𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ; 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝔂 𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓼

Stansson

It's near the end of third period against Russia. We lead 2-1. Since Banks is benched, Charlie scouted Russ. I personally would have went with Marcus, but hey I don't make the calls.

Russ was banging for the puck on the ice. Averman passes to him and Russ smirks. "It's knucklepuck time!" He shoots his shot.

To no one's surprise, he makes it in. "Nice shot!" Charlie skates up to him and compliments.

"Yeah, it's better than spazway over here could do." I diss Charlie. Russ awkwardly laughs.

-

We were in the lockers when my dad said someone wanted our autographs. "That's Wayne Gretzky!" Jesse says the obvious.

Charlie was completely fan girling. "This is the great one!" Gretzky waved him off sheepishly.

"You could only wish you could be as good as him." I tell Charlie and the photographers snap a bunch of pictures of us.

On the way out the lockers, I was talking with Banks and Kenny bout Julie. "So she's been all jealous and shit. Oh, I mean crap. Sorry, Kenny."

"Why is she being all jealous? And it's alright." Kenny fixes his hair.

I click my tongue. "Whenever she talks about me and Portman together, she gets that jealous tone. And, and I asked her if she liked Portman."

"Does she?" Banks asks, looking down to me and Ken.

I shrug. "She says she doesn't. But what doesn't make sense is if she doesn't like him, why is she getting jealous of us?"

Kenny goes quiet. "I think I know why.."

I stop in my tracks and grab him by the shoulders. "What is it!? It's been bugging me for days." I give him a little shake.

"Promise this won't ruin y'alls friendship."

Banks pulls me off Kenny. "Yeah, whatever I promise."

"It isn't Dean Portman she likes..." Kenny begins to say.

Adam lets go of me. "Oh." He whispers looking into the distance.

"Then who is it?"

Kenny and Adam go quiet. "It's a girl."

I stand there, shocked. "Oh my God, she likes Connie?"

Banks smacks his face. "Viv, she likes you. I mean who doesn't." He gives a small laugh while he says that.

"Julie is jealous of Portman for being with me? She like likes me..?"

Kenny nods. "Look at you, getting all the guys and girls."

"Okay, the only guy I 'got' was Jesse."

Banks and Kenny look at each other. "Officially, yeah."

"Wait what other guy did I get?"

Kenny shakes his head slightly. "You mean guys."

    "Wait, there's multiple?" They snicker and change the topic. "Uh, no. Who else likes me? Dudes!"

-

My dad called us to the rink for one last practice before we go up against Iceland. "Uh, coach?" Luis says. "Shouldn't we be in gear?"

"Yeah." I agree with him. "That's the whole point of us not getting injured you know."

    Bombay gives me a look before addressing everyone. "Guys, this is our last team practice, which means-"

    "The return of Captain Blood?"

    The team laughs at that. "What, no. It means," my dad leans over and grabs a beach ball. "Let's have some fun."

    He throws the beach ball and we start messing with it. I turn to talk to Julie, when I see Tibbles scream and flip over the border.

    "Hi, Viv." Julie waves to me. "What you laughing at?"

    I point over to Tibbles getting up from the floor. "He fell over and it was the funniest thing I've seen today."

    "Oh." Julie looks back to me. "Wished I saw it then."

    I smile a bit before going serious. "Julie, i know ur jealous of Portman because you like me."

    Julie tilts her head to the side. "Finally, you figured it out."

    "Yeah, and I hope you find a girl to treat you right-" I start when she cuts me off.

    "Or guy."

    "-or guy," I add. "To treat you right, as I dont feel the same for you. No hard feelings."

    Before Julie could say something, Iceland slates to us. They apparently popped our beach ball.

    "Playtime is over." Stansson looks at us. "We have the ice now. You and your little rink rats must leave."

    I put my hands on my hips. "Oh you did not just call us little rink rats when the little thing was your time playing for the NHL." The team start laughing.

    Miss MacKay gave me a look to stop. "Right bout that, Viv." My dad agrees with me. "Littlest time ever playing pro."

    "Well, at least I had a shot." Stansson looks Bombay up and down. "I was there."

    My dad stares into his soul. "You were a disgrace." The coaches stare at each other for a minute before Bombay turns to us. "All right, team, we're outta here."

    "Can you still move on the ice?" Stansson taunts. "Well, please, play a little with me." He challenges. "Show me the famous triple deke your daddy taught you. Or was it that old geezer over there?"

    I was going to move forward when Adam grabs my arm. "No." He whispers to me. I look down and see he grabbed me with his injured wrist. Pretty tightly, so I think his wrist is getting better.

    "Marria." He holds out his arm and a hockey stick was placed into it. He tosses it to Gordon.

    Everyone went silent as Bombay examines the stick. "Three bar." He accepts the challenge. "First one to hit both posts and the crossbar. Have to take it out past the blue."

    " I know the game." Stansson reminds.

    Miss MacKay and the Iceland lady take everyone off to the side. We stand and watch as Bombay and Stansson go against each other.

-

    My dad was winning and he was boasting about it. Bad move.

    Stansson goes up behind him and smacks his right knee. He goes sliding across the ice groaning. The team and I go to him, more like they went to him.

    I skated to Iceland and was about to swing on them (even though it wasn't their fault, I just don't like them) bur Fulton pulled me before I could get a hit.

    "Get your coach off the ice." Stansson spits. "We have to practice now."

    Portman looks at me and we both nod. We go forward but the team was holding us back and saying to calm down.

    The two coaches were glaring at each other before we left back to the rooms.