The next morning, the team had practice off of the ice. Everyone was irritable, and for good reason. Coach hadn't even bothered to show up.
"I say mutiny, who's with me?" Goldberg asked, while standing up from a stretch.
"Goldberg, I'm too tired to mutiny," Guy said and a few others tiredly nodded in agreement.
I sighed, knowing that we were never going to win our next game if we kept these attitudes up. "Come on guys, it's not like we couldn't use the conditioning."
Dean stood up and smiled. "Speak for yourself, babe."
"Her name is Ella, not babe." Adam now stood and looked at Dean angrily.
Suddenly Dean started shouting and pushed Adam, "Don't tell me how to talk, rich boy!" The rest of the team was quick to pull them apart before anything bad happened, but that didn't stop the yelling.
"Portman, chill!" I heard Fulton say, which Dean responded "You want a piece of this?"
I rolled my eyes at how quickly this petty argument had escalated. I was about to tell everyone to break it up when someone called, "Hey Team USA, what are you gonna do today? A million jumping jacks?"
My eyes shifted to the side of the field we were standing on. The voice belonged to the same loud-mouth kid who had been taunting Jesse and me a few games earlier.
"This kid is crazier than me. Forget about him," Dean said. He turned his attention back to the team. "Look here, Fulton!"
Jesse however walked towards the kid. "Hey man, I'm gettin' sick of you!"
"And I'm getting sick of seeing the USA being represented by a bunch of whiny babies," He fired back.
Jesse scoffed. "It's too bad you can't back up that mouth."
The kid skated closer to us. "Man me and my boys can take you on, anytime, anywhere."
"I don't see no boys," Jesse told him. I agreed. No 'boys' in sight.
"I got 'em waiting," he told Jesse, "Now grab your gear and let's go play some old school puck. Or maybe you forgot what it's like to play for real pride."
Suddenly a security guard ran up. "Hey you got a pass?" The kid ignored him. "Come on you little wimps."
The guard grabbed him and pulled him off of the field. "You coming or not?" he shouted.
I looked at the team. Why not?
_
I had to admit that Russ was right. School yard puck was fun. I think the team was really feeling better and ready to get back to competing, afterwards.
Russ was actually a really cool person too. He showed us his "knuckle puck" as he called it, which was this crazy hit into the goal.
I walked next to Adam and boarded the bus to take us back to the hotel. Russ and all of his friends waved us off and shouted good luck. I smiled and waved back.
"I hope we'll get to see them again." I told Adam. He nodded. "Me too."
Once back at the hotel, it was straight to game preparation. All of my gear was already in my bag so I didn't have much to do.
"Hey Julie?" I turned around on the chair I was sitting in, to face the bed both Connie and Julie were sitting on. They both perked up. "Can you braid my hair?"
Julie smiled and jumped up. "Sure! Do you want one or two braids?"
I thought for a moment. "How about two?"
She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom to grab supplies.
"Ella how come you don't ask me to do your hair anymore?" Connie flopped down on the bed so she was looking at me upside down and pouted.
"Connie, the last time you tried to braid my hair, I spent a hour getting knots out. We were almost late to practice!" I giggled.
She sighed. "Oh right. I forgot about that."
Julie emerged, with a comb and rubber bands in hand. "Alright let's get started."
_
"Hey team, we're going to do great today right?" Don Tibbles leaned over the seats and into our bench. "Where's Gordon?"
"You tell us." Luis responded. It was only moments before our Germany game was going to start and Coach was still MIA. I was beginning to think he died or something.
"I don't believe this." Don shook his head.
A ref skated up to us. "Team USA, I'm sorry but without a coach behind the bench, you'll forfeit the game."
"But you can't do that!" Adam narrowed his eyes at the ref and we all agreed.
Charlie sprung into action. "We do have one," he said and skated around us. "Ms McKay!" he called and our teacher turned to face him.
"Hey Charlie, what's up?" she asked him, looking slightly confused.
Charlie explained the situation and Ms McKay looked skeptical. "I don't know anything about coaching!" I heard her tell him.
