flipped. charlie conway

32

(i truly apologise for not updating in so long, thank you for waiting so patiently! i am well and hope you all are too)

after an intense scrimmage which left leah and adam highly impressed by their new teammates, team usa's first training was brought to a close when don tibbles was pinged in the head with a puck.

team usa bustled with chatter as they scuttled around the dorky man.

"mr tibbles, can you hear me? mr tibbles, wake up." a young woman encouraged as she held an ice pack to don tibbles' forehead. the suited man blinked awake, slightly disoriented by the large group of children swarming him. "oh, mr tibbles! are you alright?"

"uhh," tibbles fumbled as he awoke, "i'll have the cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake, please." light laughter bubbled from ken, jesse, and lester at the disoriented response.

the young woman sighed a chuckle in relief. "i think he'll be okay." she remarked to coach bombay.

"we'll keep an eye on him." coach shrugged, amused by tibbles' menu order.

"oh, i'm sorry! i don't think he had a chance to introduce us; i'm michele mckay, their tutor." the young woman introduced, holding her hand out to gordon bombay. the corner's of leah's mouth curled upward. leah was eager to begin her school work, and eager to nail the crossbar of her work.

coach bombay pulled an amused grin, "i'm coach bombay, their coach." leah refrained from elbowing her brother as he spat out a remark, instead choosing to glare at him in warning.

"who said we need a tutor?" adam scoffed, nose scrunching in disappointment. a chorus of agreement emerged from the young group of hockey players, all of which lead leah to feel ashamed of her eagerness to start learning. the girl shrunk into her hockey stick as adam glared right back at her in retaliation.

goldberg interrupted the disgruntled crowd. "ah, ms mckay, we're america's team here! shouldn't we concentrate on hockey? may i suggest optional attendance?" the goalie proposed smugly.

miss mckay snickered. "well, that's not a bad idea!" she exclaimed, her warm brown eyes flickering over the crowd of elated hockey players. leah snickered herself as her teammates failed to recognise the sarcasm in her voice.

"call me goldberg." greg shrugged, raising his eyebrows to jesse on his right.

"goldberg!" miss mckay applauded, "yes. school will be optional." she announced, causing the team to erupt into cheers. adam smirked at leah, his proud 'i told you so' grin heightening his chuffed stance.

charlie sniggered to lester. "sucks for birdbrain banks, we all know she desperately needs those classes." charlie covered his laugh with his hand, nudging lester to laugh along with him.

leah couldn't help but notice the joyful glee radiating from the conway boy, even from across the crowd. she felt her heartbeat skip and butterflies flurry around her tummy. it was nice to see charlie so elated.

"however," miss mckay interrupted the racket from the team, "should you choose not to attend, you will not be eligible to play." the warm eyed woman smirked. disgruntled groans of disappointment fizzled amongst the crowd before coach bombay instructed the new team to head to the changerooms and get changed.

leah flipped her head to adam, mocking his smug grin. "yay, no classes, woohoo!" she cheered mockingly, waving her dainty hands in feign celebration.

adam scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "oh, you are the worst. i thought she was serious!" the twin boy shook his head as he gave his sister a light shove.

"serious enough to make you fall for her obvious sarcasm?" leah remarked, snickering to herself as adam's jaw fell slack. the two giggled amongst one another, adam slinging his arm over leah's shoulder tiredly as they returned to their bags.

lester scurried into the change room soon after the two, gulping nervously. "that portman guy is terrifying." he exclaimed to adam and leah.

"you alright?" leah breathed a chuckle at lester's startled state, adam snickering from her side.

a grumpy charlie stomped over and grabbed lester by the shoulder. "come on, les. i told you to stay away from her."

as the two trotted away, adam rolled his eyes to his sister. "he is so rude, if you haven't noticed by now."

"sorry?" leah frowned, confused by what adam was implying.

"he's just not nice," adam began with annoyance, "so stop treating him like the best person you've ever met."

leah shook her head with a grin. "of course not, adam. you are the best person i've ever met." the girl gave a cheesy sentimental grin, eliciting a laugh from her brother.

"no, no, you've got it all wrong," a voice spoke up from behind the two, earning their attention, "i'm the greatest person, you're just lucky to have met me so young." dean portman flexed his biceps with a taunting laugh.

"dean portman, right?" adam asked, holding his hand out. the rough boy firmly squeezed onto adam's hand, shaking it violently as the smaller boy yelped.

"the one and only. you must be those twins tibbles banged in about?" dean released adam's hand from his firm grip, and finally presented a warm smile to the two. "adam and leah, right?" the banks siblings gave a nod in confirmation before dean portman slapped his hands onto each of their shoulders. before either could respond, the portman boy stumbled off to his own bag.

leah was sure this hockey season would be a season to remember, and certain she and adam would become a better hockey duo than ever.