Breaker (A Fulton Reed love story)

Exploring LA

The press conference

The first game against Trinidad was amazing. Team USA pulled out a clear win and demonstrated all their strong suits. Luis was a total speed demon, Kenny's figure skating skills were an unstoppable weapon, Sophia shocked the crowd with her speed and strength. Dean and Fulton had definitely made their mark as the Bash Brothers. The whole team worked perfectly together. Right now, the team was standing behind Bombay as a bunch of photographers snagged photos of their press conference. They were all a little nervous but smiled through it. The Hendrix bear even made an appearance. Sophia stood in front of Fulton and beside Dwayne. What a place to be, right? Anyway, once the floor was opened to questions, the crowd went wild.

"Team USA, how does it feel competing on the international level here in Los Angeles?" a reporter asked. A series of "feels good" and "love its" were heard from the team.

"Breaker, what are your thoughts on being chosen for such a prestigious competition without the training of your grandfather, coach of the New York Rangers?"

Sophia's mouth went dry at this question. She wanted to be known for her own skill and not her grandfather's title. Luckily, Bombay was there to save the day.

"If I may speak on behalf of Miss Marrazi, she is a very talented hockey player and while her grandfather is well known and may have taught her everything, the games are her shot to prove herself and she definitely has. All these kids have" A round of applause rang out as Sophia mouthed a quick "thank you" to her coach. She turned around slightly to smile at Fulton. He sent an assuring wink her way and she giggled, sending shivers down his spine. As she was turning back around, Dwayne gave her a sweet smile which she returned. Fulton could see Dwayne's ears turn a bit red and he felt his face flush. He really was mad but there were only two things keeping him from strangling Dwayne, his conscience and the amount of witnesses.

"Coach Bombay, the Vikings from the Iceland are the heavy favorite." Another reporter stated. "Their coach has already guaranteed victory. How are you gonna handle them?"

"Um...hard work. I think our team is ready to go up against the best in the world. We're not worried about 'em. Iceland may be tough, but, uh, we're Team USA and we're goin' all the way."

Everyone began cheering. Fulton and Dean did a little bro hug while Sophia gently shook Julie's shoulders.

"Team USA's goin' down" a deep, booming voice halted the celebration. "That's where you're going. See you on the ice, Bombay" A large man in a black suit stood in front of a team of gigantic boys, also in black. The reporters were all muttering as the team gave each other confused looks. Mr. Tibbles began to clear things up with Coach Bombay.

"That's, uh, Stansson. Coach of the Iceland team. He's wound a little tight"

"Stansson from the NHL? Wolf 'The Dentist' Stansson is coaching? You didn't tell me that" They walked off as they continued to discuss the Iceland team.

"That guy's a dentist?" Kenny asked.

"That was his nickname." Charlie answered. "Played one year of pro, collected more teeth than goals. He even punched out his own coach."

"After that, they ran him out of the league" Julie added

Sophia gave her two-bits. "Ran him out of the country, you mean"

Fulton gave one more glance to Stansson before stepping down from the podium. Sophia stepped down as well and looked out over the football field. Right as Fulton took a step to go talk to her, Dwayne came up behind her and lightly tapped her shoulder. He motioned for her to follow him and placed his hand on her upper back to guide her. Fulton just stood there as they passed him, not even giving him a second glance. Dwayne and Sophia stood by the pillars with Sophia leaning against it. He began to talk and as he continued to rant about his point, she smiled at the ground and tucked a small piece of hair behind her ear. Dwayne gave her a blushing smile and Fulton felt a tight pain in his chest and stomach. Another time that he watched Cowboy steal his dream, only this time, he knew he couldn't snag her back.