fool (lester averman)

chapter fourteen

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chapter fourteen: street puck

a/n:

if you failed to read the notes at the end of the last chapter, I suggest doing so before proceeding.

tw(s) - none, really

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"Why do we need to practice if coach isn't even going to show?"

Rory silently contemplates Connie's words, her bruised body straining as she tries to keep up with Dean's stretches. He'd woken them up that morning by harassing them until they got up out of bed and then dragged them to the track next to the hotel after breakfast for some 'much-needed practice.' She was, as much as she was afraid to face him, expecting Bombay's presence (because, in her experience, coaches show up to practices), but he wasn't there. Apparently, nobody has seen him since the night of the Iceland game, and he isn't responding to calls or pages, either. She has no faith that he's going to ever actually show up.

So, like the other brunette, she's not entirely sure why they're still there... Other than the fact that nobody has the spine to say no to the enforcer, of course.

"We have a game tonight." Dean says simply. "We have to work out."

He's standing in front of the group like one of the men in her mother's exercise tapes, wearing this sleeveless top and flexing his muscles like some Adonis they all want to adore.

"I say we mutiny." Goldberg pants heavily, sweat beading on his brow as he stands up. "Who's with me?"

Rory squints in the sunlight but raises her hand immediately. Averman grabs her wrist and pulls it down as Dwayne stands up, too.

"Goldberg, I'm too tired to mutiny."

"I'm not." She huffs. Even if she's never been in a real fight, and she quite enjoys Dean's company, she's itching to practice her brand new punch technique on him. "We can all take him--"

As Dean swivels to lift a brow in her direction, the redhead next to her swallows nervously.

"She's kidding! Isn't she funny? Look at my girl, a real comedian."

Rory and Averman look at each other, then, with narrowed eyes, him trying to save her ass and her too tired to care.

Julie rolls her shoulders and leans on her knees. "Come on, guys, it's not like we couldn't use the conditioning."

She agrees with Julie to an extent. This team is still very ragtag, even while they were on a winning streak, and they could use something that both bonded them and got them into pique shape.

She just doesn't want to learn this from a peer.

She'd much rather it be a professional.

"Speak for yourself, babe." Dean smirks.

Rory blinks owlishly at the haughty enforcer and then turns, again, to Lester. "He does know that she's agreeing with him, right? Is he that stupid?"