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chapter four: cher bellucci
{a/n: be sure to read the authors note at the and of this chapter
warning: this new character is super creepy, so be prepared lmao
enjoy! }
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IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING in his brain turns off the second his skates hit the ice, his thoughts only consuming hockey.
Adam's frame of mind switches anytime he's related to the sport. He gets all jittery and exhilarated just thinking about the next moment he's going to play again, even if he's already on the ice.
He's learned that any time he plays hockey, confidence grows within him. It's like he turns into a whole new person; someone who knows what their worth is.
Furthermore, he's able to unleash all of his frustrations onto a simple rubber puck. Adam has learned to love the echo of the biscuit when it ricochets from his blade, and the warm feeling his body swells up in once it enters the net.
He knew this place was his only chance at becoming something big. He knew he had a long road of hard work ahead of him, and he had to give it his all.
"Division 2, please enter the rink now." The feminine voice blasted over the ice arena's intercom. All players filed into the arena upon hearing their respective group, which included Banks, Gaffney, and Germaine.
While making their way to the rink, one of the academy's coaches strode ahead of them. He began to explain that the first fifteen minutes was for evaluation, and that they were free to practice on any skills they would like for that time.
Grins stretched across all three blondes faces. They broke through the flock of hockey players as cautiously as they could, eager to be the firsts on the ice without hurting anyone.
Julie made a break towards the farther goal crease, only to be met up by another goalie.
He looked at her for a moment, his face softening once he saw that she was a girl. He let away from the net, motioning his glove towards the crease. "Ladies first,"
The blonde scoffed. "Say that again and I'll shove my stick up your ass." But took up on his offer and settled herself in the goal anyways.
The boy awkwardly skated away as Adam and Guy came up beside him. They looked at the goalie, then Julie.
Guy chuckled, immediately knowing what type of thing happened. "Ha, nice."
An unamused brow rose up from Adam. He shook his head, though a small smile played on his lips. "Just be careful what you're saying around here, Jules. Let's try not to make bad impressions already."
"Oh, whatever." The girl retorted.
"Hey, Banksy-boy has got a point here." Guy chirped in, slugging a padded arm around Adam's shoulders. "I would hate to relive freshman year again."
TEN MINUTES HAD PASSED and all players were continuing to push themselves at their full potential, being mindful that the coaches were watching their every move.
They knew that if they slacked off even just a little bit, it could jeopardize their chance of staying in the academy.
Adam slashed his way around the goal crease, intertwining the puck between his skates as a defender came up behind him.
He managed to scoop up the puck with the blade of his stick and carry it, seconds before shoving it into the net.
The boy brought his arms up and turned to the defender, Guy, with a cheeky smile. "That's five for five, baby!"
Adam came to a halt. He propped his gloved hand on the top of his stick and leant is body against it. "You really need to get your D back, dude."
"I'm trying." Guy snapped as he slid up his face shield. "I don't know what's happening!"
Adam took off his helmet and shook out his hair.
"I do." Julie left the crease and skated up to the boys. "You're gun-shy. I've noticed ever since you got struck in the boards by that nasty player last year, your defense has been awful."
"Gee, thanks Julie." Guy rolled his eyes.
The blonde girl shrugged a shoulder. "I'm just being honest. You're afraid to get to close."
"Maybe you need to work with Dean to get that fear shaken out. He could slam you against the boards a few times." Adam snickered, but once noticing the glum expression Guy had on his face, he stopped.
The blonde patted Guy's back. "Sorry," he said "but you'll get it back, I know you will."
The corner of Guy's mouth lifted up into a small smile. "Yeah."
"Now c'mon guys, we've only got four more minutes left. Let's make the best of it." Julie was already on the way back to the net, but stopped once she saw the puck that Adam had shot was gone. She turned back to the boys, "We need some more pucks."
"Banks can go get them." Guy volunteered.
A sour expression fell over the blonde's face. "No, I got them last time. You go get them."
From the way this quarrel was already looking, Julie knew how this would end if she didn't stop it. With a sigh she took off her glove and set it alongside her stick ontop of the net. "I'll go get some."
"Thanks Jules!"
"Yeah, you're the best!"
She just shook her head slightly. "Whatever"
The girl skated over to the penalty box, where a bucket of fresh, new pucks sat on the bench. Julie picked through them and took out the ones she thought were best.
