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✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦ 1.1
VICTORIA REED WOKE UP TO the soft morning light filtering through the thin curtains of her small bedroom. The house was quiet, which is not out of the ordinary, as she stretched and reluctantly climbed out of bed. She dressed quickly, pulling on a Beastie Boys singlet and a pair of warn jean shorts, the ones that had seen better days but still fit just right. As she tugged her socks on, the creaking of the old wooden floorboards was the only sound in the empty house. Victoria walked downstairs, expecting to find her mother making breakfast or her father reading the paper, but the kitchen was silent, the chairs pushed neatly under the worn table, and no sign of her brother or parents. A note was left on the table by her brother, reading, 'I've left at 9, Will be at the park'
Victors left her house around 10 that morning, her skates already laced up tightly as she glided down the street. Her mood was clouded with frustration—why couldn't Fulton wait for her. As she skated along the familiar neighborhood route, she spotted an elderly neighbor sitting on her porch. Victoria waved, and the woman waved back with a gentle smile, a brief moment of warmth in an otherwise tense day.
When she finally arrived at the park, her eyes locked onto Fulton. He was standing near three of the Hawk players, who hadn't yet noticed him. Victoria raised an eyebrow watching, puzzled by the scene. She skated over quietly, coming to a stop beside her brother and giving him a questioning look. Fulton responded with a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent. She glanced up the path and saw the rest of the Ducks skating toward them screaming in excitement, with a rope strung across the path, barely visible.
"Large order of shredded duck, coming up." The bleach blonde boy spoke.
"They won't know what hit 'em," Fulton muttered, glancing sideways at Victoria with a mischievous grin.
"Oh yeah, they won't," Victoria replied, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the unaware Hawks.
The blonde boy in the middle of the group laughed, oblivious to what was coming. "Who said that?" he spoke, his laughter echoed by his two friends.
With deliberate steps, Fulton moved closer, the sound of his skates on the pavement heavy and ominous. Victoria followed, her gaze locked on the three boys who were now slowly turning around, realizing too late that they were surrounded. Both Fulton and Victoria loomed over them, their faces set with steely determination.
"Hey guys," Victoria said, her voice low and menacing, her expression shifting into a deadly glare. She had no tolerance for anyone who messed with her friends, and these boys were about to learn that lesson the hard way. The three Hawks stood frozen, their jaws dropping and eyes widening in fear.
As the boys tried to crawl away in a desperate attempt to escape, Fulton was faster. He grabbed them by their collars, pulling them back as they screamed in terror. "Hey, come here!" he shouted, laughing as he and Victoria swiftly yanked off their pants, the two siblings sharing a moment of triumphant laughter.
Victoria grabbed one of the boys, Larson, by the arm and dragged him towards a tree where Fulton was already tying up the other two. The satisfaction of seeing the Hawks squirm made her smirk in victory. By the time the rest of the Ducks arrived at the scene, they were greeted with the sight of the three boys tied to the tree, pantsless and humiliated.
Fulton raised the pants high in the air, grinning as he declared, "That'll teach them from messing with the Ducks!"
The Ducks erupted in cheers, their voices echoing through the park. Victoria joined in, laughing alongside them, feeling a rush of pride and camaraderie. This was her family, and she would protect them no matter what.
The group of ducks, now joined by Fulton and Victoria, continued skating through the park until they reached Bombay who was waiting on the footpath. He had turned around as soon as he heard the duck whistle and the group chanting
"Ducks! Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!" The group finally reached him, making Bombay grin at them as they circled around him.
Without hesitation, Victoria skated over to him, quickly rapping her arms around him in a hug. "Coach," she breathed, her voice trembling slightly as she wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you."
He hugged her tightly back, his hand gently patting her back. "I missed you too, kid," he replied, his voice soft. Pulling back just enough to look at her, he added, "You've grown. How have you been holding up?"
Victoria felt a lump in her throat as she nodded. "It's been hard," she admitted, "but I've had Fulton and the ducks." Coach Bombay smiled, a mixture of pride and understanding in his eyes.
As soon as Victoria let him go, she returned to Fulton's side, feeling the familiar comfort of her brother's presence. The rest of the Ducks were already crowding around Coach Bombay, their faces lighting up with smiles and laughter as they gave him quick, affectionate hugs. The energy in the group was electric, a mix of excitement and relief at having their beloved coach back with them.
"Welcome back, Ducks! I really missed you guys. Are you ready to fly?" Bombay's voice was full of enthusiasm, and the team responded with loud clapping and cheering, their spirits lifted by his return. The joyful noise was suddenly interrupted by the blaring horn of a limousine, catching everyone's attention and bringing the celebration to an abrupt pause.
"Awesome," Connie said, her eyes wide with curiosity as the others nodded in agreement, exchanging puzzled glances.
"Wow, who's in there?" Victoria asked, her head tilting slightly as she tried to get a better look at the sleek, black limo that had rolled to a stop in front of them.
"Can't be from this neighborhood," Jesse chimed in, his skepticism mirrored by the rest of the team. They all stood still, watching a middle-aged man with Short curly gray hair popped out of the sunroof. His smile was broad and confident, almost as if he had been expecting this exact reaction from the group.
"Hey, guys! I'm Don Tibbles, Hendrix Hockey Apparel," the man announced, his voice booming with a blend of enthusiasm and authority. Victoria's curiosity deepened, and she noticed Coach Bombay tilt his head slightly, a sign of recognition. "We're your official sponsors. Does anybody want a card?" Tibbles offered, waving a handful of business cards in the air.
In a flash, most of the Ducks rushed toward the limo, eager to grab a card and learn more about their unexpected new sponsor. Victoria, however, hung back, her instincts telling her to stay close to Bombay. She watched as he walked toward the car with a measured pace, his expression thoughtful as if he was sizing up the situation. Victoria followed closely, her eyes darting between the excited faces of her teammates and the calm, collected demeanor of their coach. She couldn't help but wonder what this new development would mean for them.
As Bombay was having a conversation in the limbo with Don Tibbles. Connie skated over to Victoria, giving her a massive hug and as they pulled back, Victoria couldn't help but notice how much they'd both changed, yet how some things—like their friendship—remained exactly the same.
Connie, with a playful grin, nudged Victoria and asked, "So, anyone caught your eye lately? Any crushes?"
Victoria rolled her eyes, but before she could answer, Fulton, overheard the question and cut in. "She's not dating anyone." he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. Victoria shot him an exasperated look, half amused, half annoyed.
"I don't need you to decide that, Fulton," she retorted, but her brother just shrugged, giving Connie a pointed look as if to say, And that's the end of it. Connie stifled a laugh, raising her eyebrows at Victoria in mock sympathy.
