if there's one thing i loved about hockey, it was the slap shots. they were my favorite shots to do, and they were often what got me my points.

i shot one to scooter, and it soared right past him, straight into the goal.

i smiled triumphantly, feeling someone clap my shoulders.

"nice one, sawyer." i heard riley speak, both of us watching as the ducks walked into our stadium.

coach wilson blew the whistle ending our practice and talking with other players, while cole, riley, and i skated over to scooter.

"my dad says it was all just a publicity stunt," riley informed us, staring at the ducks distastefully as i slipped off my helmet,"but it's gonna end up killing the school's reputation."

i made eye contact with adam, smiling lightly and waving. he waved back, mirroring my expression, but it didn't take long for riley to check me, pushing my hand down.

i rolled my eyes, looking to cole as he spoke, "yeah, them rejects shoulda stayed on their own side of the tracks."

"those rejects, genius," scooter corrected our less than scholarly defenseman, speaking to him like he's a child,"besides, we don't have tracks, cole. you see, there's no trains; therefore no tracks. do you get that?"

cole stared at him blankly, trying to come up with something that made any bit of sense, "well, they should stay out of our school," he answered, immediately getting angry at our friend,"don't get smart with me, goalie."

i pushed my bottom lip out, reaching up to pinch cole's cheek,"come on, scooter. you know better than to confuse cole, especially when he hasn't had his alphabet soup yet. it counts as his reading for the day."

scooter chuckled lightly, looking to cole,"yeah, cole, you figured out those vowels yet?"

i sucked my teeth, shaking my head,"it's okay if you haven't, 'sometimes y' is a tricky rule."

"hey, we're on the same team," riley said through gritted teeth, tired of our banter,"come on."

we skated over to the door, meeting the ducks as they were about to enter our rink.

"if it isn't captain duckie." riley smirked, grabbing onto charlie, who had yet to skate onto the ice.

"get your hands off him." one of the bash brothers sneered, though i wasn't entirely sure which one it was.

i figured eventually i would learn their names, through riley's hateful spiels or otherwise, but for now, bash brother worked just fine.

"ooh, a bash brother," cole fake shuddered, pretending to be afraid of the enforcer,"i'm
so scared."

the boy glared at him, looking ready to charge, and i decided it would be best for me to diffuse the situation.

"that's cute, the way you stick up for each other," i commented, figuring it couldn't hurt if i also somewhat participated in the berating. i know it wasn't much of a 'diffusion, but anything to get me on riley's good side,"do you share a victory kiss on the ice after a big win?"

they shot me an angry look, ready to respond, when coach wilson ushered us away.

"break it up!" he exclaimed, pushing us backward to leave,"come on, let's go."

i blew the ducks a kiss, before turning and skating away.

"that was a good one, nguyen." riley told me, nudging me playfully.

i shrugged, letting out a calm breath,"well, i love the theatrics of a rivalry. always good to get a word in."

he looked at me quizzically as we made our way to the locke room,"weird way to put it, but i'll take what i can get."

•

as i mindlessly sharpened skates, under hans' supervision (and by supervision, i meant he sits on a chair nearby watching a tv), i couldn't help but let my mind wander to the ducks.

more specifically, i couldn't stop thinking about how when i left the rink, they were playing a game that involved roping each other on the ice.

it was something i had never seen before, and it made absolutely no sense to me. it had nothing to do with hockey, and i wondered why they had done such a useless warm up.

but, i was shaken out of my thoughts by the sound of the bell at the door going off, meaning someone was entering the room.

i didn't look up, deciding whoever it was, they weren't there for me, and instead i continued to sharpen the skates.

"school was not so fun today, eh charlie?" i heard hans ask, causing me to look up immediately.

my eyes widened as i realized captain duckie was standing right in front of me.

i had been so caught up in seeing him, i hadn't even realized that the skating blade was no longer being sharpened, because it was busy cutting into my hand.

"oh, shit!" i exclaimed, dropping the blade to shake out my hand.

hans looked at me with wide eyes,"sawyer, what did you do?"

"oh my god, it's you." charlie groaned, but quickly started searching for the tourniquet.

