Alaska | Adam Banks

punishment

CHAPTER NINE | PUNISHMENT

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"TWELVE TO FIVE."

Coach Bombay was currently pacing in the locker room. He was eyeing all of us with such ferocity that none of us could hold eye contact for more than a second before returning our gaze to the floor. 

"Twelve to five. You know what word comes to mind when I think of that? Pathetic! You guys were brought here to play hockey!" 

I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration towards him. Yeah, sure we were brought here to play hockey, but he was supposed to be our coach. Today was the first time we had seen him in almost a week, and he expected us to play against the top team with no practice. 

"What about you?" Jesse asked, clearly angry also. 

"What about me, Jesse?" 

"Coach Stansson knew everything about us!" Julie spoke up. "They were ready for us."

"We had to practice on our own while you were off somewhere in Los Angeles doing who knows what." I said, referring to our conversation before the game. "We hadn't seen you for almost a week until today."

"Yeah, while you're out spending your time driving around in those fancy convertibles and talking to those dumb sponsors." Luis mentioned. 

"Or spending time with that Iceland lady. Eating ice cream with the enemy, Coach? That's almost as bad as recruiting one of them." Fulton sneered, causing both me and Coach Bombay to freeze. 

There was a moment of silence before the team erupted into loud complaints and protests. 

"Hey! What I do in my free time is none of your business! Is that clear?"

"Yeah, sure, and like Fulton said, recruiting an Icelandic player? Really? That's the worst thing you could ever have done." Jesse raised his voice before pointing at me, targeting his anger at me now. I lowered my head, trying to keep myself out of the conversation for as long as I could. 

"Using Augustine as an excuse for how you played today is a bunch of trash. You all know better, so why don't you play it?"

"We may know better, but it's not an excuse. She doesn't belong with us, and she never will." Fulton said. 

That was it. 

"Do you realize that without me, you would not get very far in these games!" I stood up, turning to Fulton. "It's not my fault I was born somewhere you can't accept! Learn to grow up!" 

I heard Goldberg scoff. "Grow up? Please, we don't even want you on this team anyway. Who would want to be on a team with a traitor?"

"You're only mad because you can't handle being second best for once in your life. Both of you!" I motioned to Coach Bombay. "Why don't you learn that not everything is going to go your way? I'm sorry that I can't control everything!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Coach Bombay interfered. 

"Knock it off, all of you! This is Team USA for crying out loud!"

"It can't be Team USA if there's an Icelandic player on it!" Jesse said. 

"For the last time! It's not my fault! If you don't like being on a team with me then leave! Nobody's stopping you!" I said once again. "Why don't you have to deal with being used as a punching bag for another team then turn around and get told that you're not doing enough! That you're the most useless person ever? That you're not helping your team because you're just a burden to everyone else?"