A Miracle On Ice

Chapter 16 "We're A Family."

That night, Carly stormed back to the dorms angrily.

When she entered their floor, OC, Rizzo, Mac and Mark were in the common room, waiting for her.

"What's up with you?" Rizzo asked.

Carly flung down on the couch next to Mark, "Went home."

At that OC piped up, "So?"

She gave him a quick look, before looking away again.

The boys exchanged looks, before turning to OC simultaneously. 

"What'd he say?" OC understood and tried again.

Carly shrugged, "No milk."

The boys looked at each other confused, before Mark asked, "And what did you say?"

"That he should just go out and get a new one, cuz that's clearly how he does things now." she shot out.

Mac fought his laugh, "Wow, sounds like an interesting conversation."

The others smiled at that. Unsure if they could risk a laugh right now.

"I'm going to bed." Carly said, getting up, "See you guys tomorrow."

They replied with, "Night."

A few minutes later Mark got up too, "I'm gonna try to talk to her."

OC and Rizzo laughed, "Yeah, have fun 'talking'."

"Work your magic." Mac added, as they burst out laughing.

Mark just shook his head, leaving to Carly's room to talk.

The next day at practise, tension was still more than visible, as Rizzo, OC, and the Coneheads were skating up to Janny's goal to score.

"That's it. Come on, boys. Push it. Push it. Go now. Move!" Herb yelled, as OC shot the puck towards Rizzo.

Rizzo shot and missed the net, "Damn it."

Herb skated closer to them, "Come on, Rizzo."

"I know, coach. I know." Rizzo apologized.

"You know?" Herb asked, "If you knew, then why did you do it again? You better start putting the puck in the net, or you're not going anywhere." he threatened.

He turned to him once more, "And don't think I won't do it."

Then he yelled to the bench, "Johnson line, up. Let's go. Come on, shoot it."

As Rizzo passed Carly on his way to the bench, she gave him an encouraging nudge, "Light up. You're not going home."

And he knew she was ready to fight her dad on that, but he also knew he had to put in everything he had to get to Lake Placid.

Harrer played a great game at their next exhibition game, annoying the rest of the team.

"Up and around. Keep it moving." Herb called out onto the ice, "Center, center, center! Now move it up. And drop it back. Go to the net, Timmy. Go to the net!"

"Yeah." he said after Harrer scored.

Craig smiled at the goal too, "Nice play, boys, nice play."

The goal was announced as Harrer and the rest of the line skated off towards the bench for a switch, "Goal scored by number 18, Tim Harrer."

"Change them up, boys. Let's go. Come on, boys." Herb ordered the next line out.

Then he went up behind Harrer and put a hand on his shoulder, "Timmy. You keep driving the net. That's all I care about. That puck goes across the blue line, you drive to the net. All that matters."

Carly noticed Rizzo's uneasy look, and gave him a nudge, "Hey, man. I already told you."

Rizzo looked at her expectantly.

"We aren't going home." she stated.

They loaded up on the bus late that night.

As Craig went in, he turned to Herb, "Herb, some of the team want to have a word."

Herb looked up from his papers, "What about?"

"I think you should hear them out." Craig replied.

Herb huffed and got out of his seat.

Outside of the team bus, he came face to face with Mac, Mark, Carly, OC and Rizzo, "This better take two minutes." he said sternly.

They exchanged glances, until OC spoke up, "This is crazy, Herb, bringing him in this late."

Mac agreed, "We got parents buying tickets, getting rooms. What are we supposed to tell 'em? With one of us going home as it is?"

Herb scanned their faces, landing on Rizzo's.

"I don't think I have to ask where you stand on this, Rizzo?" Herb eyed him.

"This wasn't Rizzo's idea." Mac stated.

Carly gave her dad a look, "Yeah, it was mine."

Herb and Carly had a short staring battle, before he looked back at Rizzo.

Rizzo gulped, "You want me to say I'm scared of getting cut? I'm scared of getting cut. Everybody is."

"We just want it to be fair, Herb." OC explained.

"He was in Colorado with you guys." Herb stated.

Rizzo gave him a look, "That was six months ago."

"You don't think he's been playing since then?" he asked.

Rizzo shook his head, "Not with us, he hasn't."

"So?" Herb kept asking.

"So, there's a difference." Rizzo said.

"Like hell there is." Herb shot back, "All I know is that kid can flat out play."

"What, and we can't?" OC asked offended.

"He moves the puck well, he's got great vision on the ice, stick, soft hands..." Herb stated counting off reasons to keep Harrer.

"That's not the point." Mac interrupted him.

Herb looked at him sternly, "I'll tell you something else he's got. He's got the attitude I want on and off the ice, so can someone explain to me why I shouldn't be giving him a hell of a look?"

"Because we're a family." Mark Johnson spoke up for the first time.

There was silence for a second, in which Carly looked at the boy and his big heart.

When Mark's eyes met hers, she started smiling and grabbed his hand happily.

"What?" Herb asked, ignoring the scene he just witnessed.

"We're a family." Mark repeated.

Herb looked at them in shock, "A family?" Clearly, he hadn't expected a response like that. He knew his team had gotten close, like he had intended, but not that they now considered each other family.

"Yeah." OC, Mac, Rizzo and Carly agreed.

"This is the family you want to go to Lake Placid with?" Herb asked.

"Definitely." OC said.

Rizzo backed him up, "Yeah, not a doubt."

"Absolutely." Mac and Carly said in unison.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Mac ended.

"Timmy Harrer can help us, boys." Herb explained, "But I'm gonna send him home."

He gave them all a look, "We got one more to get down to 20. You understand?"

"Yep." they promised.

Herb and Craig turned, getting back on the bus, "Looks like you got yourself a team."

"Almost." Herb replied.