here it is. game day. potentially, the worst day of my life. potentially, the best.

we were all in the locker room getting ready and i couldn't seem to stop my heart from pounding.

"we're gonna be great today, guys." danny encouraged us.

coach grinned, glad for the optimism,"he's right. let's kick some ass."

we cheered, but below the surface we were terrified. i wouldn't be surprised if we all ended up with concussions.

adam walked in, his presence brightening the room. i smiled and looked at the ground as i slipped on my pads.

i wasn't sure what he was doing here, i thought maybe he was going to wish us luck.

he was grinning from ear to ear as he grabbed a hockey stick from his cubby,"look, i woke up and the pain was gone."

he fully rotated the stick, proving to us that he was fine. none of us could contain our excitement, knowing that our star player was back.

but coach was left enthusiastic,"that's great, banks. but we've already got a full roster."

i frowned, pressing my lips together. i felt bad for adam, but coach was right. it was the eleventh hour, it wouldn't be fair to pull someone out of the game. 

russ sighed, and looked down, starting to take off his jersey. charlie put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"he can have my spot," charlie announced, causing me to look at him quizzically, as he walked up to coach,"it's what i can do for the team. let me do it."

bombay stared at charlie for a second, trying to analyze the situation. finally, he smiled making his decision,"charlie, I need you on the bench right there coaching with me."

i smiled, glad with the solution, and slipped on my skates. i stared wearily at the laces, my head empty.

i couldn't believe that this was actually happening to me, but i had somehow managed to forget how to tie my skates.

i rolled my eyes, biting my thumb. i didn't want to ask for help, for fear of embarrassment.

i watched as adam walked up to me, smiling lightly,"you look like you're struggling."

i chuckled,"you picked up on that?"

adam laughed and kneeled down, beginning to tie my skates,"it was a subtle panic, but i guess i was just paying attention to you."

i felt my heart flutter, his words somehow managing to ease my stress.

"well, thank you."

he nodded, looking at me with sparkling eyes,"does that always happen with you get nervous?"

i shrugged,"i've never been this nervous."

"me either," he sighed and stood up,"all done."

he held out his hands and i grabbed them, standing up with him,"thank you, sir."

"you got it." he let go of my hands, and started to get ready.

•

we all skated onto the rink as the crowd erupted in cheers.

as we warmed up, i could feel myself becoming a little overwhelmed with all the noise. i shook out my arms and legs trying to get rid of my nerves.

"gilinsky, start us up!" coach called out.

i nodded and got in position, fulton on my left, and dean on my right. they were gonna knock anyone out of my way, if we had planned this well enough.

as soon as the puck dropped, averman hit the ground. i got the puck and skated as fast as i could. there was no one for me to pass it to, so i had to keep going. i neared the goal only to be knocked into said goal, by an icelandic player.

my shoulder slammed into the pole, and i yelled out a cry of pain. i gripped my shoulder with my good hand.

it was a throbbing pain. i tried to move my arm, but it didn't seem to work.

i heard the ref blow the whistle and medics came to me.

"what hurts?" the man asked, kneeling down next to me as i sat up.

i chuckled sardonically,"my pride." when the medics didn't laugh, just stared at me blankly, i cleared my throat,"um, my shoulder. it's dislocated, i'm pretty sure."

the medic did a quick evaluation, confirming my theory,"it's dislocated."

i nodded, looking at him expectingly,"well, pop it back in, please, and let me continue."

"i don't think that's the best idea."

i rolled my eyes. i knew he was the medical expert on the ice, but i knew my limits,"i'll be fine, just pop it back in."

she sighed, compromising with me,"sit on the bench. in fifteen minutes, you can get back out there."

i sucked my teeth, upset that i couldn't play for that long, but it was better than nothing,"okay, sure."

"alright," she smiled, grabbing my arm,"n the count of three. one, two, three."

she shoved my shoulder back in place and i yelped in pain. i rolled both my shoulders back, to see if i was fully right, and got up skating into the box.

the game continued, and i watched as stahl shot the puck. goldberg was a little slow and the siren went off soon thereafter.

"are you okay?" charlie asked, taking a seat next to me.

i nodded,"fine, just annoyed." 

i was forced to wait at least twelve minutes more, and it was then i realized just how long sixty seconds lasted. i watched as kenny got flipped over someone's back, russ was shoved into the boards, guy was tackled to the ground, and dwayne was tripped.

the score was 2-0.

they knocked us down anyway they could. cheap shots, flipped, tripped, and they somehow managed to run us into each other. even dean was seeing stars.

after the fifteen minutes had passed, though it seemed like an hour, coach sent me back in to replace guy.

i hit the ice, took the puck, and started to play a little game with the icelanders. every time they came near me, i would do a little spin around them.

i passed the puck in between this guys leg and to Adam. it was immediately stolen and i  groaned. i was doing so well.

it was then that we all started playing games. none of us were really taking this seriously, just having fun.

we figured, if we couldn't beat them, we might as well have fun while losing.

connie was knocked down and dwayne came out with a rope and hog tied one of the players. it had to be some kind of big violation, but i'm not sure there was a specific rule about it.

3-0.

coach pulled us into the locker room, looking pretty upset. it was halftime, and we hadn't scored a single point.

"did you all enjoy that?" he asked rhetorically, but we still chose to answer.

we all said our variations of yes, enjoying the moments before that humiliated the iceland team.

coach sighed,"they did too, because they're three ahead! we're one period away from defeat."

jesse shrugged, coach's worlds going straight over his head,"well, at least we have our pride."

