Love of Ice

CHAPTER 5 : TRAILS AND TRIBULATION

The heather blasted in their faces as they walked from the frost outside to the warmth in the coaches' office. It was still not cold enough to have snow, but it was chilly enough for a human to need a coat.

"Good morning, Coach," Adelaide said, entering the office and greeting Alexandro. He was sitting at his desk with Theodore and Jeremy planning for training when they stepped in.

"Hi, dear," he greeted her.

"Hello, Adelaide. Claire! You're here too!" Jeremy said turning around.

"..." Theodore just stared at her and her team. " It needs work," was his blunt statement.

"That for us to say, you have no right," Adelaide glared at him. If looks could kill, Theodore would have been to hell countless times by now.

"Jeremy, why don't you and Theodore wait outside, we still need to plan, but I need to talk to Adelaide and her team first," Alexandro could feel the tension in the air.

"Sure thing, coach," Jeremy hopped out of his chair before dragging Theodore out of the room.

"Sit, Adelaide. I would like to get to know your teammates,"

They all moved to the couch in his office. "I'm Elizabeth Chase, but you can call me Lizzy."

"I'm June de Ciel"

"I'm Claire Jennings"

"I'm Elaine de Raffaello"

"Nice to meet all of you. I can understand why Adelaide selected all of you. Now, Adelaide will be captain but I also need an assistant captain, so you guys have to choose," Alexandro said.
A tentative hand went up. Claire looked down at her lap even as her hand moved up. "Claire, would you like to try?" Alexandro said, smiling gently. "Does anyone disagree?"

Silence, "Well then, congratulations to Claire for being brave."

Adelaide hugged Claire. "I'll help you, too, we all will."

"Alright, not to pop your bubble, but Adelaide you need stay. Claire, I trust you to take them down to the field, the guys are training there. Work with Jeremy, He'll show you the ropes." Alexandro stood up," Oh, yes, and ask Theodore to come back in."

"Yes, sir!" Claire said before they all hurried out. Adelaide dropped herself in the chair that Jeremy had been sitting on, her legs dangling over the armrest.

Theodore stepped into the room to see Alexandro and Adelaide talking animately about Alexandro's newborn son. He slipped into the seat beside her and turned towards her... only to be met with a pair of sports shoes.

"Put down your legs, Captain West," he said, glaring at it.

"Oh, you're here. No, I like it here," she answered grinning at him.

"Coach is in front of you," he said, his temper flaring.

"I know, I've been talking to him," she continued to be a smart-elect.

"Has your mother never taught you manners!" he shouted.

He had gone too far, her mother was a taboo subject, even Lizzy knew that. She had talked about her on the anniversary and Lizzy only knew because she had caught Adelaide talking to her mother's headstone.

"You have no right! No right at all to talk about my mother! You've no idea what happened, you don't get to talk about her!" She was shouting by now. She stood up, stretched her hand back, and slapped him. Hard. "No, right!"

She stormed to the door and said something about training before slamming it behind her. Theodore sat back down. "Coach, why did you just let her walk out like that," he was shocked.
"She needs time to cool down. Try not to talk about her mother, It's a sore subject for her," Alexandro said, staring at the door, sighing.