As she was making her way back, something caught her ear.
"You see Banks over there? He's such a fox."
She stopped right in her tracks, a taunting grin making her way up to her lips. Julie slid up beside two girls, brows crinkled, she asked, "Did you just call him a fox?"
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"WHAT ABOUT HIM?"
"No his hair is too greasy. He probably doesn't even shower."
"Cher, that's sweat."
On the other side of the rink, two girls stood not bothering to put any effort into warming up. They had all their gear on, but none of it was put to any use.
Instead, they'd been watching every hockey player, rating them at their attractiveness.
"Oh. He's still disgusting." Cher Bellucci retorted. She then crossed her arms, scoffing. "No one here is even cute."
"They're not here to be cute." Her best friend. Taniya Shah, said whilst rolling her eyes. "They're here to play hockey, and we are too."
"Oh whatever! I'm sure if I just keep looking, I'll find someone." The Bellucci girl sighed, running a hand through her hair as her eyes continued to scan the arena.
Taniya shrugged. "I wouldn't depend on it."
But right on cue, Cher noticed a tall player wearing a black and red jersey, the name 'Banks' stitched on the back. She watched as they scored, throwing their hands up in a celebratory way.
The dirty-blonde girl seemed captivated by the sudden move. Her brows creased.
The player then paused, propping up their body against their hockey stick, then leaning against it as they turned to talk to their teammate.
And it's like the world stopped moving when she saw him take off his helmet, shaking his head slightly to ruffle up his hair.
"Holy shit."
Taniya's face twisted, and she tried it to seek out where her friend was looking. "What?" She glanced back at Cher. "What is it?"
Without peeling her eyes from the boy, she spoke. "I found him. I found the boy who is going to be mine." Her tone was laced in desire, eyes sparkling as if someone had gifted her a chest of diamonds.
Taniya cocked her head to the side, brows scrunched. "Yours?" A breathy chuckle fell from her lips. "Isn't that a little too quick? I mean you just literally noticed him right now, and you want him?"
Cher nodded her head quite enthusiastically, face stretched as if her friend had asked a dumb question. "Yep." And finally breaking her eyes away from the boy, she turned towards the brunette. "I can already tell he's my exact type."
She took off one of her gloves and pointed towards the blonde boy, who was patting another boy's shoulder. "You see Banks over there? He's such a fox!"
After a moment of searching, Taniya finally caught sight of the boy her friend was going ballistic over. She shrugged,"He's cute, but you guys would kinda look like sibling-"
"Did you just call him a fox?"
Both girls snapped their attention to the unfamiliar voice. Julie Gaffney was standing there, an amused expression plastered on her face.
But of course, the two girls had no idea who she was.
"Yeah, I guess I did." Cher snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as she did take quite offense to the sound of the blonde girl's tone. "And who might you be?"
Julie stuck her other glove between her shoudler and chest, taking her hand out and extending it towards Cher. "Pat Myaz, nice to meet'cha!"
Cher's expression fell sour as she thought it was an awfully disgusting name. But as she sounded it out in her head, her face grew more revolted.
'Pat my ass.'
Taniya, on the other hand, had her glove over her mouth as she held back and outburst of laughter.
Cher slapped Julie's hand away. "You're the most repulsive girl I ever saw."
"Why're you talking like you're from the forties?" The blonde asked snickering. She found this whole girl amusing.
"She talks like that when she wants to seem intimidating." Taniya signed, mostly to herself, as her hands still hidden behind hockey gloves.
Luckily for Gaffney, she'd taken a sign language class in her sophomore year. The girl couldn't hold back her laughter as she signed back, "She's going to need a better tactic... and a new hairstylist."
Upon the astonished countenance the girl suddenly grasped from seeing someone use ASL, there was a small smile. "That's what I keep telling her! The highlights look like heat damage and zebra stripes had a baby."
"Hello!? I'm still here!" Cher seethed, a scoff clawing out of her throat as she glanced away.
Julie blew some air out between her bottom lip and teeth, pushing her weight onto one leg as she mimicked Cher in crossing her arms. "It's rude to interrupt a conversation, y'know."
"Okay? I don't care."
