𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ; 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔂 𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓼

Basics and Pizza

My dad had us do basics again. He thinks that will help us against Iceland.

Two days ago he made me help Jan teach Luis how to stop.

While he had Charlie look over footage and made him captain. Favoritism. I had to stack cans while he was sitting there.

We also crawled on the ice (so ridiculous in my opinion) and did laps.

Yesterday we shot pucks and ran on treadmills. I was surprised Goldberg wasn't complaining about that.

-

We were leaving the lockers from our practice today. "Come on, Banks!" Portman yells back before leaving. I stay and wait for Adam.

"You didn't have to wait, V." Banksie tells me. He sits down near his locker.

I sit across from him. "How's your wrist..." his eyes were glossy. That gave me my answer. I grab it from him and try to wrap it up. "It doesn't look as bad as before."

"Imagine how he could play with two good wrists."

Adam pulls his arm back. "Coach." I look back and see my dad walking towards us.

"Sorry, man. I wasn't doin' my job." I mumble how he never does it anyway.

Banks looks at him offended and stands up. "I'm fine, i can play. It's just a little sore."

"Okay, let's find out." He pulls his stick. "Here." Banks reaches to grab it. "Uh, other hand."

He grabs it and his arm was trembling. Bombay tells him to rotate it. Adam's eyes were glossy and he drops his stick.

"I have to bench you."

Adam yells in defiance, "No! You can't do that. You can't bench me."

"Adam you could injure yourself permanently." My dad argued.

Banks' eyes were more glossier. "I gotta play. All the scouts are here watching me. This is my shot."

"You're young and you're gonna have plenty of shots, believe me."

Adam looks down at me. "My dad is counting on me. I have to play, coach."

"I'm sorry, but this is for the best." My dad says and Banks takes a seat.

I roll my eyes at my dad and take a seat next time Adam, wrapping my arm around him. "It's okay..." i whisper to him.

"Hey, my dad worked a lot when I was a kid. So when he made it to a game, I wanted so bad to score 100 goals for him. I spent half the game, a nervous wreck, my stomach in knots."

Adam looks up. "That's how I feel."

"before he died, my dad told me that his happiest times were watching me skate on this pond we had behind our house. He didn't need me to score 100 goals for him. He was proud of me-"

"At least someone is proud of you." I say under my breath.

"-because I was his son and I did my best. I'm sure that's how your dad feels. I know it is."

Banks gives a small smile. "Thanks, coach." He leans onto me. I figured for comfort.

"All right, let's go get that wrist x-rayed." He stands up. "Come on."

-

We went back to basics, this time without Adam Banks. He would skate around wearing an arm sling.

I could tell by his eyes that he wanted to do the practices with us. We were doing shootings and cardiovascular activities.

I was also helping Luis more and more with his stopping. "Okay, speedy, try turning earlier and more sharper."