[𝟑] 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐘 | adam banks

C H A P T E R 22

The game turned increasingly stressful and chaotic as Riley and his teammate persisted in making foul moves against the Ducks.

With a hand gently pressed against my forehead, I watched their unsportsmanlike conduct, visibly scoring against the Ducks through unfair tactics. The situation escalated when Riley forcibly displaced Goldberg from the net, defying the rules, and then proceeded to mock the goalie before shooting the puck into the goal.

Unable to stand idly by, I left the bench and skated towards the unfolding confrontation. Charlie, Connie, and Dwayne were confronting Riley, visibly angry and frustrated by his actions, and tensions were quickly escalating.

"You got a problem?" Riley taunted Connie, and I positioned myself in front of him. "Actually, yeah, I have a problem," I retorted, fixing him with a glare.

"Ah, dear cousin, should you even be on the ice when you're sick?" he smirked. "You're weak; I'm surprised you even made it to varsity."

Suddenly, Charlie shoved him forcefully, prompting others to join in a shoving match, tensions boiling over.

The escalating tension between the Varsity and the Ducks came to an abrupt halt as Adam intervened, positioning himself between them. Unnoticed by Riley, Adam discreetly shoved him before swiftly moving to pull me away from the skirmish.

"You need to stay on the bench, El. You're not well," he urged, guiding me back towards the sidelines.

"As if I didn't already know that," I retorted, a frown etching my face. He sighed in response before skating away, returning to the game.

The intensity of the game surged as Charlie maneuvered with the puck, aiming for the opponent's net. However, Adam's persistent distraction with his hockey stick hindered Charlie's progress, fueling frustration. Amid Riley's cheering for Adam, Charlie, in a moment of vexation, looped his arms around Adam's neck, causing both of them to slide towards the net.

Reacting swiftly, I dashed out from the bench, followed by other Ducks, sensing the escalating tension.

As they regained their footing, Charlie was the first to shove Adam. "Yeah, how do you like it, Banks?" he spat out with intensity.

"Yeah, nice takedown. You'd be in the box!" Adam retorted.

"Guys..." I attempted to mediate, but the escalating tension seemed to have overridden reason. The simmering atmosphere between the three of us was now boiling over.

"Go cry to your rich parents!" Charlie shot back, heightening the already charged situation.

"No wonder El broke up with you!" Charlie's biting remark caused Adam to react instantly, shoving Charlie more forcefully. The tension erupted into a scuffle as others joined the fray, escalating the chaos.

"Charlie, Adam!" I called out desperately, attempting to intervene and pull them apart. The situation spiraled out of control as the two grappled with each other on the ice.

Amidst the chaos enveloping us, the two tore off their helmets, engaging in a heated and intense argument, their emotions running high.

"You think I didn't notice the way you look at my girl, Conway?" Adam seethed at his best friend, beads of sweat now evident on his forehead, his voice charged with anger and frustration.

"Can you two just stop this?" I intervened firmly, despite not feeling well. Standing between them, I attempted to cease their altercation, but they seemed wholly indifferent to my efforts.

"Your girl?" Charlie retorted, a mocking smirk playing on his face. "I don't think she's your girl anymore, Banksie," he taunted. Adam reacted swiftly, shoving Charlie backward once more. However, before their altercation could escalate further, the sharp blows of a whistle echoed through the rink, accompanied by Coach Orion's commanding voice.

As Coach Orion intervened, separating the Ducks and Varsity players, I managed to pull Adam away from Charlie's proximity.

"Varsity team, out! Let's go!" Orion's authoritative voice resonated, successfully pulling them apart. I swiftly guided Adam along with the Varsity boys, skating away from the Ducks.

"We're gonna destroy you guys!" Riley's voice echoed behind us, but we chose to ignore his words, focusing on moving away from the escalating situation.

As we entered the locker room, I headed towards my duffle bag, intending to leave. However, Adam unexpectedly halted me, gently gripping my arm.

"Wait for me," he insisted, proceeding to remove his jersey and protective hockey gear. His toned muscles and defined abs were now visible, catching me off guard, and I reflexively cleared my throat at the unexpected sight.

The locker aisle where we stood was empty except for the two of us, as the others were on the opposite side.

"I believe I can manage to go home alone," I replied in a chilly tone, my voice feeble. As Adam changed into a black plain shirt, I attempted to leave, but he intervened.

"No, do you really think I'd let you go home alone, especially when you're not feeling well?" he retorted, rolling his eyes. He shut his locker forcefully, creating a loud noise that echoed through the locker room.

"Let's go," he insisted, hoisting his duffle bag and grabbing mine from my shoulder, leading the way out of the locker room. I followed behind him with a sigh of exasperation.

"Can you at least take a shower first?" I requested, feeling resigned. However, he shook his head decisively.

"No, because you'll try to slip away. I'll just shower at home," he stated firmly without bothering to look my way.

Feeling somewhat resigned, I released a frustrated huff, recognizing that I had no choice but to accompany him home, given our proximity as neighbors.

As the day faded into night, the sky transformed into a deep expanse, casting darkness over us. Walking side by side on the sidewalk, we maintained a noticeable distance, silently acknowledging the tension of our current situation.

"Are those bags not becoming too heavy for you to carry?" I began, breaking the silence.

"It's fine. I'd rather carry them than have you strain yourself, especially when you're not feeling well," he replied, determined.

"Adam, come on, just give me my bag. I'm fine, really," I insisted, attempting to retrieve my duffle bag from him, but he resisted.

"No, I don't want you straining yourself," he sighed. Feeling a bit exasperated, I rolled my eyes but opted to keep walking without further argument, letting the matter rest.