Showers Hide Tears

Chapter 2

Adam took a deep breath in of the cool rink air as he laced up his skates hoping it would calm pain in his heart. It's where he wanted to be the moment he left Han's funeral, on the ice. In the past the ice had calmed him but would it not now, he had to know. He had to know if it would fill the growing emptiness in his heart he had now with Hans gone as well. Even though Adam didn't start out a Duck, Hans had always helped Bombay in making him feel like he belonged with the team and truthfully he needed that more at the current moment then he ever did, because as he stood behind his former Duck players at the funeral, he never felt more alone. Even though not a word was spoken he knew he didn't belong with them anymore. The Ducks held nothing more for him but memories of happier times, the bonds of friendship had been burned without a reconciliation in sight.
That's why he immediately headed to arena, without even bothering to change out of his suit. So as he laced, his suit jacket laid on the bench next to him but he was still wearing his slacks and tie.
Once finished, he stepped out on the the ice, just taking in the vastness of the rink a moment and cringed slightly at that dreaded goalie crease. Sure he had skated on the rink's ice many times already but it had been with hopes that one day he could skate with his friends once again, but now he knew that hope was gone. That he was now approaching this rink alone, could he skate like a Warrior for the next four years on it or would the rink swallow his dreams whole? Could being a Warrior give him the love for the game like being a Duck did? Did he even have the heart to be Warrior?
With one swift move of his skates he began to make laps around the rink, with the intent not to stop until the pain and emptiness in his heart was replaced with the answers he seeked. The arena echoed with the sound of his blades sliding across the smooth ice and Adam could feel himself get lost in the sound. All he wanted to do was keep skating, nothing else matter, just him and the ice. This is what he loved. This is why he willed himself that faithful day to step into the Duck's locker room, because he didn't want to give it up and the Ducks gave him a chance to play what he loved. But now he knew if Ducks couldn't give that chance to him anymore that he had to find it somehow as a Warrior. There was no other option, right?
Adam was so lost in his thoughts and his skating he didn't hear the shuffle of feet enter the arena. It wasn't until he was making another pass around by the door of the rink did he hear anything. "Hey Cakeeater, why are you skatin' out here alone?" Russ called out to him with laugh.
Adam immediately stopped in his tracks, his skates spraying ice everywhere as he did and stared in shock at the sight before him. There in the entrance of the rink stood the band of misfits that he once called his friends, the Ducks. Well almost all of them. In any case Adam was completely dumbfounded and looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he stared. The team all smiled back at him as he did.
"Yeah, it looks like you could use some company." Julie added as she joined Russ at his side.
Adam couldn't believe this was happening, was he dreaming this. Had he pushed himself too hard and was actually blacked out on the ice somewhere. "Aren't you all pissed at me for what happened at The Minnesota Club?" He asked beyond confused.
"Well we were..." Russ replied. "But Bombay reminded us today that Hans wanted us all to fly together so how could we let one Duck fly solo over some stupid prank?" Guy said as stepped out to the ice towards Adam and the rest of team followed to greet him with hugs, "Yeahs!" quacks and "Ducks fly together." chants along with near tackles from sneakers on slippery ice. Adam couldn't be happier because the pain in his heart had been replaced with the answer he was looking for. The Ducks were the answer.
"Thanks guys and I wish I could have warned you of what the Varsity had planned but like I tried telling Charlie before the game, I didn't know until it was too late." It wasn't until then did Adam realize that Charlie wasn't there and he felt a pit in his stomach growing once again.

"Where is Charlie?" He asked, instantly regretting it by how much the mood suddenly changed into sadness and tension. Adam sighed, he knew he had been right, Charlie hated him still and he hung head sadly. "Sorry man, but Charlie left us after Coach Orion made us take off our Ducks jerseys." Kenny explained as he laid a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Yeah he's acting like a jerk now, I tried to talk to him today before the funeral and he totally blew me off." Connie added, with a bit of a huff.

"Yeah. He's another lost duck that be need'n to be rounded up too...Hey! We got the rink, let's do a round up, ya'll! Yeehaw!" Dwayne suggested with a grin as he pulled out his lasso from his bag eagerly. Everyone perked up at the suggestion and Adam couldn't even help smiling a tiny bit. "Easy Cowboy, Cakeater here seriously needs to change first." Russ said with laugh, gesturing to Adam. "Man why are you still in that monkey suit anyway?" Adam blinked a second and glanced down at his outfit, realizing what Russ meant.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I didn't even bother to go back to the dorms to change." Everyone laughed and Adam chuckled too. "Well I'm sure you probably got like ten sets of warm up clothes in that fancy Varsity locker room of yours, so get to it." Russ said nudging him towards it. "Ya know, I've always wanted to see what food situation was in there. Let's go check it out. I bet we can even find the Catlady something to eat." Goldberg teased Julie as he began following Adam and she responded by punching him in the arm. "Ow!" he cried out and everyone laughed. "I want to check out their sticks, I bet I could make some wicked shots with a few of them." Fulton added and it quickly became a whole team trip to the Varsity locker room. "Today on the Life Styles of the Rich and Famous, we tour the famous Eden Hall's famous Varsity lockeroom with our very own resident Cakeater, Adam Banks." Averman jumped out in front of the group doing a horrible impression of Robin Leech. "Averman!" the group yelled and groaned as they pushed him out of the way.
Adam himself though was lost in his thoughts as he led them into the locker room. He was so grateful that he once more accepted by his friends but his heart still didn't feel whole. There was something, someone still missing. Charlie.
If it wasn't for him Adam wouldn't have had any of these friends in the first place, they would have never accepted him without Charlie. So to be here now without him was almost too much for Adam, he needed to bring Charlie back. There had be something he could do to get his friend back, he just didn't know what.