"good to see you again too." i stated sardonically, gripping tight onto my palm that had just been sliced open.

he grabbed hold of the tourniquet, starting to apply it for me.

i winced, feeling the cool air hit the shallow, but particularly painful cut.

i chuckled lightly, trying to change the subject, so i wouldn't have to fully absorb the pain that i was in,"so...you didn't answer the question. school wasn't fun today?"

he laughed, shaking his head as he tightened the tourniquet around my arm to stop the blood from flowing through my hand,"well, i think you already know the answer."

i looked up at him, sighing. i felt badly that i had been a contributing factor in ruining his day, but i didn't regret what i had said. it was a harmless joke, and i'm sure he didn't specifically mean me, he meant all of varsity. at least, i hope.

"right." i replied, as he let go of my arm, and i walked to grab gauze."

"are you alright, sawyer?" hans asked, walking over to inspect the cut.

"i'm fine," i dismissed my pain, even though it was burning hot,"i just got a little...distracted is all."

he nodded, letting out a breath of relief,"well, it does not look like it will need any stitches."

"yeah, thank god, i'm a no insurance baby." i commented, making jokes about my own misfortune.

charlie looked at me with knit eyebrows, taken aback by my words,"you mean a trust fund baby?"

i laughed, the very idea of myself having a trust fund seeming inconceivable at best,"no, no, i don't mean that at all. my mom's a...a personal care aide and my dad is a bartender."

"what?" charlie asked in disbelief,"that doesn't make any sense."

i shrugged, wrapping the gauze around my hand,"neither do assumptions."

"hey," i heard the voice of one scott holland, causing me to turn as i ripped the gauze off the roll and tucked it under another piece,"i'm here to pick you up."

i smiled apologetically at hans,"that's my cue, old man."

he waved his hand dismissively,"get out of here, already."

i chuckled lightly, setting the roll of gauze on the table and walking away with scooter.

"what happened to you?" he asked, his voice laced with concern as he grabbed my injured hand.

i rolled my eyes, drawing my hand back,"just a skate sharpening accident. i'm alright."

"uh huh," he looked at me suspiciously,"and was that captain duckie back there?"

i shrugged, glancing back as we left the store, "yeah. guess him and hans are close."

"guess so," he replied, not thinking much of the situation, but still, he had to say something, "we're not gonna tell riley about that, okay?"

i snorted, wondering why he thought i was an idiot,"duh, i wasn't going to."

he rolled his eyes, pushing me forward playfully,"just get in the car."

i opened the passenger door to see riley and cole sitting in the back.

"hey, guys." i smiled lightly, taking my seat. scooter shut my door for me, as he walked around to the driver's seat.

"sawyer, great news." riley smiled lazily, tossing me my letterman jacket that i had accidentally left in the locker room.

"hit me." i answered, slipping the jacket on, before going for my seatbelt.

"can i tell her?" scooter asked as he took his seat.

riley looked at him like he was insane for even asking,"no, i'm gonna-"

"well, why do you get to tell her?" scooter pouted.

riley shrugged, having a simple explanation, "because i'm the captain, that's why."

scooter huffed, leaning back in his seat,"well, i'm not gonna start the car, if i can't-"

"but it's my thing to-"

"i just wanna-"

"somebody tell me!" i exclaimed, antsy from all the anticipation, and exhausted from the back and forth that my head had been doing.

scooter and riley stared at each other, waiting to see who would say something.

"so should i or are you?" scooter questioned.

riley shrugged,"i mean, we could say it together."

scooter shrugged, mulling over the option. i stared at him incredulously, my curiosity hitting an all time high.

"yeah, i guess we could-"

"oh, for the love of god!" i exclaimed, throwing my head back,"someone, please."

"okay, okay," riley stopped the antics,"coach wilson told me our team got a new edition today."

i knit my eyebrows, wondering where this was going,"okay...and?"

scooter smiled devilishly, popping the gum that he had been chewing in his mouth,"it's adam banks."

i smiled lightly, feeling my cheeks heat up at the name,"really?"

"orion moved him to the third line." riley shrugged, leaning back in his seat as scooter finally started the car.

i frowned, feeling bad for the boy,"third line? what a diss."

"not for a freshman." scooter reasoned.

i guess he was right, a freshman on varsity is about as rare as riley being a good person. it happened every once in awhile, but it was nothing you should hold your breath for.

cole nodded, agreeing with our goalie,"yeah, weren't you third line last year?"

"second," i corrected him,"but i was promptly moved to first, because i'm better than you guys."

scooter laughed,"yeah, that's right, doll."

"whatever," riley dismissed the subject at hand, mostly because he knew it was true,"so what movie should we watch?"