Forever and Always | Adam Banks

The Jumbotron

To celebrate making it into the playoffs, Coach Bombay had taken the team to the Minnesota North Star's game. Coach pulled a few strings and was able to get the kids in early to watch the team warm up. Ellie looked around the arena, still in shock that she was actually here. She had been begging her parents to take her to a game all season, but they were always too busy. Her teammates were also in shock, all mumbling to themselves, in disbelief that they were seeing the North Stars this close. Ellie and Adam were talking, pointing out all different things in the arena and their favorite players. To them, this experience was the coolest thing they had ever done. Ellie watched as Adam's eyes shined, knowing this is what he wanted his future to be.

The team stood at the end of the rink, saying hi to all the players that were walking past them and into the locker room. Ellie looked at Adam, absolutely starstruck. And then, two of the players actually stopped and were talking to Bombay. "Hey, Gordo! Gordon Bombay, right?"

The Ducks looked at each other in shock, wondering how on Earth Coach Bombay personally knew players on the team. There was no way this was real life. Adam even tried pinching himself, thinking this was all a dream. Coach Bombay was already way cooler than Coach Reilly ever was. "Hey, you remember me?" Apparently, Coach was also slightly shocked that his old teammate remembered him. He knew it would be a possibility, but peewees was years ago.

"Sure, from peewees. This guy used to rule in peewees," Coach's friend, Basil McRae, tells his teammate. No wonder Coach Bombay was such a good coach. He played hockey for years and was able to connect with his players, understanding what they were going through. He was in the same spot when he was their age.

"Oh, yeah? I heard you're a farmer." Ellie couldn't help but snicker at that comment. She could never imagine coach being a farmer. Not to mention, he talks about being a lawyer all the time. Though, she was starting to think he liked being a hockey coach more than being a lawyer.

"Actually, I became a lawyer. But I'm coaching peewees now. This is my team, the Ducks. Ducks, this Basil McRae and Mike Modano," Coach Bombay introduces the team to the two North Stars players that stood before them. The entire team responded with one big duh, as if they wouldn't know who they were. The Ducks followed the Minnesota team religiously, a lot of them hoping one day they would be in the same spot. As a ten year old hockey player, playing in the NHL would be the biggest dream come true.

"Hey Ducks, listen to this guy. He knows what he's talking about," Basil tells the team, then turns his attention to Coach Bombay. "If you ever want a shot, let me know. I'll get you a tryout with the Minor League clubs."

"Alright, let's have some fun!" Gordon says, giving his attention to his team after saying thanks and goodbye to the players. He was able to get the kids out on the ice, letting them have some fun and enjoy their time before going into playoffs.

Connie and Guy were skating around the rink, hand-in-hand. Ellie watched them with a small yearn for what they have. According to Charlie they had been really good friends for years and had started dating near the beginning of the season. Their story gave Ellie hope that maybe one day she and Adam could be the same. She looked over to her best friend who was passing the puck around with Charlie and shooting on Goldberg. The smile on his face was prominent, giving Ellie butterflies. She knew there were still a few of Duck members that still didn't like Adam, but for the most part it seemed he was starting to feel welcomed. 

Ellie found her way back to Adam, as all the kids took turns sliding on their bellies down the ice. Ellie laughed as Adam took his turn, somehow being naturally good at it. Adam watched his best friend take her turn at sliding on her belly. Her laughter filled the arena as she went. If he was in a cartoon, he was sure there would be hearts coming out of his eyes. Everything about her was just beautiful. 

It was the second period of the game and the Ducks were surprised with a message on the jumbotron. Welcome Gordon Bombay and the Ducks. None of them of could believe it. No ten year old was used to seeing them on the jumbotron. They all stood up in excitement, cheering that they were being honored at the game. It was like a cherry on top of a perfect sundae. 

Ellie was sitting next to Adam, of course, and realized his eyes weren't on the ice. She followed his line of sight and saw Larson and McGill. McGill turned his hand into a gun, shooting it right at Adam. In their eyes, Adam was one of them. A Duck and the enemy. While Adam didn't always agree with everything they did, they were still two of his closest friends and now they won't even talk to him. The only person he had left was Ellie. Sure, he was slowly starting to make friends with his new teammates, but it hasn't been the easiest thing for him. Ellie watched as he balled his hand into a fist, trying to cover his face from his old friends. She grabbed his other hand, intertwining their fingers. Since her other hand was open, she decided to put it to good use, flipping off Larson and McGill. They didn't deserve his friendship anyway. 

"Hey, you okay?" This was the first thing Ellie had asked when the two were dropped off after the game. Ellie had noticed that Adam had been a bit off since his run in with Larson and McGill. She could tell he was trying his best to have fun with the team, but she could knew something was bothering him. 

"Yeah, just realizing people who you thought were your friends actually aren't kind of sucks." McGill and Larson were his first friends when he joined the Hawks and from then on, they always stuck together. He wanted to still be friends with them after joining the Ducks, but they wanted nothing to do with him. 

"They're stupid, Adam. If they decided to stop being your friend over a hockey a team is ridiculous and you deserve better. I know being on the Ducks hasn't been the easiest for you, but they're starting to come around. You'll have new friends in no time." Adam deserved friends that liked him for who he was, not what hockey team he played for. The Ducks are a good group and Ellie knows that soon enough they will be seeing Adam as one of their own. 

Author's Note:

I have something planned for the next chapter that all y'all have been waiting for. Also, yay for Adam and Ellie being welcomed by the Ducks. Ugh I felt so bad for Adam in his first game with them when they were all ignoring him. Like the dude just wants to play hockey, let him play.