The whole team was buzzing with excitement, we were going to the goodwill games. It was such an amazing opportunity and to top it off we were getting five new team members, I can't wait to see what they're like. We're currently in the dressing rooms getting ready to head out onto the ice and meet the new guys.
"Tell me about my new kids." I hear coach saying to Tibbles as we walk out onto the ice and see four guys and a girl standing there. Finally another girl to join me and Connie, I hope she's nice.
"That's Luis Mendoza, He's from our Miami club. A real speedster. Incredible slater." Tibbles explains as a cute guy in a blue Jersey starts to skate around the rink. "I clocked him at 1.9 seconds, blue line to blue line." Impressive. We all watch him zoom around the rink.
"Good looking skater." Connie says and I nod agreeing with her. "Very good looking, what do you think Guy? Adam?" Averman pipes up. "Shut up Averman." Guy and Adam both reply while Guy elbows him onto the floor.
I blush, I had a little crush on Adam. We were good friends but everyone teases us thinking it was more. I was too afraid to tell Adam about my crush in case he didn't feel the same.
"He has one minor problem.." Tibbles says interrupting me from my thoughts. The guy, Luis, smashes into the boards. "He has a little trouble stopping." Goldberg chuckles "I'd say so." The rest of the new members help him up and ask him was okay. "Yeah, I'm alright. I almost had it that time."
"Yee-haw! How is everyone? Ya'll ready to play some puck?" A boy in an orange jersey greeted us. "Hey look. It's hopalong Gretzky." Jesse jokes and the guys laugh. I just roll my eyes, I don't want to get on the wrong foot of my new teammates. These are the people we have to work together with if we want to win the goodwill games.
"That's Dwayne Roberts from Austin. He's the best puck handler I've ever seen." Tibbles tells coach. "You mean for his age?" He shakes his head. "No I don't." I watch in awe as he moves the puck around with ease, doing tricks.
"Hey, this is easier than ropin' hogs! Yeehaw!" Dwayne says "He does have a tendency to showboat." Coach looked impressed. "Wow."
The girl from the new group walked over to the goal "There's Julie 'The Cat' Gaffney. She won the state championship for Maine 3 years in a row."
"Well we have a goalie. Goldberg." Coach gestured to Goldie in the goal. "All right! Bring 'em on, man! I'm ready for this! C'mon show me what you got! I'm the man! I'm the man!" Goldberg shouts before falling into a split position. "Oohh." he groans. "Uh help."
Tibbles just laughs. "Watch this." We all took turns trying to score on her but she saved them all, she was amazing at it. "Well we.. could use a back-up." Coach nods.
"Isn't that the kid from the Olympics? The figure slater?" Coach asks Tibbles. "Yup. Ken Wu. What can I say? I convinced him that hockey had more of a future. We put a stick in his hand and nobody's been able to touch him." He says proudly.
Everyone seems like such an asset to the team it's gonna be amazing.
"Showtime!!" I look over to see the last guy skating out "That guys a teenager?" Coach looks slightly shocked. "Don't you know that everything's on fire." he sings as he pushes Adam and Charlie. "
Uh yeah, hormones." I hear tibbles tell coach. "He's a goon!" I zone out on their conversation and watch him push my team members onto the ice. He passes me and winks making me blush. I look over to see Adam looking at me. He looked mad, probably cause he got knocked over.
The guy puts his hands around Dwayne's shoulders "C'mon Tex sing it with me." He looks terrified, he shakes his head no and the guy just shrugs and skates off again.
"Here ya go sweetie." He throws his stick to Julie, pushing down more of my team. I hear coach saying something about how we don't play hockey like that but Tibbles was convincing him we needed to, I dunno I wasn't really listening to them I was busy watching this guy.
He grabs Ken and puts him on top of the goal. "My little man!" I giggle again and see Adam staring at me again, what's his problem?
"Who does this guy think he is?" I turn to see Fulton not looking impressed. "All right, That's it!" Goldberg says as everyone gathers in shouting at each other I just stand beside Jesse listening to them all hurl insults at each other. I'm not really one for conflict so I stay out of it.
Suddenly a whistle blows. "EVERYBODY FREEZE" everyone stops and looks at coach. "Now we didn't come here to fight. We came here to play hockey! We're team USA. You represent your country."