The ref skated over to the two of them. "Here she is!" Charlie shot the ref a strained smiled. "Our coach. Coach McKay."
I prayed that she would agree to go along with it. We couldn't lose by forfeit, we just couldn't! After what felt like forever, Ms McKay leaned over the panel and said, "Well what are we waiting for, the ice to freeze? Let's play!" We all cheered.
I had to admit, Ms. McKay was sort of funny to watch coach.
"Uh we look tired." She told me. "We need to trade places."
I looked at Charlie. "What?" He shrugged.
"Um, new players!" She reworded her last phrase.
I finally got what she was saying. "Oh, say change it up."
"Change it up." She said.
"Scream it!"
"Change it up!" The players on the ice skated in and those that were ready, skated out. "Cool!" Ms McKay remarked and I smiled back at her.
Suddenly a duck call rang throughout the stadium. I looked up in the stands and was shocked to see Coach, making his way down towards us, with a duck whistle in hand. I guess he wasn't dead after all.
The team looked around at each other, unsure of what to do. Some rolled their eyes and grumbled, while others looked relieved to see Coach.
He opened the door to our bench and walked in. "Come on in everyone!" He called to those on the ice. I watched as they reluctantly skated towards us.
Once everyone stood in front of him, Coach spoke. "Team, I was wrong. And I'm sorry. I forgot about the team, and the team is all I have. All I'm asking for is another chance. Just one more shot. I'm back, okay? Believe me."
_
And Coach was right. He lead us all the way to the victory against Germany, using the flying V. He even burned that stupid cardboard cutout of himself, to further prove that the team was his number one priority. Boy was I happy to have the old Coach back.
That afternoon, Adam and I were finishing a practice and leaving the locker room when Coach stopped us. "Just think how good you would play with two good wrists."
"Coach." Adam looked at him in surprise. "It's just a little sore.
But Coach ignored Adam's obvious lie. "Sorry I didn't spot it sooner man, I wasn't doing my job."
"I can still play, I swear."
"Okay, fine. Let's test that." I leaned against a row of lockers and watched as Coach handed Adam a hockey stick. "Now rotate it."
Adam's arm shook as he tried to turn the stick. He dropped it to the ground, when he couldn't.
Coach shook his head. "I've got to bench you."
"You can't do that!" Adam shouted.
"Adam you could injury yourself permanently. I'm sorry but you're benched." Coach walked out of the locker room, leaving a defeated looking Adam, behind.
I quietly walked over and sat on the bench beside him. "Adam it is better to heal it now before things get worse. Coach is right."
This made Adam stand up. "You don't get it Ella. You're not the one with scouts here to see you play. You're not the one who's injured."
I pursed my lips, getting slightly annoyed. "The scouts are here to watch all of us Adam."
He shook his head at me. "Forget it." He turned to leave and I stopped him.
"Adam, please! I don't deserve to be treated like this. I get it you're upset, but that doesn't explain the last couple of weeks-"
"What are you talking about?" Adam turned towards me and shook his head.
"You've been cancelling our dates, avoiding me and you walked that one girl back to her room and never told me about it-"
"Ella come on, I explained that to you!"
"Yeah but only because I asked about it. And Adam how do I know you don't still talk to her? You're being so secretive lately and I don't know why-"
"If you have so many problems with me, maybe we should just break up!" Adam's sudden outburst made me pause.
"W-what?"
"Yeah you know what Ella?" Adam looked at me with anger. "I'm breaking up with you. This clearly isn't working."
This wasn't what I wanted! "Adam please don-"
"It's over!" He turned and stormed out of the locker room before I could say anything else.
No no no! This couldn't be happening!
I felt my heart rate increase and I dropped onto the bench. Before I knew it, tears were running down my cheeks. Part of me was waiting for Adam to come running back in and we could fix everything. But that wasn't going to happen.
Adam was gone.
_
haha so hi again! i know it's been since like april that i updated this book but i told you i would and i did! i want to apologize for making adam seem so mean but i promise things get worked out and explained later on. anyways please vote/ comment and i'll update asap!