"that's not pride, jesse," coach told us, trying to get us to understand,"sure, when dwayne roped that oaf. part of me cheered. i know how you feel, i wanted to crush that guy who hurt my leg. my knee will heal. if i become something i'm not, if i sink to their level, well then i've lost more than my knee. we're not goons, we're not bullies, no matter what people say or do we have to be ourselves," coach lectured then turned to Dean,"who are you?"

dean smiled,"dean portman."

"from where?"

"chicago, illinois." he said proudly.

coach pointed to guy.

"guy germaine from st. paul, minnesota."

"jesse hall from minneapolis, minnesota."

"julie gaffney from bangor, maine."

"luis mendoza, miami, florida."

"greg goldberg, philadelphia, pennsylvania."

"lester averman, brooklyn park, minnesota."

"fulton Reed, stillwater, minnesota."

"russ tyler, south central, los angeles."

"charlie conway, minneapolis, minnesota."

"ken wu, san francisco, california."

"connie moreau, minneapolis, minnesota."

"adam banks, edina, minnesota."

"dwayne roberts, austin, texas."

"scarlett gilinsky, seattle, washington."

"danny madison, seattle, washington."

"michele mackay, duluth, minnesota."

"gordon bombay, minneapolis, minnesota," coach finished us off, getting inspirational," we're team usa, gathered from all around america. and we're gonna stick together, you know why?"

"because ducks fly together." jan interjected.

i whipped my head around to see him, not sure when he had arrived.

"just when you think they're about to break apart," jan started and we all finished,"ducks fly together!"

"when the wind blows hard and the sky is black?"

"ducks fly together!"

"When the roosters are crowing and the cows are turning circles in the pasture?" dwayne exclaimed.

it all took us a second, none of us knew if this was the right scenario, but nonetheless continued our chant.

"ducks fly together!"

"now, new ducks and old ducks must unite under a new banner, and i thought perhaps something like this."

we were thrown new jerseys, with an all new duck logo on them. i was actually really excited to become a duck.

the ducks are like this family, this state of being that just feels like home. the ducks are more than a team. they're a family, and i'm excited to be a part of it.

once we had our new jerseys on, we skated back onto the ice and the crowd was ecstatic.

we all got into a circle and started quaking. the crowd even started to join in.

our attitudes had completely changed, and i knew we were gonna make a comeback.

the puck was dropped and adam stole it. i checked icelanders out of the way, trying to give him a clear pathway.

"scar!" he called out and passed the puck to me.

i swiftly shot it in and the siren blared. i saw my brother and his friends shoot up and scream. i didn't know that they were going to be here, but i was glad to see them.

1-4.

connie passed the puck to guy.

2-4.

suddenly, averman lost the puck.

2-5.

charlie called us over, handing over an insane play.

i had to constructively criticize it,"charlie, what are you trying to do here? this isn't the nba."

"but it's the perfect teamwork play." he argued.

i couldn't disagree with the coach's assistant, so i really had no choice.

we skated back to the ice. i got the puck and passed it to dwayne.

"alley oop!" he shouted and soared the puck through the air.

3-5.

i got the puck and passed it to luis, right before i was flipped over someone's back.

luis sped down the rink practically flying and stopped right at the net.

he was absolutely beaming,"i did it, i stopped!"

i looked at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to make the shot,"luis! shoot it!"

"oh, yeah!" he remembered the simple movement and made the goal.

everywhere russ went, iceland went after him. so, charlie and coach made a plan to switch goldberg's and russ' gear. russ would go on as goalie until it was time.

i had no idea if this was actually allowed, but coach didn't seem to have a problem with it.

i stole the puck and passed it to luis, who handed the puck off to "goldberg" who was really russ.

"it's knuckle puck time!" he exclaimed, then hit the puck and scored.

5-5.

the game ended with a tie and now, we have our six best puck handlers make shots. i was going last.

i under no circumstances wanted to be the final person going. i was not the one who needed to be this team's swan song, but charlie was confident in my skills.

first was danny and he made it.

then iceland scored.

guy makes it.

iceland doesn't.

dwayne shot the puck, but it was saved. i was disappointed, but we were still ahead.

iceland scored.

fourth, was fulton and he made it. he knocked the goalie backwards.

adam was up next. i watched nervously as he skated up to the puck.

he went into a triple deke. one, two, three, and he clears it. the siren went off and i nearly wet myself.

that meant it was my turn next.

iceland made the goal and i swallowed hard.

adam smiled reassuringly at me,"you're gonna be great out there."

he tapped my helmet and i took a deep breath, skating onto the ice.

i got the puck and switched it from left to right, attempting to confuse the goalie. it seemed to work. i faked left making him shift his body the wrong way, and i shot it in before he had time to think. the siren blared and i broke out in a smile.

i skated back into the box, getting the congratulations from everybody.

finally, it was stahl's turn, so julie went to the net. she was the best goalie we had, and if anyone could block gunnar's shot, it would be her.

gunnar went and shot the puck. julie dived to the ground and it was silent. we waited in anticipation, hoping to god she had gotten the puck.

she stood up and opened her palm, the puck smacking the ground.

we all erupted in cheers and went to the ice to revel in our glory.

i couldn't tell if it was my adrenaline pumping, or how amped up the crowd was, but i knew exactly how i wanted to celebrate.

i skated up to adam, sliding my helmet off. he did the same, and i smiled, my breath shaking.

he smiled at me,"hey, good jo-"

i cut him off, not wanting to get into semantics,"can i kiss you?"

he looked confused for a second, but it was quickly replaced with a grin as he pulled me into him.

our lips met, and i knew it wasn't just adrenaline. i should have done this a long time ago.

we pulled away, and he looked at me quizzically,"so, does this mean-"

"i hope so." i answered, letting out a nervous breath.

he grinned and pulled me in for another kiss.