✓ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, charlie conway

02 | siegfried and odette

Larson and McGill, two Hawks, approach the team with shit-eating grins. Averman looks down bashfully, and Emma wraps a protective arm around his shoulders. She sees Charlie, out of the corner of her eye, giving her another dirty look. Well, he looks kind of cute, even like that.

Charlie hates how buddy-buddy she is with the team, whether it's big bear hugs, a squeeze of the shoulder, or a squeal and an "I love you." It just gives him an icky feeling he can't describe.

Emma, on the other hand, loves affection. Sure, it could be considered overbearing and clingy, but the guys on the team, minus Charlie, and plus Connie, tolerate it just fine. 

Emma is close with both Terry and Jesse, often exchanging sarcastic remarks, dry humor, and the occasional fist bump. She has a similar relationship with Peter and Karp, and sometimes they hang out at the arcade, just as their own trio. She's known Adam ever since she was little, since their moms often meet for drinks, and have been close friends since college. She'll give him random hugs and tousling of his hair. With Goldberg, she sometimes goes for burgers and milkshakes with him, and often visits his family's deli. Emma he always goes to Guy or Connie whenever she needs to vent about something serious. She and Connie go to the mall almost every weekend together, and gossip over a couple of Cokes. She and Averman, well, there's no reason why they shouldn't get along. He's adorable. 

"Hi, girls,"  Larson taunts. He laughs. "And pretty girl," he adds, nodding towards Emma. Karp makes a move at him, eyes wild, but Emma grabs his shoulder to keep him from falling face-first onto the ice.

Their new coach, Gordon Bombay, arrives.

Emma doesn't really like their new coach. It's very crystal clear he has an undying sense of loathing for children, which she is sympathetic with, since she knows she and her friends can be annoying sometimes. But he is so blatantly rude, and makes no effort to hide the fact that he is extremely pretentious.

Both teams line up on either side of the rink, whacking their hockey sticks at their goalies' shins. The Hawks' goalie remains tough and stable, but Goldberg looks like he's about to collapse any second now.

"Sorry, Goldberg," Emma whispers, tapping her stick lightly to his leg.

"Thanks, Hart. Jeez, they won't give me a-" Goldberg is interrupted by a loud "move along!" from Charlie and a hard swing to the leg. Goldberg falls to the ground ungracefully. Charlie skates back over, and for a second, Emma wishes he was coming back to talk to her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"Oh, yeah, 'I didn't mean to do that,'" Goldberg imitates.

"Yeah, sure, you're on my own team," Charlie says. "Oh, sorry, Goldberg. Didn't mean to," Charlie repeats, continuously hitting the front of Goldberg's helmet. 

"Would you knock it off before I clock you?"

The game commences with a sharp whistle blow.

At the face-off, Adam takes the puck, cradling it in his stick, and effortlessly scores a goal with little to no resistance from Emma's team. Damn it, Banks. 

Adam sends Emma a salute, and she rolls her eyes jokingly and helps up her fallen teammates. She offers Charlie her hand, and he reluctantly takes it before shoving her with his shoulder.