The goalie had a smirk on her face. She began back peddling towards the other side of the rink, forgetting that she had pucks tucked in her crossed arms. "You would care if I told you I knew a way to talk to Banks."
Cher blew a raspberry. "You? Know a way to Banks? Sure." Her high-pitched laugh was full of mockery.
"You know, Cher, this girl was practicing with the boy." Taniya noted out.
Julie nodded. "Yeah. How would you know what kind of people Banks talk to? You don't even know his first name."
The girl with the chunky highlighted hair scoffed. "And how would you know him?"
"Because I'm his one of his best friends." Gaffney simply answered. She'd paused her back-skate when Cher had laughed again. "And I know him."
"Prove it."
Julie had thought this petty girl was a waste of her time, but of course, she was always a fan of proving herself right. But what she didn't know was that this was apart of Bellucci's plan. She needed an excuse to talk to the boy who'd suddenly caught her interest.
With a roll of an eye, the blonde goalie turned towards the direction of her friends. She brought her hands up and cupped her mouth, ignoring the pucks falling from her grasp, and shouted, "Hey, Cake-eater!"
In a second, Adam paused mid-shot and turned towards the sound of the nickname he'd despised since he was eleven. He brought up his face shield once he saw it was Julie. "What?" He yelled back.
Cher's stomach swarmed with butterflies from hearing the sound of his voice. As her friend beside her, thought that the dirty-blonde girl was doing way too much.
Julie brought her arm up and waved him over.
Within a moment, both Guy Germaine and Adam Banks were standing beside the goalie.
Guy glanced at his friend, then the two girls curiously.
"What's up, Jules." Adam asked nervously, already creeped out from how this one girl he didn't know was staring at him. "Something wrong?"
The blonde girl shook her head. "Nope."
Confused, his brows knotted.
But before he could say anything, Cher Bellucci was already all over him. "Well, hey." She greeted with a smile, skating so close to him that there was only an inch of space between them.
Air caught in the blonde boys' throat. He tried to step back, but Cher hovered her hand over his chest. "I'm Cher, Cher Bellucci. Who might you be?" She lightly nibbled on her bottom lip, tilting her head to the side a bit as she studied his face.
"Uh," Was all Adam could get out before she pressed her hand on his chest.
Guy and Julie were watching this go down. Neither of them moving even though they wanted to help, but they were shocked at the sudden flirting coming from the girl with chunky highlights.
Cher grinned. "Y'know, Banks, I was watching you play and I couldn't help but notice how talented you are." She ran her hand down his chest, and he gulped. "My daddy owns this place. I'm sure I would be able to bump you up a few divisions. Scouts sure like to pay attention to their best options." The girl brought her hand back up, lightly touching his cheek.
"You don't even know him." Guy finally cut in, earning a glare from Bellucci. "I'm sure he doesn't want to know you," He continued, "At least it doesn't look like it."
Guy was right. Adam's face had turned pale, and his breathing had cut short. Normally, he wouldn't usually be as panicked, as he'd dealt with girls like this from Eden Hall. But the thing is, Cher came onto him so sudden, and he's never seen her before.
"What do you mean? Guys love this." Cher snapped, then turning back to Banks. "All the affection," She said softly, brushing her knuckles against his jaw.
"I-" Adam was cut off by a horn sounding through the arena.
"Pucks in!" It was one of the head coaches. "Everyone huddle over by the penalty box for the next set of directions."
The blonde boy finally got a breath of air as Cher backed away. Taniya grasped onto her friend's shoulder, pulling her back. All three blonde's heard as she whispered, "What the fuck was that?" but they weren't able to hear anything else as Taniya was dragging her towards the group of hockey players.
Cher blew Adam a kiss, ignoring her friend that was shaming her.
Julie turned towards Adam, eyes wide as saucers. "Adam- I am so so sorry-" she stumbled over her words. "I didn't- had no clue she was going to do that."
All Adam did for the second was shake his head, still processing what happened. Finally, "It's alright Julie, don't stress about it. You didn't know."
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{a/n: hey guys!! thank you so much for being so patient with me. so much has been happening in my life and i couldn't find a chance to write. and when i did, i'd always get stuck on some certain part lol.
anyways, you guys will find out later why taniya uses sign language. it's very crucial to her part of the story.
thank you all! }
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