"That's right." Tibbles joins in. "Now I want you-" Tibbles interrupts him. "To be all that you can be right? You gotta raise yourself up guys, you got-" he turns and looks at coach and stops.
We all laugh "All right, now let's start with the scrimmage." Coach says and goes to blow his whistle. "Great! Scrimmage!" Tibbles gets in before him and blows his whistle.
"You heard your coach" he looks at coach who looks annoyed. "You don't need me here, I've got an appointment anyway. I've got to see Ms. McKay, she's the team tutor." He says turning to walk off.
"Don." Coach says holding out his hand. "Come on." Tibbles puts his whistle in Coach's hand. "You'll get it back at the end of the school term." Coach jokes which sets the team off laughing again.
"All right ducks, show 'em what you got! Let's scrimmage!" He blows his whistle.
Jesse and Dwayne are in the shootout. "Great day for hockey ain't it?" Dwayne greets Jesse. "Sure is cowboy." Dwayne takes the puck as Jesse flips over.
Luis crashed into Goldberg cause he couldn't stop, it was pretty funny "Thanks for breaking my fall." Luis said to him "Anytime."
We were getting our asses handed to us, we didn't do much training and it shows. The only person to actually score for us was of course Adam. I skated up to him. "Good job." He winked at me. It made my heart race.
Fulton got the puck "Look out!" Coach shouted "It's Fulton!" we all moved out of the way. "Look out for his shot!"
The new guys didn't move "What a bunch of wusses." Dean, I learned his name was, said. That was until Fulton took his shot. It hit the post and it flew off hitting Tibbles in the head.
We all gathered around him "Hello Mr. Tibbles? Mr. Tibbles can you hear me?" The woman he was with was trying to wake him up. He woke up after Coach put smelly stuff in front of his nose. "Oh Mr. Tibbles are you alright?" She asked him.
"Oh uh, I'll have the cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake, please." We all laughed at his answer "I think he'll be okay, we'll keep an eye on him." She said standing up "Oh I'm sorry he didn't get a chance to introduce us, I'm Michelle McKay, their tutor." She introduced herself. "Hi I'm Coach Bombay, their coach."
"Who said we need a tutor?" Adam piped up beside me, I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't need no school." Dean says, making me think he does.
Goldberg goes into some spiel about how we're America's team blah blah but Ms. McKay is too smart for him and says that the lessons can be optional but to be eligible to play we need to attend them. There was groans from the team.
While Coach was talking to Ms. McKay, I caught up with Adam. "So do you like that Dean guy? I saw you watching and laughing at him a few times." I smirked "Why? You jealous?" He scoffed "Yeah right, just curious."
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We were all tied up together, I had Dean and Charlie on either side of me. Adam was right behind me and Averman was in front of me. "This is more crowded than a truck load of goats." Dwayne said. "Somebody better watch they're hands." Julie warned while Averman cried out. "Yeah someone licked me."
"Oh I smell something." We all sniffed the air "GOLDBERG!" We all shouted in disgust. "It wasn't me." He says "No it was me." Dean says lifting his hands up proudly. Yuck I'm in the firing line.
Everyone starts arguing again "I don't know how to make this any clearer. You are a team. And to win this thing, you have to work as one. Now as one skate." We all start to skate and end up falling over. I fell back onto Adam. I turn to look at him and he's smirking "Falling for me are you?" I push myself up off him "You wish Banks."
"Everyone goes their one way, everyone falls down, now get up and try it again." Coach tells us.
Dean demanded we go left but Fulton didn't like that and demanded we go right. Everyone got confused and went different directions and we fell again.
And of course I fell on Adam again. "You sure you're not falling for me?" A charming on his lips. "Maybe." I boldly say getting he up he looked shocked but didn't say another word.
We eventually were able to skate together and Coach decided to have a little fun and told Dwayne to round us up. When were all caught, Dwayne taught us how to line dance. It was really fun, even coach joined in.
After practice and after getting changed out of our hockey gear, we were all heading our own ways. Adam ran up me to "Hey what did you mean by maybe?" He asked me. Without saying anything I leaned over and kissed him. I pulled back and smiled at him before walking away leaving him dumbstruck. Oh my god, I can't believe I actually did that.