-frame and rubbed her eyes. "How'd it go?"

"Well, it was good. We went to that diner a few minutes away from here, then went to the park, then sat on the roof and talked. It was nice." I said, drying my hands on a towel.

"I know what he did, he told me and Ken and asked if you would get bored doing that stuff. We helped him plan the whole thing, I wanna know detaillll, ya know?"

"Okay, okay, uhh, we talked about today's game? and uh other stuff?" I said, it sounded more like a question then a statement.

"Borrrriiiinnnnggggg." she groaned. I slapped her arm while laughing. We had an hour before we had to be at the stadium, but decided to get ready so we could get there early.

*****

It was the end of the second period, the score was 4-1. Ken scored our first and only goal. I had passed it to Fulton who skated down the ice before stopping in front of two Iceland players. He snowed them, then passed it back to Ken who was in front of the goal. Ken show it and it went in.

The whole second period was insane, Dean and Fulton were going crazy, knocking the other teams heads, throwing people around, and yelling a lot. They both got sent to the penalty box. Ken started punching one of the Iceland players after he started yelling at us, he also got sent to the box. 

Connie was trying to get the puck from the wall but it wasn't moving, an Iceland player was skating at her fast, he was going to run into her. But Dwayne grabbed a lasso and jumped onto the rink after him. He lasso'd him up and pulled him back, I bet the rope is going to leave a huge bruise on the guys stomach.

Coach walked into the locker room behind us. I stood by Julie on the end of the bench. He looked like he was thinking hard about something. He looked at us and shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Did you all enjoy that?" he asked. Turning his head to look at all of us individually. We all yelled 'yeah' with excitement. "okay well so did they, because they're still three points up, and we're one period away from defeat." 

We all sat down on the closest seats by us. "Well if we can't beat them we might as well keep our pride." Jesse said, still standing, while throwing his arms down. Again we all said 'yeah' in agreement.

"Jesse that's not pride, sure when Dwayne roped that guy a part of me cheered." he said shaking his head. Jesse sat down. "But guys I've been there, I know how you feel. I wanted to cream that guy that busted my knee in the minors, and I really, really wanted to go after Stansson for that cheap shot." Me and Julie looked at each other, I didn't even realize that Adam was on the other side of me until I turned my head back. 

"But ya know what? My knee will heal, and if I become someone I'm not, if I sink to their level, then I've lost more then my knee" coach said dropping his hand down. He was walking past us all, nodding at us. "You understand?" we all said another cheap 'yeah' in response.

"We're not goons, we're not bullies, and no matter what people say or do, we have to be ourselves." he said. Boy this speach was longer then the others. "You, who are you?" he said while pointing to Dean.

"Dean Portman," he responded.

"From where?"

"Chicago Illanois."

"You," coach said while pointing to Guy.

"Guy Germaine,"

"From where!"

"Saint Paul, Minnesota."

"You." he said while pointing to Jesse.

"Jesse hall from Minneapolis, Minnesota."

"Who are you?" he said while pointing at Julie, I turned my head. When it was my turn I didn't know if I was going to say Michigan or not. Might as well, I hadn't been from Minnesota, I guess.

"Julie Gaffney from Bangor, Maine." coach pointed at me next.

"Annalise Roberts from Detroit, Michigan." coach pointed at Luis.

"Luis Mendoza, Miami, Florida."

"Greg Goldberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

"Lester Averman, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota." Goldberg and Averman shook hands.

"Fulton Reed, Stillwater, Minnesota!" Dean hit his chest with his fist while smiling.

"Russ Tyler, South Central, Los Angeles."

"Charlie Conway, Minneapolis, Minnesota." Russ wrapped an arm around Charlie.

"Ken Wu, San Francisco, California."

"Connie Moreau, Minneapolis, Minnesota." she stood up with Guy behind her. They definitely still liked each other.

"Adam Banks, Edina, Minnesota." he stood up, me and Julie stood up after him.

"Dwayne Robertson, Austin Texas." Jesse patted his shoulder while standing up behind him.

"Michelle Mackay, Duluth, Minnesota."

"And I'm Gordan Bombay from Minneapolis Minnesota." We all clapped at coach Bombay walked into our U shape. "We're Team USA, gathered from all across America, and we're gonna stick together. Ya know why?"

Hans walked into the locker room. "Because we are ducks, and ducks fly together." he said, he had the biggest smile on his face.

Coach turned and pointed at him. "That's right, Hans. And just when you think they're about to break apart?"

"DUCKS FLY TOGETHER!" We chanted.

"And when the wind get's hard and the sky is black?" Ms. Mackay said.

"DUCKS FLY TOGETHER!"

"And when the roosters are crowing and the cows are spinning circles in the pastor?" Dwayne said. We all stood confused, sometimes Dwayne's cowboy talk left us speechless, but we all shrugged it off.

"DUCKS FLY TOGETHER!"

"And when everyone says it can't be done, ducks fly together." coach said. We all nodded.

"Now new ducks, and old ducks, must unite under a new banner, and I thought something like this might help."