Mighty USA Ducks

Nineteen

The next day we all stood outside in the field where all the teams from different events at the Junior Goodwill Games were allowed to go. We all came outside because someone on the team, I forget who, had said that we all needed to get along and to work out outside. We were all wearing out USA clothing. I was wearing the white tank top with the blue strip on the chest area with stars in the line. And then I wore the red sweat pants and had the blue long sleeved shirt and a red ball cap on.

I was wearing the same thing as most of the others did. Same blue long sleeve as Guy and Adam, same tank top as Portman, same pants as almost everybody else. I was totally fine wearing clothes like this, though if they have shorts I would've taken them right away. They all stood in a bunch when Portman opened his mouth calling Julie and I babes as we walked over to join them. "They've got names," Charlie steps up.

"Yeah," Everyone else said. Portman then blamed something on Fulton and it broke out into a fight. Everyone was yelling at one another and I stood by Jesse as I tried pulling him out of the pack because he was taking smack pretty good for a youngster in his early ages. We all were fighting when we heard someone yell at us.

"We got a bucnh of babies representing Team USA!" They shout, Jesse turns around and since I had his arm from trying to get him out of the group, he had tugged me along with him and I ran into him. He turned and smiled as he rolled his eyes. I had let go of his hand by now as I stood next to him and behind him a little. He went back to being serious once he faced the boy again who was wearing roller skates.

"Yo, we never asked you for your opinion! And you think you could do better?" Jesse yelled.

I whispered in his ear, "Are you sure you should be talking to strangers from tge big city?" He nods and tells me to lay low with the others.

"Gee, I could beat you guys in a hockey game," The other boy yells coming closer to us.

"You don't even got a team!"

"Oh yeah, me and y boys could take you on anywhere anytime," Then security saw the tresppasser and brought him towards the gates. "Hey, get your hands off me," and he returns his gaze back on us. "Well? Let's go Team USA!" He spits sarcastically.

We all look at each other wondering if we should go or not. But Jesse was already going which meant we all had to go as well. We all grab out our bags and ran after the boy to catch the bus. Once on the bus, we all had taken our seats as the boy was explaining the rules and everything so when we got there, we could play with ease against his team. I had confidence in my team that we could win.

Once there, we had six of our guys go out. We had put elbow and shin pads on as some of us used helmets or no helmets. We had to shoot in barrels or overgrown tin cans. We all wore roller skates and played like there was no tomorrow. I had Charlie next to me and he out of no where asked me something, "Did Adam tell you about the scouts who had scouted you out and your father denied letting you go?"

I cover his mouth, "No one needs to know he's my father, alright? Bad enough you found out, and no, he didn't," I take my hand off his mouth as some of our guys are getting killed out there on the ice.

"Well, I haven't seen any scouts come up to yet, so looks like you're staying here," He smiles. Wrong, kid. I may leave during the fall if my father will allow it but from the looks of it, I doubt it.

I grab the envelope from my bag and smile as I look at him and he gets an 'oh no' expression slash look on his face. "Actually, I got a scholarship from a school in LA to join their JV hockey team this fall! Isn't that great!"

Charlie puts his hand to his head, "No, it's not. You know you dad doesn't want you taking any of these?"

"Why? It'll put me closer to being who I want to be and to achieve my goals... Plus, Guy gave it to me the other day," Charlie turns and looks at Guy as he's waving to him and talking to Connie. "Oh come on, it's like you're working for my dad. Chill out Charlie," I say as I stand up grabbing my stick, hitting his shoulder as a 'pat' on his back. I fill in for Ken as he gets off and gets water.

I didn't know what was really going on. But I joined in with everyone and soon was playing well. I got a couple comments from some of the boys from the other team saying I was pretty good, for a girl. I found that rude, but maybe they've never seen girls play sports much. I guess they should look around and see that girls are gonna dominate the fields and courts are town. We've got power and the other girls are just rising to accomplishment.

I had the puck and was passing it back and forth between myself as I looked for either a window in or out. Everyone on my team was being blocked now and I didn't know who to pass it to or where to go, where to stop, where to shoot or anything. But I backed up and gave myself some space and not passing the center mark. I saw a window and also saw Portman backing up now, he winks at me and I growl and roll my eyes. No, this isn't happening. 

He knocks a player down which gives me an open window now. I quickly skate up to the net and shoot. I round the net as I shot and joined the others, cheering along with them. We continue as the other team has the puck and was about to shoot, until Dwayne went in front of the net thingy and blocked the shot. It bounced off and Luis got the puck, racing down the ice and I join him, skating backwards as I cross check the kid in front of me. I had enough strength that he didn't push me down.

Luis shot, just missed it and ran into the chain linked fence falling to the ground. I stop and watch as some helps him up and calls him baby as they tell him to use the breaks. I play for awhile longer and then get off so someone else could go. I had switched with Connie and she played, alongside Guy.

I watched as everyone was hollering, laughing and having a good time. I was standing up behind the bench now drinking water. Portman was there as well and once I stood up from getting water from my bag. He acts up and puts his arm around me. I sigh loudly and push him away from me, "Nah baby, you like this," He tells me.

"I... do... not!" I reply as I tried shoving him away from me but it was no use. "Stop," I tried getting away from him but he had taken my hand and brought me towards him. I had tripped over a bag and landed in front of him, right by his side, my head on his chest and this was so awkward. 

"Hey," Adam pulls me off of Portman and behind him. HIs hand still gripping my arm. "leave her alone. She asked you to stop nicely, now leave her alone," He kindly stands up for me. He walks backwards turning around and bring me alone. I didn't even have to skate, he was pulling me along.

I look at him and he lets my arm go, "Thank you, Adam, for helping me out, " He smiles but not before long where we in the way and one of our team mates had shoved someone and they fell towards us. The three of us fell to the ground. I fell on top of Adam and laughed as I did. "Fancy meeting you down here," I say as I get up and give him my hand. He takes it and I haul him up.

After awhile more of being here. One of the boys had taught Ken something and we all got on the bus to leave back to the arena and dorms. We thanked them all for showing us how to have some real fun. I sat alone because I was tired and was sprawled out across the seat while the boys were in the back of the bus, strangers sat every where and Julie was across from my looking out the window and talking to Goldberg. Then Connie was in front of me asleep already. Me too, girl, me too.